Ballistics (Wipe 1+2)

OutdatedThis page describes content that has not been updated to the current game version. Please read with caution.**Ballistics** are an important part of *Ghosts of Tabor*. They play a big role in firefights and often determine the outcomes. Choosing the right weapon, ammo and gear is one of the most important parts in coming out on top of fighting.

# Armor Penetration

Armor penetration involves complex mechanics including velocity, angle of incidence, materials with physical properties, bullet performance, and armor plates. They are implemented using the Unreal Engine EasyBallistics plugin. While detailed information is available in EasyBallistics tutorials, casual gamers just need these key points:

* Armor is physically modeled as 3D rectangular plates, not a property of the player's body.
* If the bullet's path doesn't go through an armor plate, the armor plate doesn't provide any protection. Armor is not a property applied to your body. You can be shot in the torso with the weakest bullet while wearing the strongest armor if the bullet bypasses the armor plates.
* Many factors affect penetration, so results vary unpredictably between situations.
* Helmet behavior is currently not well understood and will not be covered here.

## Body Armor

The game features 3 different body armor materials, which will be referred to as Armor A, Armor B, and Armor C to avoid confusion with real-world armor classification systems. Armor C represents the most protective option. These 3 materials are used in various combinations to produce the 4 body armor choices available in-game. Referring to the materials as A, B, and C simplifies discussions about armor performance without tying the information to real-world armor models and specs.

## Helmets

Helmet penetration data is still being researched and analyzed. For our purposes, we will refer to the helmet materials as Helmet **A**, Helmet **B**, and Helmet **C**, with Helmet **C** representing the most protective option available. Further testing is required to definitively rank helmet materials by ballistic protection capabilities.

While this helmet material chart provides penetration numbers based on stated methodology, the results may not be reliable. Numerous observations indicate certain helmets perform much better than what is shown here.

## Armor Penetration Chart

This chart depicts best-case penetration scenarios for the listed armor. Testing was conducted at point-blank range with a low angle of incidence. Real-world shots are less likely to achieve these results. As penetration involves RNG, bullets may only penetrate sporadically depending on the situation. *This is the first version of the chart and may contain errors*. Armor A refers to the front plate material of the JPC2. Armor B denotes the front plate material of VestB and 6B102. Armor C represents the front plate material of 6B43.

## Methodology

1. Place the armor to be tested in your well-lit safe house, positioned in front of a surface that will clearly display bullet decals.
2. Ensure you have the correct ammunition type (FMJ or AP) loaded. Unload and reload if uncertain.
3. Fire perpendicular to the armor, like driving a nail into a board, for the most accurate test.
4. Try shooting through the front plate while moving your head aside to see particle effects on the second plate. Alternatively, shoot the back plate from the neck or waist and check for decals on the wall, though this is a more extreme angle. If no penetrations are seen, revert to the first method for confirmation.
5. Record the process so others can verify the results. Word of mouth is unreliable - don't believe a 9mm Glock can penetrate 6B43 chest armor without evidence.

## Complicating Factors

### Angle

Penetration depth refers to how far a bullet can travel into a material before being stopped. For example, a 1.1 inch nail hitting a 1 inch board at an angle may not pass through to the other side, due to the angle of incidence. The angle of incidence is the angle at which the bullet strikes the surface. At a 45 degree angle, the bullet would need about 40% more penetration depth to fully penetrate the board, compared to a perpendicular shot. This is because the angled shot must travel through more material lengthwise before exiting the other side.

### RNG

Penetration also involves an element of pure randomness. A very high RNG (random number generator) value can result in twice as much penetration as a very low RNG value for the same shot.

### Range

Not specifically range, but the bullet slowing down will decrease penetrating depth.

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### Ricochets

Unrelated to penetration depth, ricochets can also produce difficult-to-explain hits. A bullet may bounce off a surface at an odd angle and strike you in unexpected places, leaving you confused about how you took a torso shot while wearing a certain armor.

## Damage

This page does not cover damage reduction. However, the body area shot affects damage taken. Armor reduces bullet speed, lowering damage.

Hit Zone Damage
 Pelvis, Upper Arms, Upper Thighs
 Lower Arms, Calfs
 Hands, Feet
 Elsewhere

## Coverage Demonstration

It cannot be overstated - if you take a pistol hit to the torso while wearing top-tier armor, it likely penetrated an unprotected gap between plates. As illustrated here, the pink paper represents JPC2 armor plates. Note sizable areas of the torso remaining visible. As the figure rotates, the vulnerable sides are exposed. Improved armors attempt to plug gaps with additional plates, but these are not as impenetrable as main front/back plates. The key takeaway - armor does not encase the entire torso, leaving gaps a bullet can penetrate despite high armor level.

## References

The three key pieces that determine how far a bullet will penetrate. It doesn't show how far the bullet must go which is based on geometry.

EasyBallistics can be found at https://www.unrealengine.com/marketplace/en-US/product/easyballistics-plugin

## Angles and ricochets

There is a chance for ricochets to occur at varying degrees and on various surfaces. In some cases with a direct shot to a wall head on, it will ricochet back to the shooter for a self-own.

Surfaces known to cause ricochets: brick , concrete, bulletproof glass, metal, rock, and helmets.

# Flesh Damage Table

This table is currently undergoing testing & is not the final/actual values. It is a labor of love and work in progress, Data collected for this table will use the most common area of damage the torso. The damage tables below represent only **TORSO DAMAGE** (no armor) at **less than 5 meters** (point blank in most cases)**.**

* The chart below may also be out-of-date as values continually change patch-to-patch and may not be an accurate representative of the actual in-game damage values.
* Each gun has it's own damage output properties (For reasons: rifling length and arbitrary values inside EasyBallistics Plugin used by Combat Waffle Studios).

* Damage chart was tested by #wiki-fandom members, testing is continually being done to check values for base/torso flesh damage (**no body armor**).
* Head shots are instant kills. Shots can land between a face shield or catch you in the face wearing normal helmets.

## Model A

Model A is a mathematical model for point-blank damage. As the bullet slows down over distance the damage decreases. The values are still in the process of being verified with testing. They are published now in their current state because the old numbers have errors.

## Ammo

There are three types of ammunition:

1. FMJ (standard)
	* Cheapest and most accessible
2. AP (armor piercing)
	* Superior to FMJ, usually with higher penetration and higher mass
	* One exception is 9x39mm in which AP damage is lower than expected
3. TR (tracer)
	* Worst performing ammunition but have an added effect making it easier to see

Shotguns use 12 gauge shells loaded with buckshot (ST Powder), birdshot (TR Powder), or slug (AP Powder).

## Bolt-Action Rifles

Bolt-Action Rifles Damage Chart - OUTDATED: 0.4.2940.13226 (May 1 2023)

## Snipers

Sniper Rifles (Semi-auto) Damage Chart - OUTDATED: 0.4.2940.13226 (May 1 2023)

## Shotguns

* All 8 pellets need to hit torso for these damage values.

Shotguns Damage Chart - OUTDATED: 0.4.2940.13226 (May 1 2023)

## LMGS

Light Machine Guns Damage Chart - OUTDATED: 0.4.2940.13226 (May 1 2023)

## Knives

Knives Damage Chart - OUTDATED: 0.4.2940.13226 (May 1 2023)

## Throwables

Throwables Damage Chart - OUTDATED: 0.4.2940.13226 (May 1 2023)
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