Difference between revisions of "Smokepop pack"

Revision as of 06:17, 3 October 2022

The smokepop pack is a reusable defensive device that releases a cloud of smoke on command, reducing ranged accuracy.

Acquisition

Smokepop packs can be crafted at a Machining table once the Smokepop packs research project has been completed. Each requires 20 Steel, 1 Component, 40 Chemfuel and 1,200 ticks (20 secs) of work.

They can also be purchased from traders or found on raiders.

Summary

A smokepop pack creates smoke around its user. Thesmoke reduces hit chance by 70% for any projectile that paths through smoke. It does not affect melee hit or dodge chances. Smoke has an effect even if the shooter and the target are standing in it, as long as there's smoke in between. The smoke also prevents turrets from locking onto and firing at targets. It dissipates after around 30 seconds.

It can be activated 3 times before needing to be reloaded for 10 chemfuel. Reloading smokepop packs always costs 10 chemfuel, even if there are charges left (as compared to the jump pack, which uses 20 chemfuel per charge restored). Because of this, it is obviously more efficient, if less safe, to spend 2 or 3 charges before reloading.

Quality Table

On explosion, the smokepop pack covers an area with smoke. The radius depends on the quality of the pack.

Quality	Awful	Poor	Normal	Good	Excellent	Masterwork	Legendary
Explosion radius (tiles)	4.1	4.5	4.9	5.3	5.7	6.4	7.4
Market Value	83	125	166	205	250	415	830

Note that a larger explosion radius is not necessarily better, as smoke affects both sides of the battle.

Analysis

Smokepop packs are very useful against turrets, such as in a mechanoid cluster, who simply can't fire on targets hidden by smoke. Other pawns can then destroy it, hit it with EMP weapons, or handle other threats.

Against humanoid raiders, smoke is more useful with a melee or low-range group. They can be very effective against tight groups of enemies with few or no brawlers of their own, and can devastate sieges. An alternative is the shield belt, which fully eliminates damage until it runs out. However, smokepop requires less research (so long as you have chemfuel) and applies to all pawns in an area, as opposed to needing one shield belt per colonist. Smoke will also apply to animals, which obviously won't fit in a shield belt. Finally, only one colonist needs to wear a smokepop belt, meaning the rest can stick with a shield.

As covering enemies with smoke also greatly reduces effectiveness of your own gunners, it isn't very effective if you can outrange the enemy, or otherwise in a firefight. But even with a ranged group, you can use the cover of smoke to reposition your group in a safer manner, or to approach turrets.

Version history

0.17.1546 - Added as the smokepop belt.
1.2.2719 - Renamed to the smokepop pack from smokepop belt, now has 3 charges, no longer disappears on use, and can be triggered manually instead of automatically triggering when hit by a projectile.
1.2.2753 - AI will now only deploy an NPC's Smokepop pack if the offending attacker is hostile. This prevents friendly-fire from activating an NPC's Smokepop

Utility

Utility: Firefoam pop pack • Orbital bombardment targeter • Orbital power beam targeter • Psychic shock lance • Psychic insanity lance • Shield belt • Smokepop pack • Tornado generator • Low-shield pack • Jump pack • Orbital mech cluster targeter • Bandwidth pack • Control pack • Tox pack • Biomutation lance • Biomutation pulser • Deadlife pack • Disruptor flare pack • Shard animal pulser • Shard insanity lance • Shard shock lance • Turret pack

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{Stub}}{{Rewrite|reason=Format standardisation}}{{infobox main
+{{Stub}}{{infobox main
 | name = Smokepop pack
 | image = SmokepopBelt.png
@@ Line 25: / Line 25: @@
 | tags = BeltDefensePop
 }}
-The '''smokepop pack''' is a reusable defensive device that releases a cloud of [[smoke]] on command. The smoke reduces hit chance by 70% for any projectile that paths through smoke. Shooters will still be affected by smoke even when neither them nor the targets are standing in it, if there is smoke in between. The smoke also prevents [[turret]]s from locking onto and firing at targets. It dissipates after around 30 seconds.
+The '''smokepop pack''' is a reusable defensive device that releases a cloud of [[smoke]] on command, reducing ranged accuracy.
-It does not affect melee hit or dodge chances.
-It can be activated 3 times before needing to be reloaded for {{Icon Small|Chemfuel||10}} [[chemfuel]]. Reloading smokepop packs always costs 10 chemfuel even if there are charges left (as compared to the [[jump pack]], which uses 20 chemfuel per charge restored). Because of this, it is obviously more efficient to spend 2 or 3 charges before reloading.
 == Acquisition ==
@@ Line 36: / Line 32: @@
 They can also be purchased from [[traders]] or found on [[raiders]].
-== Analysis==
+== Summary==
-{{rewrite|section=1}}
+A smokepop pack creates [[smoke]] around its user. Thesmoke reduces hit chance by 70% for any projectile that paths through smoke. It does not affect melee hit or dodge chances.
-It is a useful item for melee-based tactics, with the smoke giving melee colonists the chance to move in, though you will want to equip most of your colonists with the [[shield belt]] instead, which gives more solid protection on top of the smoke. However, if your attack force is mostly or completely comprised of brawlers or trained animals, a smokescreen deployed in the middle of a fight can protect your pawns from numerous enemy gunners better. Shield belts can significantly reduce or eliminate damage from few incompetent shooters, but they become useless if quickly destroyed by concentrated fire or [[EMP grenades|EMP explosions]]. A smokescreen covering the whole crowd can potentially prevent more damage by making a lot of enemy shots miss and allowing your shields to recharge, especially if outnumbered by somewhat skilled shooters with high-damage weapons. A good offensive tactic - [[Defense_tactics#Animals|combat-trained animals]] will take the first hits and force some gunners into melee, a pawn will rush in with them and cover the area with smoke followed by shielded allies, and everyone can enjoy combined ranged protection of smoke and shields. This tactic can be very effective against tight groups of enemies with few or no brawlers of their own and can devastate [[Raider#Siege|sieges]], but it is only relevant if you rely heavily on melee fighters, as covering enemies with smoke also greatly reduces effectiveness of your own gunners. For obvious reasons, smokescreens are useless when [[Defense_tactics#Melee_blocking|defending]] against all-melee raids or manhunter packs and should be swapped for shields to protect against potential friendly fire. You can also use the enemy's own packs to your advantage.
+Smoke has an effect even if the shooter and the target are standing in it, as long as there's smoke in between. The smoke also prevents [[turret]]s from locking onto and firing at targets. It dissipates after around 30 seconds.
-Smokepop packs can be used to neutralize turrets by placing a smokescreen in line of sight or directly on top of a turret, allowing other pawns to safely destroy it, hit it with EMP weapons, or handle other threats.
-Ranged colonists don't synergize well with smoke while attacking, as it reduces their accuracy as well. It should not be used offensively when many other friendly gunners are nearby; rather, it should be used to cover ranged colonists so they can move out of a position under relative safety.
+It can be activated 3 times before needing to be reloaded for {{Icon Small|Chemfuel||10}} [[chemfuel]]. Reloading smokepop packs always costs 10 chemfuel, even if there are charges left (as compared to the [[jump pack]]{{RoyaltyIcon}}, which uses 20 chemfuel per charge restored). Because of this, it is obviously more efficient, if less safe, to spend 2 or 3 charges before reloading.
 == Quality Table ==
@@ Line 79: / Line 73: @@
 Note that a larger explosion radius is not necessarily better, as smoke affects both sides of the battle.
 </li><div>
+== Analysis==
+Smokepop packs are very useful against turrets, such as in a [[mechanoid cluster]]{{RoyaltyIcon}}, who simply can't fire on targets hidden by smoke. Other pawns can then destroy it, hit it with EMP weapons, or handle other threats.
+Against humanoid raiders, smoke is more useful with a melee or low-range group. They can be very effective against tight groups of enemies with few or no brawlers of their own, and can devastate [[Raider#Siege|sieges]]. An alternative is the [[shield belt]], which fully eliminates damage until it runs out. However, smokepop requires less research (so long as you have [[chemfuel]]) and applies to all pawns in an area, as opposed to needing one shield belt per colonist. Smoke will also apply to animals, which obviously won't fit in a shield belt. Finally, only one colonist needs to wear a smokepop belt, meaning the rest can stick with a shield.
+As covering enemies with smoke also greatly reduces effectiveness of your own gunners, it isn't very effective if you can outrange the enemy, or otherwise in a firefight. But even with a ranged group, you can use the cover of smoke to reposition your group in a safer manner, or to approach turrets.
 == Version history ==