Difference between revisions of "Shields"

From EVE University Wiki
Jump to: navigation, search
m (Point redirect to specific section.)
Tag: Redirect target changed
 
(45 intermediate revisions by 5 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
''This article explains the functional process of spaceship shielding. It does not cover the various tactical applications of shields. These can be found in such as:''
+
#REDIRECT [[Tanking#Shield tanking]]
 
 
:''[[Shield Tanking]] • [[Passive Shield Tank|Passive Shield Tank]] • [[Logistics]]''
 
 
 
''Nor does it cover the detailed fitting of shields to specific ships. This can be found in such as:''
 
 
 
:''[[Fitting 101]] • [[Fitting 102]] • [[Fitting Guidelines]] • [[Fitting_Modules_and_Rigs_Guide|Fitting Modules and Rigs Guide]]''
 
 
 
''The descriptions of the various ships include shield fits as appropriate to the hull. (See [[Hurricane]], for example.)''
 
 
 
==What Is a Shield?==
 
 
 
You can think of a shield as a sphere, completely enclosing the ship at a location just inside its [[Signature_radius|Signature Radius]]. [[File:QSG_shield_types.png|right|220px|alt=shield damage types (layers)]] Since the Signature Radius is the effective size of the ship – the area that is targeted by weapons – the shield intercepts any damage that occurs before it can reach the ship. At that point, the damage is filtered – some is rejected and the remainder is passed through to the ship's armor.
 
 
 
The shield consists of four separate, overlapping spheres, called <span style="color:#ccffee">resistance layers</span>, each of which protects against a different kind of damage. This means that the ship has a different shield resistance value for each of: [[Damage_types|thermal, kinetic, EM, and explosive]] damage. Resistance indicates how much of that kind of damage will be rejected by the shield when the ship is hit by that kind of weapon. Resistance values are always shown in percentages – for example, "30% Thermal Resistance" means that the shield will reject 30% of the damage from any weapons hit that does thermal damage.
 
 
 
[[File:QSG_shieldcapacity_dashboard.png|right|350px|alt=heads up display showing shield about half destroyed]]The shield also has a <span style="color:#ccffee">capacity</span> which shows how many hitpoints of damage it would take to destroy, or "drop", the shield. In combat this shows as the outermost of three red rings on the pilot's dashboard display. A ship's shield also has a <span style="color:#ccffee">recharge rate</span> which shows how fast the shield rebuilds itself while damaged.
 
 
 
 
 
The base values for all of these can be found in the Attributes panel of the ship's Show Info window.{{clear}}
 
 
 
{{Example |  Example 1: Here are the shield values for a Caldari [[Kestrel]] Frigate:
 
 
 
[[File:QSG.png|430px|alt=shield get info attributes for caldari kestral]]
 
*Shield Capacity in Hitpoints: 500
 
*Shield Recharge Time in Seconds: 625 (10.4 minutes)
 
*Shield Resistance: EM:0% Thermal:20% Kinetic:40% Explosive:50%}}
 
 
 
{{Example |  Example 2: A much bigger ship, the Minmatar [[Hurricane]] Battlecruiser:
 
 
 
[[File:QSG_hurricane_shield.png|430px|alt=shield get info attributes for minmatar hurricane]]
 
*Shield Capacity in Hitpoints: 4250
 
*Shield Recharge Time in Seconds: 1400 (23.3 minutes)
 
*Shield Resistance: EM:0% Thermal:20% Kinetic:40% Explosive:50%}} 
 
 
 
Notice that both ships have the same four shield resistance values. This is because the resistances are expressed in percentages. The Hurricane starts out with almost three times as many hitpoints, thus each percentage absorbs considerably more damage than will the Kestrel. In each case the shield recharge time is an average of what might happen in practice. The actual shield recharge rate varies quite a bit in combat – this is discussed in the [[#Shield Recharge Rate|Shield Recharge Rate]] section, below.
 
 
 
===Resistance and Vulnerability===
 
 
 
There are four types of damage, and a shield will deal with each differently. As illustrated here, a ship begins with a base Damage Resistance value for each type:
 
 
 
[[File:QSG_hurricane_shield.png|center|400px|alt=shield get info attributes for minmatar hurricane]]
 
 
 
The four resistances shown for this ship show how much of each type of damage the shield will reject. Each of these resistance values also represents a corresponding "vulnerability" number that shows how much damage will ''get through the shield'' for each hit of that kind of weapon. [[File:QSG_shielddefense.gif|left|alt=animation showing damage rejection]]The Vulnerabilities are always 100% minus the resistances. So, for example, a ship with these resistances:
 
 
 
Shield Resistance: EM:0% Thermal:20% Kinetic:40% Explosive:50%
 
 
 
would have these vulnerabilities:
 
 
 
Shield Vulnerability: EM:100% Thermal:80% Kinetic:60% Explosive:50%
 
 
 
This is the damage that would impact on the shield if the ship flew with no benefits from skills, modules or rigs. ''Because of the way the shield damage reduction modules and rigs work, it is more useful to focus on the shield's Vulnerabilities than its Resistances.''{{clear}}
 
 
 
===Shield Capacity===
 
 
 
Shield capacity indicates how many hitpoints of damage it will take to drop the ''shields''. (''The ship itself is also protected by Armor and Hull defenses, and so it will take considerably more than than that to destroy the entire ship.'') In general, the larger the ship, the larger the base shield capacity.
 
 
 
You can think of a shield's capacity as its current size; whenever the shield takes damage of any kind, its capacity goes down, and it shrinks. So while hits that do thermal, kinetic, EM, and/or explosive damage may be mitigated by the shield's resistance layers, any damage that does get through will be subtracted from the Shield Capacity value. This reduction will appear on the pilot's dashboard as a red mark in the outer shield ring.
 
 
 
[[File:QSG_shieldcapacity_dashboard.png|center|300px|alt=heads up display showing shield about half destroyed]]
 
 
 
 
 
{{ note box | '''IMPORTANT''': When shield capacity drops below 25%, the shield will begin to "leak" damage through to the armor and/or the hull of the ship. A buzzer will sound when the 25% limit is reached. (Certain skills will reduce this leakage – see [[#Shield_Skills|Shield Skills]], below.)}}
 
 
 
 
 
Shield [https://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Item_Database:Ship_Equipment:Shield:Shield_Boosters Booster] and [https://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Item_Database:Ship_Equipment:Shield:Shield_Extenders Extender] modules add hitpoints to the capacity of the shield and increase the total amount of damage that the shield can take before it is destroyed. Because the total shield recharge ''time'' never changes, increasing the shield capacity will also reduce the shield recharge ''rate''.  [https://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Medium_Core_Defense_Field_Extender_I Core Defense Field Extender] rigs also extend shield capacity, but at the expense of Signature Radius.
 
 
 
{{Example |  Example: [https://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Small_Shield_Extender_I Small Shield Extender I]
 
 
 
[[File:QSG_shieldextenderI.png|thumb|alt=shield extender I get info attributes]]
 
 
 
*Bonus: adds 400 hitpoints to the shield's total capacity
 
*Stacking Penalty: no
 
*Signature Radius Penalty: yes
 
*Capacitor Use: no
 
*Applies to damage type(s): all
 
}}
 
 
 
===Shield Recharge Rate===
 
 
 
It takes a certain amount of time to recharge a fully depleted shield. This figure is given as the Shield Recharge Time in the ship's Attribute window. Recharging, however, does not tick along like the numbers on a clock. The speed varies depending on the amount of damage the shield has already taken.
 
 
 
[[File:QSG_shieldsimpledrawing2.png|thumb|upright=2.5|left|alt=simplified shield recharge rate graph]]In the beginning, the shield charges at its [[#Technical Section: Shield Recharge Rate|average rate]]. As the shield takes damage, and it's capacity goes '''''down''''', the rate at which it rebuilds itself goes '''''up'''''. If you want, you can think of this as the shield storing energy from the hits that it is taking and feeding the stored energy back into itself.
 
But then, when the shield capacity has dropped to about 25% (''in other words, when the shield is three-quarters gone''), the recharge rate peaks and begins to fall off. At its peak, the shield will be recharging about twice as fast as it was in the beginning.
 
 
 
At this point a buzzer will sound, to warn the pilot that the shield is at its recharging limit. If it continues to take more damage than it can hold, the recharge rate will drop off quickly, and the capacity of the shield will fall towards zero ... at zero the shield will go down.
 
 
 
The graph shown here is a simplified version of the [[#Technical Section: Shield Recharge Rate|Shield Recharge Rate Graph]]. A ship's shield begins at 100% full capacity ... the left side of the graph. As the shield takes damage, the ''rate at which it recharges'' slowly grows, until, when the shield is at about 25% of its capacity, the rate is more than twice what it was at the start. From then on, if the shield capacity continues to fall, the recharge rate will being to decrease. If damage continues, the shield will soon fail.{{clear}}
 
 
 
{{ note box | THE MAIN POINT: In combat the shield will recharge at an increasing rate until 25% of its capacity remains; then the rate will fall off quickly towards zero.}}
 
 
 
 
 
[https://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Item_Database:Ship_Equipment:Shield:Shield_Flux_Coils Flux Coil], [https://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Item_Database:Ship_Equipment:Shield:Shield_Power_Relays Power Relay] and [https://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Item_Database:Ship_Equipment:Shield:Shield_Rechargers Shield Recharger] modules all increase the Recharge Rate of the shield and so decrease the amount of time it takes to rebuild lost shield capacity. [https://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Medium_Core_Defense_Field_Purger_I Core Defense Field Purger] rigs also increase the shield Recharge Rate, but at the expense of Signature Radius.
 
 
 
{{Example |  Example: [https://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Basic_Shield_Flux_Coil Basic Shield Flux Coil]
 
 
 
[[File:QSG_fluxcoilI.png|thumb|alt=shield flux coil I get info attributes]]
 
*Bonus: increases the shield recharge rate by 20%
 
*Stacking Penalty: no
 
*Other Penalty: reduces the shield capacity by 10%
 
*Signature Radius Penalty: no
 
*Capacitor Use: no
 
*Applies to damage type: All
 
}}
 
 
 
===Damage Type Resistance===
 
As noted in the [[#Resistance and Vulnerability|Resistance and Vulnerability]] section, above, weapon strikes result in one or more of four types of damage: [[Damage_types|thermal, kinetic, EM, and explosive]] damage. Various modules mitigate specific types of damage. These modules often have stacking penalties. and while dealing with those is a matter of ship fitting, and not are discussed in detail here, an [[#Technical_Section:_Fitting_Multiple_Modules_with_Stacking_Penalties|illustrative example]] is included, below.
 
 
 
[https://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Item_Database:Ship_Equipment:Shield:Shield_Hardeners Shield Hardener] and [https://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Item_Database:Ship_Equipment:Shield:Shield_Resistance_Amplifiers Resistance Amplifier] modules reduce the Damage Type Vulnerabilities of the shield. [https://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Medium_Anti-Kinetic_Screen_Reinforcer_I Anti-Damage Type Screen Reinforcer] rigs reduce specific Damage Type Vulnerabilites, but increase the ship's Signature Radius.
 
 
 
{{Example |  [https://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Kinetic_Deflection_Field_I Kinetic Deflection Field I]
 
 
 
[[File:QSG_kineticdeflection.png|thumb|alt=kinetic deflection I attributes]]
 
 
 
*Bonus: reduces the vulnerability of the shield to kinetic damage by 50%
 
*Stacking Penalty: yes
 
*Signature Radius Penalty: no
 
*Capacitor Use: yes
 
*Applies to damage type(s): kinetic
 
}}
 
 
 
Since you need a different module for each type of damage, and since most ships do not have enough medium level power slots to handle more than a few modules, it is difficult to use these kinds of modules to protect against all types of damage. One solution is to load the kind of module you need for the expected encounter. Another is to use a "multi-type" module that protects against all damage types.
 
 
 
{{Example | [https://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Item_Database:Ship_Equipment:Shield:Shield_Hardeners:Adaptive_Shield_Hardeners Adaptive Invulnerability Field I]
 
 
 
[[File:QSG_adaptiveshield_module.png|thumb|alt=adaptive shield hardener attributes]]
 
 
 
*Bonus: reduces the vulnerability of the shield to all types of damage by 25%
 
*Stacking Penalty: yes
 
*Signature Radius Penalty: no
 
*Capacitor Use: yes
 
*Applies to damage type(s): EM, explosive, kinetic. thermal
 
}}
 
 
 
The following module is listed under Armor and Hull in the EVE Ship Equipment list. It has unique properties and is widely used in many different fits.
 
{{Example | [https://wiki.eveonline.com/en/wiki/Damage_Control_I Damage Control I]
 
 
 
[[File:QSG_damagecontrol_I.png|thumb|alt=damage control I attributes]]
 
 
 
*Bonus: reduces the vulnerability of the shield to all types of damage by 7.5%
 
*'''Stacking Penalty: no'''
 
*Signature Radius Penalty: no
 
*Capacitor Use: yes
 
*Applies to damage type(s): EM, explosive, kinetic. thermal
 
*Other bonuses: reduces damage to armor and hull
 
 
 
This module is unusual in that it alters shield damage vulnerability but has no stacking penalty. A ship may activate only one of these at any given time.
 
}}
 
 
 
===Stacking Penalties===
 
 
 
Some kinds of shield enhancement modules are subject to [[Stacking_penalties|Stacking penalties]] which progressively reduce the effectiveness of the modules if they alter the same attribute. For shield attributes:
 
 
 
*Penalized: Shield resistances, Shield boost
 
*Not Penalized: Shield recharge rate, Shield hit points
 
 
 
The penalty will only apply to the module's impact on the affected attribute, and will progress as follows:
 
 
 
:1st mod: 100.0% effectiveness
 
:2nd mod: 86.9% effectiveness
 
:3rd mod: 57.1% effectiveness
 
:4th mod: 28.3% effectiveness
 
... and so on. The modules are penalized in order from least effective to more effective. The most effective module will be the one that works at 100%.
 
 
 
Consideration of penalties while the choosing the proper equipment for a ship comes under the heading of "[[fitting]]" which is not covered in detail in this article – but stacking more than three modules is generally considered to be a bad idea.
 
 
 
==Using Shields==
 
 
 
In some cases the technical construction of the ship dictates the use of Shields (or Armor) as its primary defense. Any ship receiving a bonus to shield capabilites would likely use shields. And because most shield modules use medium level power slots, a ship with more mid than low slots will tend to use shields.
 
 
 
For example, these ships will usually use shields:
 
 
 
*The ORE [[Procurer]], a mining ship, receives a 5% bonus to shield hitpoints.
 
*The Caldari [[Moa]], a cruiser, receives a 4% bonus to all shield resistances.
 
*The Caldari [[Kestrel]], a frigate, has four mid slots and only two low slots.
 
 
 
On the other hand, these ships will usually use armor:
 
 
 
*The Amarr [[Prophecy]], a battlecruiser, has seven low slots and four medium slots.
 
*The Gallente [[Incursus]], a frigate, has a 7.5% bonus to Armor Repairer amount.
 
 
 
It is worth noting that many ships can use either shields or armor. In these cases the choice is a matter of fitting ... what is the goal of the fit, and what are the skills of the pilot?
 
 
 
{{ note box | '''IMPORTANT''': Ships should use ''either'' shields ''or'' armor ... but never both. Some shield modules increase the Signature Radius of a ship and make it easier to target. Some armor modules decrease the speed of a ship and make it easier to catch. While there are benefit trade-offs that make this acceptable for one kind of defense or the other, there are few, if any, trade-offs that accomodate both.  | italics = no }}
 
 
 
===Advantages of Shields===
 
 
 
*Does not reduce speed or maneuverability
 
*As a first line of defense, leaves you with Armor and Hull as a fallback if shields go down
 
*Recharge on their own – no need to dock for repairs
 
*Shield recharge modules work more quickly than armor repair modules
 
*Low slots are available for weapon enhancing modules
 
 
 
===Disadvantages of Shields===
 
 
 
*Increases signature radius – ship becomes easier to target
 
*Not possible to fully protect against all damage types
 
*Fewer kinds of enhancement modules – less choice than with armor
 
*Shield recharge modules use more capacitor power than armor repair modules
 
*Mid slots are not available for EWAR, propulsion and scanning modules
 
 
 
===Shield Tanking===
 
 
 
The term "shield tanking" refers to the use of shields as a ship's primary defensive mechanism. There are three general approaches to Shield Tanking:
 
 
 
*Active – use modules that draw on the ship's capacitor to improve shield performance
 
*Passive – use modules that do not draw on the ship's capacitor; mostly to improve shield recharge rate
 
*Buffer – use modules that do not draw on the ship's capacitor; mostly to increase the shield's capacity and resistance
 
 
 
This topic is covered in depth in the course on [[Shield_tanking|Shield Tanking]], and in the document on [[Passive_Shield_Tank|Passive Shield Tanking]].
 
 
 
===Logistical Shielding===
 
 
 
Logistical shielding is the use of one ship's modules to apply shield protection to a different ship. This is covered in the E-UNI courses [[Logistics_101:_Introduction_to_Logistics|Logistics 101: Introduction to Logistics]] and the document [[Guide_to_Logistics|Guide to Logistics]].
 
 
 
=== Ships that Use Shields ===
 
 
 
Every ship has a shield. Whether or not a pilot decides to expand and improve the shield is his or her choice. You can find [[Shield_Tanking#Common_Shield_Tanking_Ships|lists of ships]] that are commonly tanked with shields, but unless you are in a drastic hurry, you are better off choosing a ship that fits your situation and THEN deciding whether to use shields or armor as your primary defense.
 
 
 
That said, here are the factors that you look for when you are thinking about shields:
 
*a ship bonus that favors shields over armor,
 
*a shortage of low or a surplus of mid power slots,
 
*more need to favor modules that improve weaponry (which tend to need low slots),
 
* less need for modules that support tackling and scanning (which tend to need mid slots),
 
*pilot skills that are biased towards shields.
 
 
 
==Shield Skills==
 
 
 
A [[Skills:Shields|variety of skills]] improve a pilot's use of shields. Some of these are important to all pilots, while others are most important to pilot's who "shield tank" their ships and depend on shields as the primary means of defense.
 
 
 
===Basic Shield Skills===
 
 
 
These will be useful to any pilot and should be trained as soon as possible at least to Level III.
 
 
 
{{sk | Shield Management }} – 5% bonus to shield capacity per skill level
 
 
 
{{sk | Shield Operation }} – 5% reduction in shield recharge time per skill level
 
 
 
{{sk | Shield Upgrades }} – 5% reduction in shield upgrade powergrid needs
 
 
 
{{sk | Tactical Shield Manipulation }} – Reduces the "bleed through" of damage when the shield falls below 25% by 5% per skill level
 
 
 
===Shield Tanking Skills===
 
 
 
These are of most use to pilots who depend on shields as their primary defense. Refer to the article on [[Shield_Tanking|Shield Tanking]] for detailed information.
 
 
 
{{sk | Shield Compensation }} – 2% less capacitor need for shield boosters per skill level
 
 
 
{{sk | Thermic Shield Compensation }}, {{sk | Kinetic Shield Compensation }}, {{sk | Explosive Shield Compensation }}, {{sk | EM Shield Compensation }} – 5% bonus to damage resistance per level for Shield Amplifiers of the type listed
 
 
 
===Other Shield Skills===
 
 
 
These require advanced training and are of little use to newer players.
 
 
 
{{sk | Shield Emission Systems }} – providing shield capacity to other players ... used in [[Logistics]].
 
 
 
{{sk | Capital Shield Operation }} – 2% reduction in capacitor need for capital shield boosters per skill level
 
 
 
{{sk | Capital Shield Emission Systems }} – 5% reduced capacitor need for capital shield emission system modules per skill level
 
 
 
==Technical Section: Shield Recharge Rate==
 
 
 
The Average Shield Recharge Rate can be computed by dividing the Shield Capacity by its Recharge Time.
 
 
 
ARR = SC / RT
 
 
 
Recharge Time never changes. This means that if two ships have the same RT and one has more shield capacity, then the one with the larger capacity will recharge faster.
 
 
 
The Peak Recharge Rate is approximately 2.4 * ARR. It occurs when the capacity of the shield reaches approximately 25% of its maximum value. While there is [https://forums.eveonline.com/default.aspx?g=posts&m=1298231 considerable discussion of this] no one seems to have located a producing formula that the game uses to generate the rate. Nonetheless, it appears that when damage occurs, the rate is adjusted based on the new shield capacity value.
 
 
 
The following graph is taken from the EVE University Course,  [[Shield_Tanking#Understand_Shield_Recharge_Rate|Shield Tanking]] supporting [https://docs.google.com/viewer?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdocs.google.com%2Fuc%3Fid%3D0Bymhje4Rma0GSmNLZ1BoZjd5Mms&embedded=true course material].
 
 
 
[[File:xxx.png|center|450px|alt=graph: shield recharge rate]]
 
 
 
It is not clear if the graph represents actual data collected from tests of shield recharging, or data derived from a mathematical model. There is, however, widespread agreement as to this pattern. 
 
 
 
Note that there does not seem to be any way to apply this information effectively in combat. When the shield is under attack, the changing value of the shield capacity makes it difficult to do a computation, let alone to make use of the results.
 
 
 
== Technical Section: Fitting Multiple Modules with Stacking Penalties ==
 
This is meant as an illustration. Although it seems laborious, shield fitting requires this computation for each module that incurs a stacking penalty. Note, also, that the use of percentage reductions and stacking penalties is what prevents the total vulnerability from reaching zero. With no vulnerability, the ship would take no damage ... which sounds like fun briefly, but would make for rather boring game play.
 
 
 
Suppose a ship's base Kinetic damage resistance is 40%. This means that its base Kinetic vulnerability is 60%. Now suppose that the pilot installs a module that reduces Kinetic vulnerability by 40%. This makes the reduction in vulnerability 40% of 60%, or 24%. And so the new vulnerability is 60% - 24%, or 36%.
 
 
 
Now suppose that second module is installed, and that this module has a bonus that reduces Kinetic vulnerability by 30%. First, because these two modules alter the same attribute, a stacking penalty must be applied. This reduces the smaller module affect to 86.9% of 30%, or 26.1%.
 
 
 
Since the updated vulnerability from the first module was 36%, the new change in vulnerability is 26.1% of 36%, or 9.4%. This change is subtracted from 36% to get the new updated vulnerability of 26.6%.
 
 
 
This means that with these two modules installed, any kinetic hit will have 73.4% of its damage removed, while 26.6% of the damage will get through. Here is a summary:
 
 
 
{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto;" style="text-align: center"
 
! scope="col" width="100px" style="background-color:#222222;" |
 
! scope="col" width="100px" style="background-color:#222222;"| Base Kinetic Resistance
 
! scope="col" width="100px" style="background-color:#222222;"| First Module
 
! scope="col" width="100px" style="background-color:#222222;"| Second Module
 
|-
 
|Module Bonus|| - || 40% || 30%
 
|-
 
|Penalty|| none || none || 86.9%
 
|-
 
|Bonus with Penalty|| none || 40% || 26.1%
 
|-
 
|Current Vulnerability|| 60% || 60% || 36%
 
|-
 
|Change|| none || 24% || 9.4%
 
|-
 
|Updated Vulnerability|| 60% || '''36%''' || '''26.6%'''
 
|}
 

Latest revision as of 16:49, 19 January 2023