Shields: Difference between revisions

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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.

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 it 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.

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 it 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.

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 that point the shield will fail.

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[[File:QSG_shieldsimplegraph.png|thumb|upright=1.0|right|alt=simplified shield recharge rate graph]]

This 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.

This 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.

{{ note box | THE 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.}}

@@ Line 65: / Line 65: @@
 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.
-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 it 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.
+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 it 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.
+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 that point the shield will fail.
@@ Line 73: / Line 73: @@
 [[File:QSG_shieldsimplegraph.png|thumb|upright=1.0|right|alt=simplified shield recharge rate graph]]
-This 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.
+This 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.
 {{ note box | THE 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.}}