Overheating: Difference between revisions

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== Heat ==

Modules that are overheated generate heat. This heat builds up ~~relatively quickly over time~~, and causes damage ~~to the module, and any module next to it~~ in the same rack. Heat damage is what limits the use of overheating and has to be balanced between the need for the extra boost, and the risk of losing the module ~~entirely~~.

Modules that are overheated generate heat. This heat builds up in the ship (separated by module racks), and causes damage other modules in the same rack. Heat damage is what limits the use of overheating and has to be balanced between the need for the extra boost, and the risk of losing the module.

Every module has a certain amount of health (visible in the repair shop or when you compare multiple mods from the variants tab on the info screen) ~~and overheating does a set amount of damage~~, found in the attributes tab of the info window for the module. When the amount of heat damage is greater than the module health, the module will 'burn out' and ~~cease working~~ until it is repaired in a station's repair shop.

Every module has a certain amount of health (visible in the repair shop or when you compare multiple mods from the variants tab on the info screen), found in the attributes tab of the info window for the module. When the amount of heat damage sustained is greater than the module health, the module will 'burn out' and be forced Offline until it is repaired in a station's repair shop. Heat damage and module health are non-integer numbers, and so even if a module has sustained 39.99/40HP in heat damage, it will still operate. Burned out modules cannot be repaired and reactivated in space, and must be taken to a starbase or citadel to be repaired. Module heat damage can be repaired either in a starbase Repair Shop, or by being Tethered to an Upwell Structure.

As an overheated module cycles, it causes heat to build up in its rack (high/mid/low). Every time an overheated module's cycle ends, it has a chance to deal heat damage to one or more modules in the rack (including itself more than not). Every module has a fixed amount of heat damage it can deal on a cycle, which can be found in the attributes tab of the module's info window. The tachyometer-looking heat displays around the capacitor in the central HUD display both the heat built up in the rack (from 0-100%), and a kind of damage multiplier, from 1-4, that increases the number of different modules in that rack which can sustain heat damage from a single cycle. Heat buildup in racks is linear, and is based on the number of modules overheated at one time and the size of the ship (larger hulls build up heat slower), but is not based on the heat damage or cycle times of the overheated modules. However, heat dissipation is not linear, it's based on how hot the rack currently is. This means that it is most dangerous to leave large numbers of modules overheated continuously, and safer to use overheating on individual modules in short bursts of a few cycles at a time, waiting for the rack heat to dissipate in between.

Two modules overheated, and next to each other in the same rack will damage each other as well as themselves, causing them to burn out that much faster. Care has to be taken whilst fitting a ship to try and fit modules that are likely to be overheated away from each other. Note that whether or not modules are 'next to each other' is determined on the fitting screen, and not the location of the buttons on your screen in space. Moving the buttons around has no effect on heat transfer. Minchurra has shown the effects of spacing modules with experimental science: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvpi95zHl90&feature=youtu.be How does module spacing affect heat damage?].

This is because in addition to taking the listed heat damage in the info tab, each overheated mod has a percentage chance to damage other modules in the rack. This "splash damage", when multiplied by having more than one module overheated, can lead to very rapid heat damage. The tachyometer-looking heat displays around the capacitor in the central HUD display a kind of damage multiplier, from 1-4, that increases the amount of heat damage taken the more heat is built up in the rack.

Some people fit offlined modules in between modules they plan on overheating to act as a 'heat sink' and limit the transfer of heat. Of course, this means a slot isn't being fully used, and could be a waste, so a balance has to be struck (however, this can be a good option for utility slots, eg. the 8th high slot on a ship with 7 missile or turret hardpoints). What happens is, if the RNG for the splash damage hits the offlined module or the empty slot, no damage is done and you can effectively overheat longer. Note that empty and offline slots are effectively equivalent for overheating purposes, so there's no need to place modules you won't ever online. However, an online module instead of an offline module will increase the rate at which modules burn out. Minchurra has done a nice bit of science about this: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7V3ueIUBr3U Turning down the heat (Overheating part 2)].

@@ Line 94: / Line 94: @@
 == Heat ==
-Modules that are overheated generate heat. This heat builds up relatively quickly over time, and causes damage to the module, and any module next to it in the same rack. Heat damage is what limits the use of overheating and has to be balanced between the need for the extra boost, and the risk of losing the module entirely.
+Modules that are overheated generate heat. This heat builds up in the ship (separated by module racks), and causes damage other modules in the same rack. Heat damage is what limits the use of overheating and has to be balanced between the need for the extra boost, and the risk of losing the module.
-Every module has a certain amount of health (visible in the repair shop or when you compare multiple mods from the variants tab on the info screen) and overheating does a set amount of damage, found in the attributes tab of the info window for the module. When the amount of heat damage is greater than the module health, the module will 'burn out' and cease working until it is repaired in a station's repair shop.
+Every module has a certain amount of health (visible in the repair shop or when you compare multiple mods from the variants tab on the info screen), found in the attributes tab of the info window for the module. When the amount of heat damage sustained is greater than the module health, the module will 'burn out' and be forced Offline until it is repaired in a station's repair shop. Heat damage and module health are non-integer numbers, and so even if a module has sustained 39.99/40HP in heat damage, it will still operate. Burned out modules cannot be repaired and reactivated in space, and must be taken to a starbase or citadel to be repaired. Module heat damage can be repaired either in a starbase Repair Shop, or by being Tethered to an Upwell Structure.
+As an overheated module cycles, it causes heat to build up in its rack (high/mid/low). Every time an overheated module's cycle ends, it has a chance to deal heat damage to one or more modules in the rack (including itself more than not). Every module has a fixed amount of heat damage it can deal on a cycle, which can be found in the attributes tab of the module's info window. The tachyometer-looking heat displays around the capacitor in the central HUD display both the heat built up in the rack (from 0-100%), and a kind of damage multiplier, from 1-4, that increases the number of different modules in that rack which can sustain heat damage from a single cycle. Heat buildup in racks is linear, and is based on the number of modules overheated at one time and the size of the ship (larger hulls build up heat slower), but is not based on the heat damage or cycle times of the overheated modules. However, heat dissipation is not linear, it's based on how hot the rack currently is. This means that it is most dangerous to leave large numbers of modules overheated continuously, and safer to use overheating on individual modules in short bursts of a few cycles at a time, waiting for the rack heat to dissipate in between.
 Two modules overheated, and next to each other in the same rack will damage each other as well as themselves, causing them to burn out that much faster. Care has to be taken whilst fitting a ship to try and fit modules that are likely to be overheated away from each other. Note that whether or not modules are 'next to each other' is determined on the fitting screen, and not the location of the buttons on your screen in space. Moving the buttons around has no effect on heat transfer. Minchurra has shown the effects of spacing modules with experimental science: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvpi95zHl90&feature=youtu.be How does module spacing affect heat damage?].
-This is because in addition to taking the listed heat damage in the info tab, each overheated mod has a percentage chance to damage other modules in the rack. This "splash damage", when multiplied by having more than one module overheated, can lead to very rapid heat damage.  The tachyometer-looking heat displays around the capacitor in the central HUD display a kind of damage multiplier, from 1-4, that increases the amount of heat damage taken the more heat is built up in the rack.
 Some people fit offlined modules in between modules they plan on overheating to act as a 'heat sink' and limit the transfer of heat. Of course, this means a slot isn't being fully used, and could be a waste, so a balance has to be struck (however, this can be a good option for utility slots, eg. the 8th high slot on a ship with 7 missile or turret hardpoints).  What happens is, if the RNG for the splash damage hits the offlined module or the empty slot, no damage is done and you can effectively overheat longer.  Note that empty and offline slots are effectively equivalent for overheating purposes, so there's no need to place modules you won't ever online. However, an online module instead of an offline module will increase the rate at which modules burn out. Minchurra has done a nice bit of science about this: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7V3ueIUBr3U Turning down the heat (Overheating part 2)].