Edit - Arqade

You are not logged in. Your edit will be placed in a queue until it is peer reviewed.

We welcome edits that make the post easier to understand and more valuable for readers. Because community members review edits, please try to make the post substantially better than how you found it, for example, by fixing grammar or adding additional resources and hyperlinks.

Rev

6

So much for being lazy.
– Invader Skoodge
Commented Oct 18, 2012 at 13:52
14

No time for lazy when there's science to do (when I look out there it makes me GLaD I'm not you~)
– Zelda
Commented Oct 18, 2012 at 14:10
4

Note that if even if you are not trying to maximize damage, but maximize your chance of hitting at least once (e.g. if you absolutely need to hit this 5-health sectopod on this one last move by your last soldier), it is still always worth it between 35% and 95% accuracy. (more precisely, if your chance to hit is between 33.38% and 96.62%, you are more likely to hit at least once using rapidfire). See: wolframalpha.com/input/?i=x%3D1-%28%281.15-x%29%5E2%29
– RibsNGibs
Commented Oct 18, 2012 at 22:01
2

@Pureferret: Sorry, I shouldn't have muddled the issue. tl;dr: unless you are worried specifically about conserving ammo, always use rapid shot if your regular fire % is between 35 and 95. But to explain further - Skoodge's graph shows that your expected damage output over multiple trials is higher using rapid shot on anything over 30%, but that's not exactly the same thing as "chance to hit at least once". With the assault (who has rapid fire), often your situation will be such that one HIT will kill the alien, so you should maximize your chance of hitting, not damage.
– RibsNGibs
Commented Oct 19, 2012 at 15:45
2

@Pureferret In my graph, the curved line is the "chance you'll hit at least once with rapidfire" and the straight line is the "chance you'll hit with regular fire". The curved line is higher than the straight one between 33.38% and 96.62%. So if you are taking a shot at a 4 health alien with your assault, and your to-hit percentage is 40%, believe it or not you are more likely to kill it taking two 25% shots instead of one 40% one. Same with taking two 75% shots instead of one 90% shot. Etc.
– RibsNGibs
Commented Oct 19, 2012 at 15:45

| Show 2 more comments

Correct minor typos or mistakes
Clarify meaning without changing it
Add related resources or links
Always respect the author’s intent
Don’t use edits to reply to the author

create code fences with backticks ` or tildes ~
```
like so
```
add language identifier to highlight code
```python
def function(foo):
print(foo)
```
put returns between paragraphs
for linebreak add 2 spaces at end
_italic_ or **bold**
quote by placing > at start of line
to make links (use https whenever possible)
<https://example.com>
[example](https://example.com)
<a href="https://example.com">example</a>

formatting help »
answering help »