Scan window advanced UI

[Joshua]

I just noticed the scan window shows robot heat and core integrity last night, and sure enough, here it is in the manual for Advanced UI:

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* Scan window displays both robot integrity and current heat, rather than just integrity


I am not sure if it is anywhere explained that it is the colored box which starts out green and becomes different colors depending on the state of core and temperature.   I thought this was neat, calling it out for anyone else trying to melt bots.

[Kyzrati]

Yeah, right below that list summary in the manual is a dedicated section titled "Scan Window" that gives a more detailed explanation of that and all its other contents/states

That feature was added along with the thermal transfer mechanic for, yes, trying to melt bots

[Joshua]

Yeah, right below that list summary in the manual is a dedicated section titled "Scan Window" that gives a more detailed explanation of that and all its other contents/states

That feature was added along with the thermal transfer mechanic for, yes, trying to melt bots

Shame! I just don't read carefully enough. It is all there in the manual.

I do find it quite difficult to melt bots without first destroying them due to core damage, though. (To get the achievement, of course. ) It seems slightly counterintuitive that the best way might be to use weaker thermal weapons eg Hvy Lasers from grunts in the mid to late game. Destroying via corruption seems significantly easier. Did the balance change or is melting intentionally harder than corruption?

[Kyzrati]

I do find it quite difficult to melt bots without first destroying them due to core damage, though.

Yeah this is just a side effect of the fact that thermal weapons still do plenty of damage (unlike EM/corrupting weapons, which are much less likely to kill on their own). And the thing about high heat is even before a target melts, they're already suffering serious consequences, sometimes deadly ones, so it's not always about the final meltdown!

If melting were as easy as corruption, thermal would clearly be the best weapon type, but each primary damage type is balanced differently for many different factors, so heat transfer and corruption are not completely analogous.