When is the right time to shoot the DMR?

[gus]

Let's assume 100% accuracy as far as aiming goes (eg the reticle follows the enemies perfectly), and let's only worry about the DMR for now.

So, we all know that the DMR's bloom is a circle. When you fire a shot, the radius of this circle will increase by a certain amount. After this, the radius will drop over time until it resets to its original position. You might naturally think that the absolute best way to get the most damage per second out of the DMR is to wait until you have a 100% chance of hitting your opponent before pulling the trigger; however, this may not be the case.

If you think about it, when the radius of a circle is large, and that radius is decreased incrementally, the radius of the circle will decrease at a high rate at first, and when the circle gets smaller, it will begin to drop at a lower and lower rate.

For example, let's say we have a circle with radius 5. According to the formula for area of a circle, pi*r^2, our radius would be 25pi. Now, let's drop the radius by 1, so our new area would be 16pi. That's a reduction of 9pi. Once more -- let's make the radius 3. That gives us a new radius of 7pi, less than the previous reduction of 9pi.

Do you see what I'm getting at here? Assuming the radius decreases linearly over time (it doesn't speed up as the radius gets smaller and smaller), waiting until there is a 100% chance to hit might not be the right option.

What this relies on, though, is the rate at which the radius of the bloom on the DMR decreases. If it decreases at a slow enough rate relative to the radius, we could get some interesting results.

So, data/information we have to take into account: DMR bloom decrease rate, DMR bloom at rest (in pixels), DMR bloom increase per shot (in pixels) (the radius does not expand to max after the first shot, but only after the first shot or 2), distance of opponent, size of bullet, and finally where we are aiming on the opponent and the contour of their head/body.

I guess we could get started by finding some of that information. Anyone have it handy?

[mannon]

A few DMR facts for you.

First, the bullet has no size. It is a hitscan which means that it's just a line with no width the does the hit detection.

Second, you know how the cone of fire determines where you shot could go. (Somewhere randomly within the cone, which viewed from the player's perspective is reduced to a circle.) You may not know that the cone never becomes perfectly precise. (Which would make it a line.) When the DMR is "at rest" so to speak, the small circle in the middle represents the fire cone and shots will land randomly somewhere within that.

Third, the DMR's fire cone maxes out at the static circle even though the reticule bloom goes past it.

Fourth, zooming in actually increases accuracy because it literally reduces the fire cone size to match the reticule at the greater visual zoom level.


Thus 100% accuracy is only ever achieved when the cone is small enough to be completely transected by your target. For a DMR at rest this is the small circle and for full ROF this is the large circle, (with a little vertical wiggle room due to the viewkick). This also means that using the zoom you can achive 100% accuracy on targets at full ROF that would normally require pacing, though if you are getting hit then you won't be able to maintain the zoom.

Okay that's all for now.

[gus]

The bullet seems to have size for me. For example, if you aim so you will miss the enemy slightly, the bullet will still hit every time. You could also consider this an expansion of the hitbox, which it probably actually is.

When the DMR is at rest the randomness is negligible at the ranges I am going to test.

The zooming won't matter, and the static circle probably won't matter.

[n1gh7]

Mar 28, 2011 6:03:20 GMT -5 gus said:

The bullet seems to have size for me. For example, if you aim so you will miss the enemy slightly, the bullet will still hit every time. You could also consider this an expansion of the hitbox, which it probably actually is.

Aim assist.

[themccannman]

Mar 28, 2011 6:03:20 GMT -5 gus said:

The bullet seems to have size for me. For example, if you aim so you will miss the enemy slightly, the bullet will still hit every time. You could also consider this an expansion of the hitbox, which it probably actually is.

When the DMR is at rest the randomness is negligible at the ranges I am going to test.

The zooming won't matter, and the static circle probably won't matter.

That "width" is probably due to to hitbox's being slightly larger than the character model, (halo does use hitbox detection right?) i'm also pretty sure that since the DMR is so accurate and the bloom settles so quickly finding a mathematically maxmum efficient way of shooting it wouldn't actually help you all that much, being a better shot will however.

[mannon]

I do think it's possible to come up with a mathematically accurate model for the optimal firing speed, but it's going to be range dependent, not just a single figure. Even so you're not going to win every fight, even at the optimal firing rate. The optimal rate would merely be the one that on average results in the most damage done to target. Some shots will, of course, still miss at the optimal rate, but you would be firing fast enough to compensate in the long run.

There should also be a maximum rate that retains 100% hit chance, based on the size of the bloom compared to target at various ranges. I think if you're firing at a rate anywhere between the two then you're mostly going to be okay. Towards the optimal rate (faster) and you will trade consistency for a few lucky kills, but also some occasional fails and of course at the other end (slower) you'll be very consistent, but slowish...

I think as long as you're not waiting for a full bloom reset except on very distant targets, then you're probably not firing to slow. And as long as you aren't firing faster than the optimal rate then you are probably okay.

But really, it's something that you just have to learn by experience anyway, because you're not going to be able to check the range and consult a graph every time. Though you could use it for practice so that you can create good habits.

I find that my desired firing rate is sometimes variable based on situation in addition to range, however. Sometimes I'm willing to risk more wild shots just to fire faster, while other times when I know I can take my time with a target I go ahead and let every shot reset fully.

Actually there would be several lines to plot on the graph of rate vs range since both factors alter the optimal rate by either altering accuracy or the bloom reset rate it-self: Standing/No-Zoom, Standing/Scoped, Crouching/No-Zoom, Crouching/Scoped.

Usually if I can stay zoomed in on a target I can spam them pretty quickly, but if I'm taking shots I wind up having to wait.

Something else the optimal rate does not consider is fire pattern. Rather than simply firing at a steady rate you can manually fire in 2 or 3 shot bursts then let bloom reset and repeat. The advantage is that your first and second shots will be quite accurate, and if range isn't too far then a third could still have better than average odds of hitting too. So you can get a bunch of hits in, then maybe even drop behind cover for a moment while the bloom resets, or do something else like throw a grenade.

I think what themccannman said is pr accurate. Optimizing your fire rate is really only optimal when player aim is 100%. Any margin of error in aim actually changes the optimal rate. The relationship between aim and rate is kinda complex... At first the rate may go down for just slightly off aimed shooting, to keep the fire cone filled as much as possible with the target, but once the center of aim is off the target it-self this relationship reverses and the optimal rate increases because the larger fire cone actually helps mitigate poor aim.

Highly skilled players will perform optimally at a slower rate, but will still lose some fights to noobs spamming the DMR, which actually turns out to be more or less the correct way for them to use it given their skill level. (Though most probably overspam it.)

[IL TJ]

try ducking in/out of nearby cover for sec and let the bloom to reset

[ParaGoombaSlayer]

Spam 4 center mass shots (bloom is irrelevant when the thing you're aiming at it fills up all/most of the reticle), and then wait for the bloom to settle and go for the head shot. That's typically the optimal way to get DMR kills in close/medium range.

The Needle Rifle's bloom stays super accurate until after your 3rd shot. You fire a 4 shot burst and you're going to have to wait a while for the bloom to get manageable again. It's best to fire in bursts of 3.

You can't really spam or burst the pistol unless you're in close range. You pretty much just have to get the pacing down and fire single shots. I've had success firing in bursts of 2 in Infection though.

Crouching also reduces bloom for any weapons that have it. Crouching with the DMR pretty much allows you to spam away.