Armor

Extreme terrain damage caused by TNT cannonfire.

Default Minecraft would cause severe issues for our server, as blast resistances are fairly low and fairly consistent. We are using higher projectile weaponry typically, which requires a system of improved "armor blocks."

Our armor system is based off of three key changes to vanilla Minecraft:

"Bleedfix" - A system which prevents TNT "bleedthrough" damage, only allowing blocks that are exposed to air to be destroyed.
Improved Blast Resistance - Armor blocks on this server have increased blast resistances to allow them to survive TNT explosions at a closer range.
Durability Override - A percentage chance for blocks to ignore explosions that would destroy them even with the increased blast resistance.

For example, if a block has a Blast Resistance of 9, then it can be broken by TNT exploding within 4 blocks. If that block has an 80% Override, then all blocks of this type within 4 blocks of an explosion have a 20% chance to break (80% chance to not break). Both factors contribute to the effectiveness of armor, but in different ways. In our armor system, most blocks have a trade-off between Blast Resistance and Override. Blocks with high Override but lower Blast Resistance tend to distribute damaged blocks across their surface, making them good options for external armor. Blocks with very high Blast Resistance will not take damage except from explosions directly in contact with the armor plate, and as such are useful for "backplates," or rear portions of armor designed to prevent TNT rays from penetrating deep into the hull and damaging lift or critical components.

If you find this technical description intimidating, don't worry -- Minecraft TNT mechanics and their interactions with Movecraft have been a topic of study for years -- all you should keep in mind for building your first combat craft is this:

High Override blocks are optimal for dispersing damage on the surface of an armor plate.
High Blast Resistance blocks are optimal for preventing damage except by direct contact.
A combination of these two factors can produce armor that keeps TNT far away from an internal armor layer and preserves core internals of a craft.

You can always ask a more experienced engineer to help you out!

Armor Types

All armor blocks are sorted into a handful of categories depending on their Blast Resistance and Override. Some blocks are better for external armor, others for internal armor, and some are a kind of mix between Blast Resistance and Override. Armor types are further categorized by material -- metallic and ceramic. Metallic armor includes only one block: iron, and has superior Blast Resistance and Override compared to ceramic armor. Ceramic armor includes all stone-based blocks. In general, ceramic armor will all have the same amount of blocks broken upon taking damage from a TNT cannon, but will absorb that damage in different ways.

Stair, slab, wall, and door variants of certain blocks are also granted improved Blast Resistance and Override. These block types inherit their Blast Resistance from their parent block (i.e, stone brick stairs will have a Blast Resistance of 11, as with stone brick blocks) but will have reduced Override.

Stairs have 75% the Override of their block type.
Slabs and Walls have 50% the Override of their block type.
Doors have 66% the Override of their block type.

A chart displaying the relative Overrides and Blast Resistances for most armor blocks.

Type I Ceramic

Blast Resistance: 9 Override: 95%

Type I Ceramic Armor has low Blast Resistance relative to all other armor types, but very high Override. It is a highly effective armor at dispersing a lot of damage over a wide armor surface, but has additional vulnerability to airburst-type weapons as a result and may suffer against high-spread ordinance.

Includes Purpur block types.

Type II Ceramic

Blast Resistance: 10 Override: 93%

Type II Ceramic armor has below-average Blast Resistance but maintains high Override. Its increased Blast Resistance confers additional protection from airburst-type weapons. It maintains a high Override allowing it to disperse damage across its surface effectively. Type II Ceramic represents a diversity of common building blocks. Type II & III Ceramic represents the majority of external armor on the server due to its versatility in aesthetics and defense.

Includes Deepslate, Terracotta block types.

Type III Ceramic

Blast Resistance: 11 Override: 90%

Type III Ceramic armor is broadly similar to Type II, but continues the trend of increasing Blast Resistance and decreasing Override. Its increased Blast Resistance makes it a desirable armor type for armor reinforcement, and its diverse block palate preserves its usage as a common external armor block. Type III Ceramic is often though as the "average armor," and is a good choice for many armoring needs.

Includes Stone Bricks, Tuff, and Concrete block types.

Type IV Ceramic

Blast Resistance: 12 Override: 88%

Type IV and V Ceramic both belong to a kind of specialty use. They can be acceptable external armor, but the high Blast Resistance of Type IV Ceramic lends it to internal usages. Generally, players choose Type V Ceramic as their backplates, but Type IV Ceramic is a very capable substitute that has a bit of a probabilistic edge over its Type V counterpart.

Includes Nether Brick, Red Nether Brick, and Blackstone block types.

Type V Ceramic

Blast Resistance: 13 Override: 78%

Type V Ceramic is the go-to armor block for backplates -- its high Blast Resistance requires full armor belt penetration to cause a breach in most cases (with careful application.) However, it suffers in the Override department and is considered an ill-suited choice for external armor, as it will concentrate armor damage at the point of impact and may permit immediate belt penetration.

Includes Polished Granite, Andesite, Diorite, Endstone Brick block types.

Metallic Armor

Blast Resistance: 13 Override: 90%

Metallic armor ("steel") is extremely durable and suitable for usage in nearly every armor position. It can easily tank direct hits due to its high Override and its Blast Resistance makes it as good as Type V Ceramic for backplates. However, it is heavy, and will reduce the speed of your craft if used in excess. Specifically, every 20 blocks of iron will count against your engine total by an additional 1 block. This may not sound like much, but adds up fast if overused.

Includes Iron block types.

Additional Overrides

Some blocks/block types have Overrides and Blast Resistances different from Vanilla but do not qualify as full "armor" blocks. These blocks are buffed to confer extra durability to critical systems or to fill other gaps the normal armor blocks can't fill.

Tinted Glass is the only glass type that is buffed. Its amethyst lattice confers extreme Blast Resistance but will shatter easily to direct impact.
Copper block types are buffed to make radiator apparatus more durable, but are not capable of withstanding prolonged direct fire.
Full-block redstone components - observers, dispensers, etc. are buffed to make them more resistant to fire, as they are the principal component of most weapon systems.

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