Balancing skeleton types

[Hockey85]

So in the tutorial it states this:

1. the unit skeleton attack animations also improve unit effectiveness as they get faster. The way to counter this effect is the min_delay_between_attacks stat, which lies in the stat_pri line [see below]
2. the unit skeleton animations also help combat effectiveness, when they have big(ger) impact deltas. The way to counter this is through lethality [see related information]

As a reference, here follow the lethality values that make all vanilla infantry melee skeletons equal, rounded to the second decimal, while the error bars are close to 0.1. An fs_slow_swordsman skeleton with 0.5 lethality will be equal in battle to an fs_fast_dagger skeleton with lethality 0.57 (assuming everything else equal and min_delay is set to be higher that the longest attacking animation; 25 seems enough).

• fs_slow_swordsman / fs_swordsman / fs_semi_fast_swordsman / fs_fast_swordsman : lethality = 0.5
• fs_slow_2handed / fs_2handed : lethality = 0.41
• fs_slow_spearman / fs_spearman / fs_semi_fast_spearman / fs_fast_spearman : lethality = 0.47
• fs_dagger / fs_semi_fast_dagger / fs_fast_dagger : lethality = 0.57
• fs_2handed_berserker (scale 1.1) : lethality = 0.38

So I was always under the impression that the speed part of the skeleton ("semi_fast" "slow" ect) determined the units run speed, but it says that this may also effect attack speed. Then the guide seems to contradict itself by saying:

• fs_slow_swordsman / fs_swordsman / fs_semi_fast_swordsman / fs_fast_swordsman : lethality = 0.5

meaning all these different speeds for a sword unit are balanced the exact same, and offers no advice on editing the min delay between attacks. So will a sword unit with the same combat stats, with a faster skeleton be more effective as their skeleton speed increases?

[Aradan]

Where in the guide (link, for easier reference) does it say that the skeleton's speed prefix affects attack speed?

[Hockey85]

I was referring to this section

1. the unit skeleton attack animations also improve unit effectiveness as they get faster. The way to counter this effect is the min_delay_between_attacks stat, which lies in the stat_pri line

I haven't been working on my mod for a while and then I remembered that I already knew/figured out the answer to my question (which was also right in front of my face in your guide)

(assuming everything else equal and min_delay is set to be higher that the longest attacking animation; 25 seems enough)

Just set the min delay to 25 and then balance the lethality accordingly, I had actually already done this lol

[Aradan]

A skeleton has movement animations and attack animations (and others). The fast, semi-fast, normal and slow variants affect movement speed. The speed the above excerpt refers to is the attack speed (how fast a skeleton's attack animation plays). Knife animations, for example, are much faster than spear animations (regardless of the moving-speed variant used).

[Hockey85]

Ok thanks got it. While were on the subject then what effects the speed of cavalry? Is it the mass associated with the particular mount in descr mount file?

[Aradan]

No, it's the speed of the mount skeleton's animations.

[Hockey85]

Ok so it appears to go:

fs_fast_horse
fs_medium_horse
fs_horse
fs_cataphract_horse

in this order from fastest to slowest? Thanks again for all the help!

[Aradan]

Yes. If the movement speed of a regular foot skeleton (fs_xyz) is considered 1, then fs_cataphract_horse has speed 1.575, fs_horse has 1.75, fs_medium_horse 1.9 and fs_fast_horse has 2.15.