A full rewrite of penetration maths

For months, penetration in Serval ran on a deliberately crude formula: armour thickness versus shell value, a threshold, done. It was simple to code and easy to balance. But in play it produced situations that made no sense — a flank shot bouncing, a frontal shot sailing straight through.

The new system computes the real angle between the shell's path and the normal of the plate it hits. The more grazing the angle, the higher the effective thickness. It's basic trigonometry, but applied plate by plate, in real time, on hulls modelled with their true slopes.

In practice: angling your tank — presenting it slightly off-square — becomes a real defensive skill. A well-placed medium can bounce shells that, on paper, should punch through. And aiming for weak spots is no longer abstract advice but a mechanical necessity.

I kept the old reference numbers so as not to upend balance overnight. Early test games showed slower, more tactical fights — exactly what I was after. If some tanks now feel too tough head-on, tell me on the forum: these numbers are made to move.

Next up: overmatch and spaced armour that detonate HEAT shells before the hull. It's already half coded. More in two weeks.