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'''Shields''' protect units inside by absorbing the damage from attacks in exchange for charge.  While shields can stop all but a select few weapons, any area of effect from the detonation will still pass through the shield, so don't expect any units near the edge of the shield area to be completely safe from harm. Shields are spherical and hollow.
 
'''Shields''' protect units inside by absorbing the damage from attacks in exchange for charge.  While shields can stop all but a select few weapons, any area of effect from the detonation will still pass through the shield, so don't expect any units near the edge of the shield area to be completely safe from harm. Shields are spherical and hollow.
  
[[File:Shield1.jpg|900px]]
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http://lh4.ggpht.com/_EUPLJBA3KD0/TRgDve5G3AI/AAAAAAAAAX4/n1qb9eckKsA/s800/shield3.jpg
  
 
== Shield charge ==
 
== Shield charge ==
  
When shields take damage, their charge is depleted.  As the shield charge depletes the shield color will change from blue (full charge) through purple to red (no charge).  They will continue to stop weapons until the amount of charge is lower than the damage done by the weapon. There are three types of shield:
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When shields take damage, their charge is depleted.  As the shield charge depletes the shield color will change from blue (full charge) through purple to red (no charge).  They will continue to stop weapons until the amount of charge is lower than the damage done by the weapon. Large shields (both static and mobile) require energy to replenish their charge, and with sufficient energy will recharge at a steady rate. Their regeneration can be toggled off and obeys priority. Small (personal) shields recharge at no energy cost.
* '''Personal shield''' - The shield used by the shieldbots Convict, Thug and Felon. This type of shield protects a small area and recharge at no energy cost.
 
* '''Area shield''' - The large bubble shields deployed by Aspis and Aegis. These shields have more charge and drain energy to recharge.
 
* '''Funnelweb shield''' - This is the giant shield mounted on the Funnelweb, a support strider. It has a large charge capacity and radius. It does not link with other shields, and has its recharge interrupted for 10 seconds after receiving damage.
 
 
 
A functioning unit cannot voluntarily disable its shield bubble, which makes shielded units easier to spot from further away and prevents them from being affected by area cloak. Shield regeneration for shields that drain energy to charge can be toggled off and obeys priority.
 
 
 
Commander modules can be equipped to provide either a personal shield or an area shield.
 
  
 
== Shield link ==
 
== Shield link ==
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Shields automatically link up to share charge, so if a few shields are taking more damage, charge will flow from the undamaged shields to the damaged shields. There is no limit to how many shields can link together. However, because charge transfers at a finite rate, one shield in a large chain can still be made vulnerable with focused fire. For shields to share charge, they simply need to overlap. Transfer always happens from the shield with more absolute charge ('''not''' %) to the one with less.
 
Shields automatically link up to share charge, so if a few shields are taking more damage, charge will flow from the undamaged shields to the damaged shields. There is no limit to how many shields can link together. However, because charge transfers at a finite rate, one shield in a large chain can still be made vulnerable with focused fire. For shields to share charge, they simply need to overlap. Transfer always happens from the shield with more absolute charge ('''not''' %) to the one with less.
  
[[File:Shield2.jpg|900px]]
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http://lh5.ggpht.com/_EUPLJBA3KD0/TRfohbiUqVI/AAAAAAAAAXw/oYQHKSYCIjM/s800/shield1.jpg
  
 
''Shields from any type of unit can link together.''
 
''Shields from any type of unit can link together.''
  
[[File:Shield3.jpg|900px]]
 
  
''As a shield takes damage it turns red. The shields it is linked to will help recharge it.''
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http://lh4.ggpht.com/_EUPLJBA3KD0/TRfoiRdLesI/AAAAAAAAAXw/7YEv9gg5sME/s800/shield2.jpg
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''As a shield takes damage it turns red. The shields it is linked to will help recharge it.''
  
 
== In-depth mechanics ==
 
== In-depth mechanics ==
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* Melee weapons, disintegrators and the Dominatrix ignore shields.
 
* Melee weapons, disintegrators and the Dominatrix ignore shields.
  
Shields link by doing the following at a rate of 15 times a second:
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The current system for linking is as follows. Every shield shares charge 15 times a second. The share-partner is selected randomly from all adjacent (bubbles touching) shields, including itself. The self-inclusion is intended to reduce the transfer rate when there are few shields. Large shields can only choose other large shields as a share-partner. In a charge share <code>ChargeDifference/100</code> is transferred from the high charge shield to the low charge shield. The distance between shields is irrelevant so long as they are touching.
* Randomly select a share-partner from the set of adjacent shields. Two shields are adjacent if their bubbles are touching. A shield is considered adjacent to itself.
 
* Caveat - Felons and area shields only select from the set of adjacent Felons and area shields.
 
* Determine which of the initial shield and the share-partner has the higher and lower charges.
 
* Transfer <code>(high charge - low charge)/100</code> shield charge from the higher charge shield to the lower charge shield.
 
 
 
Shields are considered adjacent to themselves to reduce the transfer rate in situations with a small number of shields. For example, with two shields, self-adjacency effectively halves transfer rate. Felons and area shields are in their own class of shield to reduce the transfer rate between the two classes. Note that Thug and Convict are able to randomly select large shields as a share-partner.
 
  
 
== Beating shields ==
 
== Beating shields ==

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