ArmorSim normal mode is the fast analytical ballistics solver in developer Timerlan Galimov's terminal ballistics sandbox. Instead of tracking hit points or running lengthy continuum mesh simulations, normal mode solves projectile penetration in a fraction of a second using published terminal-ballistics equations. This mode is built for rapid iteration, allowing you to alter plate thicknesses, adjust angles, swap ammunition, and observe immediate penetration results.
How the Normal Mode Solver Works
In conventional combat games, armor penetration is calculated through abstract armor ratings and health bars. ArmorSim avoids cosmetic calculations and damage pools entirely. Normal mode relies on classical analytical physics models to deliver calculations in split-seconds.
According to the game's official documentation, normal mode processes impact mechanics through several specific mathematical models:
- Alekseevskii–Tate Erosion Integration: Calculates hydrodynamic penetration and projectile rod erosion as kinetic penetrators grind down against dense armor targets.
- Recht–Ipson Residual Velocity: Determines how much speed and energy the projectile retains after exiting or defeating a barrier plate.
- Rosenberg Ricochet Criterion: Evaluates impact angles, critical impact velocities, and plastic deformation criteria to determine if a penetrator deflects off an angled surface.
- Grady Fragmentation: Derives petaling, spalling, and behind-armor debris generation based on material impact dynamics.
Because these models run analytically rather than through full finite-element continuum meshes, calculations finish almost instantly. This allows you to fire a shot, adjust a single parameter—such as plate thickness or impact angle—and fire again without waiting for long rendering cycles.
Normal Mode vs. Advanced and ULTRA Solvers
ArmorSim features three distinct simulation modes within its sandbox. Understanding how normal mode compares to the other two solvers helps determine when to use each approach during testing.
| Feature | Normal Mode | Advanced Mode | ULTRA Mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solver Architecture | Fast analytical models | Analytical core with extended accounting | Axisymmetric Lagrangian continuum mesh |
| Calculation Time | Split-seconds / fraction of a second | Real-time / split-seconds | Several minutes per shot |
| Primary Equations | Alekseevskii–Tate, Recht–Ipson, Rosenberg, Grady | Multi-layer energy tracking, erosion accounting | Johnson–Cook plasticity, Mie–Grüneisen EOS |
| Data Output | Penetration outcome, rod erosion, residual velocity | Per-layer wear fraction, energy loss, ballistic limits | Physical crater shapes, adiabatic shear banding |
| Angle Support | Full angle and rotation support | Full angle and rotation support | Normal-incidence (head-on) impacts only |
| Development Status | Complete in Early Access | Complete in Early Access | In-development continuum solver |
While Advanced mode breaks down per-plate energy accounting and ULTRA mode simulates physical cratering over several minutes, normal mode serves as the primary tool for testing concepts quickly across varied angles and multi-layer targets.
Building Targets and Setting Up Ballistic Tests
Normal mode operates inside ArmorSim's free-build scene editor. The interface allows you to construct custom targets from individual components using rotational controls and coordinate spacing.
Armor Materials and Structural Elements
The simulation database features 14 armor materials along with specialized modules. When building an armor package in normal mode, you can select and stack several protection types:
- Homogeneous Metals: Cast steel, lightweight aluminum alloys, and titanium plates.
- Hard Composites and Backings: Ceramic carbide, aluminum oxide, fiberglass, and composite textolite backing plates.
- Heavy Dense Elements: Tungsten and depleted uranium layers.
- Active and Reactive Packages: Explosive Reactive Armor (ERA) modules, including Kontakt-1 cassettes, as well as bulging composite armor arrays.
- Volumetric Internal Modules: Engine compartments modeled with density reductions for internal voids, and human crew dummy targets with cross-sectional internal organ views.
Using shortcut commands such as holding Shift or using duplicating hotkeys, you can stack spaced plates, set exact millimetric thicknesses, and alter the obliquity of the target relative to the firing line.
Projectile Selection and Configuration
Once a target array is assembled, normal mode lets you select from service munitions or create custom projectiles. The standard arsenal includes ordnance from three major military powers:
- United States: Service rounds such as the 105 mm M774, 120 mm depleted uranium penetrators like the M829A2 and M829A3, and missiles like the Javelin.
- Germany: Kinetic rounds ranging from early DM13 120 mm ammunition to modern tungsten alloy penetrators, along with specialized missile systems like the PARS 3.
- Soviet Union and Russia: Infantry grenade launcher charges such as the RPG-7 (PG-7V and tandem PG-7VR) alongside standard and modern APFSDS service rods.
If you choose not to use historical service ammunition, normal mode allows custom projectile editing. You can adjust caliber, projectile velocity, rod core material, and cap configuration to test theoretical threats against your target layout.
Inspecting Damage and Ballistic Results
When you press the fire command in normal mode, the solver resolves the interaction immediately. The camera allows free orbit and zoom controls around the impact zone, enabling close examination of the outcome:
- Active Element Reaction: Observe whether explosive reactive armor elements or bulging layers detonate and disrupt the incoming round.
- Rod Erosion and Plugging: Inspect how much of the penetrator's length was eroded during perforation and whether clean shear plugs were punched through the metal.
- Multi-Plate Penetration Depth: Count how many plates in a layered stack were defeated before the penetrator was stopped or crushed.
- Behind-Armor Damage: Review the trajectory of residual rods and spall fragments passing into volumetric compartments or crew positions.
If an array fails, you can reset damage, modify a plate's thickness or spacing, and fire again immediately to determine the precise threshold required to stop the round.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does ArmorSim normal mode use an armor hit point system?
No. Normal mode calculates penetration purely through analytical terminal-ballistics physics models and physical material constants (such as density and yield strength). There are no arbitrary armor hit points or damage pools.
What is the primary advantage of normal mode over ULTRA mode?
Normal mode delivers penetration results in a fraction of a second and supports angled shots, making it ideal for rapid trial-and-error testing. ULTRA mode uses an axisymmetric continuum solver that takes minutes per shot and only supports head-on (normal-incidence) impacts.
Can you test tandem-charge warheads and ATGMs in normal mode?
Yes. Normal mode supports shaped-charge ordnance and anti-tank guided missiles found in the arsenal menu, including PG-7VR tandem charges, standard RPG-7 munitions, and Javelin missiles.
Can custom projectiles be modified in normal mode?
Yes. In addition to choosing historical service rounds, you can configure customizable projectiles by altering core materials, caliber, velocity, and rod dimensions.
