Minimum damage threshold

In Deus Ex, the minimum damage threshold (internal name: minDamageThreshold) is a property of certain destructible objects. In general, objects with a minimum damage threshold greater than zero do not receive damage from an attack unless the attack meets or exceeds the threshold.

Overview

The minimum damage threshold is an attribute that is used for security devices, interactive doors, interactive container covers (such as cabinet or locker panels), and breakable structural objects.

• Turrets, alarm panels, and security cameras have a minimum damage threshold of 50.
  • The "sabot" and "exploded" damage types are subject to a partial exception to the minimum damage threshold of these objects:
    • If incoming "sabot" or "exploded" damage fails to meet the threshold, a reduced amount of damage will still be inflicted ("sabot" damage is reduced to 50%, and "exploded" damage is reduced to 25%). "Sabot" or "exploded" damage that meets or exceeds the threshold will still inflict full damage.
    • This partial exception applies only to the DeusExDecoration class of objects (which include turrets, alarm panels, and security cameras), and does not apply to the DeusExMover class (which include doors, cabinet panels, and breakable structural objects) and laser tripwire emitters.
• Laser tripwire emitters have a minimum damage threshold of 50.
• Cabinet panels have a minimum damage threshold of up to 50.
• Doors have a minimum damage threshold of up to 75.

Weapons that perform multi-trace attacks must overcome the threshold in a single hit trace. For example, the assault shotgun inflicts 5 traces of 4 base damage (at the untrained skilled level). Therefore, in this situation, the assault shotgun can only destroy objects that have a minimum damage threshold of 4 or lower.

The minimum damage threshold is a hidden attribute that is not visible during normal gameplay. For locked doors and containers panels, the minimum damage threshold is not the same as the door strength or lock strength. Door strength serves as a health gauge for the door, while the minimum damage threshold determines the minimum damage that is needed to reduce the health of the door. However, doors with a high door strength and/or lock strength are generally more likely to also have a high minimum damage threshold.

Early in the game, a threshold of 50 is often used for obstructions that are not intended to be easily bypassed. In Battery Park, the soda machine that obstructs the back entrance to the underground section of Castle Clinton has a minimum damage threshold of 50. Similarly, in Brooklyn Bridge Station, the collapsed section that needs to be cleared for an optional objective similarly has a threshold of 50. While the game will lead the player to use explosives, it is in fact possible to clear the obstruction using a sniper rifle at master skill level.

Objects that are non-breakable cannot be destroyed, regardless of the minimum damage threshold. Non-breakable doors are indicated as having an infinite door strength.

High-damage weapons

Since the minimum damage threshold can be of a high value, such as 50, high-damage weapons are needed to destroy objects with a high minimum damage threshold.

The following weapons can meet or exceed the threshold of 50:

• Explosives (LAMs, LAW rockets, GEP Gun rockets, 20mm HE grenade of the assault rifle).
  • LAMs, LAW rockets, GEP Gun rockets have enough damage to overcome the minimum damage threshold of any breakable object in the game, regardless of skill level.
  • At lower skill levels, the 20mm HE grenade may be insufficient against objects with high thresholds. All explosives inflicts damage five times over five separate sub-explosions, the most potent of which has a base damage that approaches 40% of the nominal damage. At the untrained skill level, the 20mm HE has a nominal damage of 150, meaning that it is not capable of destroying doors that have a minimum damage threshold greater than 60.
• The sniper rifle is capable of inflicting 50 damage with master rifle skill. With the Targeting augmentation, the sniper rifle reaches a maximum of 60 damage.
• The dragon's tooth sword is capable of reaching 50 damage (and up to a maximum of 68 damage) with a combinations of weapon skill and augmentations. Master low-tech skill provides a maximum of 40 damage, which can be further extended by the Targeting and/or Combat Strength augmentations. Please see the article on this weapon for a detailed analysis of its damage properties.
• Throwing knives, when used with master low-tech skill, Tech 4 Combat Strength, and Tech 4 Targeting all at once, have a damage of 51.

High-threshold objects

See Doors, breakable structures, and movers (DX) - High-threshold objects

See also

• Damage (DX)
• Damage Types (DX)