Glossary Entry: Hitscan
Quick Definition
This is a fairly old method used to detect whether or not a ranged attack (such as a gunshot) has hit the intended target. Since it uses very little computational effort, it's often used by older games that needed to save as much computation time as possible for gameplay.
Hitscan mechanics are effectively educated guesswork. Instead of tracking the bullets and checking to see if they've hit anything, the system simply checks the position and orientation of the shooter and target. If the shooter is facing the right direction and a path can be drawn to their target, then it assumes the bullet hit the target. In other words, the computer does a quick scan to see if anything was hit.
As there is no actual projectile to process, a hitscan attack will land instantly, even over great distances, giving the illusion of realistic gunfire.
Hitscan mechanics are effectively educated guesswork. Instead of tracking the bullets and checking to see if they've hit anything, the system simply checks the position and orientation of the shooter and target. If the shooter is facing the right direction and a path can be drawn to their target, then it assumes the bullet hit the target. In other words, the computer does a quick scan to see if anything was hit.
As there is no actual projectile to process, a hitscan attack will land instantly, even over great distances, giving the illusion of realistic gunfire.
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