Understanding Physics-Based Mechanics in Modern Video Games

Physics-based game mechanics, such as the interaction between objects and environmental geometry, rely on complex collision detection and rigid body simulations rather than scripted animations. When players report that specific moves—often referred to as “glitches” or “exploits”—allow them to destroy structures while inside a ram or other vehicle, they are describing an interaction where the game’s collision mesh fails to correctly calculate the boundaries between two overlapping objects.

How Collision Detection Works in Game Engines

Modern game engines like Unreal Engine and Unity use collision detection to determine when two objects intersect. According to Epic Games’ technical documentation, the engine creates a simplified “collision mesh” for every object in the game world. This invisible shell acts as a proxy for the object’s visual model. When a player-controlled vehicle, such as a ram, overlaps with a building, the engine must resolve this conflict. If the physics engine is overwhelmed by the number of active objects or if the collision detection frequency—often called “tick rate”—is too low, the objects may overlap improperly, triggering unintended damage calculations.

Why Overlapping Objects Cause Structural Damage

The destruction of buildings from within a vehicle typically occurs because of “penetration resolution.” When the game detects that two objects are occupying the same space, it attempts to “push” them apart to resolve the collision. If a player performs a specific move that forces this resolution to occur rapidly or repeatedly against a building’s collision mesh, the physics engine may interpret the constant state of overlap as a high-velocity impact. According to NVIDIA’s PhysX documentation, which powers many major titles, this result is a common byproduct of “jittering” or “clipping,” where the cumulative force of the collision resolution exceeds the structural integrity threshold of the building, causing it to collapse.

Common Causes of Physics Exploits

• Low Tick Rates: If the server or local machine updates physics at a low frequency, objects can “tunnel” through each other, creating massive force calculations when they finally register the collision.
• Collision Mesh Gaps: Developers may leave small holes in the collision geometry of a building, allowing players to move inside the structure.
• Force Multipliers: Certain movement inputs can multiply the velocity of an object, which, when trapped inside a confined space, applies exponential damage to the surrounding environment.

The Difference Between Glitches and Intended Mechanics

There is a distinct line between intended gameplay and physics bugs. Intended mechanics are governed by “hitboxes,” which are carefully tuned to ensure that damage is only applied during valid combat interactions. Physics bugs, by contrast, rely on the engine’s attempt to reconcile impossible spatial data. While some speedrunners use these mechanics to bypass sections of a game, developers often patch them by increasing the collision precision or adding “kill volumes”—invisible zones that reset a player if they enter unauthorized areas.

Future Developments in Physics Simulation

As hardware capabilities increase, developers are shifting toward more robust physics solvers. According to Unity Technologies, newer physics middleware is capable of “continuous collision detection,” which tracks an object’s trajectory between frames rather than just its final position. This advancement significantly reduces the likelihood of objects clipping through walls or destroying structures unintentionally, as the engine can now predict and prevent overlapping states before they occur.