Is Arch-vile splash damage calculated the same way rocket splash damage is?

[peach freak]

I've never figured this one out. Seems like every time I get hit by an Arch-vile I take the full damage (which is 83% health I think). How do you wind up taking a partial hit from an Arch-vile, if possible?

[baja blast rd.]

Sort of. The maximum of the splash damage component is 70 -- the vile attack does a base damage of 20. In practice, a vile won't do the full 90 damage because the attack tends to be not perfectly centered on its target. Running is likely to shave off a few percentage points of damage from the practical maximum (89% is the most I've ever seen), and get you down to that 83% figure.

 

Archvile splash, like other forms of splash damage, calculates if the epicenter has line-of-sight of you before registering damage. So the easiest way to take partial damage, which will be the base damage of 20, is to push yourself up against a ledge between you and the vile: example. 

[Lila Feuer]

VILES HATE HIM! See how Doomguy took 20 units of damage using this one simple trick.

[VanaheimRanger]

I believe if there is a waist high wall between you and him and your on the same level, you'll only get partially hit as well.