Hello all,
Hopefully this thread will be useful to someone in the future, right now I am just going to put out some random information that may either be true or that I hope someone will prove to be true. This post focuses more on game theory and the way that math affects actions in the game then just click and kill. So lets talk about some math basics:
- P Parentheses first
- E Exponents (ie Powers and Square Roots, etc.)
- MD Multiplication and Division (left-to-right)
- AS Addition and Subtraction (left-to-right)
Why is this important? Because these operations define how you can get the most out of a buff. I am a warrior so I will use a warrior example. Bite gives me a 5% bonus to my attack at level 5 and stacks up to 5 times and overpower gives me an additional 30 strength at level 3. If you don't understand the math process then you may be building a character on the wrong information. Is it atk(.25)+30str or is it (atk+30str)(25)? I am not sure how the formulas are written but it can make a big difference on the amount of damage you end up doing. My best guess is that it is (strength+equipment bonus)+(dexterity+equipment) bonus=atk then ((atk+equipment bonus)buff+buff+buff-debuff-debuff-debuff)/elemental resistance ad-infinitum. I am sure there are some other factors in there but am not privy to the information required to better state my proof. For example lvl offset, how armor works against an attack, and hidden stats like stamina, tenacity, or precision. The root of the question is the same however and the method that the game uses can determine why a builds outcome may have issues.
This is assuming that you pass a logical test first to even hit the target. Such a logical test may be, are attacker and target in the same map? I am sure it seems silly but a computer has to ask this question first to be able to decide what to show you. If true then the computer can ask the next question in the phase, are attacker and target within allowable range of action used? this is the entire process broken down to a very simple couple of questions and should be thought about whenever you start to wonder about lag and the actual complexity of the game you are playing. The server then has to make these calculations and in real time load a graphic so that you can understand what it now understands. Regardless of whether you understand or not the game has it's own idea of what is supposed to happen based on the values and key stokes
you input. That may not resemble what is happening on screen for any number of reasons. It is important to know though that at the point of calculation, and not rendering, all actions are completed. For example a calculation may have completed on a previous screen and then a graphic may render showing you receive damage from that calculation. This is a very rare situation and is unlikely to happen. However you may see a moonwalking priest healing you, seem to see a mage cast in mid stride to freeze someone during cheese hunt, or charge and kill an enemy without ever having been close enough to have touched them. Personally I prefer the moonwalking priest XD. Unfortunately it is your eyes playing tricks on you and not a bug.
Lets talk about time a little bit, just to really push the point home. If you are reading this then you more than likely have seen a battle log already. There are numerous calculations that are completed every second and are logged in the server. Then represented by the log which you can review. It is a much more precise thing than you or I can hope to comprehend and works on a higher level than the information given. The order though is true to the process. Think about a referee making a call in real life. The server is the referee and says whether you gave an input fast enough and before a different action or separate action took place.
That's it for this post. I will try to take on stats and how they work next post. Let me know what you think and if this is at all helpful. If you have any information either supporting or disproving my findings please post them and I will adjust this post as necessary.
