Understanding stats

[Kirk]

I think I will start with my questions this time so that the entirety of the document not be read if unnecessary. If this is interesting to people then I will continue with the full version.

• Are stats a formula that can be measured evenly throughout, either on a curve or straight value system? Or are they entirely contrived values based on the integer?
• Do stats have constant values? Or is it possible that they operate within a allowable range? i.e. one point in strength may be anywhere from .2 to .5 increase in the derived stat (attack).
• Are stats equal across classes? i.e. does a Mage get the same benefit from applying a point to strength that a Warrior does?
• How does luck work? I fully believe it is applied as there is a random generator for values in game but see no direct correlation.
• Limited testing with tenacity has given mixed results, what is tenacity?

All of these factors were calculated to as close to zero as possible only changing one thing at a time, namely innate stat values. The base for this project was conducted with a Warrior with no equipment, skills, or stats and slowly increased the innate state to assist in formula production.

As far as I can tell there are 18 stats that a player can directly interact with and have a measurable outcome with which to evaluate data and 1 that I have yet to be able to associate benefit to. Those stats are strength, agility, intellect, dexterity, vitality, physical attack, base attack, magic power, magic bonus, armor, tenacity, magic resistance, hit rating, chance to miss same level, bonus damage at same level, precision, critical, and dodge; luck being the oddball. They occur in either point or percent value for all equations but will be represented in this forum as pure numbers not percentage. Additionally there is cost which starts to point out that innate skills should be used more evenly across the values as cost increases. Gear bonuses of course have no cost aside from time to acquire them and drop rates. You may be going for a particular piece of gear and not get it for weeks.

[Tobias]

Here you go:

• Are stats a formula that can be measured evenly throughout, either on a curve or straight value system? Or are they entirely contrived values based on the integer?

Depends on the stat, some increase linearly, others do not. A lot of stats actually take effect indirectly, by changing several substats. For example, strength isn't used directly, but rather increases your physical attack, the weight you can carry, and so on. Intellect gives you magic power, but also affects total mana, and mana recovery.
Usually the tooltip that you get when hovering over each individual stats gives a pretty decent overview of what the stat is changing.

• Do stats have constant values? Or is it possible that they operate within a allowable range? i.e. one point in strength may be anywhere from .2 to .5 increase in the derived stat (attack).

Also depends on the stat. For example, one point in strength will always give you +0.5 DPS (thus, if you swing faster, one point of strength would contribute less damage to each individual swing -- but since you swing faster, your total damage per second would stay the same).
Other stats, such as armor, crit and dodge don't scale linearly - for example, the more armor you have, the more armor you need to get an additional per cent of mitigation.

• Are stats equal across classes? i.e. does a Mage get the same benefit from applying a point to strength that a Warrior does?

Stamina and Intellect are not (a priest stacking stamina will not have as much health as a warrior with the same stats), however the rest are.

• How does luck work? I fully believe it is applied as there is a random generator for values in game but see no direct correlation.

Luck isn't a stat, if you mean that. ;P
If you mean the chance whether an item drops from a monster, or not, then yes - this uses a random number generator. Though, monsters do have drop groups - and some drop groups have guaranteed drops. For example, if you kill Noxxara with three players, you will always get one shot at her loot table - you won't ever have two or zero items drop.

• Limited testing with tenacity has given mixed results, what is tenacity?

Tenacity is armor that applies in PvP, it reduces damage from players by however much you have. It stacks with armor, and is actually a very good stat, since unlike armor, it does reduce magical (which usually is reduced only by magic resilience) and critical damage (which usually cannot be reduced at all).

As far as I can tell there are 18 stats that a player can directly interact with [...]

Magic from intellect + magic bonus both affect the (substat) magic power.
Attack from strength + base attack  both affect the (substat) physical attack.
Precision increases your hit rating (non-linearly).
Luck is no stat.

"Chance to miss same level" and "Bonus damage at same level" are not real stats - the game client just shows you this piece of information because it is generally useful. You have a chance to miss and a bonus hit, and it depends on your level, and the level of your target. Generally, if you attack a monster that is higher level than you, you'll have a lower chance to hit, and you'll have a lower chance to dodge (likewise if you attack a monster lower level than you, then it'll miss you a lot - which is the reason why those baby bluebells can barely damage you at level 20+). These are the percentage values, which are derived from your hit and dodge rating - so the hit rating and the "chance to hit" are the same stat - one's the raw value, and the other one is that same value, interpreted to make more sense ("in practice, that means you hit a mob of your level that many % of the time").

It's also "bonus hit", not "bonus damage" - basically making you unlikely to miss. For example, if you have a 2.5% bonus to hit, and have a hit reducing status that reduces your likelihood to hit by 2%, you'll still hit the target 100% of the time thanks to your bonus.

Gear bonuses of course have no cost aside from time to acquire them and drop rates.

Technically, gear bonuses do have a cost - but one that doesn't affect you directly. Each piece of equipment has a budget, which depends on the dungeon it drops from, and the difficulty (hard mode items have a higher budget than regular mode items). Each stat you find on gear uses some of its budget, so there is a limiting factor how many stat points you will find on an item from a specific dungeon / mode.

[Kirk]

Well I am back at it again this time for a different project. I have some more questions. I need to preface the questions by saying that these are the shorthand version, greater depth of question can be sought out below if the shorthand is indiscernible. I realize that some of these questions seem pretty obvious, but this is for the good of the community and to keep me from potentially putting out false answers. I try to include answers when the answer seems obvious. Short list, GO!

• What is the difference between Accuracy, Precision, and Hit rating?
• What is the difference between Stamina, Vitality, and Health bonus?
• Some Items in the database are listed as plus to all stats. Which stats are all?
• What is Endurance?
• Is every item in the database attainable?
• Are magic resistances listed as percentage elemental protection valid at higher levels?
• What are the chances? Frequently, low, small?
• How does the Sub stat Base attack affect attack?
• Are higher stats decided with gear bonuses or selected by base stat? and what if they are equal?
• Experience giving monster? Does level cap stop this?
• Do you have to have a key item to complete a set?
• Magic Armor and Magic Resistance? Same thing?
• How are spell hit and hit different?
• Some items are listed as attack for effect, does that mean spells for casters?

Now the long/answers.

• It occurred to me that there are multiple descriptions for a similar value within the database. I feel that there may be a simple confusion that comes from the use of different terms. All three of these things seem to affect hit rating. The end.
• It looks like to me that Stamina is a boost to health and weight limit, whereas vitality only affects health, and of course health is just a plus to max health. Vitality and Stamina increase HP by a factor of 5 per point and health is direct. I am sure I can figure out the weight bonus, but no one really cares about their weight limit until they are encumbered. So, pfffft.
• This has to be the ones that you can apply stat points to. I have been asked before though, why magic resistance doesn't increase or armor when all stats is referenced.
• Endurance is a warrior’s capacity for fury.
• Some things are special singular events. Like competition items, the paintbrush, or tabard of demise; certain things though are more than vague. Is the reference to a VIP shop a joke like luck or is it a hint and I have yet to find it?
• Okay this was a confusing question to begin with. The way I believe it works is that it plays with the elemental alignment. if you are neutral and attacked by poison you normally receive an additional 12.5% damage, say an item has 5% poison protection you would now receive poison damage plus 7.5% of that damage. This is the only place I can see it being applied as from the previous conversation armor and magic armor require more and more points to gain percentages as you climb higher in defense.
• The chance system of effects is confusing. I have no idea how this works. I assume that it polls a random generator and a value is set for success, but I can easily apply a percentage to that with a known value. Testing is impossible it seems. No wait I have it.... 0%-100%.
• How does the + or - 5 Sub stat on Base attack of certain gloves affect attack?
• For example a piece of gear says the higher stat is chosen. It can't be with gear bonus because it creates a conflict of not knowing what the final value is. It has to be base stat, how when equal a "higher" stat is chosen, I don't know.
• No you don't stop getting experience. It simply stops adding to your exp amount. Think of when you played practically any Role Playing Game in existence, Final Fantasy for example. After any battle the game would say here are your rewards and exp earned. When you hit the level cap it just stopped adding to your character, as though your bags were full. It's there but you have too much already.
• Not a fan of this but yes. It seems that you have to have the main item that identifies the set to get the bonus. Also, no, costumes, although they highlight the pieces of the set, do not count to activating the bonus. You are not sneaky. Shame on you for trying to cheat.
• Magic Armor seems to apply resistance to all elements whereas resistance refers to a specific element.
• One applies to Spells the other to Melee. Hit that applies to Melee does not enhance Spell hit. For some reason the reverse is easy to understand but the other is not. Here is where things get tricky for me. Does dodge apply to both? and if so then why have two hit bonuses? If it doesn't why have a hit bonus that means nothing?
• I want to say no on this. Attacks are melee, but I don't know. So I asked it here.

I think that's most of the questions I get from time to time, of course interspersed with my own personal quandaries. Hope you were at least entertained a little while reading this, assuming you got this far. The saving grace? I'm done for now.

[Tobias]

• What is the difference between Accuracy, Precision, and Hit rating?

Hit rating gives a flat percentage. Accuracy and precision are the same, and need to be replaced by one.

• What is the difference between Stamina, Vitality, and Health bonus?

Stamina and Vitality are indeed the same. It was called Vitality years ago, and when I switched to Stamina I didn't update the description on older items. That'd be a project to do.

Health bonus is a flat addition to your health. A health bonus of 50 gives you +50 health. As for stamina, classes benefit from that with a different weight. Warriors get more health per point of stamina. Mages the least.

• Some Items in the database are listed as plus to all stats. Which stats are all?

All primary stats: Agility, dexterity, intellect, strength and stamina.

• What is Endurance?

A status effect that prevents you from flinching when you receive damage.
If you are talking about hunter's endurance, it's a resource such as fury. Spells that use endurance can also take fury, if you use them as a warrior. Similarly, if you had bash on a hunter, it would use your endurance pool, even though it usually uses fury. Other than mana, the game uses a secondary resource pool, which can be fury/endurance/whatever. Depending on what class you play as, it generates differently, but any skills set to the secondary resource pool can use it.

• Is every item in the database attainable?

No. Some may have been used for Feats, some come in future, some have been replaced.

• Are magic resistances listed as percentage elemental protection valid at higher levels?

Yes. Something that gives you +5% fire resist will always do that, no matter your level.

• What are the chances? Frequently, low, small?

That one's a bit blurry. Generally, frequently you'll see on pretty much every pull. Low/small you'll see more rarely. It also depends on what they trigger. If they trigger on melee attack, then 20% would be frequently. If it triggers on crit, that would be low.

• How does the Sub stat Base attack affect attack?

It's a flat addition, such as "Attack +5".

• Are higher stats decided with gear bonuses or selected by base stat? and what if they are equal?

By base stat. If they're equal, you'll get one, but no the other. For easier reading, the item doesn't mention which - it's a corner case, since for one just put 1 more stat point in the one you want, and because the stats are usually opposites, so increasing them both equally is a bad idea to start with.

• Experience giving monster? Does level cap stop this?

If you are at the current level cap, you do not gain experience.
However, any effects that say "a monster that would give you experience" will still trigger even if you are at the level cap, as long as the monster could, theoretically, give you experience.

• Do you have to have a key item to complete a set?

Yes, the item the set is listed on. That the client shows costumes counting towards the set is a bug - the server isn't fooled by that.

• Magic Armor and Magic Resistance? Same thing?

Probably. That's another project to go through the items and find that out. ;P
To clarify: magic armor is a stat, that reduces damage taken from magic attack. The server can apply it to all elements, or just specific elements. These take the attacker level into account - so to mitigate 5% of a firebolt from a higher level attacker, you need more armor. So, that should probably go on equipment. I remember calling that magic resistance on occasion too, so I am not sure how many items there are where I messed that up, without going through all of them.

Then there are percent reductions from elemental attacks - for example -5% fire damage. These are always 5%, whether the attacker is level 1 or 30, and should probably go on spirit bottles, but not equipment that you're supposed to replace eventually.

• How are spell hit and hit different?

Spell hit is for magic spells, hit is for melee attack.

• Some items are listed as attack for effect, does that mean spells for casters?

Yes, unless it specifically says "melee attack".

[Kirk]

Stamina and Vitality are indeed the same. It was called Vitality years ago, and when I switched to Stamina I didn't update the description on older items. That'd be a project to do.

Here are the some equipment items that have vitality listed in the description
Armored Glove   {item:462}
Blessed Snowhide Glove   {item:459}
Blue Slipper   {item:229}
Braided Leather Beads   {item:290}
Casper's Linen   {item:383}
Clawed Glove   {item:139}
Coralspike Flower Glove   {item:288}
Crystal Plated Bracelet   {item:305}
Demon Collar   {item:302}
Emberweave Glove   {item:743}
Enchanted Snowleather Glove   {item:460}
Eye of the Jungle   {item:766}
Frostbloom Bracelet   {item:307}
Glove of the Dark Phoenix   {item:929}
Golden Note Necklace   {item:297}
Golden Snowfur Glove   {item:1229}
Green Slipper   {item:466}
Hardened Coralspike Necklace   {item:280}
Iceclaw Glove   {item:324}
Immaterial Blade   {item:382}
Jagged Topaz Glove   {item:570}
Leaf Leather Braids   {item:322}
Leather Glove   {item:5}
Lizard Scale Glove   {item:279}
Lone Slippers   {item:584}
Mittens of the Lunar Protector   {item:935}
Moon Necklace   {item:167}
Old Demon Collar   {item:208}
Pink Slipper   {item:467}
Pirate Bandana   {item:218}
Ruby Ring of Stamina   {item:468}
Ruby Shell Fragment   {item:457}
Rugged Tiger Glove   {item:179}
Runed Eye of the Jungle   {item:769}
Spiked Glove   {item:141}
Spine Glove   {item:189}
Thick Leather Collar   {item:180}
Tiger Glove   {item:176}
Willow Magic Catcher   {item:463}

Haven't exactly finished with the database, but I will let you know if I find more.

Probably. That's another project to go through the items and find that out. ;P
To clarify: magic armor is a stat, that reduces damage taken from magic attack. The server can apply it to all elements, or just specific elements. These take the attacker level into account - so to mitigate 5% of a firebolt from a higher level attacker, you need more armor. So, that should probably go on equipment. I remember calling that magic resistance on occasion too, so I am not sure how many items there are where I messed that up, without going through all of them.

I have done most of the leg work already if you want the info for items that have a magic armor, magic resistance, and percentage values. Not trying to flood here unless necessary.

[Tobias]

Well, you shouldn't have to go through the database and painstakingly collect all the item IDs.
I'll see that I get you a better interface.