[X] My Assistant

Another set of tweaks, particularly aimed at plugging some Unintended Consequences™ of 0.3.9.

Misc

- The part of the thingie that processes over-time effects and makes sure they expire properly has been moved to the end of the turn. Effects should therefore show up as "expired" in the correct order in the battle log.
-- Note that the only real effect of this is that heal-over-time and damage-over-time effects happen after player or monster actions instead of before, it doesn't actually change how effects work as they still last until the end of the turn they expire in.

- The credit drop formula has been modified so rare monsters drop quite a bit more while common monsters drop somewhat less.

- Credit gain from grindfests has been hard capped at 3000 per day (24-hour sliding window). The closer you are to the cap, the less credits each monster will drop.

- You can no longer gain proficiency while you're using Defend or Focus, or when you're otherwise "skipping" a turn.

crap no more cheap healing =(

crap no more cheap healing =(

No more cheap anything, actually.

- Because of the Healer tokens, Healer costs have returned to what they were before all the 0.3.x tweaks.

Oh wow, harsh. I've only gotten 1 token so far, but the lower healing costs have saved me hundreds. Normal-mode grindfests are no longer sound cash-positive if I heal, for me at least. (I wonder if this makes potions more money-efficient than pay-heals?)

- The part of the thingie that processes over-time effects and makes sure they expire properly has been moved to the end of the turn. Effects should therefore show up as "expired" in the correct order in the battle log.
-- Note that the only real effect of this is that heal-over-time and damage-over-time effects happen after player or monster actions instead of before, it doesn't actually change how effects work as they still last until the end of the turn they expire in.

So when it says 0 turns on Searing Skin, I will now always be able to take advantage of it, whereas sometimes I would not before?

- The credit drop formula has been modified so rare monsters drop quite a bit more while common monsters drop somewhat less.

fair enough. How does this work out on balance?

- You can no longer gain proficiency while you're using Defend or Focus, or when you're otherwise "skipping" a turn.

I only use defend to get enough mana from my potions and whatnot to cast a single spell without dieing, and focus caused me to die last time I used it, so I don't think I'll be effected by this.

With token of healing it's free, not cheap. (IMG:[invalid] style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

So if we already get the 3000 credits in a day the monsters at grindfest will not drop the credit anymore until the next day?

So if we already get the 3000 credits in a day the monsters at grindfest will not drop the credit anymore until the next day?

Well, you need to finish battles in less than 30 seconds for quite some time to actually *pass* the limit, it's more of a rubbery screen you can't quite make it through. But seeing as some people were clocking as much as 80000 credits a day from grindfest alone (without, as far as I could tell, botting), it was kinda.. necessary.

BAWWWWWWWWWW

- The part of the thingie that processes over-time effects and makes sure they expire properly has been moved to the end of the turn. Effects should therefore show up as "expired" in the correct order in the battle log.
-- Note that the only real effect of this is that heal-over-time and damage-over-time effects happen after player or monster actions instead of before, it doesn't actually change how effects work as they still last until the end of the turn they expire in.

There is a real effect.

(Pre-patch battle. [C&P from someone else.])

13 4 Searing Skin hits Cookie Monster for 12 damage.
13 3 Cookie Monster has been defeated.
13 2 You are healed for 111 Health Points.
13 1 You cast Cure.

(Post-patch battle.)

5 6 Bleeding Wound hits Rabid Hamster for 27 damage.
5 5 Rabid Hamster has been defeated.
5 4 Rabid Hamster hits you for 55 piercing damage.
5 3 You are healed for 268 Health Points.
5 2 You cast Cure.

Mobs now get one last attack before bleeding out. Presumably this would apply to succumbing to Searing Skin or Poison as well.

On an DoT kill, we still get the X has been defeated before the why.

I have some other issues over effect timing. Penetrated Armor expires on the mob's turn, which effectively nerfs it nearly half of the time for a player with a heavy burden...

5 6 Effect Penetrated Armor on Amphibious Sperm Whale has expired.
5 5 Amphibious Sperm Whale misses the attack against you.
5 4 Giant Panda hits you for 67 slashing damage.
5 3 Amphibious Sperm Whale hits you for 93 crushing damage.
5 2 Your attack procs the effect Penetrated Armor on Amphibious Sperm Whale.
5 1 You hit Amphibious Sperm Whale for 130 piercing damage.

... leaving no chance to exploit it with a one-turn PA weapon.

I will admit this does cause double-turning mobs to double-bleed...

3 9 Rabid Hamster hits you for 42 piercing damage.
3 8 Bleeding Wound hits Amphibious Sperm Whale for 28 damage.
3 7 Amphibious Sperm Whale has been defeated.
3 6 Amphibious Sperm Whale misses the attack against you.
3 5 Rabid Hamster hits you for 50 piercing damage.
3 4 Bleeding Wound hits Amphibious Sperm Whale for 124 damage.
3 3 Amphibious Sperm Whale misses the attack against you.
3 2 You hit Amphibious Sperm Whale for 125 slashing damage.
3 1 You hit Rabid Hamster for 182 slashing damage.

I know I can't have it both ways, so if I had to choose, I would sacrifice double bleed for a 100% chance to exploit Penetrated Armor.

This post has been edited by Alpha 7: Oct 19 2009, 13:17

i test it out at grindfest, the credit drop was far less than i expected, more than 50% cut..no wait 70%, its really hits hard (normal).

Playing GF at normal feel like playing at cake but with badass mob.

even without token of healing i still manage to get some profit with normal healing,now the fast way is to use the token which is rarely drop.

really hope the update will continue to progress for the greater good.

This post has been edited by taiko101: Oct 19 2009, 13:18

On an DoT kill, we get the X has been defeated before the why.

I have some other issues over effect timing but, I'll collect log snippets and see how this patch above has affected them.

Well that's not as confusing compared to what I was targeting for the fix, but still, easy fix is easy fix. Low-hanging fruit and all.

Well that's not as confusing compared to what I was targeting for the fix, but still, easy fix is easy fix. Low-hanging fruit and all.

Thanks. That was more of an oddity then a problem.

I did a major edit to my post above. Please re-read as there is a real effect to the timing change.

(There were no replies when I started the edit.)

This post has been edited by Alpha 7: Oct 19 2009, 13:22

There is a real effect.
Mobs now get one last attack before bleeding out. Presumably this would apply to succumbing to Searing Skin or Poison as well.

Yes, it says that in the patch notes.

I have some other issues over effect timing. Penetrated Armor expires on the mob's turn, which effectively nerfs it nearly half of the time for a player with a heavy burden...

... leaving no chance to exploit it with a one-turn PA weapon.

Hm. Yeah, fair point, being reactive you actually lose one effective turn. It should add one additional turn to the AP effect now. I actually had to tweak up Focus and Defend to avoid the same problem.

I will admit this does cause double-turning mobs to double-bleed...

Didn't they always do that?

i test it out at grindfest, the credit drop was far less than i expected

Actually the only real reason the change to the formula was implemented was that I'd already changed it (only with more severe reductions) before I thought of implementing a hard cap for the grindfest instead, and the new one just felt more right.

Hm. Yeah, fair point, being reactive you actually lose one effective turn. It should add one additional turn to the AP effect now. I actually had to tweak up Focus and Defend to avoid the same problem.

Didn't they always do that?

Actually, both always did that. Thanks for the PA change. The new last gasp mob attack, not so much. (IMG:[invalid] style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

There is a real effect.
Mobs now get one last attack before bleeding out. Presumably this would apply to succumbing to Searing Skin or Poison as well.

I have some other issues over effect timing. Penetrated Armor expires on the mob's turn, which effectively nerfs it nearly half of the time for a player with a heavy burden...

... leaving no chance to exploit it with a one-turn PA weapon.

So basically every proc is 1 effective round shorter? as in, a 2 round proc now has an effective range of 1 term that I can capitalize on it? How long is the proc time for Coalesced mana again?

i test it out at grindfest, the credit drop was far less than i expected, more than 50% cut..no wait 70%, its really hits hard (normal).

Hrm, I did a normal run, and gross income is now < healing cost + cost of potions... and Mini-bosses really don't add much either. I guess I'm done with using potions in grindfest, even though it doubles the rounds I last. Also done with healing once again, as cost is too high.

So basically every proc is 1 effective round shorter? as in, a 2 round proc now has an effective range of 1 term that I can capitalize on it? How long is the proc time for Coalesced mana again?

Depends on the proc. Coalesced lasts three turns, so it should still be plenty of time to cast something.

Hrm, I did a normal run, and gross income is now < healing cost + cost of potions... and Mini-bosses really don't add much either. I guess I'm done with using potions in grindfest, even though it doubles the rounds I last. Also done with healing once again, as cost is too high.

Who the hell *buys* potions for using on the grindfest? Far as I can tell you got 79 credits off 11 battles, and didn't even finish.

I buy average mana draughts for grindfest, does it decrease my overall wins-credits ratio? Yeah probably, but it greatly increases my xp per grindfest as well, and that's worth a few credits imo, especially since I still make some profit overall, just not as much.

Ctrl+Z Ctrl+Z Ctrl+Z Ctrl+Z

Depends on the proc. Coalesced lasts three turns, so it should still be plenty of time to cast something.

So is the effective time now only two turns, or am I misunderstanding it?

Who the hell *buys* potions for using on the grindfest? Far as I can tell you got 79 credits off 11 battles, and didn't even finish.

1. I was buying old Crude potions to last a few more rounds in normal (it paid off before, not now). Also, if I see a mini-boss...
2. Uh, yeah, i bail sometimes when I'm out of/don't have enough mana because without mana I'm screwed. also because the best way to heal mana if you have HP now is to go to cakefest with an ether theft wep.
3. 79 credits + 1 credit = cost of full mana heal for me. (it is 1mp = 1c, right?)

So is the effective time now only two turns, or am I misunderstanding it?

Three turns. You cast it, then at the end of each turn it's decreased to 2 (action), then 1 (action), then 0 (still being active that turn).

1. I was buying old Crude potions to last a few more rounds in normal (it paid off before, not now). Also, if I see a mini-boss...
2. Uh, yeah, i bail sometimes when I'm out of/don't have enough mana because without mana I'm screwed. also because the best way to heal mana if you have HP now is to go to cakefest with an ether theft wep.
3. 79 credits + 1 credit = cost of full mana heal for me. (it is 1mp = 1c, right?)

You know, looking at the numbers I'm getting in it's possible the healing change wasn't actually necessary after all with the other changes (those patch notes were basically the order in which I made them). I've put those values back to 0.3.9 for now.

- The credit drop formula has been modified so rare monsters drop quite a bit more while common monsters drop somewhat less.

I just did my Heroic hourly and realized this applies to non-grindfest battles. 110ish xp, 5c. O_O
Whatever, I'm doing it for the no-risk chance of nice equip drops anyways, the missing 10c won't kill me.

Three turns. You cast it, then at the end of each turn it's decreased to 2 (action), then 1 (action), then 0 (still being active that turn).

Oh, because of round 0, i still have 3 rounds? Ok, good to know.

You know, looking at the numbers I'm getting in it's possible the healing change wasn't actually necessary after all with the other changes (those patch notes were basically the order in which I made them). I've put those values back to 0.3.9 for now.

Cool (IMG:[invalid] style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)