October 23, 2012

Survival Stats in T4: Hp, Defence, Elemental Defence


INTRODUCTION

A commmon question asked in the forum and ingame is "Do you think i should boost my elemental defence, defence or HP?"

Interestingly, there is indeed a definite answer to this question which i have briefly talked about in the past. I am just putting down here, in more details for future reference.

This article aims to address this question and other questions related to Hp, defence and elemental defence.

First, i will briefly layout the exact mechanics of these stats, and eventually lead to the definition of Equivalent HP.

DEFENCE

Defence mechanics has been briefly discussed in the Critical mechanics guide in the past.

The value of phy/mag defence you see in the stats window get converted to a certain amount of damage reduction and reduces the phy/mag damage you received.

However, the damage reduction % the defender gain from defence stats is not fixed, but depends on the level of the ATTACKER

Example: FOR PVE
For a Lv41 Attacker: every 3000 def = 33.33% damage reduction
For a Lv45 Attacker: every 3000 def = 26% damage reduction. 
For a Lv50 Attacker: every 3000 def = 20% damage reduction.
For a Lv60 Attacker: every 3000 def = 10% damage reduction.

Despite the rumours that the mechanics has been changed, it is actually the same in T4 (verified)

The % damage reduction is capped at 85%.

Take note that the % dmg reduction is different in PVP and will not be covered in this guide.

The implication of this level-dependent effect of defence:

When you have 12750 def going into level 50 nest, you feel that you are safe and fine since you have 85% dmg reduction.

However, when try lvl60 nest while still having the same defence, you will feel that the damage you received is much higher.

The reason is simply because the attacker (boss and mobs) level is higher now, and your defence is less efficient (42.5%) against high level attacker.

ELEMENTAL DEFENCE

As all DN players already know, there are 4 type of elemental attacks: Fire, Ice, Dark, Light.

Each elemental defence reduces the damage received from the attack of corresponding element.

There are 2 major differences between elemental defence and phy/mag defence:

1) Elemental defence has a cap at 100% while defence dmg reduction is capped at 85%

At 100% elemental resist, you will not receive any damage from the attacks of the corresponding elements.


Take note that this was not possible before T4 because elemental defence was capped at 75% previously.

2) Elemental defence can go below zero and turn into a negative number, while defence cannot.

This is also quite well-known , especially in T3 GDN era when intel suffix is stackable and abused.

Negative elemental defence means that you will receive additional damage instead of damage reduction from the attack of that element.


The damage calculation formula with respect to damage reduction from defence and elemental defence has the same form:

Damage received = Original Damage * ( 1 - % dmg reduction from def ) * ( 1 - % elemental def) 
HP

Everybody knows, HP is the red bar in your stats window.

It is the total amount of damage you received before you are dead.

In this article, i would like to introduce another variable which is an absolute measure of survibility.


Equivalent HP

I purposely point out the obvious definition of HP above to show the difference between Equivalent HP and HP.

Equivalent HP is defined as the total amout of original damage targetted at you before you are dead.

You can easily rearrange the damage formula above, and come up with the equation for Equivalent HP


Higher Equivalent HP means you can tank more damage before you die.

It is an absolute measure of survibility which encompasses HP, defence and elemental defence.

This equation can be used to answer the question posted in the introduction section.

I will illustrate this with an example:

I am faced with a choice of using either of these necklaces:

Option 1: Lv60 Health Necklace: VIT+663, INT+177
Option 2: Lv60 Iron Wall Necklace: VIT+207, HP+6293, MP+5874, Phy Def+1125

Say, my current stats are: 150000 HP,  4000 phy def, 8000 mag def, level 60, 0% elemental def.

For simplicity, i neglect all % stats increase from potential and crest (you can easily include them when you are doing it for your own gear)

1 vit = 30 HP
1 vit = 0.5 phy def
1 int = 0.8 mag def

Option 1:
HP = 150000 + 663 * 30 = 169890
Phy Def = 4000+ 663 * 0.5 = 4331 (14.4% dmg reduction)
Mag Def = 8000 + 177 * 0.8 = 8141 (27.1% dmg reduction)

Equiv HP from phy att = 169890 / ( 1- 0.144) =198470
Equiv HP from mag att = 169890 / ( 1- 0.271) = 233045

Option 2:
HP = 150000 + 207 * 30 +6293 = 162503
Phy Def = 4000+ 207 * 0.5 +1125 = 5228 ( 17.4% dmg reduction)
Mag Def = 8000 (26.6% dmg reduction)

Equiv HP from phy att = 162503 / ( 1- 0.174) =196735
Equiv HP from mag att = 162503 / ( 1- 0.266) = 221393

Despite the higher phy def provided by the iron wall necklace, the overall Equivalent HP is still lower than Vitality Necklace.

This doesn't means that defence is less important than HP. In fact, defence and elemental defence are extremely important as shown in the next section.

IMPORTANCE OF DEFENSE & ELEMENTAL DEFENSE

There are 2 reasons why defence is important.

1) The more defence you stack, the more efficient dmg reduction from defence is.

The graph below illustrate this point clearly.

Assume you have 100k HP and 0 elemental def,

Initially, the Equivalent HP gained from stacking defence is quite low (gentle curve).

However, as you stack more defence, the Equivalent HP grow exponentially (very steep curve).

Example, i have 100k HP initially and I wear a new lv60 gear which increase my defence by 3000 (10% dmg reduction).

If my initial defence is 6000 (20%), I gain 17,857 of Equivalent HP only.

If my initial defence is 25000 (60%), I gain 83,333 of Equivalent HP with the SAME amount of def increase.

This partially explain why cleric can tank so much more damage than sorceress and archer.

2) The more defence you stack, the more efficient HP is. 

The graph below shows that Equivalent HP at different HP for different defence value (assume 0% elemental def).

The HP growth (gradient of the curve) is extremely high if you have very high damage reduction from defence.

Example, i have an initial HP of 150k to start with and i wear a new piece of lvl60 gear which increase my HP by 10k.

If my defence is 20%, i gain 12,500 of Equivalent HP.

If my defence is 80%, i gain 62,500 of Equivalent HP with the SAME amount of HP boost.

Similar argument applies to elemental defence as well.

Take note that your Equivalent HP is INFINITY when your elemental defence goes to 100% ( yea, it means you are immortal :D )

From there sprout an interesting idea (which i have not tried out in T4):

Let say you are wearing 4 x intel suffix armor set which give 80% elemental resist when triggered, and you stack/obtain another 20% more elemental def somewhere else (accessories, title, buff), you will actually be immune to elemental dmg for 3 sec when your suffix effect trigger.

CONCLUSION

In a way, stacking defence and elemental defence is quite similar to stacking final damage:

Your return will be small if you don't stack high enough , but if you manage to stack high enough, the return will be extremely handsome.

Stacking HP on the other hand, has a linear return, all the way.

Therefore, it is always important to check the Equivalent HP to optimize your gear selection to increase overall survibility in tough nest to come.
Credits: chaose5 from MMOsite.forum

Kill Or Fall, Practice and Craft in Patch v76!

New patches means new exciting updates! Featuring a New PVP mode and Hidden Stage, scroll down to read more about what we have to offer this time!

New PVP Mode: Kill or Fall

Introducing our new PVP mode, relay style! You get to fight continuously so buckle up for the long ride and defeat all your opponents! Want to find out more? Just click the image below to visit the dedicated Kill Or Fall webpage— 2 special events included!

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New Practice Modes: Gigantes & ArchBishop Nest

Can’t get past Gigantes Nest and ArchBishop Nest? Now you can practice all you want to perfect your skills for the real Battle!



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New Chaos Opening in Lotus Marsh

Enter this new Hidden Stage and hunt your way through to get your hands on the newly added [Fragment of Glittering Skills] that can be used to enhance any Level 50 ring to a Special Ring!



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Brace yourselves and jump in the fun today!

Credits: 
http://dn.cherrycredits.com/

Halloween Patch v76 Cash Shop Updates!

As usual, we’re back with new exciting items that will boost and enhance your character’s stats and appearance!

Check out what’s new:

1) Halloween Costume Packages

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Halloween is here and it’s the season to dress up for some scary fun! But wait, the Halloween Costume Package doesn’t only come with a new costume and weapon outlook, but also with an in-game Title ‘Halloween Ghost’ and7 day Pumpkin Hound Pet! Get your outfits and give the monsters the fright of their lives!

2) New Mount in Altea GachaBox

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Had a baaaa-d day? This new mount would definitely cheer you up! The [Courteous Gentlemen Sheep] would be available in the [Altea’s GachaBox] so remember to buy lots of those!

3) New Decal in Altea GachaBox 

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Talking to Events Planner Irine and feeling shy? Now you have a new decal just to express it! Get your[Embarrassed Decal] and show her how you really feel! (Psst…She finds blushing cute!)

4) New Job Change Scroll

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Made the wrong job choice? Wished you were a Crusader instead of an Inquisitor? Fret no longer for the [Job Change Scroll] is here. With this magical scroll you can change your advanced class specialization to another one within the same base class with just a click of a button!

Load up and head on over to the Cash Shop to buy these lovely items today!

Credits: 
http://dn.cherrycredits.com/

October 22, 2012

Critical and Critical Resist: Mechanics Revamp after T4

INTRODUCTIONOne of the most significant changes in T4 is the revamp of Critical mechanics. This article is an updated explanation for the previous guide on Critical and Critical Resist.


MECHANICS


How is critical damage calculated in T4?Critical damage is simply two times of the original damage.

Normal Non-crit damage = (%Amp * M.att + Add. dmg)*(1 - %dmg reduction from defence)

Crit damage = 2 * (%Amp * M.att + Add. dmg )*(1 - %dmg reduction from defence)
 

The calculation is very different from pre-T3 era (where defence is neglected for crit damage)

In battle, the color of the crit damage figure = yellow.

For the sake of the discussion, i call that “Yellow Critical”.

Critical stats in your stats window is a figure that tells you, the probability to deal critical damage.The equation that convert the stats to the % probability has been derived and proven to be linear.
Now here comes the other important point question. 

What is Critical Resist?
A natural idea that comes to mind, is that Critical resist would reduce the chances of your opponent to deal critical damage to yourself. 

It has been shown that Critical Resist is actually related to the chance of reducing the critical damage figure dealt to you

When critical damage is resisted, the x2 multiplier is removed

Resisted Crit damage = (%Amp * M.att + Add. dmg )*(1 - %dmg reduction from defence) 
Again, this is very different from the crit resist formula pre-T4 (where a 0.35 mutliplier is applied to the crit dmg).

When critical damage that has been resisted, the word "Critical" will appear whitish with a crack across the word "critical". Hence we normally call it “White Critical”. If you’ve fought electric ogre in apocalypse or lava golem in Sea Dragon Nest, you will see this White Critical very often. 

Although the dmg dealt is exactly the same as normal uncrit dmg, the broken crit word tell us that, you are actually dealing crit dmg to your target, BUT it get resisted and the x 2 multiplier is removed. 

So the chance for "Yellow Crit" should goes this way:

Yellow Crit chance = ( % attacker crit chance ) * ( 1 - % target's crit resist)
[ Thx Dyhakys/Azure for the confirmation ] 

From the perspective of effective crit chance (which is the chance to deal x 2 dmg), crit resist in T4 does function AS IF it reduces the crit chance.


Does higher crit reduce the chances of dealing White Crit?

No.

The only effective way to reduce white crit is by reducing opponent's crit resist stats with debuff from skills (will be elaborated later) or wind suffix. 

Crit resist is actually double edge sword type of stats . It will make your opponent deal alot of white crit if he has very high crit stats, while it is useless against an opponent that has very low crit.

Ok, if you have understood everything that i described, you must be wondering why would the developer allow players to get seemingly infinite crit stats if there isa cap of 89% crit chance.

The answer is : 

The crit chance is dependant on the level of the ATTACKER
( Thx Tarkel for pointing that out. Before T4, crit chance is dependent on the level of the target only. )
For a lvl32 attacker, ~7120 crit stats will net you 89% crit chance. 
For a lvl40 attacker, ~9790 crit stats will give you 89% crit chance.
For a lvl50 attacker, ~17,800 crit stats will give you 89% crit chance. 
For a lvl60 attacker, ~33,100 crit stats will give you 89% crit chance 
[ thx perfecti for confirmation on max crit value]

The above assumes that the target is lower level or same as the attacker. The crit chance on a target with level higher than the attacker has not been rigorously tested. 

Since the critical stats is proven to be linear, you can scale it according to your current crit stats to find out the % chance to deal critical damage. 

Crit resist % is calculation based on similar mechanics, with the cap at 89% too. 


Critical after T4 is better or worse than T3?

This question often come to mind when the mechanics change was introduced in CDN/KDN.

The answer again lies on the target you are hitting, specificially, the defence of the target. 

Assume your target is level 50, and your board dmg is 10000.

The 2 lines show the crit dmg before and after T4.

Crit dmg before T4: Constant , regardless of defence of your target
Crit dmg after T4: Decrease linearly , with increasing target defence
 

As you can see, the dmg of crit after T4 higher if the target has lower defence.

However, as the defence of the target increase, beyond 6000+, the dmg of old crit is superior.

This is just one side of the story.

Let look at the resisted crit dmg before and after T4.

Take note of the effectiveness of the new crit system even when the target has high crit resist. The dmg of resisted crit damage is far superior than the old crit. 

Therefore, overall i think the new T4 crit system is still a very good means to boost DPS. 

 

CRIT & CRIT RESIST BUFF/DEBUFF

Various crit and crit resist related buff/debuff are described in this section. Only the stats, cd and duration for max skill level at lvl60 cap are shown and discussed.  

Crit Buff
• Owl's Sight (Archer): + 70% crit chance, 20sec duration (120 sec CD)
• Eagle Anger (Archer): +20% crit chance, 180sec duration (10sec CD)
These 2 buffs of archer are extremely powerful. They add (NOT multiply) the % directly upon the crit chance in your stats window.
For example, if your crit chance is 10%, after the Owl'S Sight buff, you would have 10%+70% = 80% ! of crit chance. 

• Battle Howl (Merceneary): +3320 crit, 180sec duration (10sec CD)
With skill + 1 accessory, it will become +6640 crit, which is also equivalent to additional 20% crit chance at lvl60 cap. 

It is widely believed that, the crit buff will not be able to overcome the 89% crit cap. However, there is one single skill which allows this crit cap to be violated: Soul Scream

• Ghost Scream ( Soul Eater): +55% crit chance, 15sec duration (40sec CD)
Again, the 55% chance is added (NOT multiplied) to the crit chance in your stats window[ Thx Eros Eros for the test]. 
This is a special skill since it is not a buff to a char; It is a status which is applied to the target and anyone who hit it will have additional chance to deal crit damage.
It is widely believed (not proven), this debuff can violate the 89% crit cap since it is not applied to the char itself, but on your target.


Crit Debuff
• Taunting Howl (Mercenary): - 16% crit rate, duration 10sec (CD 16)
• Provoke (Paladin): -14% crit rate, duration 14 sec (CD 11sec)
Unlike the archer's buff, the minus % crit rate is calculated through multiplication.
For example, if your crit stat is 10000, you are affected by taunting howl's debuff, your crit stats will be : 10000 * ( 1 - 0.16) = 8400 .


Crit Resist Buff
None ( except for Agi suffix armor )
[ if you can think of any, please let me know ]


Crit Resist Debuff
• Chemical Bomb (Engineers): 30% crit resist reduction for 20sec at max lvl
• Soul Scream (Soul Eater): 15% crit resist reduction for 15sec at max lvl
The calculation for these 2 debuffs are done by multiplication. 
For example, if your crit resist stats is 10000, you are affected by soul scream, your crit resist stats will be: 10000*(1-0.15) = 8500


Acknowlegement:
Special thanks to fellow Freedom members who help me with various test.

Credits: 
chaose5 from MMOsite.forum

October 18, 2012

Snag an iPhone 5 at Cherry SpeedMatch @ PGF 2012!


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Come face to face with fellow Dragon Nest SEA players in the exciting Cherry SpeedMatch @ PGF 2012Pop over to the SMX Convention Centre Hall 3 on 27 – 28 Oct 2012 and gear up for an exhilarating 1v1 PvP with new friends. Winners from each SpeedMatch session will be given a winning ticket which can be acquired throughout both days. The strongest contender with the most winning tickets will walk away with an iPhone 5!

Plus, get up-close and personal with your favourite Dragon Nest stars!

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Click here to learn more about Cherry SpeedMatch and Cherry CosFiesta!
Everyone is invited so make a date with us at PGF 2012!

Credits: 
http://dn.cherrycredits.com/

Upcoming Changes to Jewels and Potential Codes


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We've got a new patch lined up for you next week with new content and events to enjoy. Also part of this upcoming update is a revamp of Jewels and Potential Codes that we’d like to draw your attention to in advance:

1) Class-Specific Jewels Removed

Forget sorting out all your rubies and sapphires, among other Class-specific Jewels in your inventories cause we’re saving you all that hassle by combining them all into one! Say hello to the one Jewel to rule them all – theAlteum.

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*All players will have their old Class-Specific Jewels converted to the New Alteum Jewels (respectively by Grade) automatically upon implementation of Patch v76.
- Diamond and Agate Jewels are unaffected by this patch and remain the same.


2) Class-Specific Potential Codes Removed

Following suit with the Jewels, Crystal and Agate Potential Codes are now no longer Class-Specific. We’re sure these improvements are more than a welcome change for any adventurer!

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*All players will have their old Class-Specific Crystal/Agate Codes converted to the New (respectively) automatically upon implementation of Patch v76.
- Diamond Codes are unaffected by this patch and remain the same.

There are no changes made to the amount of [Seal Stamps] required to seal Potential Codes.
Selling price (to NPC vendor) remains the same for all Potential Codes.

3) Item Disassembly/Drop Changes

Here are a couple more upcoming key changes that we’d like to share with you in advance:

Removed Items: [Comet Dust], [Comet Tail], [Sun Spark]

- The 3 above items will be removed from the Item Disassembler and Gold Chests in all Nest Dungeons. Please note that while currently owned [Comet Dust] etc. will be left untouched; the option to exchange them for Spiral/Vortex Pouches via the Blacksmiths will be removed at some point in future patches.

New Item: [Disassembly Fragments]

- Disassembling Legend Equipment will now provide you with one of these new items:

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- Disassembling Rare, Epic, and Unique Equipment will now provide you with Jewels.
- Normal/Magical Equipment cannot be disassembled.
- Rare~Unique Equipment above Level 7 cannot be disassembled.
- Legend Equipment up to Level 15 may be disassembled.

These changes and a whole bunch more will be coming your way in the upcoming v76 Patch — so go on, tell all of your friends and ready yourselves to get all fired up next week!

Credits: 
http://dn.cherrycredits.com/

October 16, 2012

New And Improved Bonus Magnifyque Chest!

Ever wondered what’s one of the most rewarding items in the Cash Shop? Well, if we had to choose one of the most rewarding items, the [Magnifying Glass] would definitely be on the list. Each Magnifying Glass allows you to have a sneak peek into a Dungeon Chest at the end of each run and receive special rewards from theMaginifyque Chest! Now that’s a good deal!

This month, our featured item is the highly popular Robo Booster Wings that are either 30 days or Permanent. Yes you heard it right! So purchase the [Magnifying Glass] and have a chance to be the most envied of Lagendia with the extremely outstanding Robo Booster Wings!

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*Cash Shop Rewards will be sent via the Cash Shop Gift Box and will expire after 30 days if left uncollected.

Credits: 
http://dn.cherrycredits.com/

October 8, 2012

Get A DN SEA 1st Anniversary Commemorative Hat! (8-14 Oct) (Updated)

[Update on 6/10/2012] We hear you! You may now grab the Anniversary Hound Hat as easy as 1-2-3!

From 8 Oct 2012 0000HRS (GMT+8) to 14 Oct 2012 2359HRS (GMT+8), simply:


  • Complete 1 round of Guild War mode (Colosseum PVP)
  • Complete rounds of Wonderful Racing (requires Party of 4)
  • Complete any 3 dungeons in Master mode and above (Solo or Party)

(You don't have to do that everyday, just complete the 3 missions within the week and the hat will be yours on 16 Oct!)



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Rock out in October with one of these commemorative DN SEA 1st Year Anniversary Hats!

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Notes
- Event starts on 8 Oct 2012 at 0000hrs and ends on 14 Oct 2012 at 2359HRS (GMT+8).
- Guild War (Colosseum Map) can be played in any size but it must be played in full. Leaving the match before it is completed (including disconnections) will not be counted.
- Objectives that require clearance of dungeons would is only counted when you have completely cleared the dungeon (reached chest selection).
- For objectives that require dungeon clearance, nests, dark lair and chaos opening are NOT taken into consideration.
- “Any dungeons” include dungeons of any level in Mana Ridge, Pirarie Town, Calderock Village, Saint Haven and Lotus Marsh.
- Wonderful Racing requires a party of 4 to enter.
- Players can use as many characters as they wish to participate in this event. Each character is entitled to 1 event hat.
- 1st Anniversary Hat add 5 to all stats and it’s a permanent untradeable item.
- Rewards will be credited to all eligible characters on 16 Oct 2012 before 2359HRS (GMT+8).
- All Admin decisions are final.
Credits: http://dn.cherrycredits.com/