Shield Blocking Off?

[WhatIsSol]

As part of the mod I'm playing with I'm spending a fair amount of time looking over the code for this game and noticed something odd. Basically it looks like to me the better shields block less often? Now they do block more damage so maybe this was intentional?

Game Logic Follows:

N = Shield.ArmorDurability – Attacker.Aiming Mode

Shield.ArmorDurability is 35 for Savage Shield, Shield.ArmorDurability is 99 for BZT-75, Attacker.Aiming Mode ranges from 0 to -20 (Eyes)

So N is going to be in this case a number from 15 to 99

Block Roll = random(0,100) + (Luck * 2)

In order for a shield to block, Block Roll has to be GREATER than N. Which means the lower shield would block more often? Higher luck does help with this roll, but just looks odd to me.

This leads to some odd issues even if this is the correct functionality. Since a target would be more likely to block attacks aimed at their eyes? Which at least to me does not make sense?

I would have thought the Blocking logic should be random(0,100) - (Luck * 2) < N. Since this would make a luck character with a better shield block more often. And would make aims shots less likely to be blocked.

[InEffect]

Not sure. In my experience BZT is better, but then I roll 10 luck builds, so who knows. Also the formula seems to be incomplete without that shield ability that is supposedly boosting shield block%

[WhatIsSol]

The Luck used in this calculation is the Attacker - not the defenders, which also factors into this.

Meaning my last bit is wrong.

randm(0,100) + (Luck *2 ) < N, since you would want a luckier attack to not be blocked more often.

All well maybe a developer will answer.

[InEffect]

If the formula is for the attacker it makes sense since that means everything is inverted or am I missing something?.

[WhatIsSol]

The Shield blocking ability not adjust the chance of the block happening, it affects how much damage will be blocked.

[WhatIsSol]

So your higher luck attacker should be being blocked by a defenders shield more often? Since that is what the data works out to be?

Bad math - argh

[InEffect]

You sure it uses enemies luck and not yours to effectively subtract from his roll?
Guess the easiest way would be to run a 100 shot simulation and see from the results. The devs are not exactly known to give straight answers about the formulas and how they work, although at this stage of the game there is hardly any reason for the secrecy left if there was any to begin with.

[WhatIsSol]

You attack someone holding a Savage Shield standard attack. Their N is 35.

Your attack is a roll from (0,100) + 2 * your luck, lets call that AttackBlockRoll

So AttackBlockRoll with luck 0 is 0-100
So AttackBlockRoll with luck 10 is 20-120

if AttackBlockRoll > N they block. So in effect your higher luck is making them more likely to block the attack

[WhatIsSol]

Let me put a debug output in there and find an enemy with a shield.

[InEffect]

Think it'd be easier the other way around - give MC different shields and find an enemy to abuse.

[WhatIsSol]

Confirmed that is the attackers luck

[InEffect]

That's a bit weird, but makes some sense since wooden shield blocks pretty much nothing

[WhatIsSol]

OK confirmed, Game Output with new debug statement:

Savage Shield
attack roll 45 block 15; Shield DEBUG: 50%
attack roll 72 block 35; Shield DEBUG: 50%

BZT-75 Shield
attack roll 76 block 79
attack roll 71 block 99

The "Shield DEBUG: 50%" is a standard debug output from the game telling you a block happened.

So you see in the above, Savage Shield my character blocked both attacks, BZT Shield he blocked ZERO attack.

Now it is true that on a block the BZT-75 shield would block a ton more damage, but still seems odd to me.

[WhatIsSol]

Is still possible this was intentional since maybe the better shields blocking better maybe made them too OP ?

And the same with that number going down for Aimed = Eyes, maybe they wanted to block better to give you a better chance to surviving.

[InEffect]

It's probably so shield users without the ability point don't get one-tapped all the time by eye-shots that would happen constantly with low evasion. Not that it'd help greatly, but it's something.

[WhatIsSol]

And I guess with that being said a lucky attacker being blocked more often might be the desired result as well so that since a lucky attacker will crit more often. And therefore if you are wanting the target to survive better, having them block more often would be the desired outcome.