Block rate problems

[Sand]

The 80% block cap on small shields is what I concluded from testing.

I have done other block testing too but don't know if I have all the data, and not all of what I say was backed up by testing so feel free to test if you think I am wrong as I might be.

Edit: Remember when testing block rates though, that evade and parry are checked before it so if your toon has those, to get actual block chance you have to compare the blocks against how many attacks were actually checked by it not the total. Even better would be to use a toon that don't have parry or evade.

IIRC check order is evade, parry, block, hit/miss. Think bubble bursting I think is after block, and also not sure where guard fits in, think someone can block for you then you block for yourself or at least that be the most logical way.

[Dunnerholl]

The 80% block cap on small shields is what I concluded from testing.

I have done other block testing too but don't know if I have all the data, and not all of what I say was backed up by testing so feel free to test if you think I am wrong as I might be.

Edit: Remember when testing block rates though, that evade and parry are checked before it so if your toon has those, to get actual block chance you have to compare the blocks against how many attacks were actually checked by it not the total. Even better would be to use a toon that don't have parry or evade.

IIRC check order is evade, parry, block, hit/miss. Think bubble bursting I think is after block, and also not sure where guard fits in, think someone can block for you then you block for yourself or at least that be the most logical way.

are you sure that hit/miss is the last check and not the first?

i currently cnat even imagine how to conduct such a test... id need to log 1000 attacks with a character that has only shield and not equipping it and then i would have to equipit for another 1000 strikes and check if the miss rate differs?

[Graveen]

Anyone rdy to do tests ? What tests ? what 'd be necessary to check ? Any methodology we can validate ? seems interesting.

[Dunnerholl]

when we are conducting those tests, we can as well investigate the softening factor.

because i am not sure if the same will happen to players if attackers count grows too much that it will make you softer.

anyone ever tested this?

[Kakuri]

Wow, this thread has really gone into a lot of different topics related to blocking.

Looking in the code, I think our block calculations are generally pretty good. One thing I didn't notice is the pre-1.96 75% PvP block cap, nor of course the 1.96+ 60% PvP block cap. I think this is sorely needed for servers with any form of PvP!

The main thing I am concerned about is how much your block chance is decreased by additional attackers, and it sounds like the DOL implementation is not live-like:

i made block bots on the mythic PvE server.... And this is my experience with blocking MOBS

50 shield spec - 6% block bonus - +10ish i'd say Shields - Mastery of Blocking 4

I could GUARD on about 10 red/grapes and the person i was guarding wouldnt get hit once.

Looking at the graph I made you can see that any additional mobs beyond what the shield size supports drastically reduces your block chance. A related issue is having an accurate count of how many attackers you are blocking, which currently we don't. It's often higher than it should be (never seen it lower).

The size of the shield determines how many attackers one can block per round

Can you elaborate on combat rounds in DAOC? I am familiar with the concept of a combat round, but have seen no evidence of them in DAOC or the DOL code.

[Graveen]

The SP for PvP-Block Cap seems interesting. I think i have seen this value in the code, hardcoded.

[Dinberg]

The block cap made me cry, and was probably the key reason I'd left. I had a kobold warrior for rvr - he didnt hit hard, but he could outblock pretty much anything that fought him. Then they put the cap on, and his blocking became pretty much that of a norse, just without the bonuses norse gets over kobold. Absolutely gutted.