So how does AC work?

terhix

I've tried searching, but it's difficult with "AC" being too short for forum search, and "Armor Class" results weren't very informative.

I've played D&D before, including 4e, so I know how AC works there. Didn't play the beta weekend for long either, didn't want myself to get too spoiled so I couldn't do all the tests I wanted to do, but - given there are no attack (hit) bonuses here I guessAC provides just damage mitigation? Can anyone clarify how it all works, I'd love to do some number crunching.

zingarbage

I hope someone has an answer. I've looked before without any success.

nwobrock

I've never understood the need of developers to keep players in the dark about stat and ability numbers. I hate mousing over a combat skill and seeing "Fireball does some damage and some more damage over time" or an item that says "Helmet prevents minor damage". It makes me want to punch a dev in the face. Just give me the **** numbers. The game doesn't magically compute what my skills and equipment do...just put the info the tooltip for god's sake.

elspethtirelnw

AC in Neverwinter simply provides a flat % based damage reduction. The more you have, the greater the reduction. However, I don't happen to know the exact point to percentage ratio offhand. You'll still need to have a reasonable amount of defense to mitigate damage well.

diablomuerto

just testing ignore this post

unjustblade

AC gives you .5% per point above 10 AC. So if you have 20 AC, that's 5% extra defense. 25 AC is 7.5%. Keep in mind that this is a static % that is added to your defense, so even if you level, while the amount of mitigation provided by your defense will fall to reflect your new level, your AC will always provide the same amount.

zingarbage

unjustblade wrote: »

AC gives you .5% per point above 10 AC. So if you have 20 AC, that's 5% extra defense. 25 AC is 7.5%. Keep in mind that this is a static % that is added to your defense, so even if you level, while the amount of mitigation provided by your defense will fall to reflect your new level, your AC will always provide the same amount.

Thanks for the heads up. Do you happen to know if it goes negative if below 10?

unjustblade

That I don't know, as I've never seen my AC dip below 10 on any character, and 10 seems to be the starting base for every character class except the GWF which starts with 16 base AC.

zingarbage

unjustblade wrote: »

That I don't know, as I've never seen my AC dip below 10 on any character, and 10 seems to be the starting base for every character class except the GWF which starts with 16 base AC.

The GF starts lower than that with the shield?

unjustblade

No no no, I mean your base AC wearing nothing is 10. The base AC of a GWF wearing nothing is 16.

zingarbage

unjustblade wrote: »

No no no, I mean your base AC wearing nothing is 10. The base AC of a GWF wearing nothing is 16.

Interesting, thanks for the info. Do you know if all classes start with the same HPs? And also, I didn't play my GWF much in the last BWE, but I don't recall my armor showing any extra AC like it did on the rogue and CW. This may simply have been added in for BWE and I didn't notice it. Was it on GWF gear?

unjustblade

zingarbage wrote: »

Interesting, thanks for the info. Do you know if all classes start with the same HPs? And also, I didn't play my GWF much in the last BWE, but I don't recall my armor showing any extra AC like it did on the rogue and CW. This may simply have been added in for BWE and I didn't notice it. Was it on GWF gear?

Oh yeah it did. It definitely did. My level 4 GWF had as much AC as my level 11 GF. 23 AC to be exact. Don't know about HP, though I'm assuming not as that's modified by constitution and that is decided by your class/race combination.

fullmetalpope

unjustblade wrote: »

AC gives you .5% per point above 10 AC. So if you have 20 AC, that's 5% extra defense. 25 AC is 7.5%. Keep in mind that this is a static % that is added to your defense, so even if you level, while the amount of mitigation provided by your defense will fall to reflect your new level, your AC will always provide the same amount.

Unjustblade is correct. The formula is one half percent per point above Armor Class 10. My guardian at level 50 had an AC of 30 for a 10% overall damage reduction.

Also remember that the Amulet of Protection yields a plus 1 modifier to your AC as well. It is in the basic Neverwinter started pack and it $20. As far as I know you will be able to purchase multiple packs and stack these. There is nothing in the shop to go by as a comparable item so I will take that as that they can stack. So, in all reality you can buy four or five packs for the amulets and bags and enjoy the massive AC bonus from them. But will the two percent bonus from four packages really be worth the $80 investment. Also take note that each Amulet will take up one inventory space as well.

terhix

Thanks guys! Just to make it clear then, is it added flat percentage points - so if I have, say, 20% mitigation from defense base and 30 AC, then my mitigation with AC is 30%?

argantis

I would love to answer you in detail. However since my attempt to put a guide out there and sticky it for all people to see the mechanics of the class. What the stats are. The power tree. The feat trees. Racial choices. All of that and more. I video captured a lot of stuff from CB4 just to be able to put a guide out for a confusing class in a game with new mechanics. I did this from the goodness of my heart to help people save respec tokens and help everyone plan for open beta. However my posting of the guide has been stepped on twice now. The first time could have been an honest mistake, but this last one was clearly a troll. As such I have given up on donating my time for something that Cryptic should have provided to begin with.

theholyfrog

nwobrock wrote: »

I've never understood the need of developers to keep players in the dark about stat and ability numbers. I hate mousing over a combat skill and seeing "Fireball does some damage and some more damage over time" or an item that says "Helmet prevents minor damage". It makes me want to punch a dev in the face. Just give me the **** numbers. The game doesn't magically compute what my skills and equipment do...just put the info the tooltip for god's sake.

haha exactly this, in every game i played during my life.

but then again, if they put them in some people will come and cry, that now theroycrafters have numbers and they themselfs cant just do something anymore, because there is always the danger that someone will point out, that this build is useless because of this *enter logical math based statement here* and then they cant say more than "but i like to play this way, and without those numbers noone could see, that its bad"

note: i dont care how someone plays, as long as i dont have to play with said person, i just like to play around with umbers and see exactly what is best, not "this ability makes some less dmg if more mobs are hit...this other ability does less dmg if more mobs are hit " (note the "some" lacking the second ability)WHAT? cant we just have numbers?

i could then say aha this one does 300 dmg minus 5% per mob, the oder one does 250 minus 1% per mob blabla

just my 2 cents =D

argantis

theholyfrog wrote: »

haha exactly this, in every game i played during my life.

but then again, if they put them in some people will come and cry, that now theroycrafters have numbers and they themselfs cant just do something anymore, because there is always the danger that someone will point out, that this build is useless because of this *enter logical math based statement here* and then they cant say more than "but i like to play this way, and without those numbers noone could see, that its bad"

note: i dont care how someone plays, as long as i dont have to play with said person, i just like to play around with umbers and see exactly what is best, not "this ability makes some less dmg if more mobs are hit...this other ability does less dmg if more mobs are hit " (note the "some" lacking the second ability)WHAT? cant we just have numbers?

i could then say aha this one does 300 dmg minus 5% per mob, the oder one does 250 minus 1% per mob blabla

just my 2 cents =D

I really doubt that Cryptic has the ability to balance and tune the game for the theorycrafting to really matter much. As long as people get the basics right the difference between a good player on a "decent" build versus a good player on a "maximum" build is not going to mean much. It is when poor players are on poor builds that we all suffer the consequences until they figure things out. Some of them never do sadly. But the theorycrafters do provide a very helpful source for them to educate themselves.

Because after all 2+2 = 4 is indeed a greater sum than 1+1 = 2. I hope that was not too complex for you.

cerek2

fullmetalpope wrote: »

Unjustblade is correct. The formula is one half percent per point above Armor Class 10. My guardian at level 50 had an AC of 30 for a 10% overall damage reduction.

Also remember that the Amulet of Protection yields a plus 1 modifier to your AC as well. It is in the basic Neverwinter started pack and it $20. As far as I know you will be able to purchase multiple packs and stack these. There is nothing in the shop to go by as a comparable item so I will take that as that they can stack. So, in all reality you can buy four or five packs for the amulets and bags and enjoy the massive AC bonus from them. But will the two percent bonus from four packages really be worth the $80 investment. Also take note that each Amulet will take up one inventory space as well.

So you're saying the "Amulet of Protection" isn't actually an Amulet that you wear on your character ? you simply have it sitting in your inventory for the +1 AC bonus to be applied ? that doesn't make much sense. I'm not so sure about this ... where did you get this info from ?

elspethtirelnw

cerek2 wrote: »

So you're saying the "Amulet of Protection" isn't actually an Amulet that you wear on your character ? you simply have it sitting in your inventory for the +1 AC bonus to be applied ? that doesn't make much sense. I'm not so sure about this ... where did you get this info from ?

I was thinking equipped neck item myself. It would be bad design otherwise.

nwobrock

argantis wrote: »

I really doubt that Cryptic has the ability to balance and tune the game for the theorycrafting to really matter much. As long as people get the basics right the difference between a good player on a "decent" build versus a good player on a "maximum" build is not going to mean much. It is when poor players are on poor builds that we all suffer the consequences until they figure things out. Some of them never do sadly. But the theorycrafters do provide a very helpful source for them to educate themselves.

Because after all 2+2 = 4 is indeed a greater sum than 1+1 = 2. I hope that was not too complex for you.

Surry, dat to complux fer meh. Wut bee dat lidle tee atween dem twoos?

unjustblade

terhix wrote: »

Thanks guys! Just to make it clear then, is it added flat percentage points - so if I have, say, 20% mitigation from defense base and 30 AC, then my mitigation with AC is 30%?

That is correct.

terhix

Makes sense, thanks again.