Always come prepared: use protection!

[swarf]

Swarf's Armor and Buff FAQ

Being prepared in zOMG requires protecting yourself with armor and buffs. The September 29 update to the game contains a re-write for the armor system and changes to the way buffs and debuffs interact. Here's few explanations of the changes put in handy FAQ form. Please ask more questions and I'll update the FAQ with common questions or more clarification.

[swarf]

ARMOR

Will armor stack?
Sort of. You can only have 1 copy of any particular ring type's armor. If multiple people cast rock on you, you will still only have 1 rock armor protecting you. But different types of rings will no longer replace each other! So you can have turtle and rock at the same time. You can have teflon spray along with the armor ring set bonus without them overwriting each other.

How will multiple armors stack?
The armors don't combine but rather are applied to incoming damage serially. We apply each of your armors one at a time grouped by type in this order: reflection, deflection, persistent armor, armor pool. If you have multiple persistent armors or armor pools we use the one with the largest reduction percentage first. Whatever incoming damage is left will be subsequently reduced by the next one and so on. For multiple reflection or deflection armors we use the ones with the greatest chance first.

Will better armor replace weaker armor?
If a stronger armor of the same ring type is used on you it will replace any weaker armor of the same ring type. For instance, if someone uses CL1 Teflon Spray on you then you use CL10 Teflon Spray on yourself you'll have only the CL10 version of the armor. If someone used CL1 again there would be no effect on you and the timer is not refreshed. Any time armor is replaced, the duration timer is refreshed.

The armor pool rings are slightly more complicated. A higher reduction percentage will always replace a lower damage reduction. If the damage reduction is the same, the larger armor pool size will be used. In either case the timer will be refreshed if anything changes.

NOTE: Usually reduction percentage goes up with rage rank. Currently this is true of both Rock and Turtle.

What about two different kinds of ring like Pot Lid and Teflon
They will never overwrite each other. The stronger one will be evaluated first. But neither will ever cause the other to stop working.

Will the remaining amount or percentage of the armor pool be shown?
Nope.

Will the total initial values of the armor pool be given to players?
Not now. With some testing you can figure this out. Remember that it varies both on the CL of the ring used and on the rage rank.

Does sitting damage cause more to be deducted from the armor pool?
No. The sitting damage multiplier is added after the armors are all evaluated and is not affected by them.

So turtle wont heal you any more?
Turtle was never supposed to heal you. I had a stupid bug in the system where I forgot to set the damage reduction to a minimum of zero. So it went negative unintentionally. Should have been fixed ages ago.

Do monsters have the same armor mechanics as players?
Yes. But currently no monster has been given any armor that I know of. Qixter might give them armor in the future.

[swarf]

BUFFS

Do buffs stack?
Buffs of the same ring type do not stack. No matter how many times someone casts a buff, at any rage rank, only one copy of that buff will be applied to you. Additional buffs for the same attribute can be concurrently applied if a second kind of ring is used which also affects it. The one sort of exception is a heal over time (ie Bandage). Multiple bandages may affect you at the same time.

What about debuffs stacking?
Similarly, only one copy of a debuff from any given monster type can affect you at a time. If several bladed vases are attacking you, you will have only one weight debuff. And just like heal over time is an exception for buffs, damage over time is an exception for debuffs. Multiple bootsnakes can place their DoT on you.

If a buff ring is used on me while I already have that buff, will the effect be replaced?
Under the new system buffs will only displace other buffs if their effect is greater, regardless of rage rank and CL. If the effects are the same magnitude the effect will have its duration extended to the larger of the two remaining durations.

For the example, lets say you are CL 10. Someone uses CL4 RR1 Iron Will on you, you will now have a 32 willpower buff. Next someone comes along and casts a CL10 RR 4 willpower boost on you for 230 extra willpower and it displaces the previous buff. Now someone casts CL1 RR1 willpower on you and nothing changes. If someone casts CL10 RR 4 willpower on you again the timer will be extended and your willpower will not change. Or if you cast divinity and then someone else in your crew casts divinity 2 minutes later the duration will reset to the full amount (5 minutes currently).

What about stronger and weaker debuffs?
Debuffs work exactly like buffs. If a higher CL monster comes along and hits you with a bigger debuff it will replace the lesser debuff. A weaker monster's debuff will not replace the stronger debuff.

[swarf]

Terms used:

Persistent armor - Reduces a percentage of all incoming damage except DoTs. Typically a small percentage
Armor pools - Reduces a percentage of all incoming damage except DoTs but has a limited amount of damage it will absorb--the pool. Typically a higher percentage.
Deflection - Much like dodge, a chance to have all or part of the damage miss you. DoTs and AoE are not affected.
Reflection - Much like deflection, a chance to have all or part of the damage miss you AND bounce back to hit the attacker. DoTs and AoE are not affected.

DoT - Damage over Time effect. Like the boot snake's attack. There is currently nothing you can do to mitigate DoT attacks.
AoE - Area of Effect. Fire Rain and Dervish for example. Currently only persistent armor and armor pools can affect AoE attacks.

Buff - A friendly effect that boosts one of your numeric attributes like speed, accuracy, max health, etc
Debuff - An unfriendly effect that works in the opposite direction as a buff

[Lux Fortuna]

FAQ

What buff ring is the best? In order of strongest to weakest: Turtle, Pot Lid, Rock Armor, Mantis, Teflon. Yes, Mantis is a better defense than Teflon.

What happens if your armor pool runs out? Sucks for you.

What sound does each armor make?
Turtle: Dddzoooom
Pot Lid: Ka-c***k
Rock Armor: THWONKKKKKUHHH
Teflon Spray: KaSHEWWWWW

When is the best time to use armor? All the time. Sometimes.

[Kinxed]

I came up with all of this. Except for the part where nothing can save you from DoT attacks. :<



Damnit Blade, I'm a slow responder! D:<

[PowderedVinegar]

Do you know what you're seeing here...

Mostly, i am pleased about ring stacking and timer resets. This is very convenient. Thanks for clarifying things, I'll make sure to be well protected against getting my hands dirty. AW yeaaaaaaaaa.

Fantastic!

[fyerolight]

Very usefull, thanks!

[PezQueen]

•°•.♥.•°•. Thinking of you...

That was very helpful, especially about the armor and armor pool. Thank you!

...Wherever you are. .•°•.♥.•°•.

[Sensual Soul]

Thanks this is very helpful.

Question. If a armor or buff is cast on you or by you on yourself but you have the same buff of a lower rr with very little time left on it, will the higher buff/armor when cast on, have only the remaining time of the lower buff/armor or will the time reset?

Ex.
I have RR1 Rock cast on me by a crew member and have about 1/4 of the time left on it. I cast RR4 Rock on myself.

Now will the time reset to full or will I only have 1/4 of the time left like with the lower armor?

[Cheri Wolf Re-Born]

All you really need to read is this...

Lux Fortuna

FAQ

What buff ring is the best? In order of strongest to weakest: Turtle, Pot Lid, Rock Armor, Mantis, Teflon. Yes, Mantis is a better defense than Teflon.

What happens if your armor pool runs out? Sucks for you.

What sound does each armor make?
Turtle: Dddzoooom
Pot Lid: Ka-c***k
Rock Armor: THWONKKKKKUHHH
Teflon Spray: KaSHEWWWWW

When is the best time to use armor? All the time. Sometimes.

Swarf, you are my Tea to my Kettle as this guide is my life to my hamburger.

[Tasheren]

Helpful explanation. Thank you very much. :"3

[Bladeglory]

The Way of the Sword
~~~0==}|3ladeglory~~~

TBE! J/k. I won't be like Kinxy! scream

I like the sound of being a full time Armory. It would be my duty to make sure the buffs never run out!

[Adrilaxas]

This actually answers a lot of questions that I forgot about. biggrin Thanks for making this!

Would Teflon Spray's effect be overridden completely by using Pot Lid, or will only the Deflection effect be replaced?

[OddBird]

Now that armor is percentage based and no longer on a "points of damage reduced" basis, is it now impossible for having strong armor (EG: the old Turtle) cause enemy attacks to heal you?