Focus of Spirit stacking with STR/DEX buffs - thoughts?

[phobus]

I hesitate to report this as a bug because I don't know for sure if this is classic or not, but I couldn't find evidence that it should work as it currently does on beta.

Focus of Spirit currently stacks with the Shaman STR/DEX buffs (Manicial Strength and Mortal Deftness) if those buffs were cast before Focus. Refreshing the STR/DEX buffs, or casting them after Focus, results in the 'your spell did not take hold' message.

That's the sort of buggy, broken stacking you found back on live (with the Fungi staff/regrowth/sow for example) so it wouldn't surprise me if this is classic behavior that's being correctly emulated, but it could be an actual bug, as well.

So.. to the devs, are these intended to stack in this fashion?

To everyone, did these stack at all in classic?

[Technique]

This is yet another example of cruft from later EQ (stacking block/overwrite rules that didn't exist until PoP (http://lucy.allakhazam.com/spellhistory.html?id=1432&source=Live)) polluting the p99 spell data.

According to classic spell stacking rules, there shouldn't be any conflict because the single stat buffs and FoS stat components use different effect slots.

The Luclin upgrade to FoS, Harnessing of Spirit, apparently also stacked until it was changed in this mid-Luclin patch:

MAY 8, 2002


Harness of Spirit no longer stacks with spells that grant Strength or Dexterity boosts. It was never intended to do so.

http://www.tski.co.jp/baldio/patch/20020508.html

If HoS stacked with other shaman stat buffs prior to this, it's likely FoS did as well.

[Juevento]

Interestingly, Focus also seems to stack with the rampage proc from a Thornstinger. You don't get the strength buff but you get the rune effect.

I have noticed that a proc from the Thornstinger does not result in a buff slot being filled when you have focus of spirit up. I want to look into this a little more to confirm my findings but won't be able to get to it until tonight.

[Pyrocat]

That's the sort of buggy, broken stacking you found back on live (with the Fungi staff/regrowth/sow for example) so it wouldn't surprise me if this is classic behavior that's being correctly emulated, but it could be an actual bug, as well.

So.. to the devs, are these intended to stack in this fashion?

To everyone, did these stack at all in classic?


http://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/spell.html?spell=1432

Relevant bits:

6: Stacking: Overwrite existing spell if slot 1 is effect 'STR' and < 67
7: Stacking: Overwrite existing spell if slot 1 is effect 'DEX' and < 60
8: Stacking: Block new spell if slot 1 is effect 'STR' and < 1067
9: Stacking: Block new spell if slot 1 is effect 'DEX' and < 1060

looks like a developer forgot to add "10" to the beginning of those values, which is why it works the way it does. Classic AFAIK. The other thread on this topic was locked by a dev, so I'm assuming it's working as intended.

[blondeattk]

this...`Luclin upgrade to FoS, Harnessing of Spirit, apparently also stacked until it was changed in this mid-Luclin patch`

ogre shm was still my main back then, and i was not a happy fatty....alot of luclin was underwhelming for the class. barely any upgrades outside of raiding for one thing. etc etc

[xexbis0]

This is only going off memory, but I'm 99% positive you had to specifically cast "Strength" and "Dexterity" to get them to stack with focus instead of "Maniacal Strength" and "Mortal Deftness".

[Raev]

http://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/spell.html?spell=1432

Relevant bits:

6: Stacking: Overwrite existing spell if slot 1 is effect 'STR' and < 67
7: Stacking: Overwrite existing spell if slot 1 is effect 'DEX' and < 60
8: Stacking: Block new spell if slot 1 is effect 'STR' and < 1067
9: Stacking: Block new spell if slot 1 is effect 'DEX' and < 1060

looks like a developer forgot to add "10" to the beginning of those values, which is why it works the way it does. Classic AFAIK. The other thread on this topic was locked by a dev, so I'm assuming it's working as intended.

Well, making the check vs 1067 instead of 67 should result in more spells being blocked, not fewer.

[Pyrocat]

I know. I think the original *intent* was that if you had str/dex on you when focus was cast, focus would overwrite str/dex, and prevent anyone from casting str/dex on you until it wore off.

But regardless of the intent, I believe that on live in 2001 focus did not overwrite str/dex if you cast it 2nd, which is what is indicated by this spell data. And the same is true on this server.

[blondeattk]

`focus did not overwrite str/dex if you cast it 2nd, which is what is indicated by this spell data. And the same is true on this server.`

compensates a bit for the broke rage line on this server.