Class Based AC Softcap and Level Based AC Hardcap Summary

[DeathsSilkyMist]

I feel there is enough data now to post a summary thread on my findings regarding how AC works.

Starting a new thread will keep the topic focused on the specifics of these findings. Here is a link to the previous thread for reference.

Please read Haynar's Post regarding AC. Haynar worked on the AC system, and gave us some information about it.

1. There is a low level AC Hardcap, and it follows Haynar's formula:

Originally Posted by Haynar [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I added a low level raw ac cap of level * 6 + 25.

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55 AC would be the AC Hardcap according to Haynar. We stop seeing damage reduction around 50 AC, unless a shield is being worn. This is due to AC Softcaps, which will be covered below.

2. Class Specific AC Softcaps exist, Class Specific AC Softcap Returns exist, and using a shield increases the AC Softcap:

Originally Posted by Haynar [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

And we use a softcap system. Warriors get a 45% return above softcap. Adding a shield increases ur softcap.

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These two graphs show different damage reductions from AC based on Class. The Skeleton Graph and Shiel Glimmerspindle Graph show additional damage reduction when using a shield, due to raising the AC Softcap.

Based on the data so far, the AC Softcaps appear to be roughly as follows:

A. Monk (Leather Class) has an AC Softcap around 160 AC. This is any combination of Worn AC, Monk AC, and Iksar AC. It looks like they have an AC Softcap Return of ~45%.

B. Shaman (Chain Class) has an AC Softcap around 200 or 220 Worn AC. It looks like they an AC Softcap Return of ~17%.

C. Shadowknight (Plate Class) has an AC Softcap of at least 300 Worn AC. I don't have enough Worn AC above 300 to confirm the AC Softcap Return, but the EQEMU value is 33% for Knights. It would be 45% for Warriors presumably, according to Haynar.

D. I haven't tested Cloth Classes due to not having a high level to test with, but here are the EQEMU values as reference, if someone else wants to do some testing:

ClothACSoftcap = 75;
LeatherACSoftcap = 100;
MonkACSoftcap = 120;
ChainACSoftcap = 200;
PlateACSoftcap = 300;
WarriorACSoftcapReturn = 0.45;
KnightACSoftcapReturn = 0.33;
LowPlateChainACSoftcapReturn = 0.23;
LowChainLeatherACSoftcapReturn = 0.17;
CasterACSoftcapReturn = 0.06;

3. One additional revelation is it looks like I have roughly figured out the Monk Bonus AC. This is the AC Bonus a Monk will get when they are under the Monk Weight Limit. This formula is from the EQEMU:

Monk AC Bonus = ((4 * (Level + 5)) / 3)

Iksar AC is simply based on level according to the EQEMU. So by level 35 you will have the full 35 AC bonus.

My naked Iksar Monk with less than 18 stones of weight seems to have roughly ~111 AC based on the Shiel Glimmerspindle data above. So both of these formulas seem to be roughly correct:

((4 * (52 + 5)) / 3) = 76 Monk AC + 35 Iksar AC = 111 AC.

4. Due to the non-linear nature of the damage mitigation formula for AC, you can get diminishing returns from the damage mitigation formula itself. This can happen before or after the Class Specific AC Softcap.

This is why the Shadowknight reduces ~11000 damage when going from 100 AC to 200 AC, but only reduces an additional ~6000 damage when going from 200 AC to 300 AC on the Shiel Glimmerspindle tests. The Shadowknight has not hit their Class Specific AC Softcap. The Shadowknight's Wrath Value has gone above 2x the Mitigation Value of Shiel Glimmerspindle.

Take a look at these two sections in the Game Mechanics Wiki Page if you want to learn more about how Wrath and Mitigation work:

A. Advanced Max Damage

B. Weighted D20 Roll

5. Here is a link to the text file that contains all of the test data used in the graphs above.

[feniin]

Now, do ranger.