Issue with suppression of DR bonuses from items and armors with proofing

[ushas]

[1.0.3.0530, linux, GoG]

 

Problem:
Even when proofing enchantment of armors works differently compare to proofing and other DR bonuses from items, the stacking rule sees those as in the same category. This is probably a feature. However, when suppression mechanism is applied, the decision which of the buffs is higher isn't done properly. At least in several instances this may lead to wrong suppression.

 

 

Concrete examples and steps to preproduce:

 

Used Items:
-- Freeze-proofed Fine Scale Armor (Freeze-Proofed: +3 Damage Reduction (Freeze))
-- Cloak item Shroud of Mourning (Freeze-Proofed: +3 Damage Reduction (Freeze))

 

1. First Armor then Cloak:
  a) On character without any item giving DR bonus equipped, first equip the freeze-proofed Fine Scale armor.
  b) Then equip the cloak.
  c) On character sheet there is the cloack DR bonus suppressed, and indeed when attacked the Armor bonus is applied: 15.0 Freeze DR. See picture below

 
 
2. First Cloak then armor:
  a) On character without any item giving DR bonus equipped, first equip the freeze-proofed Cloak.
  b) Then equip the Armor.
  c) On character sheet there is the armor's proofing DR bonus suppressed this time. And indeed when attacked only Fine Armor + Cloak bonuses are applied: 14.25 Freeze DR (combat log and character sheet display rounded numbers). See picture below

 

 

--> Game not able to properly distinguish which of the bonuses is higher? It suppresses the last equipped of mentioned items, even when it's clearly wrong decision --> in the case above the number 2 (in the case below the wrong decision is the left one).

 

 

Another example with similar behavior:
  Left: Eder's Fine Pierce-proofed Scale armor equipped first, afterwards Hiro's Mantle (giving 3 DR Pierce bonus).
  Right: First equipped Hiro's Mantle, then Eder's armor.

 

 

 

Expected behavior:
If it is truly intended that armor's proofing enchantment doesn't stack with other items' flat DR bonuses, the property giving lower bonus should be always suppressed, regardless order in which the items are equipped. Decision should be made in accordance with the real items' behaviors.

 

 

 

 

Speculation:
Because how it behaves in game, I think the decision on suppression may see both (armor and cape) as equal. Thus it simple suppresses the last one. Descriptions may support this decision, as both (armor and cape) contain the same line:
Freeze-Proofed: +3 Damage Reduction (Freeze)

However, in reality they work completely differently. The formulas for armors seem to work like this:
Fine Scale Armor: Base DR = (7+2) = 9.0 DR: Freeze is 125 % of Base DR -> 125 % of 9.0 = 11.25 Freeze DR

 

The difference:
1) Fine Scale Armor with Freeze-proofing adds 3DR bonus to the base DR before percentual calculation:
Freeze is 125 % of (Base DR + 3.0) -> 125 % of 12.0 => 15.0 Freeze DR

2) Fine Scale Armor & Freeze DR bonus from Shroud of Mourning will add flat bonus to the armor's Freeze DR:
Freeze is 125 % of (Base DR) -> 125 % of 9.0 => 11.25 from Fine Armor + 3.00 from Mantle = 14.25 Freeze DR

 

On issue with descriptions:
Armors and cloaks having the same description even when working differently -> this is confusing. Besides that, there are other items giving flat DR bonuses (the same way as mentioned cloaks), such as belts, with different description. See belt in the picture below

There is:
Pierce DR Bonus: +5 Damage Reduction (Pierce)

 

Conclusion:

 

A) Either items with "Proofed" in descriptions are intended to work as flat bonuses as other non-armor items, thus
--> Their descriptions should be different to armors' proofing. For example, make them similar to the belt above? And the suppression mechanism should be corrected to work properly as mentioned above.

 

B) Or items with "Proofed" in descriptions are intended to work the same way as proofing of armors. In that case
--> The bug is in their behavior (giving wrongly flat bonus) not in the suppression mechanism.

 

 

Comments:

On the unofficial community bug tracker:

https://github.com/PoE-unofficial/Pillars-of-Eternity-bugtracker/issues/14

 

Edit: Note that, regardless of differences among items' descriptions, in character sheet section Active Effects there is always listed "+3 Damage Reduction (Pierce)" or "+5 Damage Reduction (Pierce)", etc.

Edited April 15, 2015 by ushas

[player1]

This is great point.

 

Since proofing behavies differently depending is it on armor or not, then stacking mechanism needs to be revised for it.