I'm a tank why would I want resolve.

[Torm51]

So resolve is the defense stat. Why would I want it? The more I have the less the AI will attack me unless it's a choke point and it has no choice.

[JerekKruger]

Unfortunately I think in the current meta the answer is you don't really, well apart from role-play reasons. 

[Torm51]

Agreed my friend.

[Boeroer]

For me it's more like the "don't interrupt me because that hurts my dps"-stat.

[MaxQuest]

The higher deflection, the less you are crit by physical attacks; but missed and grazed instead. And the more effective your DR becomes.

 

Also, I have a feeling that AI behaviour is not universal, like different creatures have different target preferences.

Enemy barbarians and phantoms always look for low def/dr. While melee xaurips for instance just don't seem to care.

 

What I don't like about resolve through, is that it boosts your will defence. While on a main tank, who is going to facetank the dragons, we need high fort and reflex.

[Torm51]

Well in my case a Paladin even with 10 Resolve is good to go on hit to graze as long as he slaps on a shield and has good faith and conviction.

[rheingold]

I don't think a couple of points of resolve suddenly makes your tank untouchable. Generally for that to happen you have to stack deflection, so it would be a case of high resolve plus the deflection talents and abilities and a shield. So it really depends on whether or not you like the stat. And from a roleplay and concentration, will save point of view I do, therefore I take it. The extra 5 points of deflection don't suddenly make everyone automatically go after my squishies.

Though to be honest I don't have a problem with that even if I do have an un touchable tanks mainly because I mainly go melee, just with a ranged Druid and ranger - rest solid combat classes. So really it is less about the actual stat and more about talents, abilities and party composition.

[MaxQuest]

Well in my case a Paladin even with 10 Resolve is good to go on hit to graze as long as he slaps on a shield and has good faith and conviction.

True that. Hell, in my current party I have only one character with resolve >= 10.

 

---

Btw, I have took a peek on how creature targeting behavior is handled. Basically every enemy has a default targetPreference, and also might have a restricted set of spells and abilities where each might have it's own targetPreference as well.

 

The list of possible preferences:

 

 

public enum TargetPreferenceType
{
  None,
  HighestStamina,
  LowestStamina,
  LowestDamageThreshold,
  HighestDefense,
  LowestDefense,
  HighestDamageInflictor,
  CurrentEngager,
  SneakAttackVulnerable,
  LowNumberOfEngagers,
  Spellcasters,
  AfflictedBy,
  BehindAttacker,
  FastestClass,
  EngagedByAnimalCompanion,
  Engaged
}

 

The default preference is None, which means that the enemy will try to attack the party member with the lowest current endurance percentage that is standing relatively nearby. The engagement also factors in. Enemy is less likely to switch targets if it already has engaged someone. And if it does, those who have engaged it will get a higher priority.

 

 

if (preference.PreferenceType == TargetPreference.TargetPreferenceType.None)
{
  Health component = gameObject.GetComponent<Health>();
  num2 += Mathf.Sqrt(num4) / searchRange * 2f;
  num2 += component.CurrentStamina / component.MaxStamina * 0.5f;
  if (aIController2.HasEngaged(gameObject))
  {
    num2 -= 3f;
  }
  else if (aIController2.IsEngagedBy(owner))
  {
    num2 -= 2.4f;
  }
  if (num2 < num3)
  {
    result = gameObject;
    num3 = num2;
  }
}

 

But as I said, many enemies have specific abilities with their own targeting preferences.

For example Shade. It has 4 abilities:

- Draining Freeze: LowestDamageThreshold

- Instant Teleport: LowNumberOfEngagers

- Summon Shadow: no preference

- UseWeapon: LowestDefense(3)

 

And to expand on those:

- LowestDamageThreshold: it is looking for the target with lowest frost DR.

- LowNumberOfEngagers: i.e. characters with the lowest coefficient [Mathf.Sqrt(distance) / searchRange + EngagedBy.Count * 5f]

- LowestDefense(3): i.e. it looks for the target with lowest Will defense

 

 

 

Shade:

DefaultTargetPreference:

int PreferenceType = 0
int AllowedMovementToTarget = 0
int DamageType = 8
int DefenseType = 5
int AfflictedBy = 0

Draining Freeze [id: 624]

int PreferenceType = 3
int AllowedMovementToTarget = 0
int DamageType = 4
int DefenseType = 5
int AfflictedBy = 0
int CastingPriority = 80
float CooldownTime = 15.000000

Instant Teleport [id: 750]

int PreferenceType = 9
int AllowedMovementToTarget = 0
int DamageType = 8
int DefenseType = 5
int AfflictedBy = 0
int CastingPriority = 60
float CooldownTime = 35.000000

Summon Shadow [id: 985]

int AllowedMovementToTarget = 0
int DamageType = 8
int DefenseType = 5
int AfflictedBy = 0
int CastingPriority = 95
float CooldownTime = 50.000000

UseWeapon:

int PreferenceType = 5
int AllowedMovementToTarget = 0
int DamageType = 8
int DefenseType = 3
int AfflictedBy = 0
int CastingPriority = 20
float CooldownTime = 0.000000

 

Conclusion: knowing all that, you can have two "tanks" in your group. One usual main tank. And another one, with low DR and defenses, but with high endurance-to-health coefficient; specifically for such teleporters.

Also, unexpectedly but engagement does matter, because AI is somewhat sticky to the target it has chosen. The trick is to make it chose the target you want.

Edited May 13, 2016 by MaxQuest

[Odd Hermit]

You don't necessarily need them to hold enemy attention 100%. Engagement often works fairly well but even when it doesn't a high DR/deflection/defenses character has tactical utility. You can use them to negate opening burst from enemies to an extent - revealing only durable characters from stealth, preventing less durable characters from being targeted initially.

 

I like Monks since a tanky Monk is still amazing damage and they can get away with 3 Int and retain most of their effectiveness. Similar deal with Fighters I suppose. Paladins are alright as a support tank too, but you have to lose more since they have more use for Int.

Edited May 13, 2016 by Odd Hermit

[DreamWayfarer]

I like Monks since a tanky Monk is still amazing damage and they can get away with 3 Int and retain most of their effectiveness. Similar deal with Fighters I suppose. Paladins are alright as a support tank too, but you have to lose more since they have more use for Int.

Well... While Monks and Fighters are extremely viable and can be very powerful with 3 INT, I wouldn't say they retain most of their effectiviness as much as that they can afford to specialize in things that don't need INT more easily than other classes.

 

I mean, in Fighters with high MIG, which are most Fighters who want to do high damage, INT can do more to make them reasonably tanky than RES or CON, due to their many self-healing abilities, and also gives a boost to Disciplined Barrage, Vigorous Defense and their limited yet often useful CC. But if you want the most passive and reliable character ever, then I suppose INT loses most of its appeal.

 

On Monks, as a general rule INT decreases your need for wounds for your buffs, either by extending them directly or by making Wounds last more, and helps with Torment's Reach AoE and Force of Anguish AoE. So it is useful if you want to play a Monk that only takes as much damage as necessary to kill or incapacitate the enemy, but it isn't that interesting if you want a riskier playstyle or have a Priest.

Edited May 13, 2016 by DreamWayfarer

[omgFIREBALLS]

You can use them to negate opening burst from enemies to an extent - revealing only durable characters from stealth, preventing less durable characters from being targeted initially.

Word. I open most if not all difficult battles like that. Tank runs in by themselves while the rest of the party buffs up.

[MaxQuest]

You can use them to negate opening burst from enemies to an extent - revealing only durable characters from stealth, preventing less durable characters from being targeted initially.

Exactly. Just let the tanks engage and only then unstealth the squishies. Funny thing: if shades have teleported to your frontline, they have a 35s cd before porting again.

 

Another way, is to apriori decide who shall take the beating. Something like: create a low DR/def moon godlike with a higher Con, give him [shod-in-Faith + Swaddling Sheet] or [binding Rope + Preservation Armor] and enjoy

 

Btw, disengagement attacks do trigger carnage, right?

Edited May 13, 2016 by MaxQuest

[Psychevore]

Ever since they put accuracy on perception,resolve has been my auto dumpstat.

As for the concentration: Holy Meditation mastery.

Edited May 13, 2016 by Psychevore

[KDubya]

Ever since they put accuracy on perception,resolve has been my auto dumpstat.

 

As for the concentration: Holy Meditation mastery.

 

 If you roll without a Priest you will notice having a low concentration from  a low Resolve, especially on melee. Ranged guys can get by with a bad concentration but even then archers can interrupt you often and if a melee guy gets in your face being chain interrupted will be a real threat to your life.

 

For me I try to keep everything  at base 10. If I dump one stat I'll add it 1:1 to it's defensive paired stat to keep the defense balanced. For example if I go with a Rogue or Ranger with a 3 Intellect (pretty much the only classes I'd dump) I'll add to Resolve to make it a 17.

 

I agree that there is not much reason to pump up Resolve but I would not dump it either.

[Odd Hermit]

You can tons of extra concentration from spells/abilities/items. It's not a good justification for the attribute, really. Though interrupts certainly do matter for front liners, even then dexterity arguably serves you as well or better. I lower Resolve on pretty much all of my ranged/caster characters. Small Shield + Weapon and Shield Style on top of a variety of buffs is enough to make up for it in the situations your casters actually get their deflection targeted. It's waaaay more valuable to have high damage/accuracy/duration/AoE spells than it is to have a bit lower chance of being hit.

 

The big mistakes with attributes they made are -

 

 

#1. Constitution and Resolve are purely defensive and affect none of any class's innate abilities, unless we're generous in counting Constitution as a resource for monk.

 

#2. Many classes have too few abilities where Intellect has a substantial effect, where for casters it's their everything.

 

#3. Deflection and action/attack speed scaling non-linearly in strength / usefulness(the more of either you have, the stronger they become up to a point that they stop scaling).

[Psychevore]

 

Ever since they put accuracy on perception,resolve has been my auto dumpstat.

 

As for the concentration: Holy Meditation mastery.

 

 If you roll without a Priest you will notice having a low concentration from  a low Resolve, especially on melee. Ranged guys can get by with a bad concentration but even then archers can interrupt you often and if a melee guy gets in your face being chain interrupted will be a real threat to your life.

 

For me I try to keep everything  at base 10. If I dump one stat I'll add it 1:1 to it's defensive paired stat to keep the defense balanced. For example if I go with a Rogue or Ranger with a 3 Intellect (pretty much the only classes I'd dump) I'll add to Resolve to make it a 17.

 

I agree that there is not much reason to pump up Resolve but I would not dump it either.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Though I had leftover points to keep resolve above 3, cause might, dex and per is all that class really needs, and they were maxed out. So I figured I'd spread out the rest a bit.

Edited May 13, 2016 by Psychevore

[Odd Hermit]

My current party's (base)resolve situation is -

 

Darcozzi Paladin 17 Res (tank / dialogue)

Monk 15

Ranger 8

Cipher 3

Priest 9

Wizard 4

 

Which I guess isn't that bad but it's still the lowest overall attribute if I add them up, and tends to be in any party I create.

 

Comparing to other attributes, all added up:

 

Mig: 17, 19, 20, 17, 15, 17 = 105
Con: 10, 15, 10, 10, 10, 10 = 65
Dex: 3, 10, 18, 10, 15, 10 = 66
Per: 15, 15, 18, 19, 10, 17 = 94
Int: 16, 4, 4, 19, 19, 20 = 82
Res: 17, 15, 8, 3, 9, 4 = 56

 

 

That's of course my own preferences using only a single party, but it's a fairly balanced party with standard-iah attribute spreads(for a PotD custom munchkin party) I'd think.

[Kingsman]

Min maxing of all stats is over- rated apart from intelligence for casters and perhaps dexterity aswell.

 

Might stacks as an additive modifier. It DOES NOT increase your overall damage by the percentage you are given.

 

Constitution should be left alone on POTD .

 

Dexterity increase is the most important on non casters.

 

Perception increase helps but not essential

 

Intelligence increase is FAR AND AWAY the most important stat to increase

 

Resolve increase helps but not essential

 

Like I said min maxing is not that important. You will end up with a lot of accuracy and deflection late game as long as you don't dump per and res

[Raven Darkholme]

You take resolve, cuz a real man solos the dragons.

[rheingold]

Yeah,

Min maxing of all stats is over- rated apart from intelligence for casters and perhaps dexterity aswell.

Might stacks as an additive modifier. It DOES NOT increase your overall damage by the percentage you are given.

Constitution should be left alone on POTD .

Dexterity increase is the most important on non casters.

Perception increase helps but not essential

Intelligence increase is FAR AND AWAY the most important stat to increase

Resolve increase helps but not essential

Like I said min maxing is not that important. You will end up with a lot of accuracy and deflection late game as long as you don't dump per and res

Yeah I will definitely go with that, I really find that min/maxed characters have to many weaknesses. On paper they are awesome, but in practice not so much, way to many compromises. I would really never drop resolve on a melee class, it's just not worth the trouble. Yes I know you can get items to compensate for the shortcomings, but then it's just another compromise... Sure you can use a particular piece of equipment to counter the weakness of say, concentration, but in many cases there are far better equipment options around. Example - using the celebrants gloves on a low resolve monk/ barb to compensate for low concentration. Sounds great until you realize that you could be using gloves of accuracy instead.

So lowering stats to eke out every last bit of power gaming, but then you have to use certain equipment to compensate... Seems slightly counter productive....

[Kingsman]

I don't dump anything anymore. I use to when I first started playing and I learnt the hard way.

 

Like you said what ever stat you dump you just compensate for it by filling items in your available stats that boost the stats you dumped. This is of course at the cost of increasing the stats that you would have increased had you not dumped them.

[MaxQuest]

Comparing to other attributes, all added up:

 

Mig: 17, 19, 20, 17, 15, 17 = 105

Con: 10, 15, 10, 10, 10, 10 = 65

Dex: 3, 10, 18, 10, 15, 10 = 66

Per: 15, 15, 18, 19, 10, 17 = 94

Int: 16, 4, 4, 19, 19, 20 = 82

Res: 17, 15, 8, 3, 9, 4 = 56

This made me curious to check my base attributes too. The result:

 

CHR: Pa, Ba, Ci, Pr, Wi, Ci

MIG: 17, 15, 16, 18, 17, 16 = 99

CON: 14, 10, 09, 07, 07, 07 = 54

DEX: 07, 10, 13, 18, 13, 17 = 78

PER: 06, 19, 18, 12, 20, 19 = 94

INT: 19, 18, 15, 20, 19, 16 = 107

RES: 15, 06, 07, 03, 03, 03 = 37

 

High int and per, kind of give away that this is a CC-heavy party with lots of buffs/heals if need be. 

Practices shows that one does not need high deflection or concentration if nearby enemies are paralyzed while those farther away (if present a threat) are charmed and maul their ex-mates from behind.

 

Might stacks as an additive modifier. It DOES NOT increase your overall damage by the percentage you are given.

You are correct in context of 'physical' attacks and abilities. But there are also many damage and healing oriented spells. And unfortunately they don't have that many dmg modifiers.

 

Perception increase helps but not essential

In terms of damage, Dex gives more than Per per point. But there are specific situations where perception gets more important (or at least on par)

For example: charming a dragon from the first attempt removes the necessity to waste time and resources on a second attempt, and also quite a substantial chunk of health on the party members. Also... I do just like stunning weapons.

Edited May 15, 2016 by MaxQuest