Mercs role - how it works?

    Hello,


    Can someone explain what's the deal with the second mercenary set on "direct attention" ? What is it good for? How it works? What's the logic behind..?


    From what i see, almost everyone have this setup, with 2 mercs on defense, but the secondary one is always trash at defensive stats...

    Why? What are the resons for this? How it works..?


    I searched a bit...but can't really find clear information about this...i tested a bit myself and spoke with some guild mates...

    This is what i found so far, it doesn't explain much and i still fail to see a clear logic in all this...so i would appreciate if someone, especially with good game mechanics knowledge, can bring some light upon this and offer more details... :


    1. the second defender merc (usually an atacker but set as defender role) seems to deal more damage than the other 2 which remain as atackers...


    This brings next questions..:

    - How? Just from this, it seems to do exactly the oposite than it is suposed to do...Why it ends up dealing more damage?

    - Is this connected to "Threat" stat? If yes, how?

    - How exactly works this stat "threat"? Does this influence the damage output directly?

    - Both, atackers and defenders now have this stat "threat"..what exactly is it's role? What's the connection?


    2. OCCASIONALLY the secondary defender also blocks more than the remaining 2 atackers...


    - Why only occasionally? What makes him in some battles to NOT attract more damage than atackers?

    - this is an important one - If this is suposed to get some hits, and it really does sometimes...why nobody focus some defensive items and statistics on this merc?

    I really fail here...to understand the logic behind setting a merc as defender, but putting exactly 0 items with block value...AND also usually using a merc with bad agility for this...Just...why? -.-

    I see this on all levels...not only at a certain range...what am i missing..?


    3. I noticed that if i set more than 2 mercs on "direct attention", the first 2 work normally but the others are out of battles in Circus. They deal 0 damage, they don't take part of the battle...

    - is this a bug or something intentional?

    - if intentional...Why?

    Edited 2 times, last by Splina ().

    i play this game 15 years.. you wont find an explanation.. it is not given.. however many playes use one defender with block stats and the second one which usually is a murmillo with some defencive items.. 3-4 lucius not more... that is the best build

    well...that's sad...

    i always try to understand what i'm doing, how it works and the reasons for everything...not just doing what i saw on others..


    so far, looks like nobody can explain clearly why all what i said above happens, especially part 1....everyone who i asked, said that either they saw this on other players which are statistically better, or tested few battles with different configurations and this one simply looks better on average

    but WHY...is still a mistery...


    are the secondary defenders dealing more damage or the atackers deal less in this config??

    why are atackers still getting hits even with 2 defenders in formation?

    what's the thing with last point, all as defenders? Bug or intentional...?

    If you haven't changed mercs in awhile and you find a new one and swap it in, the default setting is to defend.

    Could be as simple as that.

    The player just didn't change it over to 'Attack' and in the grand scheme, so long as they are winning battles they should win, they might not notice.


    Also, it appears to me that 'Threat' is based on attack damage, ability to defend, and even healing.

    So, if you're attacked in the first round and they all miss, your character as the tank might not generate too much Threat.

    And if one of your mercs deals a lot of damage, they might accumulate the most Threat and become the target the next round.

    But, if they have no defensive gear and/or block, then that sounds fishy.


    Do you have a screenshot of where this is occurring?

    i think there are extremely low chances for all this to be just a forgotten merc on defensive stance....

    like i said, it's always like this (2 defenders) and on all levels...plus everyone who i asked said the same things....can't be that players just forget to change the merc role when they switch it...would not be a general "fashion" just for this...


    Yes, i also guess that "Threat" value is connected to atack in a way, and healing too...otherwise i don't see why healers get damage.

    let's say on atackers there is a chance because they have this stat too (threat)...it's just not clear how it works

    it's just vague "explained" that is increased by charisma and value from some items and increases your presence in battle...So that means every character which have "threat" have a chance to get hits?

    What's the point of atack / defend stance then?

    Why healer then? This shows 0 threat...


    I'm not sure what are you asking me to capture on a SS?

    A player who doesn't have gear with block on secondary defender?

    A battle result where the second defender deals more damage?

    When he's not able to attract damage?

    Edited 2 times, last by Splina ().

    If you use the Crazy Add-On, you can see how Threat is accumulated in every dungeon and Turma battle, so yes, Threat occurs for each participant in the battle.


    You had mentioned that the secondary defender blocks more and I was wondering if that was with inferior stats/gear.

    Do you have a screenshot of a secondary defender blocking lots of htis with low block?


    Do you believe you are losing battles because of this setup?

    no..i don't use addons

    i know it's a handicap in our days...but i just like classic experience


    sure, here are examples from last battles

    i also noticed a very strange thing...when i compare my characters to different enemy mercs, sometimes i get very different values for blocking....this is a perfect example...my samnit have 19% block vs his first samnit, but 3% vs next one (3% should be..as this is the base value what i have...0 items with block, just from STR)


    https://prnt.sc/GijsmYaprFQ3 - 19% - should be false

    https://prnt.sc/ko1Ksg2VfJvN - 3% - which is what is suposed to be in this case...


    in this battle also happens that he blocked even more than the main defender (last merc), but also deals the highest damage, being the worst merc as atacker...lowest damage. On first merc i have over 600 damage and better DEX, on third like 550 dmg and same dex with better charisma...


    here are more usual battles:


    https://prnt.sc/Y4fILA-jqAM4 - here just blocked more how it is suposed to do


    https://prnt.sc/S-c1rZqtIVRq - here blocked more and also dealt best damage... + a different block value again


    https://prnt.sc/l01Cy60UKUSc - here , a lost battle, it blocks a bit more, but deals almost triple than the 2 atackers...?? And ofc, different block value


    https://prnt.sc/mctlwAwlfBpp - and here, kinda failed to bock since the first atacker got more damage...



    no, i don't think i lost more battles due to this, exactly oposite in fact...but it's trange...and i can't see the reasons...especially why he deals more damage

    Edited once, last by Splina ().

    yes, got it...but how and why it works like this? :)


    that's the point of this topic...to find an explanation for all this...


    highest DEX as defender? Why?

    Dex is a stat for atack as far as i know, not defensive stat...why highest Dex as defender?

    found 2 more points which may worth attention...

    if anyone know something about all this, please feel free to share!


    looks like nobody with detailed knowledge from GF is here to clarify (or don't want to...or don't even know all this...sorry if sounds nasty but it's just how it feels..), so atleast we can try to decipher...

    please feel free to share anything you may know or think about all from above and about what's next:


    1. i heard that the mercs position in formation matters...

    (as example if i have the defender as first merc, 3rd or last one may change the results in a way...)


    but again, how?

    it's first time when i saw this idea...so i would like some kind of explanation too..


    2. maybe, just maybe...the predefined mercs role dictate their behavior?

    Meaning if a merc is by default a defender (elite spear let's say), it will just perform best in this role, not as a healer, not as atacker. He may perform other roles too, but with penalty?

    Or even worse, it may affect the other mercs? Just like in this SS:

    https://prnt.sc/rf-fRHdtPP4q


    the last 2 mercs are attackers, both very simmilar in items and stats


    first merc is also atacker but set as defender...i noticed that in this configuration, when i use one atack mercenary as defender and i fight stronger oponents, suddenly one of the main ATACKERS start to perform very poorly and miss a lot of hits...


    if i use a predefined defender instead, seems to correct atackers atack value, but the defender just can't keep up with damage dealt...(as expected since usual defenders don't have good DEX)


    this made me think that using mercs on another role than what they are designed mess them up...or the group...

    then...why is this an option??


    what the...is happening? -,-