Here’s the current damage formula, from the thread by @EternalDream
(((((Skill Attack + (Effective Attack * (100% - Level Penalty)) + (random(0% … 100%) * Magic Amplification)) * (100% + Base Modifier)) - (Effective Defense + Elemental Resistance)) * (100% + (0 or 50% if crit)) + (0 or Critical Attack) + Extra Elemental Attack + Enemy Specific Damage) * (100% + Skill Modifier) * (100% + Common Modifier) * (100% + Target Modifier) * (100% + Enhance Modifier) + Bonus Damage
To put it out in simply is more of
(((Total Attack - Total Defence) + Bonuses [ele/monster type etc] ) * Modifiers )) + Bonus damage (blessing etc)
For this transcendence topic and how it affects the game so much we have to look into the part which is bolded.
Total attack is mainly made up of 2 components (we will discount the level penalties and magic amp for now), the attack from the skill itself and the physical/magic attack. Each point of our attack stat adds 1 to either patk or matk. So if we add on equipment such as weapons it will look like the following.
Total Attack = Skill attack + Str/Int [Patk or Matk] + Weapon attack value + attack value of other gears [headgear, bracelets etc]
Till now, the attack damage from weapons without transcendence is somehow balanced against the stats a player will have if they choose to invest in a damage stat (STR/INT). For example, at level 330, a swordsman with 100con and rest all STR will have around 600-700 STR total, and it matches the damage of the equipment of the level. Example Galeslasher (Purple 315) with an attack value of 427 - 793. This makes STR looks extremely attractive as investing in it contributes a good portion of the damage in the total attack formula.
Total Attack = Skill + 650 (avg str attk) + 600 (avg sword attk). An attack stat makes up 50% of the attack, good.
Then it comes the 1st punch… let’s take Doppel’s Zwerchhau, 7926 skill attack. It becomes
Total Attack = 7926 + 650 + 600. Now the attack stat makes up around 7% of the attack.
Transcendance is the 2nd of the one-two punch… we just take lv7 transcendence, not lv10, +280%. Weapon becomes 1623 - 3013 with an average of 2318 attack. And now the total attack becomes…
Total Attack = 7926 + 650 + 2318. How much does strength give to the damage? A mere 6%.
Things have to change, the devs also come to realise that the further down they go, the even lesser impact the core stats like STR/INT/SPR will have. At R10 level 450+?, an average weapon wouldn’t just have a 600 average attack but will probably be around the 1200-1500 range. Even with the core stat bonuses adding 1500 to the attack value it will never ever match the skill damage nor the transcended weapon damage, will probably contribute like 3-5% of the overall attack. It makes investing in STR/INT really weak now.
I like what @Andraax suggested, reducing the damage % increases of transcendence will make the game more balanced in terms of stat investment. But we will also have to make changes to the skill damage portion too. At the very least have core stats affecting the total value of the skill damage, so that the resultant total attack will be a good harmony of core stat+skill damage+equipment damage each with a 1:1:1 ratio.
@ZeroFoxGiven also give a very interesting and unique take on transcendence too, it is an idea worth exploring. One gripe which I have with transcendence is the neccessity and time needed for it. Almost everyone runs saalus every single day as a daily. I for example, runs saalus daily with 6-7 characters, takes up too much time. It is now viewed as a must and not as something which is optional, to have transcended equipment in order not to deal mediocre damage at high level maps.
With transcendence tied to the character’s equipment slot makes it more worthwhile to start upgrading and not waiting for the best in slot in order to use it. And like what ZeroFoxGiven said, it makes it more team friendly too as players can switch/pass-down equipment or try out new equipment.
Hmm, expanding on the transcendence on equipment slot idea, how about having transcendence amplify the equipment’s stats instead of just straight up atk/def bonus increment? Let’s marry both Zero’s and Andraax’s ideas:
Transcendance: Increase effectiveness of equipped item’s stats.
Example
Stage 1: +5% effectiveness
Stage 2: +10% effectiveness
Stage 3: +20% effectiveness
Stage 4: +35% effectiveness
Stage 5: +55% effectiveness
Stage 6: +80% effectiveness
Stage 7: +110% effectiveness
Stage 8: +145% effectiveness
Stage 9: +185% effectiveness
Stage 10: +230% effectiveness
Items such as Max Petamion equipped on a lv7 transcended neck slot will give
+27 str
+27 dex
+27 con
+27 int
+27 spr
Or equipped an Ignition Rod on lv10 transcended main hand slot…
17% chance to inflict [Burn] on an enemy for 10 seconds
It changes the entire dynamics of gearing, promotes a variety of more builds based off equipment and overall makes the game more interesting than just straight up BiS weapon + gear with max atk and def. Even low level equipments such as Zachariel Bangle becomes more attractive to use with this implementation. It also allows the devs more room for creativity, allowing them to come up with equipment with unique abilities rather than just straight up damage or defence. Like a weapon with 40% of its level attack but with a 20% chance to deal every hit in 3 hits etc.
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