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View Full Version : SCM3 broken! Also some random Mana Preserve III info



gore
09-29-2002, 01:14 AM
With SCM3, a 300 mana spell in my primary specialization now costs me exactly 267 mana (casting from FM so mana regen can't taint the result should a tick occur during cast). This was substantially more than I was used to before the patch.

So, being curious, I logged on a different character WITHOUT this AA ability. I then cast a 300 mana spell in her primary specialization. Just how much does it cost? Take a wild guess:

267 mana.

In both cases - with SCM3 and without - a 300 mana spell cost the same amount. ONLY specialization is being applied currently.

At this point in time, SCM3 does absolutely NOTHING at all.

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Furthermore, I decided to look into Mana Preservation III, since it didn't "seem" to be doing as much for me.

Results here vary. A period of 10 casts, the mana cost resulted in (not in this order): 237, 240, 243, 246, 249, 252, 252, 255, 261, 261

Interesting I suppose (but not in any way really meaningful) is the apparent fact that the mana cost is reduced always by a multiple of 3 on this 300 mana spell. Raw 1% increments perhaps? I'd have to test it with other spells to tell you for sure, but I honestly don't care enough to check right now.

If you take this as a % of the original cost of the spell, it works out to being a ~5.67% savings (I tend to suspect it's calculated like this, and the spec savings of 11% are off the raw value as well, then both reductions are subtracted).

So, in conclusion:

SCM3 is totally broken. It does nothing. Mana Preservation III doesn't really do much.

Some old data on Mana Preservation III would be appreciated, and a larger sampling of its current effects couldn't hurt, but I... really think it has been nerfed. Call it a hunch.

-gore

Saedyan
09-29-2002, 02:29 AM
click here for data (http://pub23.ezboard.com/fgraffeswizardcompilationfrm28.showMessage?topicID =23.topic)

gore
09-29-2002, 03:19 AM
Oh. Just thought I'd mention if any of you didn't know - specialization doesn't work "as advertised." It essentially is a flat mana cost reduction (seemingly 11% at max skill, whatever that is - too lazy to check), not a "chance" for reduction as it is listed in all the documentation I've seen.

Likewise, even though SCM supposedly "increases the chance" of specialization working, in reality it decreases the cost of all spells.

Well, it does when it's not broken at least, heh.

I have a vague notion that this is a nerf gone bad, where they were trying to reduce SCM's effectiveness and somehow managed to break the whole damn thing. (I suspect this because of the new PoP ability, which is an advanced form of SCM... so they might nerf SCM to add value to the PoP ability without giving it too much power).

Whether or not spec and/or SCM have ANY impact on fizzle rate is anybody's guess, and I'm not too keen on checking that right now either.

-gore

elasto
09-29-2002, 03:27 AM
Seems to me that they finally spotted specialisation isnt random and they are trying to make it so (but screwed up somewhat).

They didnt tell us this change in the patch cos this is one of those things only 'evil' players know :p

[edit: or maybe it's just all part of this 'SCM replaced by Trade Crafting Mastery' stuff]

gore
10-01-2002, 10:54 AM
VI confirmed this bug at the Dev corner and said they're going to fix it... wonder what they'd do without us.

-gore