Tuesday 22 March 2016

Some background information of "dungeon data"

This post is not related to any game play experience or card / mechanics analyses. I just want to share with you something works in background, especially on the dungeons are you attempting.

Dungeon Monster Tables

The monster tables store the appearances of monsters with their respective actions in a dungeon. For example in Hera Sowilo it pulls a data of "Tornado Holy Dragon" on floor 5. Other dungeons like Nordis and Hel also pull the same data set of "Tornado Holy Dragon". That's why every time you encounter a Tornado Holy Dragon you are expected to see the same set of behavior (for instance, preempt shield → 3 turns count down followed by Disaster Air). The only differences are the encounters' stats (HP, ATK, DEF) and their drop levels.

Have you ever asked yourself "how do they determine the level of drops?" Why the same dragon in Hel Legend drops me a level 4 egg, and Hera-Sowilo drops me a level 5, and Nordis Mythical+ drops a weird level 11 dragon?

It is because the stats of the monster you are facing is tied to the drop level - the higher the drop levels, the harder the encounter. And from now on I'd like to call the drop level "Monster Level".

Monster Level

The Monster Level (MLv) determines the stats of the encounter. Take "Tornado Holy Dragon" as an example (does not include encounter of its previous evos), its stats can be determined by the following formulas:

ATK = 1560 + 5033.3 x (MLv-1)
DEF = 820 + 820 x (MLv-1)
HP = 100207 + 322882.6 x (MLv-1) 

For instance, the Tornado Holy Dragon in Nordis Legend+ has a MLv of 10 (since it drops as a level 10 egg). With the formula you can calculate the HP, DEF and the ATK of the encounter.

ATK*DEFHP
Fomular10457982003006150
In-game value10458082003006150

* the actual damage of "Disaster Air", which deals 300% damage of its ATK value.

Every encounter in this game is stored as a linear function of stats and the dungeon data stores the MLv of the encounter.

The internal MLv can go over their maximum level. For example the internal MLv of "Frost Devil" at MLv 10 in Aamir Legend, MLv 15 in Aamir Mythical. So "Frost Devil" you got from Aamir Mythical is dropped at Lv Max. If you have cleared the Alt dungeons in Co-op you should remember you have encounter the same "Frost Devil" that drops at Lv Max, but hits much harder - It is because they are at MLv 20 and 21 (in Alt Talos's Abyss).

You'll see same things applies to monsters that drops only at level 1, like High Emerald Dragons, it's MLv 30 in Legendary Earth, and MLv 1 at Super Emerald Dragon (the alert dungeon). There are also MLv 10 dub-lits at Sky Prison and MLv 12 Mystic Masks in Alt Temple of Trailokya.

The rank EXP (rXP) given upon defeating monsters is also tied directly to their MLv.
rXP = base x MLv
For example, Sapphire Carbuncles (and all carbuncles of the same evo stages) has a base rXP of 13.57, and non-evo Pengdras has a base rXP of 40, which is about 3x of a carbuncle.

Take Alt Shrine of Green Water as an example:

The carbuncles and pengdras are dropped at Lv Max, but their internal MLv are 31 and 21 respectively. For each carbuncles spawned and defeated, you gain 13.57 x 31 ~= 419 or 420 rXP depending on the round-off, and for each Pengdra killed you gain 40 x 21 = 840 rXP. And the High Emeralds gives 1500 rXP!

The last but the least, monsters that don't drop eggs also have an internal level to determine their stats. For example "Fire Serpent God, Hino Kagutsuchi" which appears in Izanami and Takemikazuchi has an internal level of 3, 5 for Izanami Legend and Mythical, and 3, 6 for Takemikazuchi Legend and Mythical respectively.

For your information, FD Hino's stats curve is:
ATK = 1564 + 5036 x (MLv-1)
DEF = 84 + 84 x (MLv-1)
HP = 100210 + 322899 x (MLv-1)

Encounter buff?

But wait fether, your formula is a bit off and is not consistence in eh.. some dungeons?

That's true because some dungeons also give an implicit buff to monsters! And this is how Gungho counter the buff/"conditions" of dungeons that enhance certain attr./types of monsters in our team. For example, Dark Knight! buff all stats of Physical and Devil cards by 1.5x. They also increases the monsters in the dungeon HP and ATK by 1.5x to counterbalance it. This way, they are not raising the MLv of the encounters directly so you won't get extra rXP (remember rXP is tied to MLv), and impose a "punishment" to players that use cards that does not fit the conditions (as oppose to the old restriction rule).

Below is a list of implicit monster buffs applied to the dungeons:

Player Buff Enemy Buff
x1.5 ATK Defense HP
Tengu!! Balanced 1.5 2.5
Draggie! Attacker 2.5 2.5
Dragon Zombie Dragon 1.3 1.3
RO ACE Healer 1.5 2.5
Gaia God 2.0 2.0
Zhang Fei Phy / Atk 1.3 1.3
Guan Yinping Phy / Healer 1.5 1.3
Dark Knight Phy / Devil 1.5 1.5
Takemikazuchi Balanced 1.3 1.3
Yamatsumi Wood 1.5 2.0 1.5
Gran Reverse Dragon 1.5 1.5
Alt Dungeons I * None 1.5
Alt Dungeons II ** None 1.5 1.5

* Alt Dungeons I : Alt Castle to Alt Trailokya. 1.1x ATK and HP instead to High Metals Dragons.
** Alt Dungeons II : Alt Hypno to Alt Talos's. 1.1x ATK and HP instead to High Metals Dragons.