Dodge Bugfix and Algalon Tuning

Kaivax · March 31, 2023, 8:52pm

We recently discovered a bug causing tanks to benefit from roughly twice the intended amount of Dodge from the Dodge Rating statistic. In order to avoid seeing raid groups skew toward maximizing for this, we’re going to fix the bug. This fix will not change your Dodge % displayed on your character sheet, as the bug was invisible to players.

At the same time, on Tuesday during scheduled weekly maintenance, we’re going to deploy a second hotfix that will reduce Algalon’s melee damage by 10% in both 10-player and 25-player difficulties. We feel that the increase in pressure on tanks and healers from the bugfix will be manageable in other encounters, but this one needs a compensatory tweak.

Delimicus-benediction · March 31, 2023, 9:01pm

Wow.

Just wow.

Based-ragnaros · March 31, 2023, 9:01pm

Race change when?

Tinkerfel-grobbulus · March 31, 2023, 9:01pm

Noo not Algerian

Algernon

Algebra

Whatever his name is

Beanna-benediction · March 31, 2023, 9:07pm

We recently discovered a bug…

We reported this bug over 7 months ago during the beta.

github.com/magey/wotlk-warrior

Avoidance DR is working incorrectly

opened 10:31PM - 18 Jul 22 UTC

magey

Bug

WotLK introduced diminishing returns on the parry, dodge, and miss avoidance sta…ts. The specifics of how these diminishing returns work and what is the formula to calculate them was the subject of a big research effort on EJ by Whitetooth that's [documented here](https://web.archive.org/web/20100817051131/http://elitistjerks.com:80/f15/t29453-combat_ratings_level_80_a/). > * DR for Dodge, Parry, Missed are calculated separately. > * Base avoidances are not affected by DR. (e.g. Dodge from base Agility, 5% base Parry, 5% base Missed) > * Death Knight's Parry Rating from base Strength is affected by DR. > * Direct percentage gains from talents and spells are not affected by DR. (e.g. 5% Dodge from talents, 4% Parry to weapon, 25 Defense to weapon) > * $\large c$ and $\large k$ values depend on class but does not change with level. > > The DR formula: > > $\Huge\frac{1}{x'} = \frac{1}{c} + \frac{k}{x}$ > > $\large x'$ is the diminished stat before converting to IEEE754 > $\large x$ is the stat before diminishing returns > $\large c$ is the cap of the stat, and changes with class > $\large k$ is is a value that changes with class He then gives a nice table that summarizes the $\large k$ , $\large C_p$ , $\large C_d$ , and $\large C_m$ values for all classes. --- We[^contributors] went to test avoidance DR on the beta (build 44644) to see how accurate Whitetooth's formula and coefficients are, and to find any quirks in DR behavior. We used the exact same race / class / gear/ talent combination and attacked the same target on all the collected logs so that we can easily combine the data. We used a level 70 Orc DK template and were attacked by a level 57 Servant of Razelikh. Due to the natural weapon skill / defense difference we had an additional `(70*5 - 57*5) * 0.04% = 2.6%` to parry, dodge, and chance to be missed that is not diminished by the DR formula. Fully geared the character had: * 283 strength which resulted in 73 parry rating from Forceful Deflection and an additional 15 parry rating from gear, totaling in 83 parry rating which translates to +4.04% bonus parry * 37 dodge rating which translates to +1.70% bonus dodge * 349 defense rating which translates to 147 defense, which in turn translate to `147 * 0.04% = 5.88%` bonus parry, dodge, and chance to be missed The breakdown and summary of these stats in table form (note that only the *Bonus* column is subject to diminishing return): | | Base | Level | Bonus | Total | | ---- | ---- | ---------- | ----- | ---- | | **Miss** | 5.00% | 2.60% | 5.88% | 13.48% | | **Dodge** | 5.94% | 2.60% | 10.05% | 18.59% | | **Parry** | 5.00% | 2.60% | 9.92% | 17.52% | This is verified by the character sheet (note these screenshots naturally do not include the 2.60% from level difference): ![image](https://user-images.githubusercontent.com/44882404/179618756-7f7c5585-8eef-4098-a8a7-d24e1e1c1505.png) Calculating the diminished values of these stats with Whitetooth's formula:[^precision] $\large k = 0.956$ $\large C_m = 16$ $\large C_d = 88.129021$ $\large C_p = 47.003525$ $\Huge Miss_{DR} = \frac{1}{16} + \frac{0.956}{5.88\%} = \frac{1}{0.225085} = 4.442765\%$ $\Huge Dodge_{DR} = \frac{1}{88.129021} + \frac{0.956}{10.05\%} = \frac{1}{0.106471} = 9.392196\%$ $\Huge Parry_{DR} = \frac{1}{47.003525} + \frac{0.956}{9.92\%} = \frac{1}{0.117646} = 8.500079\%$ Using these diminished values in place of the raw bonus values from the table above, our expected avoidance values from the test are: * ~16.10% parry * ~17.93% dodge * ~12.04% miss And finally our test results from combined logs of 17572 incoming attacks: | Outcome | Chance | 95% CI | Count | | ------- | ------ | ------ | ----- | | Miss | 13.52% | ±0.51% | 2375 | | Dodge | 18.35% | ±0.57% | 3225 | | Parry | 17.69% | ±0.56% | 3108 | | Hit | 50.44% | ±0.74% | 8864 | As this table demonstrates, avoidance DR simply isn't working at all; our measured values are within error margin of our raw total values and nowhere near the diminished values. [^contributors]: Thanks to Char, deance, and Kilo for helping collect data for this test [^precision]: Rounded to 6 decimal digits for easy reading

Hurhurzerg-frostwolf · March 31, 2023, 9:14pm

So wait, does this mean tanks will be potentially taking more damage on other fights now? Confused as to what this hotfix will actually do outside of 10% melee damage reduction on Algalon.

Pinstripe-whitemane · March 31, 2023, 9:16pm

Yes, most tanks have had 6-12% more dodge chance than intended until now. Players who were aware of the bug and geared around it could stack much more, in the neighborhood of 25% more dodge chance than intended.

Delimicus-benediction · March 31, 2023, 9:16pm

All tanks will dodge less thus taking more damage on every single fight except for Algalon.

Kagrius-faerlina · March 31, 2023, 9:21pm

Please don’t nerf Algalon, I want to see it how it was!

Mama-galakrond · March 31, 2023, 9:24pm

It’s week 11, if you haven’t seen it you aren’t seeing it.

Hurhurzerg-frostwolf · March 31, 2023, 9:26pm

Is it even really considered a nerf? Sure 10% off every hit, but don’t think that’ll change anything.

Jagrius-faerlina · March 31, 2023, 9:27pm

Killed him several weeks ago, I mean I want to see the fight how it was back in OG Wrath which no one on Classic has actually fought(and will never fight if this change happens)

Invincìble-westfall · March 31, 2023, 9:35pm

According to this though, your dodge (at least for my fairly geared prot pally) is only around 1-2% (additively) higher than intended? certainly not 2x more dodge than intended.

Pinstripe-whitemane · March 31, 2023, 9:38pm

Players were gaining the full undiminished value on top of the diminished value. So if you had 453 Dodge Rating equipped, for example, you would have had 453 / 45.25 = 10% more dodge chance than intended.

Invincìble-westfall · March 31, 2023, 9:40pm

Weird. Ya, the github post basically says that the amount that your undiminished value was supposed to be REDUCED BY, was instead getting ADDED to the undimished value. This sounds a bit different. Must be new to ulduar patch then.

Milkerton-grobbulus · March 31, 2023, 9:40pm

Understandable fix, but something I cannot understand is Blizzard ignoring Restocat buffs! Restocat hasn’t been in a good state since level 22 in the Barrens, I am hoping to see some buffs to make my favorite spec viable again.

Pinstripe-whitemane · March 31, 2023, 9:49pm

I’d read through the github issue again, as that was exactly what it described.

Drain-windseeker · March 31, 2023, 9:50pm

Apparently they are only just now looking at those.

Kilopox-benediction · March 31, 2023, 10:04pm

Sooo…
Paladins were already the best at tanking Algalon and now this puts them even higher. Paladins are the least effected by this bug change and now Algalon will do 10% less damage to them. Sweet.

The other tanks, who are already way worst than Paladins on Algalon, get hit the hardest with this bug fix.

I’m not sure what the answer is but this isn’t it. Why bring any other tank to Ulduar?