Buffs

Amorpho

Expert
Hi everyone! I've got some questions regarding buffs (reactive armor, protection, magic reflection)

1. Do they all stay active once cast or do they switch off after a while?

2. How do I know which is active and if it is still active?

3. Can I have protection with either reactive armor or magic reflection?

Thaaanks
 

halygon

Grandmaster
Hi everyone! I've got some questions regarding buffs (reactive armor, protection, magic reflection)

1. Do they all stay active once cast or do they switch off after a while?

2. How do I know which is active and if it is still active?

3. Can I have protection with either reactive armor or magic reflection?

Thaaanks
1) they will stay on till they are either a) removed by casting dispel field on yourself OR b) used up via their normal means

2) try to cast one of the three spells. If it says this spell is already in effect, then it is already on, if it says it cannot be casted at this time, then either a) the cool down after using up said buff if not over OR b) you have a different buff active because...

3) only one if those three spells can be active at one time.

Unlike what others have suggested (by wanting an icon to TELL THEM what is currently active or not, the era that UOF is based off of requires you the player to track what is active or not. This means that you need to learn the mechanics and know how they apply to you. This means it takes more practice and skill. I personally wouldn't have it any other way.
 

Darktrix

Expert
1) they will stay on till they are either a) removed by casting dispel field on yourself OR b) used up via their normal means

2) try to cast one of the three spells. If it says this spell is already in effect, then it is already on, if it says it cannot be casted at this time, then either a) the cool down after using up said buff if not over OR b) you have a different buff active because...

3) only one if those three spells can be active at one time.

Unlike what others have suggested (by wanting an icon to TELL THEM what is currently active or not, the era that UOF is based off of requires you the player to track what is active or not. This means that you need to learn the mechanics and know how they apply to you. This means it takes more practice and skill. I personally wouldn't have it any other way.


I partially agree although modern mmorpgers are used to these tools to enable easier gameplay for them. (modern mmorpgers are lazy) So to attract new crowd little touches like this can really help out. I know it seems insignificant but genuinely things like this can polish the game to meet those without the nostalgic love for UO. (source:I'm a hobbyist game Dev with hope to start my own studio in next couple of years)
 

halygon

Grandmaster
I partially agree although modern mmorpgers are used to these tools to enable easier gameplay for them. (modern mmorpgers are lazy) So to attract new crowd little touches like this can really help out. I know it seems insignificant but genuinely things like this can polish the game to meet those without the nostalgic love for UO. (source:I'm a hobbyist game Dev with hope to start my own studio in next couple of years)
I fully agree with updating UI to keep things up to date (the "Classic" UO UI without Razor or UOsteam is pretty bad for today's standards) -- but when it starts to take away from the skill of playing the game, that's where I cross the line. It may seem insignificant to many, but counting and keeping track of your reflect circles is a big deal in PvP. If I am only watching a little icon fade away, where is the skill there? But this is just my opinion.
 

Amorpho

Expert
Right, I've done some tests today with Protection and, tbh, it failed me every time! I thought to switch it on before going to Shame to train taming. I thought it would protect my recall spell from being interrupted by PKs. Yet it regularly got interrupted!!! In fact, it would fizzle out after some time (I don't even know how long!). My magery and Eva into are not Gm, but it shouldn't affect, should it? What is going on? Why is it not working?
 

halygon

Grandmaster
Right, I've done some tests today with Protection and, tbh, it failed me every time! I thought to switch it on before going to Shame to train taming. I thought it would protect my recall spell from being interrupted by PKs. Yet it regularly got interrupted!!! In fact, it would fizzle out after some time (I don't even know how long!). My magery and Eva into are not Gm, but it shouldn't affect, should it? What is going on? Why is it not working?
Magery skill affects how long protection lasts. Protection is not time based, but damage based like reactive armor. So more than likely, you took enough damage to remove the protection spell from you -- damage from mobs will do this.
 

Amorpho

Expert
How can you say that magery affects how long Protection lasts, and then say that protection is not time based but damage based? Does anybody know how much damage will switch it off?
 

Darktrix

Expert
With magic reflect its how many circles it will reflect. I'm not 100% on figures but I think at gm its 8 circles, add gm scribe in there and its 16? It may be 7 and 14 but that's how it works to my knowledge.
 

Darktrix

Expert
I assume a similar damage scale would be applied to reactive armour. Protection I thought just added armour for a time period but I'm not sure on this.
 

halygon

Grandmaster
How can you say that magery affects how long Protection lasts, and then say that protection is not time based but damage based? Does anybody know how much damage will switch it off?
In regards to how long reactive armor and protection lasts (ie.. how much damage can you take before it wears off) - I have no clue, nor do I think anyone except maybe those that have seen the code itself. The reason is that uo stratics and other websites have never given out the exact formula so we are always left in the dark. In reality, protection is very rarely used in the field except in PvP situations. You will see Pks cast it on themselves so that they have a chance to get that gheal off or final blow on an enemy...

With magic reflect its how many circles it will reflect. I'm not 100% on figures but I think at gm its 8 circles, add gm scribe in there and its 16? It may be 7 and 14 but that's how it works to my knowledge.
At GM Magery, it is 8 circles of magic reflection. At GM Magery AND GM Inscription, it is 15 circles of magic reflection.
 

Amorpho

Expert
Magic reflect is 8 at GM and 16 at inscription GM. However, I don't understand this business of circles. Does that mean that if I have an 8 cicles protection I can be hit 2 times by a circle 8 before my Magic Reflect buff is taken down?
 

halygon

Grandmaster
Magic reflect is 8 at GM and 16 at inscription GM. However, I don't understand this business of circles. Does that mean that if I have an 8 cicles protection I can be hit 2 times by a circle 8 before my Magic Reflect buff is taken down?
No, it's 8 circles at GM Mage and 15 at GM Mage/inscribe.

You have the right idea about circles. They are a pool that gets subtracted from by direct damage spells. If I get hit by two ebs -- that's 12 circles of spells. One more will put me at 18 which since it uses up all the circles, will go through and hit me.
 

Amorpho

Expert
So really these buffs (all 3 of them) are more for pvp rather than pvm, given their limited usefulness and cooldow time.
 

Tynder

Master
I always have reflect up even on my PVM toons. Always nice to at least reflect one flamestrike rather than take 2 directly to the face with no resist when farming casting critters. Granted, my farmer is a provo/archer/mage, so if I am getting hit, I am doing it wrong. But occasionally, a lich or titan manages to get one off me.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Amorpho

Expert
Right, but PROTECTION is still an enigma to me. Does protection protect your casting from physical attacks only, or from both physical and magic attacks? I find that even if I have protection on (not expired for sure) if I am poisoned I stil fail to recall.
 

Darktrix

Expert
As far as I know protection just raises armour rating.

Reactive armour used to react with the attacker reflecting or diminishing some of the applied physical damage.

The only spell I know of that protects from magic is magic reflect.

They are all highly useful in PvM as said above. I always have magic reflect active on my PvM toons. Always makes me laugh watching a reflected e bolt or FS hit the mob back. Can save your ass against some nasty casting mobs! Especially I'd they have an above average man a pool!
 

Amorpho

Expert
Maybe I didn't explain myself well. Protection doesn't protect from harmful magic, but protects your casts from being interrupted (fizzled). Now, I wanted to know if Protection prevents my casts from being interrupted by physical attacks only or both physical and magical.
 
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