New Battle Mage Blows

For general reference, this is how I calculated the fastAttack delays for Prime Blow and Another Blow:

Code:

skill/32121011/addAttack/skill    32120052
skill/32121011/addAttack/reqCount    1
skill/32121011/addAttack/pattern    151
skill/32121011/addAttack/isAuto    1
skill/32121011/addAttack/skipActionFrame    9
skill/32121011/addAttack/isSkipEffect    1
skill/32121011/fastAttack/randomSkill0    32001014
skill/32121011/fastAttack/randomSkill1    32101008
skill/32121011/fastAttack/randomSkill2    32111015
skill/32121011/fastAttack/startRepeatActionFrame    3
skill/32121011/fastAttack/endRepeatActionFrame    9
skill/32121011/fastAttack/startRepeatEffectFrame    4

32121011 is Prime Blow. It has an addAttack effect which chains it to Another Blow (32120052), with a skipActionFrame of 9. Going off its default delay 1260ms, this cuts out 3 frames [9, 10, 11], reducing it to 810ms. Another thing to note is the "isAuto" tag, meaning that Another Blow appears to always occur after you've learned it. Another example of this tag existing is Mercedes' Charge Rush, where the rushing action will automatically chain to the tossing action.

Taking a look at the new fastAttack effect, there is a randomSkill value, which can pick an alternative skill effect other than the default Prime Blow. i.e. you will see First, Second, and Third Blow skill graphics as a possibility as well as Prime Blow's effect.

The startRepeatActionFrame seems to dictate the starting frame in the delay, and the endRepeatActionFrame dictates the ending frame in the delay for when a "fastAttack" is used, i.e. repeatedly spammed. The delays for all Blow skills (except Another) are identical, with possibly the exception of character position, but I didn't look at that. This start and end cut the delay down to 480ms. When we combine that with the skipActionFrame in the case of chaining to Another Blow, we cut the 9th frame (which still exists as the endRepeatActionFrame) out, which is another 90ms, leading to 390ms Prime Blow.

The startRepeatEffectFrame dictates the starting frame for the effect of the skill. If we were to look at First Blow, the first four frames [0, 1, 2, 3] are used for the twirling effect of the staff, which exists for Second, Third, and Prime as well. Frame 4, which this effect tells us to skip to, is the first frame that the slashing motion occurs. Thus, in effect, each time you continue a fastAttack, this is analogous to skipping the "start up" involved, where the Battle Mage twirls his staff, and you go straight into the actual attacking part of the animation, which is why you only see the attacking portion in the videos posted so far. This means every time a Battle Mage stops chaining Blows, his next initial Blow will have an additional 420ms (or 330ms if you have Another Blow, leading to 810ms for the first attack, or 720ms with Another Blow). If a Battle Mage doesn't chain his Blows, they will be 1260ms in duration instead.

Code:

skill/32120052/fastAttack/startRepeatActionFrame    0
skill/32120052/fastAttack/endRepeatActionFrame    6
skill/32120052/fastAttack/startRepeatEffectFrame    0

The same effects are applied to Another Blow, but it has slightly different delay values. The principle is the same, and its delay gets cut from 900ms to 450ms, cutting out 3 frames [7, 8, 9], with no skipActionFrames. Since Another Blow's animation doesn't have any superfluous start-up, the entire effect is present with the startRepeatEffectFrame = 0, starting from the beginning and playing the entire thing.


I personally find this to be a fantastic way to make the class less stale. Rather than being forced to use weaker skills to chain to stronger skills like Aran, you have the graphical appearance of your earlier skills mixed in so it's less spammy looking, and the attack patterns flow very well. That being said, basically all the Hand skills are pretty pomegranatety, with terrible DPS in comparison, and only useful for utility that's meaningless for training since things should be dying in one or two hits, and bosses because they can't be knocked back, slowed, or stunned in most cases.

For reference, Normal (6):

First Blow	Triple Blow
833%/s	481%/s
Second Blow	Quadruple Blow
1208.3%/s	666.6%/s
Third Blow	Quintuple Blow
1812.5%/s	864.2%/s
Prime Blow	Finishing Blow
2750%/s	1481.8%/s
Another Blow	Battle King Bar
4400%/s	8888.9%/s

I like how the title of the thread has a double meaning, both of which are backed up by the thread content.


Thanks for your hard work again, JoeTang.

Really stinks how with one patch Battle Mages can do a total 180 and be utterly weakened. It's as if the developers don't at least test out the damage on say Zakum and see if it's much worse than the other classes. Hell, the game really needs DPS dummies in general so both players and the developers can get a rough idea on which classes need help in improving damage. *looks at Aran*

I like how the title of the thread has a double meaning, both of which are backed up by the thread content.


Thanks for your hard work again, JoeTang.

I can imagine a third meaning.





Good night, everybody!

Where are you guys getting the idea that they're weaker?

Where are you guys getting the idea that they're weaker?

If only we all can be so weak. I think a lot of people are BKButthurt.

That is really cool new mechanic. Having the different job animations certainly make it less boring, as long as it doesnt harm the class.

Thanks Joe. Glad to see they buffed BaMs although they gave them ugly hands.

That is really cool new mechanic. Having the different job animations certainly make it less boring, as long as it doesnt harm the class.

Thanks Joe. Glad to see they buffed BaMs although they gave them ugly hands.

The "fist" that pounds the ground and creates a red shockwave looks like something else...........

Where are you guys getting the idea that they're weaker?

I never said that. Them blowing has nothing to do with their damage, just their overall performance. After playing them and seeing here how shitty their non-Blow skills are, the class just... blows.

So the only way I can chain is with the 4th job Blow and the Hyper Blow? That's disappointing.

So the only way I can chain is with the 4th job Blow and the Hyper Blow? That's disappointing.

Every Blow will Fast Attack with itself. Prime Blow automatically chains into Another Blow once you put a point in it at 170, and it will Fast Attack back into Prime Blow.

For reference:

First Blow	Triple Blow
833%/s	481%/s
Second Blow	Quadruple Blow
1208.3%/s	666.6%/s
Third Blow	Quintuple Blow
1812.5%/s	864.2%/s
Prime Blow	Finishing Blow
2750%/s	1481.8%/s
Another Blow	Battle King Bar
4400%/s	8888.9%/s

What was the point of those hand skills seeing how most bosses are not affected and most regular mobs are 1hkoed? I'm sure they could have come up with something better. Not a bad change overall, the mixing of the blows will add some variety. A green aura seems a bit odd, dont know why they changed the colors but maybe we will see in the future. Didnt really change the playstyle too much though.

I never said that. Them blowing has nothing to do with their damage, just their overall performance. After playing them and seeing here how shitty their non-Blow skills are, the class just... blows.

Erm, I don't play my Battle Mage all that often so I might be missing something, but isn't that how it's always been?

When training my Battle Mage, it's always been: Dark Chain -> strongest Blow move, sometimes use Twister for fun, maybe use Dark Gene once in a blue moon. I guess they did have Finisher to change things up a little way back when, but the Blow attacks were always worth spamming more than anything else.

Erm, I don't play my Battle Mage all that often so I might be missing something, but isn't that how it's always been?

When training my Battle Mage, it's always been: Dark Chain -> strongest Blow move, sometimes use Twister for fun, maybe use Dark Gene once in a blue moon. I guess they did have Finisher to change things up a little way back when, but the Blow attacks were always worth spamming more than anything else.

Not quite. The old Battle Mage didn't have a "start-up time" for their core attacks. The new Battle Mage now has a large delay for the first swing, then a slightly large delay after you hold it down before the attacks start getting spammed. It's kind of a turnoff, honestly - at least to me.

I found the old Battle Mage more fun to play.

I never said that. Them blowing has nothing to do with their damage, just their overall performance. After playing them and seeing here how shitty their non-Blow skills are, the class just... blows.

battle mages have always been like that

The new Battle Mage now has a large delay for the first swing, then a slightly large delay after you hold it down before the attacks start getting spammed. It's kind of a turnoff, honestly - at least to me.

Maybe if you don't live in Korea.

Maybe if you don't live in Korea.

Not that kind of delay. I mean the swing of the weapon is slow, unless you hold it down. The third swing and onward is fast, but the first two are pretty slow to get started.

Not that kind of delay. I mean the swing of the weapon is slow, unless you hold it down. The third swing and onward is fast, but the first two are pretty slow to get started.

That happens with most skills because of the lag from non-Korea to Korea.

so it automatically chains to battle king bar just from holding the skill button down?

glorious day.

Just the loss of a ridiculously large AoE skill, for increased DPS. As someone who never reaches lvl 200, I feel that is quite a big loss to me.

Hadriel

Just the loss of a ridiculously large AoE skill, for increased DPS. As someone who never reaches lvl 200, I feel that is quite a big loss to me.

Hadriel

to be fair
battle king bar is way too big.

being able to attack both platforms at stronghold is overpowered