What if armor and mr gave additive % armor/mr-reduction so its easier for players to calculate

i cant move wtf·3/14/2019, 11:16:37 PM·2 votes·1,881 views

The math to calculate effective health based on a champion's armor and mr isn't a fun or practical element for players to take advantage of in game. What if the armor and mr items were reworked so they have roughly the same power as they do now but instead grant a flat % physical/magic damage reduction.

For example, let's say Spirit Visage gives 25% magic damage reduction, and Abyssal Mask gives 10% magic damage reduction. If you bought both you would have a combined 35% magic damage reduction.

This is much easier to grasp at a glance than 100 / (100 + total-magic-resist). And it's not hidden from new players. I don't have to look up a formula on an obscure forum post to understand how effective an armor or mr item is in the game I'm playing.

13 Comments

Titanium703/15/2019, 4:25:48 AM3 votes

It's alot easier to understand if you look at it the other way:

+1 Point of Armor = +1% Effective Heath

If you tell someone with 80Armor and 1000HP his opponents needs 1800 Physical Damage to kill him, that's quite easy to understand - don't you think?

Vreivai3/14/2019, 11:32:41 PM2 votes

If you changed it to work like this it would drastically change how MR and armor work. I haven't done the math on it, but at first glance it appears that it would create a much larger difference than there is now in the effective health of non-tanks and tanks, and would create a far less smooth power curve for tank items.

KFCeytron3/15/2019, 3:29:09 AM2 votes

The way resistances work in LoL and many other games makes each point of armor/MR/etc. reduce your damage taken by the same percentage that the previous point did. If each point of armor granted a flat percentage point increase, each point of armor/MR/etc. would have a greater effect than the previous point did. To see what would happen, let's look at your example numbers: if you bought four Spirit Visages, you'd be immune to magic damage. That is why resistances work the way they do.

Dracocrash3/15/2019, 2:52:01 AM1 votes

Your suggestion would override the current mechanism of balance and checks to keep resistance from being overbearing. As it works right now, resistances have diminishing returns. The first 50 armor you buy gives you more damage reduction than the NEXT 50 armor you buy. You are suggesting a flat curve, which would require a complete overhaul of resistances and how they function.

But I completely agree with you. MR/Armor calculations shouldn't be so daunting. There should be a clearer way to envision how much tankiness you're getting from an item, but your solution is not the way to do it.

And I can't think of an actual solution to this problem anyway, so whadoiknow?

Critmaster Garen3/15/2019, 3:54:50 AM1 votes

your armor/mr is the effective % increase of your health bar against that damage type.

when you have 100 armor, you have effective 2 times your health bar against physical damage.

when you have 200 armor, you have effective 3 times your health bar against physical damage.

its not difficult to calculate. what makes it difficult to do on the spot is penetration. that wouldnt change.

Quepha3/15/2019, 9:20:28 AM1 votes

Under your system, if you bought 4 items with 25% MR on each item, you would be completely immune to magic damage. That's bad for balance.

The current armor/mr system is implemented in a way that is very well balanced under the Effective HP model of thinking about character durability, which is generally the best model to use when understanding the benefits of durability bonuses in RPGs.