What you were expecting to happen, and what actually happened:
I am transforming blue gems to skulls. Obviously, it’s at least 3 groups, that must do 141 damage alone. But the last is the biggest group of 9 skulls now, forming 4-skull line and at least one more full 3-skull line (even if cross-sections doesn’t add much damage). I expected a lot of damage. It was so before “speed issue with skull” fix.
In reality I got 160, as obvious. So all this additional skulls are giving 19 damage. Less than quarter of my 3-skull attack. It’s quite catastrophic.
How often does this happen? When did it begin happening?
Noticed it after “wrong damage with skulls on big speed” fix.
Hm. Strange that I didn’t notice it earlier. Maybe old “too many skull damage” bug worked in my favor, as I always played on max speed then?..
But nevermind. It’s not a recent bug then. But it still the bug for me. 9 skulls intuitively must give you at least 3x base attack, not 1.4x. Because otherwise skull attacks and skull-generating skills are in disadvantage: mana scored in full, and maybe more (I don’t remember “critical” rules), so casters gains from color chains more, can utilize gems better, and don’t suffer from the most enemy retalation skills at the same time. shrugs
Wait, I set the speed to 0.5x and just noticed that my Sentinel has Razor Armor. So it’s flat +20% armor buff per hit, right? So… it had to be at least 141 (for 3 skull groups) plus 17x3=51 for armor alone, and 192 damage. Not 160. So Razor armor doesn’t work as expected too. Ok…
So if it’s pure +17 for armor for all skulls actually, then 9 skulls gives awesome bonus of +2 damage (vs 3 skulls attack)??
Unlike gems where big group of gems gives mana surge (x2 mana gain), big group of skulls counts as a single skull hit (+1 damage for every extra skull, capped at +2)
And similar to traits, talents trigger only once per board resolution
In the 1st post, the damage dealt was 47 + 47 + (47 +2) + 85/5 = 160
Yes, I guessed “traits are only once”, as you can see above.
But it is horribly wrong then. As 5 gems, 10 gems, and 64 gems all gives the same “attack+bonus+2” damage, if they are in the same group. While 3 gems+3 gems doubles the damage. So common 3+3+3 will give triple attack, but the same gems in 3x3 pattern will give a single attack+2. It needs to be changed.
It’s not “basically” nothing, it’s totally nothing, except, maybe, plain 3-skull match. I don’t know what it supposed to do (I assumed it’s double damage before today), but if any extra damage is capped on +2, then anything with more than 4 skulls will add nothing at all, critical or not.
Ok, let it be “suggestion”. Even if I still think that mechanic is basically broken, so “bug” seems better description of it. Thank you for your explanation.
There’s a subtle difference. If your troop has 0 attack (e.g. due to being entangled), it still does 1 (4 skulls) or 2 (5+ skulls) points of damage. This will bump off barrier and cause skull based traits/talents to trigger.
On the contrary: it corrects the OP’s misconception that something had recently changed with skull damage resolution. Feel free to be less passive-aggressive.
Back on topic, you (OP) should probably repost this as a new suggestion thread for it to be considered, though I personally think the current system is completely adequate. Skull converters are already very effective as is.
It can be normal and skull dmg should be less. The strength difference between skull and spell dmg already too big.
More skull dmg and we can trash all our spell based troops.
@noob said that formula includes +1 damage for each extra skull, but capped on +2.
It means that any 5+ combination already do “attack+2” damage. So “Critical” damage does nothing in any condition - there is no room for increasing. Except cases of criticals on 3- and 4-matches. (If they are exist).
