NPC Attack Rates Explained

[vsab]

Well I got their raw logs. The "tank" was a level 100 chanter, I suspect he can't riposte. The results don't seem all that clear to me, perhaps you can interpret the output better.

No Slow

Fight #1 [1] An ivyscale slitherer - Sun Sep 07 17:35:47 2014 - Duration: 5m 31s
Rounds: 171; Bashes: 42; Dmg Type(s): hit; Swings: 551
rounds with 1 swings: 7 (4%)
rounds with 2 swings: 20 (11.6%)
rounds with 3 swings: 72 (42.1%)
rounds with 4 swings: 72 (42.1%)

Avg pre-slow round delay: 1.947; Rounds/sec: 0.513; Swings/sec: 1.664
Preslow Swings: 551;  Preslow time: 331
(4)2(3)2(3)2(3)2(2)2(4)2(3)2(2)2(3)2(4)2(1)2(3)2(2)2(2)2(3)2(2)2(3)2(3)2(3)2(4)2(4)2(4)2(3)2(3)2(4)2(3)2(3)2(4)2(4)2(3)2(4)2(4)2(4)1(3)2(3)1(1)1(4)2(3)2(4)2(3)2(3)2(3)2(3)2(4)2(4)2(4)2(3)2(3)2(3)2(3)2(2)2(3)2(3)2(3)2(4)2(4)2(3)2(3)2(2)2(3)2(3)2(4)2(2)2(1)2(4)2(3)2(4)2(3)3(2)1(4)2(4)2(4)2(3)2(4)2(4)2(2)2(4)2(3)2(4)2(4)2(4)2(3)2(3)2(3)1(1)1(3)1(3)2(4)2(3)2(3)3(4)1(2)2(4)2(4)2(3)2(1)2(4)2(2)2(3)2(3)2(4)2(4)2(4)2(4)2(2)2(3)2(3)2(1)2(4)2(4)2(4)2(4)2(3)2(4)2(4)2(4)2(3)2(4)2(4)2(3)2(4)2(4)2(4)2(2)2(4)2(3)2(3)2(3)2(3)2(4)2(3)2(3)2(2)2(4)2(3)2(4)1(3)2(1)1(3)1(2)2(3)2(3)2(4)3(2)1(4)2(4)2(4)2(3)2(4)2(3)2(4)2(3)2(4)2(4)2(4)2(4)2(4)2(3)2(3)2(3)2(4)2(4)2(4)2(2)2(3)2(3)2(4)2(3)2(4)2(2)2(2)

Avg pre-slow bash delay: 8.073; Bashes per second: 0.123
8-8-8-8-8-9-8-8-9-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-8-9-7-9-8-8-8-8-8-8

Chanter up to 73% slow

Fight #1 [1] An ivyscale slitherer - Sun Sep 07 18:09:51 2014 - Duration: 7m 35s
Rounds: 233; Bashes: 14; Dmg Type(s): hit; Swings: 603
rounds with 1 swings: 34 (14.5%)
rounds with 2 swings: 84 (36%)
rounds with 3 swings: 59 (25.3%)
rounds with 4 swings: 56 (24%)

Avg pre-slow round delay: 2; Rounds/sec: 0.5; Swings/sec: 1.5
Preslow Swings: 36;  Preslow time: 24
(1)2(3)3(4)2(4)3(3)2(4)2(2)1(2)2(3)2(2)1(2)2(2)2(4)
Avg post-slow round delay: 1.968; Rounds/sec: 0.508; Swings/sec: 1.315
Postslow Swings: 567;  Postslow time: 431
3(3)2(4)3(3)2(4)2(1)1(1)2(4)2(3)3(2)2(3)3(3)2(4)2(2)1(2)2(4)2(1)1(2)2(3)2(3)3(3)2(1)1(2)2(4)2(4)2(2)1(1)2(4)2(2)1(2)2(3)2(1)1(2)2(4)2(2)3(3)2(3)3(3)2(4)2(2)1(2)2(3)2(2)1(2)2(3)2(3)3(2)2(4)3(3)2(3)2(2)3(2)2(2)1(1)2(4)2(2)3(3)2(4)2(2)1(1)2(3)2(1)1(1)2(1)2(2)1(2)2(4)2(2)3(3)2(3)3(3)2(2)2(2)1(2)2(3)2(4)3(2)2(2)3(3)2(4)3(2)2(1)2(2)1(1)2(3)2(3)3(3)2(4)3(4)2(3)3(4)2(4)2(2)1(2)2(3)2(4)3(3)2(2)3(4)2(4)3(3)2(4)2(2)1(1)2(3)2(2)1(2)2(3)2(3)3(3)2(3)2(2)1(1)2(3)2(2)1(2)2(4)2(1)1(2)2(3)2(4)3(4)2(4)2(2)1(2)2(3)2(1)1(2)2(4)2(1)1(1)2(3)2(3)3(3)2(2)2(2)1(2)2(3)2(2)1(1)2(3)2(4)3(4)2(1)2(2)1(1)2(4)2(1)1(2)2(4)2(1)1(2)2(4)2(3)3(4)2(3)3(4)2(3)3(3)2(3)2(2)1(2)2(1)2(2)1(2)2(2)2(2)3(3)2(4)2(2)1(2)2(3)2(1)1(2)2(4)2(2)1(1)2(2)2(4)3(4)2(4)2(1)1(2)2(3)2(2)1(2)2(4)2(3)3(4)2(4)2(2)1(2)2(2)2(2)1(2)2(4)2(3)3(4)2(1)3(4)2(4)2(2)1(2)2(2)2(2)1(1)2(4)2(2)1(1)2(4)2(2)1(2)2(2)2(4)3(3)2(4)2(2)1(1)2(3)2(1)1(2)

Avg pre-slow bash delay: -1.#IND; Bashes per second: -1.#IND

Avg post-slow bash delay: 32.416; Bashes per second: 0.03
Adjusted avg post-slow bash delay: 20.333; Bashes per second: 0.049
10-56-11-O66-10-10-O65-10-10-O75-10-56-10

Turgur's - 75% slow

Fight #1 [1] An ivyscale slitherer - Sun Sep 07 17:41:42 2014 - Duration: 7m 54s
Rounds: 195; Bashes: 41; Dmg Type(s): hit; Swings: 631
rounds with 1 swings: 5 (2.5%)
rounds with 2 swings: 29 (14.8%)
rounds with 3 swings: 76 (38.9%)
rounds with 4 swings: 85 (43.5%)

Avg pre-slow round delay: 2.443; Rounds/sec: 0.409; Swings/sec: 1.331
Preslow Swings: 631;  Preslow time: 474
(3)2(4)2(3)3(3)2(4)3(3)2(4)3(2)2(2)2(4)3(3)2(3)3(4)2(3)3(3)2(4)3(4)2(4)2(4)3(4)2(3)3(1)2(3)3(2)2(3)3(3)2(3)3(3)2(2)2(4)3(2)2(4)3(4)2(4)3(2)2(4)3(2)2(1)2(4)3(4)2(2)3(3)2(4)3(3)2(3)2(4)3(3)2(3)3(3)2(3)3(3)2(4)3(4)2(4)2(3)3(4)2(4)3(4)2(4)3(3)2(4)3(2)2(4)2(4)3(4)2(4)3(4)2(2)3(3)2(2)3(3)2(3)2(4)3(2)2(3)3(3)2(3)3(3)2(3)3(3)2(2)3(3)2(3)2(3)3(4)2(4)3(4)2(4)3(3)2(4)3(2)2(2)2(4)3(2)2(4)3(3)2(4)3(4)2(3)2(2)3(2)2(3)3(3)2(3)3(4)2(4)3(2)2(4)2(3)3(3)2(2)3(4)2(3)3(4)2(3)3(3)2(2)2(4)3(1)2(3)3(3)2(4)3(4)2(3)3(4)2(4)2(2)3(3)2(2)3(3)2(3)3(3)2(3)3(4)2(4)2(4)3(4)2(4)3(3)2(3)3(3)2(3)3(2)2(1)3(3)2(4)2(4)3(4)2(4)3(3)2(3)3(2)2(4)2(4)3(3)3(4)2(3)2(3)3(3)2(4)3(1)2(4)2(2)3(3)2(4)3(3)2(4)3(3)2(3)3(4)2(4)3(2)2(4)2(4)3(2)2(3)3(4)2(2)3(4)2(4)3(4)2(3)2(4)3(3)2(3)3(3)2(4)3(4)2(4)2(3)3(4)2(4)3(4)2(4)3(4)

Avg pre-slow bash delay: 11.525; Bashes per second: 0.086
Adjusted avg pre-slow bash delay: 10.23; Bashes per second: 0.097
9-10-10-10-23-10-10-10-10-9-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-9-11-9-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-10-9-10-10-10-O62-10-10

[Torven]

The parser handles ripostes by ignoring the hit above any riposte message.

From those parses I can tell that the mob is mitigating slow to about 25% normal effectiveness.

Post-turgur's bash delay on this is ~10 seconds, when an unmitigated slowed mob would be 32.

0.75 * 0.25 = 0.1875 = how much Turgur's is slowing this mob

1 - 0.1875 = 0.8125 = 81.25% of normal attack rate

1 / 0.8125 ~ 1.231 // convert attack rate % into delay multiplier

8 unslowed bash delay * 1.231 = 9.848 slowed bash delay

Now the parses give a number of 10.23 'adjusted' bash delay for turgur's, but this is why I have the script display each bash delay in a chain. You can easily see that the NPC did not bash each time the timer came up or the log missed it somehow. The script has an option to ignore outliers, so the adjusted value is a second computed value after ignoring those outliers. The default threshold for an outlier defaults to 2 times the non-adjusted average, so the 23 second bash got included, raising the average to 10.23. You can eyeball it and see that it's a chain of 10s and a few nines, meaning the real average is slightly below 10.

The attack round delays also agree: 2 second attack delay unslowed * 1.231 = 2.462 slowed.

Your enchanter slow log however is kind of screwy. It seems to be a bad log. You can still see some 10 second bashes in there, however there are large gaps of time without any bashes at all. (note that when I say bashes, I mean bashes OR kicks; the parser looks for both) The post slow attack delay is also lower than the preslow delay which is obviously wrong. It's important to know what's happening in the log because the script will not factor in things like dispelled or expired slows or multiple mobs with the same name. The swings per round in that log is also different than the other two for whatever reason.

Generally when parsing for an accurate attack delay you want to not be fighting the mob at all (stuns and things can mess it up), turn your back to it, ensure you never leave melee range of it, and let it beat on you for like 5+ minutes at each rate value.

[werebat]

Compiled yesterday and fired it up. Using the PEQ database from a month ago and the RoF client.

Anyways, I have a Zerker PC with a Ranger Bot. My Ranger Bot using a 2 Handed Sword (plain one, not magical) was constantly attacking like a delay of 1 when in Unrest facing several mobs. When I face one mob she attacks at normal rate, but when its multiple mobs she was attacking in rapid succession as if her delay was 1. Have not tried on other zones yet but will do that soon and see if it still happens. I did apply all the SQLs from the required folder.

[demonstar55]

These changes shouldn't have changed bots behavior. Is your bot repoing or something crazy?

[werebat]

Strating to think its a bot issue and not related to these changes. I notice then when I toggled the archery setting for bots, she is holding her bow in one hand and the two handed sword in the other.

[Uleat]

Is this something new, or did you just notice it?

[KLS]

These changes shouldn't have changed bots behavior. Is your bot repoing or something crazy?

It shouldn't have changed #spawn npc behavior either but it did. I'm not sure why you guys are so quick to dismiss that it might be related.

[lerxst2112]

Originally Posted by KLS

It shouldn't have changed #spawn npc behavior either but it did. I'm not sure why you guys are so quick to dismiss that it might be related.

If I had a dollar for every time something shouldn't have changed something else but did I'd be rich.

[demonstar55]

Originally Posted by KLS

It shouldn't have changed #spawn npc behavior either but it did. I'm not sure why you guys are so quick to dismiss that it might be related.

Well I looked at the bots and they have their own function I didn't touch, so it shouldn't have :P I didn't look into what #spawn was doing.

[werebat]

Follow up: when my bot respawns from death, she has that crazy hi speed attack rate until I zone.

When I log off the server and then get back on later, her attack rate is normal as long as she was alive when I logged off. It seems that she only wigs out when respawning from death. By wiggling out I mean the 1 attack delay. It is like a machine gun when she attacks in that state.

[Torven]

Been parsing more NPCs to fill out my spreadsheet and I noticed something odd. It appears that rampage can reset the bash timer on live too, however it doesn't always do so, even from the same NPC. (it was a different spawn however) I have parses of Rydda`Dar with reset bash timers and others with it not reseting the timer. Rampage has some strange logic.

Incidentally I've noticed that some rampage NPCs can and do switch rampage targets. It's commonly assumed that rampage never changes target, but on some NPCs it does every so often, like Derakor the Vindicator. It's worth noting that a merc was the 'main' ramp tank however. (but it never lost aggro) Generally he would only switch ramp targets for a brief time, then go back to the first one for an extended length of time.

Also, NPCs can have more than one special attack (Ramp, Wild Ramp, Flurry). Mith Marr does all three for example, with decreasing frequency. However I've only ever seen one per round. Does the EQ Emu code prevent multiple special attacks of different types in the same round?

And one last note: Cleric and Shaman NPCs will also bash.

[Torven]

More oddities: I found a rogue NPC that was bashing instead of backstabbing, and a cleric that didn't bash. These appear to not be tied to a NPC's class and set separately in SOE's code.

Ramp, flurry, and wild ramp should probably get a thread devoted to them, but I noticed that a NPC that was flurrying and only hitting for doubles was also flurrying for only one or two attacks, while quadding mobs flurry for 1-4 attacks. This suggests that flurries are actually an extra combat round.

I also encounter raid bosses that execute some special attacks VERY infrequently. For example, I have a 6 hour parse of Vulak and he Wild Rampaged once. (although he was slowed the entire time, making it equivalent to a 1.5 hour unslowed parse)

[Torven]

A correction: if an NPC is wielding a weapon and the weapon is faster than the innate delay, then it will only use the weapon's faster delay if the NPC is not a pet.

This includes charmed pets. You can charm an NPC and it will in fact start swinging more slowly if the weapon is faster than the innate delay. Interestingly this means that it would be more tactically sound to give charmed pets slower weapons so they pose less of a risk when charm breaks if you need to give them weapons to enable dual wield.