Hello everyone, I’m Jason. I am the person in charge of the level and skill design in the Sdorica team.
Since many players have asked for a more consistent understanding of the game’s combat system and skill descriptions, I decided to perform a revamp of the existing information.
We hope that by doing this, we can decrease the players’ confusion and controversy when it comes to the game’s combat.
(Note: This revamp will only focus on adjusting the skill descriptions. We will NOT alter the existing skill effects!)

1. Retaliate Limit

• To prevent player characters and enemy character from getting stuck in a non-stop loop of Retaliates, we added a limitation to retaliate:
  • Each turn, a Retaliate skill will not be triggered a second time by the same target.
  • Most enemies' retaliate skills also has the same limitation. However, for enemies with the “Power Retaliate” skill description, this limitation does not apply.
• This time, we will adjust the skill description of the following characters: Karnulla, Jahan.
• Example:
  • Character skills with the term “retaliate” in them, such as Karnulla’s Passive Skill, will now have the description," [Retaliate Limit]: In each turn, a Retaliate skill will not be triggered a second time by the same target."

2. Trigger Limit

• To prevent player characters from performing infinite triggers with character skills that trigger other character skills, we added a limitation to skill triggers:
  • Before next self-turn, a character skill cannot be triggered a second time by this skill.
• This time, we will adjust the skill description of the following characters: Naya [Alt], Angelia, Angelia [Alt], Angelia SP, Dylan, Dylan [Alt], Theodore, Theodore [Alt], Jahan [Alt], Puggi [Alt].
• Example
  • Character skills with the trigger effect, such as SSR Angelia’s 1-orb skill, will now have the description," [Trigger Limit]: Before next self-turn, a character skill cannot be triggered a second time by this skill.

3. Define the formula that calculates skill power

• Attack power * skill ratio * (1+ ratio multipliers) * (1+ skill power multipliers) = Final damage number
  • Right now, the multipliers that affect the final damage number is divided into two categories: ratio multipliers and skill power multipliers. We hope players can understand how the damage is calculated better after this adjustment.
  • Attack power is the number displayed next to the sword icon in the Roster page’s “Character” tab.
  • The numbers shown in the skill descriptions of the Roster page’s “Skills” tab is the skill power calculated automatically by the system. Formula: Attack power * skill ratio * (1+ ratio multipliers) = skill power.
  • When calculating the final damage number, the system will first calculate the skill power by adding up all the ratio multipliers that will affect this skill cast. Then it will add up all the skill power multipliers that will affect this skill cast. By multiplying the skill power with the sum of the skill power multipliers, we get the final damage number.
• This time, we will adjust the skill description of the following characters: Yamitsuki, Ned, Nigel, Lio, Leah, Nolva.
• Example:
  • SSR Nigel’s 4-orb skill
    • Pre-revamp: Attack (skill power) front row enemy. If target less than 50% HP, increase skill power by 50% for this turn.
    • Post-revamp: Attack (skill power) front row enemy. If target less than 50% HP, increase skill ratio by 50% for this turn.
    • Therefore, if nothing else is applied:
      Attack power * skill ratio * (1+ 50%) * (1 + skill power multipliers) = final damage number.
  • Enhance
    • If nothing else is applied:
      Attack power * skill ratio * (1 + ratio multiplier) * (1 + (30%* no. of stacks)) = final damage number.
  • In-game application
    • Scenario: Lv. 60 SSR Nigel (+0), with 2 stacks of Enhance, casts 4-orb skill against a target with less than 50% HP.
    • What players see: 5443 + 12701 = 18144.
    • How this final damage number is calculated:
      1890 (Attack power) * 4(skill ratio) *1.5 (50% skill ratio buff from 4-orb skill) *1.6 (2 stacks Enhance) = 18144.

4. Define “Turn”

• Sdorica has a turn-based combat system. The player’s turn occurs, followed by the enemy’s turn, rinse and repeat.
• The terms “Upon turn/ Upon the end of turn” can have several different possible applications:
  • Upon turn/ Upon the end of turn: Triggers once at the start/end of the player’s turn, and triggers once at the start/end of the enemy’s turn.
  • Upon player’s turn/ Upon the end of player’s turn.
  • Upon enemy’s turn/ Upon the end of enemy’s turn.
  • Upon self-turn/ Upon the end of self-turn.
  • Full turn: Player turn + enemy turn/ enemy turn + player turn.
• When players received a Buff for 1 turn through regular skill casts, this means that the Buff will last 1 enemy turn and 1 player turn, and will disappear at the end of said player turn.
  • For example, Crushfang’s 1-orb skill. He Attacks all enemies and grants himself Enhance. This Enhance will last until the next player turn, allowing Crushfang’s next skill cast to be buffed.
• When players received a Buff for 1 turn through Advisor or Passive skills, they are getting the Buff “Upon player turn”. This means that the Buff will last 1 player turn and 1 enemy turn, and will disappear at the end of said enemy turn. This is what we believe to be most players’ instinctive understanding of a “1-turn effect”.
  • For example, Puggi’s Advisor skill grants an ally Taunt. This Taunt will disappear at the end of the enemy turn.
• This time, we will adjust the skill description of the following characters: Naya [Alt], Hestia [Alt], Yamitsuki [Alt], Kittyeyes, Theodore [Alt], Yan-Bo [Alt]; as well as the description of several buffs: Poison, Regen, Armor Shift.

In this update, we will focus on these four points and apply the corresponding description adjustments. Thank you to all players and fellow colleagues who gave us these suggestions. We hope that everyone can continue to support Sdorica!