OA question.

[edge2054]

I've just recently gotten into leveling OA and I keep hearing that putting concentrate on your OAs make them work better.

So my question is how this works if it works. Does it make it link easier? Make it stick better? Lower resists somehow?

My understanding is all that concentrate does is keep interrupts from happening. What's the basis for using it on OA if you're not tanking the mob?

Thanks

[sehracii]

My understanding is all that concentrate does is keep interrupts from happening.

After extensive leveling and use of both afflictions, that is my my belief.

People who claim concentrate helps in other ways are just speculating based on personal experience, but I think it's mostly imagined. It's extremely difficult to gather enough data to come to any real conclusions.

[nazak07]

What makes seems to make resists lower and links longer for me and putting much more credits then needed into the affliction.. although I can't say for sure that that effects it, it seems to though .. though with afflictions I only in the 100's and not the most knowledgeable

[edge2054]

I ran some tests using 100 concentrate on a power 100 root vs. one without and saw nothing to suggest that concentrate was affecting links.

Links seem to be a modified resist roll every second or so and if concentrate doesn't affect nuke resists I don't see why it would affect other resists.

Also I played around with a non-concentrate madness stanza on low level mobs and it doesn't look like a link can be 'interrupted' like an initial spell cast so there's no reason to use concentrate in that regard.

If someone can show some evidence to prove contrary though other then 'first hand experience' (a quoted piece of code for instance would be nice) I'd appreciate it.

A friend of mine said it increased skill level by 25 when maintaining a link. Can anyone confirm this and where this info may have come from?

[sehracii]

A friend of mine said it increased skill level by 25 when maintaining a link. Can anyone confirm this and where this info may have come from?

The skill description of "Concentrate" says it increases effective skill level by 25, but only "against interruptions" (a mob cancelling your cast by hitting you.) No where does it say it increases you 25 against resists. People often misconstrue the intended purpose of concentrate.


Again, I've seen no decrease in resists using concentrate. But as Vallian says, the listed success rate can improve effectiveness. When its important, I'll always try to overcredit my spells close to 100% success rate. I'm quite sure that's a wiser investment of your credits than concentrate.

[vguerin]

As another Master of Torment/Illusion, I use concentrate anytime I am in a team (with healer) and in PvP... Even if it's imagined as some suggest, I see improved results. When your resources are restricted there MAY be better uses for your points, though successful afflicting should be your priority and my imagination tells me to ALWAYS use CONC when it matters.

Your mileage may vary...

[thurgond]

I don't believe any way you build an affliction/dot stanza will effect maintaining a link.

Overcharging the spell seems to help overcome the initial resistance to creating a link. Concentrate helps get the spell off when a mob is chewing on your face. Paying for the stanza with 50 extra credits is the same as adding 50 credits to pay for a concentration brick.

However the initial stanza is created, once a link is obtained it will draw a set amount of sap based on the type of spell and it's level. E.g. with only hp and range credits, a level 65 stun will draw 16 sap a tick, madness 12 a tick, blind 10, fear 8, sleep 6, etc. (not sure of actual numbers, but stun has the highest sap drain). You can see the sap cost per tick if you have the link window open.

Since using twice the credits needed doesn't change the per tick cost, I doubt overcharging will change how many ticks the link will last. There seems to be a check of spell level vs mob level to see if the link breaks.

[zarozina]

as far as i can tell, anything you add to the spell only affects the chance of hitting, not of maintaining the link. Certain spells against certain mobs *seem* to have a greater chance of holding the link for longer: Madness over blind with zerx, Blind over madness with tyrancha, kincher and plods, stun over pretty much anything else with kipee, Slow attack with psykobia (yawn) etc.. I don't use conc (my bad perhaps) but overcrediting does seem to help.

Another big factor is decent amps - this seems to have a much greater effect on acchieving and maintaining a link while afflicting than on other spell types, especially when lvling against higher lvl mobs.

[sehracii]

The "Power" on amplifiers only decreases the sap drain while holding a link, it has no affect on chance to hit or maintain links, from my experience. You should on average land the same percentage of hits and have them last the same average duration even without any amps at all.

Of course faster amps can make it seem like you're getting many more hits, because you're casting faster and get more tries.

[larwood]

I agree 100% with Sehraci.

From extensive use and testing, Concentrate will NOT increase the chance of landing a spell (assuming you are not being attacked and interrupted).

Overcrediting with NOT increase the chance of landing a successful spell, or holding a link. (Overcrediting will only raise the % of a successful cast.)

Amp power determines the sap cost of your linked spells per tick, and speed is... the cast speed of the spell.

You're best chance of landing and linking Affliction spells, is to hunt mobs appropriate to your affliction level. This is often a challange, finding a team right at your level, but this is the best way increase your link percentage and the duration of those links.

----

Now, depending on your situation, having a dedicated healer, in a pvp battle, where you will be interrupted, and need higher success rates, adding concentrate can be very useful, as well as over-crediting.

But be careful when adding concentrate and extra credits, as you could very well be just "high maintenance" with no benefit. Meaning you are using very high credit bricks, and it takes lots out of the healer to keep you up. So you need to be considerate, especially when you are acting on a "hunch".