Quote Originally Posted by Catmato View Post
I clearly didn't know as much about magic as I thought I did. I would still like some more clarification.
No problem.

Don't they still calculate a M.Acc. number for each skill and the stat difference is a bonus/penalty on top of it?
Yes, the skill is taken into account just like it is with melee, both melee and magic have similar formulas, but the stat modifier is very different in how it affects them which is why it is so much harder to display your Magic Accuracy than it is to display Accuracy itself. To say it in math form, when above 200 skill Accuracy's formula is basically as simple as...

(((Skill - 200) *.9) +200) + (DEX * .75) + Accuracy from Traits, Gear, and so on = Total Accuracy

In the event you are talking about your off-hand or H2H off-hand you use (DEX * .5) instead of the above, skill over 200 only adds .9 Accuracy rather than a full point as well. That is Physical Accuracy though. Magic Accuracy for a spell like Paralyze, a White Magic spell looks more like this...

(((Skill - 200) *.9) +200) + (((MND - Target's MND) * .5) + Target's MND) + Accuracy from Traits, Gear, and so on = Total Magic Accuracy

As you can see in both equations the only thing that changes is the stat modifier in your Accuracy, but to determine your Magic Accuracy you must still know the MND of your target otherwise you can not tell just how much Magic Accuracy you have.

Is there any reason that 500 can't be displayed as your base M.Acc for Enfeeble or Divine, or whatever skill you're using? I understand that 500 doesn't really give you much information if you don't know the stats of the mob you're fighting, but that's not really any different from accuracy.

Is there some reason they couldn't display a separate M.Acc stat for each skill?
Not at all, they could show the unfinished number by simply excluding the stat part of it, though your number would be inaccurate in the end because of it. In the end it shouldn't matter all to much that you miss out on that information because they could just as easily either show it with something along the lines of (White Enfeebling Magic Accuracy = 500~580) or something along those lines, with the description pointing out that it is target dependant, or simply leave it to guess work as it is now, with no real penalty being suffered, we just have to do what we do now.

I am not saying this is a reason why it can't be done or shouldn't, I just wanted to point out its not quite as simple to find your Magic Accuracy as it is to find your Physical Accuracy, because the stat modifier is still a variable but it involves your target's as well which is what calls it into question. They could show an unfinished number and it would be fine all the same, but an accurate number would be impossible without checking the specific target's stats as well.