Frontline damage modifications are possibly being calculated improperly.

Date & Time: Always
Frequency: Always
World name: Exodus
Character name: Dank Lollington
Area and coordinates: Frontline, all maps.


I am writing this bug report in regards to a perceived miscalculation with the way damage in Frontline is calculated. Generally speaking, every single instance of damage modification(buffs/debuffs/status effects) in Final Fantasy XIV is done via multiplication. It has come to my attention that the damage modifiers that the balance team has specifically placed on Frontline (see the bottom of the page: https://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodes...e/frontline/3/ ) are calculated additive rather than multiplicative. This results in drastically different math which makes jobs that already have high base mitigation incredibly harder to kill. I am asking for the PvP balance team to please look and confirm that the modifiers are functioning as intended.

Below is some math on the FL modifiers and their real-world outcomes:
Example 1:
Dark Knight's "Shadowbringer" is an ability that does 6000 potency. Dark Knight has a -15% damage dealt modifier. Used on a Paladin who has 45% mitigation, you would expect 6000x0.55x0.85=2805 damage. Instead, the modifiers calculate as if the Paladin had 60% mitigation. The 6000 potency "Shadowbringer" ends up doing only 2400 damage. 6000x0.4 = 2400
Without the modifier the calculation would be 6000x0.55=3300
2400÷3300=0.7272
This effectively makes the -15% modifier result in a -27% loss of damage.
https://streamable.com/jluxn4

Example 2:
Dragoon's "Heavens' Thrust" is an ability that does 10000 potency. Dragoon has a -15% damage dealt modifier. Used on a Paladin who has 45% mitigation, you would expect 10000x0.55x0.85=4675 damage. Instead, the modifiers calculate as if the Paladin had 60% mitigation. The 10000 potency "Heavens' Thrust" ends up doing only 4000 damage. 10000x0.4 = 4000
Without the modifier the calculation would be 10000x0.55=5500
4000÷5500=0.7272
This effectively makes the -15% modifier result in a -27% loss of damage.

Example 3:
White Mage's "Glare III" is an ability that does 6000 potency. White Mage has a -10% damage dealt modifier. Used on a Viper who has 60% mitigation, you would expect 6000x0.4x0.9=2160 damage. Instead, the modifiers calculate as if the Viper had 70% mitigation. The 6000 potency "Glare III" ends up doing only 1800 damage. 6000x0.3 = 1800
Without the modifier the calculation would be 6000x0.4=2400
1800÷2400=0.75
This effectively makes the -10% modifier result in a -25% loss of damage.
https://streamable.com/gxx8nd

Example 4:
Astrologian's "Fall Malefic" is an ability that does 6000 potency. Astrologian has a -15% damage dealt modifier. Used on a Viper who has 60% mitigation, you would expect 6000x0.4x0.85=2040 damage. Instead, the modifiers calculate as if the Viper had 75% mitigation. The 6000 potency "Fall Malefic" ends up only doing 1500 damage. 6000x0.25 = 1500
Without the modifier the calculation would be 6000x0.4=2400
1500÷2400=0.625
This effectively makes the -15% modifier result in a -37.5% loss of damage.
https://streamable.com/13tlua

The modifiers are overwhelmingly benefiting tank jobs, while squishies get the worst part of the deal.

-10 is actually -25% against VPR with 60% mit

-10 is actually -22.2% against GNB with 55% mit

-10 is actually -20% against all melees with 50% mit

-10 is actually -18.1% against RDM/PLD/NIN with 45% mit

-10 is actually -14.2% against all standard ranged with 30% mit

-10 is actually -13.3% against AST/WHM with 25% mit
The jobs that already are designed with high mitigation get the largest benefit, while the squishies who could actually benefit from not being 1shot get the least.

These calculations have been tested and verified in-game, applying similarly across all job combinations.
The calculations being done this way has a dramatic impact on the state of Frontline.
In every other case of the game, these calculations would be multipliers. For some reason FL modifiers are not. It is my hope that the balance team will revise these modifiers to be multiplicative.