Frontline damage dealt modifiers are being calculated improperly

[DankLollington]

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.

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 means the -15% modifier results in a -27% loss of damage.
https://streamable.com/jluxn4


Example 2:
White Mage's "Seraph Strike" 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 "Seraph Strike" 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 means the -10% modifier results in a -25% loss of damage.
https://streamable.com/gxx8nd

Example 3:
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 means the -15% modifier results 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.

[Valence]

That explains a lot of things when it comes to defensive skills in FL.
And it's unhinged they actually did that.

How does it work when it comes to role actions like rampart? 50% would put some tanks at or over 100% so I assume there is a catch there?
Do role actions stack multiplicatively with the innate DR? Which would mean the game stacks multiplicatively normal defensives on one side, do the same between innate DR and role actions on another, then put both together additively?

[DankLollington]

Every single buff/debuff/status effect in the game is calculated by a multiplicative function. This is the *only* instance of additive functions being used to calculate mitigation in the entire game, PvE or PvP. Basically they are calculating the two modifiers additively then multiplying that against the sum of everything else that affects damage.

Present damage formula:
(1 - D_Taken - D_Dealt) * z
D_Taken = Frontline Damage Taken modifier
D_Dealt = Frontline Damage Dealt modifier
z = sum of buffs/debuffs/battlehigh/etc multiplied

It is my belief this is actually an accidental oversight, and am currently in the middle of going through a bunch of bug reporting avenues; As of this morning I received confirmation that my bug report done via email is being escalated.

[Valence]

Oh ok so they essentially run all mitigation as normal (multiply) on the remaining % after DR.
Makes sense, thanks.