How does instability work? I know what happens after a weapon becomes unstable, but what are the mechanics of getting there? Specifically, with regard to the broken star instability icon, I think that it is the percentage chance of contracting instability but I'm not sure; can anybody verify this for me? Additionally, is instability chance cumulative? (I really wish there were a tutorial or tooltip for this)
Instability is cumulative if you add different encrusts to an item e.g. 3+5 = 8% chance of getting an unstable item. Instability is multiplicative if you add two or more of the same encrust to any given item. i.e. 5x5 = 25% chance of getting an unstable item. And it will almost certainly get cursed if you add three or more of the same encrust to whichever item you're using. Instability on weapons procs when you hit with it. The same for armour, procs when you are hit in combat and suffer damage. This also negates them triggering in case of dodges, resists, reflections, and counterattacks. When encrusting the game rolls a d100 with regards to the current and future instability value of an item. If the roll goes under the value i.e. you're encrusting a crust worth 10 instability rating once, you have a 10% chance of the item going unstable. Try encrusting it again however and you're probably boned, since 10x10 = 100%. If it goes over the value you won't get any instability and your item is safe to use. This is a bare outline of how things work but should suffice.
I've got Thaumoentropic Vexation or somesuch on an item but I don't think that ever triggered. Items should have a line saying "it makes you hungry" or whatever with the instability detrimental procs just like for good procs
I suppose this would explain why doubling rocket power on gloves is -always- making them unstable. (12*12?)
That's a good idea (BTW, are you playing as a warrior? Thaumoentropic Vexation drains mana so you probably wouldn't notice it on a non-mage build)
My unstable gloves got Envenoming, so I am Objecting the resulting debuff onto targets. It's like a bonus, really.
its not multiplacative: I've encrusted items up to 3x with instabilities well over 10 and have not gotten instability.
dammit Dynamod, why'd you have to go and reveal that? oh well, it was fun while it lasted, I have a suit of AA robes as good as Imperial Boilerplate thanks to this.
Hrm. Noted. I'd been getting pretty consistent instability when I doubled 'em, but I'll experiment more.
So how do the blister packs work? You can reduce instability at the cost of ? Stacking those can't have any downfall (other than a hugely beneficial stat decreasing).
That's not quite true. If the instability of an encrust multiplies the more times you apply the same one, as they supposedly do, then blister-packs will be alternately good-bad-good-bad-good-etc. for the instability rating, because a negative number multiplied by a negative number is a positive number. Specifically, the first time gives -5 instability, so the second would give +25, the third -125, fourth +625, fifth -3125, etc.
That is, unless the modal is raised to whatever power it needs to be and then it is multiplied by (-1) if the given instability is negative. But whatever, I haven't bothered to check if that is done that way in DoD.
The blister packs only go on items that have almost no available encrusts anyway, so either way they';re kind of meaningless.
Well, a kind of warrior... Egyptian Magic, Tinkering, Smithing, Alchemy, Ley Lines, Wands and Crossbows. I channeled Ra from the heavens and into my enemie's a-sploding livers and nuked groups with the sandstorm. So, a lot of melee but a lot of MP use too. I still swear I didn't ever see a thaumoentropic vexation buff or anything. Had maxed out MP regen.
