The Zero Hour

[f0xx]

The Zero Hour,

 

Or why do affects that last 8 hours, actually last 8 and not 9.

 

 

Affects lasting through their zero hour was one of the first things that made a strong impression in me the first few times when I started playing FL, but it was only recently that I actually pondered WHY it is so. Until recently, I never actually bothered to think over that matter - I simply accepted it as a strange quirk of the game (or the one who created it, or the code itself) and learn to intuitively turn it to my advantage. 

 

Recently I've been discussing certain affects and their durations with some IMMs and other players. Inevitably, we fall into a silly quarrel about the duration itself, and how a 5-hour-duration is actually a 6-hour one and so on...

 

I am not certain who actually made the decision (if there was even a decision) for affects to last through their zero hour, but in this post I am going to present my view on it, its importance and certain tips and useful information for the less experienced part of our players.

 

 

As many of you know, a tick in FL lasts roughly 8 rounds. How many of you though begin combat EXACTLY on the first round of the tick? Or the second? Or the third? Unless a player is fighting static mobs (like during hunting) and makes a concentrated effort to actually start combat at the very first rounds of the tick, you will find that most of the time, you begin combat somewhere at the middle of the tick, at rounds 3-4-5-6.

 

This statement is reinforced by the fact that a lot of people try to catch ticks sleeping, and that the first couple of rounds of the tick are generally slept through or used to replace dropping spells and then look around for your opponent. To illustrate this assumption, just think about how many times you dirt someone and he rubs the dirt away from his eyes during the next few rounds. Happens quite often, doesn't it?

 

Affect durations are especially important when talking about mals - spells that mess you up more the longer they stay on you. Considering most of the time you are beginning combat during the middle of the tick and that mals take a few casts to lands, you are more likely to be hit by a mal during the second half of the tick. So can you really call 2-3 rounds a tick? Of course not, and that's where the zero hour comes to ensure that the 6 hour enfeeblement you just put on that feral ranger is going to stay for 6 ticks, and not 5 ticks and 2 rounds.

 

Same goes with dirt. A very common misconception about dirt is that it lasts 1 tick. That's simply not true. It lasts as long as your luck (or skill) allows it to last. But it's always LESS than 1 tick. It might be 6-7 rounds, or 1-2 rounds. But how can you call 1-2 rounds a tick? In the second case, you are actually hurting yourself more than the enemy.

 

Dirt is actually a very good example why the first tick of your affects shouldn't be counted and which in turn is compensated by the zero hour. Unless of course one makes a concentrated effort to land it at the very start of the tick.

 

In my view, the zero hour replaces the first hour, because the first hour can hardly be called a full tick. I am not sure if that is how the zero hour actually came to exist, but I like this version, because it seems logical and helps one with his PK efforts in the timing department.

[Magick]

Interesting thought to that.

 

I've always viewed it perhaps with simpler eyes.  Or perhaps this is what you're saying, just in not so many words.  A rounding down to the nearest whole number of the tick.

 

 

An example is blinded by the dirt in its eyes.

Spell: dirt kicking    : for 0 hours

...

A period of time passes.

...

An example rubs the dirt out of its eyes.

 

 

Would be actually be along the lines of:

An example is blinded by the dirt in its eyes.

Spell: dirt kicking    : for 0.5 hours

...

Spell: dirt kicking    : for 0.4 hours

...

Spell: dirt kicking    : for 0.3 hours

...

Spell: dirt kicking    : for 0.2 hours

...

Spell: dirt kicking    : for 0.1 hours

...

An example rubs the dirt out of its eyes.

[mya]

I can't understand if F0xx is advocating a change or just typing an essay.

 

I like the 0 1 2 3 affects timer system. It never created confusion in me. Like Magick said, it's easy to figure that it's a round down timer.

 

You cast something and you are affected by 10.5 tics. But it rounds down the message to 10. It makes total sense.

 

"Same goes with dirt. A very common misconception about dirt is that it lasts 1 tick. That's simply not true. It lasts as long as your luck (or skill) allows it to last. But it's always LESS than 1 tick. It might be 6-7 rounds, or 1-2 rounds. But how can you call 1-2 rounds a tick? In the second case, you are actually hurting yourself more than the enemy."

 

It's an useful tactic to burn time and only engage a dirt kicker near the end of the tick, so that when he kicks dirt it quickly falls.

I never think that dirt lasts one tick, but that it last till the tick ticks. (The tick being the passing of the mud hour.)

I hardly ever dirt kick at the last 10 seconds of the tick during PK. I always use this time to use other skills and then dirt on the fresh hour. Such as the gamble of disarm and then dirt, or some damage dealing alternative.

In fact there are many nuances about dirt kick that come up from it's short duration / huge power mechanics, and this is what makes the game more interesting.

 

Your enemy dirt kicked you just when the tic is about to fall? Great, just spam 3 fireballs while he won't bash you (since he is dirting you twice for 4 rounds of lag) and flee blind (while burning time) to an large area with water. Just because you are the one running it does not means that he is the one in control. You are. If you are skilled enough you get to chose where to fight.

Maybe you chose to fight on a beach, maybe your like mountain roads with contorted paths, perhaps it's raining and you prefer to go inside or just perhaps you are tired of geting dirt kicked into your eyes and you decide to take a boat stroll.

 

 

[Aulian]

I can't understand if F0xx is advocating a change or just typing an essay.

 

 

I had something useful to add but I saw this. 

 

This is gold. Burned by Mya? Priceless.

[f0xx]

How is that a burn?

 

It's obviously not a suggestion....

[egreir]

Total burn.

How is that a burn?

It's obviously not a suggestion....

[f0xx]

It IS an essay lol.

 

*shrug*