Talk:Attack types

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The formula shown on the front page cannot possibly be right. The game doesn't crash if the opponent does not have any defence bonuses (divide by zero error) and I can hit if I have no attack bonuses (while 0/anything = 0). This formula also breaks down with negative bonuses, giving negative chances to hit. I think it will be closer to something like A ^ (attack bonus - defence bonus) * attack level / defence level . This gives no negative chances or divide by zero errors. A should be higher than, but close to 1. Having it close to 1 reduces the effect of the power, reducing the extreme increases with high attack and low defence bonuses. Dragnmn talk cont 09:54, 21 August 2008 (UTC)

Maybe:

This might work. and can be approximated by fighting a rat with full attack equipment. -- 11:27, 3 February 2009 (UTC)

[edit] The in game importance of using the "correct" attack types

It is often stated that different melee attack styles are more efficient towards different armour. For example slash against no armour, stabbing against chainbodies and crush against plate mail. I deceided to put this to the test:

• To be objective I have used different attack style weapons
• Used their most powerful attack style
• Bashed the same kind of monster with all weapons
• Bashed not only one (or a certain number), but for a reasonable time to equal out bigger statistical errors, ie about 10 minutes.

The results were then measured in experience points earned per minute, which is directly proportional to damage delievered. The testbed was for example rune weapons: 2h sword, battle axe, warhammar, scimitar and longsword against Falador guards.

So what was the outcome? Well surprisingly the slashing damagedealer scimitar is always the winner among the basic weapons, no matter that it should be useless against plate mail.

Question: Am I doing anything wrong here, is there a misconception, or does RS simply not care about the different kinds of armour, but simply what bonus your weapon has in the attack style you use?

Delapaco 18:50, 2 March 2009 (UTC)

I have a theory that the game issues an advantage to whatever combat participant is out-damaging the opposition, so this might have a bearing on it if it is actually in the game code and not just speculation. If this theory holds true, then accuracy is also influenced by attack speed, thus explaining how the scimitar out-damaged the other weapons, regardless of just a crude damage per second calculated based on maximum damage and attack speed. Another factor to consider is that all of the most accurate melee weapons have their strongest accuracy score in slash, so the game does seem to be biased toward slash. Even though the armour is supposed to be better against certain types of attacks (chain and leather absorbing blunt, plate being less likely to be pierced,) if you have any defence level above 30 the differences are practically negligible since it might be a one point difference (I think that's the case with crush defence on Dragon chest armour) or a 15+ point difference (Rune chest armour) but your defence level makes it seem like the difference isn't there, which is why so many people just wear platemail all the time and ignore chains unless they're poor or haven't finished Dragon Slayer. There's pretty much no difference noticeable with same-quality equipment, but there are some larger differences that you actually can notice. Try stab attacks against somebody wearing Bandos instead of a Barrows-level armour piece or try a crush attack instead of a slash attack against somebody wearing a torso. The only place you'll see attack styles other than slash actually become useful in melee is during some form of PvP. The problem, though, is that all weapons that deal non-slashing damage are either ludicrously slow or can only attack with controlled or defensive style and aren't used because PvP-style players are defence-phobic. Basically this test is pointless because the best thing to use against a monster is almost always going to be the fastest weapon available in the highest grade of equipment you can use (scimitars and whip, although low health with Dharok's and Godswords are exceptions since they come close to or exceed those exp rates even with their lower speeds.) I say just tell everybody that outside of very specific circumstances, your attack style is irrelevant. --

Bartuccio3^{Talk • Contribs • #}

04:25, 17 April 2009 (UTC)

And that was also the thesis of my post - attack style and armour class combinations do not matter, simply attack bonus vs defense bonus. So the whole stab/slash/crush thing is useless and irrelevant as far as I can see. Delapaco 00:36, 18 April 2009 (UTC)

[edit] It Can't Be Right!

How can the equation on the front possibly be right? So, if I have attack level 44, and im fighting a chaos druid (lets say 5 def?), I have .515 chance of hitting it? That is definetly not right. If I were to set attack bonus +1, I have a 350%+ chance of hitting it!? That can't be right.