How we balance: the combat simulator

Mostly for our testers: the tool behind this week's balance changes, and what it means for your reports.

• NewThe combat simulator answers "how does this build do against this monster?" by playing the fight thousands of times. Every formula comes straight from the game server's own code. That covers stats, refines, gems, buffs and debuffs, attack timing, regeneration, potions, stuns, and the monster's AI with its skills.
• NewIt builds characters the way players do: class gear, real skill points and a skill rotation. Nine in ten follow their weapon's skills and one in ten plays support. It can also grind for ten minutes (kills per minute, food eaten, time spent resting), and play like a perfect player or like a typical one who reacts late and recasts buffs a few seconds after they drop.
• NewA balance sweep fights every monster within five levels, grouped by the mark beside its name. That sweep showed the kings could be soloed and that the Raider lagged behind.
• ChangedWe checked it against the real game: 16 kills with a Champion, a Mage and a Scout. Hit rates, critical rates and damage matched within 1–2%.
• FixedAlong the way it found real bugs, now fixed: recovery items that added nothing, the Weapon Research critical bonus, and monster skills locked after one cast.
• TipIf a fight feels wrong, tell us the monster, your level and your gear. We can replay it in the simulator and find out whether the game or the numbers are off.
• NewFor modders: Rose Dev Studio, a desktop editor for the game's tables and text, with the simulator built in.