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Critical and Block System

AuthorMessage
Moderator
The Critical and Block system is an addition to the existing dueling system that allows players to perform Critical Hits on opponents and avoid incoming Critical Hits. This will give players new strategies and defenses in combat and new ways to further build up their Wizard!

You'll notice your character sheet has changed a little. Press C to see a new character statistics panel

The two new stats being added to the game are called Critical Hit Rating and Block Rating

Critical Hit Rating increase the player's chance of getting a critical hit.
Block Rating increases the player's chance of avoiding incoming critical hits.
Players will gain Critical Hit and Block bonuses from equipment.

The chance for a critical hit or a block is calculated AFTER fizzle and accuracy. When a spell fizzles no calculation for critical hit or block is made.
Charms, Enchantments, Wards, Manipulations and Globals are not subject to the Block / Critical system. Heals cannot be Blocked, but they can Critical!

You will also notice with these Critical and Block Statistics, that the Combat Rating System displays as a numeric value and not a percentage.
Equipment will have values of "+14 Block Rating" as opposed to the "+1% Block" style of statistic you are accustomed to seeing.

If you want the prize, you have to build the ladder rung by rung. There are no shortcuts.
Champion
Apr 18, 2010
403
Moderator
If you're level 50+, speak to Diego outside the Arena, he has a tutorial about Criticals and Blocks

If you want the prize, you have to build the ladder rung by rung. There are no shortcuts.
Geographer
Jul 04, 2009
939
It is still confusing as to what it does, and more importanting, when critical hits and blocks take place. Try adding a demonstration in the arena like you did the level 5 combat training.

You did not add any explaination to the Combat page of our Players Guide about Critical Hits and Blocks.

Survivor
May 15, 2009
18
It seems like a cool concept but I honestly don't see the significance of the critical/block system if you could explain what it's suppose to add to the gameplay that would be nice. I just don't see the purpose of it.

Champion
Apr 18, 2010
403
Prospector Zeke wrote:
If you're level 50+, speak to Diego outside the Arena, he has a tutorial about Criticals and Blocks


I'll go talk to him rite now, thanks Zeke. Btw i found some lounge lizards

Geographer
Jul 04, 2009
939
Another question about this. When I first logged in and talked to Diego, he mentioned that I am now capable of critical hits and blocks. Yet when I call up the Character sheet, it is not listed on the left side like the power pips (which is a natural ability given at level 10, increases as you level, and enhanced by equipment). It only shows up on the right side, which displays enhancements that you can only get by equipment.

So my question is this: Is it a natural ability (given at level 50) where you get a base value that will increase as you level and enhanced by equipment like the power pips is; or is it literally only something you can achieve through equipment?

Since it is a numerical value, and not a percentage, what does the value stand for? What does a +15 to critical hit rating (as such from our "free" helmet) really mean as far as our chances to actually do a critical hit? What numerical value number do we want to strive for? Can a critical hit be anticipated or is it random?

As it stands right now, 2 of my grands in the beta did not equip the helmet and I have never seen them do a critical hit, whereas the other grand that did equip the helmet has done several critical hits so far.

And there really needs to be some other visual to showing that you are doing a critical hit (or block) besides the text over your head. Maybe something in the way of a flare up or pulsing (or combo thereof) around the wizard.

Defender
May 31, 2010
167
Prospector Zeke wrote:
If you're level 50+, speak to Diego outside the Arena, he has a tutorial about Criticals and Blocks


Hiya Zeke ,
I went to Diego outside the arena, on the test realm, and he has no tutorial available for my level 50 death wiz. I did however find the cloak spell : ) If he had the tutorial available , anyway they can bring it back?

Geographer
Jul 04, 2009
939
I thought I asked some legitimate questions concerning the critical hit and block system. Is there no part that you can clarify, or do you really not want us to know?

Defender
Jun 29, 2009
165
Critical tested using elixirs.

A list friend and I made a simple test of the critical stats using elixirs and gear that matched the number of the elixir (around 100 for the gear and 120 for the elixir). We found that the gear had absolutely no effect (we assumed the gear was not working and submitted a bug report). With the elixer and non-critical boosting gear, we found a critical hit occurred around 50% of the time in various spots of the spiral.

What this means is that when a new update/world comes up, things will change. Keeping an eye on the elixirs may help all of us know what is a good critical or block rating.

We are planning on testing block stats later today.

Survivor
Apr 12, 2010
9
Prospector Zeke wrote:
Players will gain Critical Hit and Block bonuses from equipment.



Funny thing is I tested the equipment. I had a Critical hit rating of 100 and got Critical hits about 10% of the time. I drank an Elixir of Venegance which gives 120 more to the Critical hit rating. After this my chance was about 50%. I took off the gear and ran on just the potion, funny thing, it was still 50%. So it looks like the gear is doing little to nothing for your Critical chance right now, perhaps someone needs to check the gear? I would expect just the Elixir at 120 and just the Gear at 100 to be similiar. They are worlds apart at this time.

Survivor
Jun 09, 2009
4
Yes this is a baffling addition to the game,which i am not sure how it calculates.Would a 49% critical be 49% more damage?I'll see diego but KI no where on your help guide is the critical hit and block icons in the dictionary.Perhaps they need to be added with brief explaination there.

Survivor
Nov 27, 2009
12
I understand some of what critical is due to prior gaming experience, but the numbers here confuse me. especially the + vs % part. gear, is listed as a + with a certain amount being added, yet the new star spell for critical boost is 20% I happen to like the star boost, I critical almost every time I hit with that boost up, but is it other boosts too. I can see 2 possible boost to critical, the chance of a critical hit being made, and the amount of increased damage that is added to the hit. some further clarification and explanation would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

Mastermind
Jun 13, 2009
332
Hidrac wrote:
Prospector Zeke wrote:
Players will gain Critical Hit and Block bonuses from equipment.



Funny thing is I tested the equipment. I had a Critical hit rating of 100 and got Critical hits about 10% of the time. I drank an Elixir of Venegance which gives 120 more to the Critical hit rating. After this my chance was about 50%. I took off the gear and ran on just the potion, funny thing, it was still 50%. So it looks like the gear is doing little to nothing for your Critical chance right now, perhaps someone needs to check the gear? I would expect just the Elixir at 120 and just the Gear at 100 to be similiar. They are worlds apart at this time.


I have this same experience on test.

First point to consider is that you have to make some sacrifices in order to have the critical hit/block. For instance, a hat with ctiical hit of 65 star rating may not come with enough heath or boost. I find that my maliastaire robe Does more for me than the other critical gear. On test my total gear gives me 51 % myth boost and about 18 percent resistance! Not to mention my health is about 2850. Now i do not have any critical rating because these gear lower my health boosts, resistance and accuracy. Critical hit is essentially overkill in most instances unless you are casting a spell without and boost or traps then that could be helpful.

I had critical gear, mind you, but I wasn't getting any critical hits and was dying quickly because my health was reduce in oder to have critical rating. SO I abandoned the critical gear for accuracy and boost and resistance. it worked for me. The Elixer of vegeannce worked just fine though, I got quite a few critcal hits by buying elixers of vengeance, they seem to work just find but the gear doesn't and when they do the bosses usually get a critical block right away.

I would prefer to have gear that gives me up to 60% boost which will work everytime I cast a spell of my school that have the critical hit which rarly happens at all. I mean if am down to 500 health or less and I cast a spell my crical hit should come into effect because am about to die anyways lol.

The critical heals can be amazing though. Try a critical satyr for 1500!

Survivor
May 11, 2009
5
I agree with the above posters, We need much,much more explanatino for the critical hit/block system. I really have no idea what is does or is supposed to do. I dont think any one else does either.

Defender
Feb 28, 2010
114
Diego had nothing for me, no training on the current system.

Why should we have to go to him to have it explained anyways? We are asking you. The gibberish you posted initially doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

You state it's not a %, so what is the highest possible number you can achieve, and at that number what is the chance of hitting critical?

If it's not a percentage, why does the enchantment state it's 20%? You can't have 2 systems running, one not a percentage mixed in with a percentage.

Sounds to me like you are just as confused as we are!

While were on the topic... there are a number of bosses who seem to only hit with critical. Don't you think that's a bit one-sided? Not everyones always has friends around to help out, to try beat a critical hit spam boss is outrageous. When it goes live, I'm not gonna be lining your pockets with tons of money to buy henchmen and elixirs.

Prospector Zeke wrote:
If you're level 50+, speak to Diego outside the Arena, he has a tutorial about Criticals and Blocks

Geographer
Jul 04, 2009
939
Quite frankly, I think the whole critical hit/block just needs to be removed, possibly for implementation down the road when KI can get their act together and come up with a realistic solution that they and us can understand.

Unless you have a great deal of free time on your hands, coupled with an even greater abundance of patience, Celestia is not solo-able. Yet even if I have the ability to do critical hits, the only real time I need them is against the cheating bosses, and golly, they critical block each and every time.

What I find offensive so far about the whole Celestia update is the excessiveness. Excessive increases to health, damage, defense, accuracy. Excessive use of mutated cards and pet exclusive cards by the monsters. Excessive dialogue just about every time you talk to an NPC, and I have to admit that there doesn't seem to be any type of clearly defined main storyline here -- it feels more like Grizzleheim than any of the other worlds so far.

Clearly, KI is leaving absolutely no room for the addition of any more worlds ... unless they intend for us to achieve semi-deity status and we're invading Valhalla.

Defender
Feb 28, 2010
114
Agreed.

It strikes me as odd that a game that Kingsisle advertises as kid friendly is implementing such a system that baffles the mind. The critical system is barely comprehensible to an adult, I'm not sure how a 10 year old can understand it.

Once again last evening, I was soloing in Celestia, and it's unbelievable how many of the enemies get critical hits. I had gear on that raised my critical hit status, but yet I was not getting any. I then took off my gear, put back on my grand gear and just used Vengeance I believe it is, which gives you 20% over 4 rounds (even though it's not suppose to be a percentage) and then I started getting critical hits. Now either KI doesn't have the gear implemented properly so that the system reads the critical hit rating, or there is something else rotten in Denmark.

The other thing that really irked me was working on my Fire wizard. I setup to attack with Fire Dragon, and the first one fizzled, then the 2nd fizzled, and then the 3rd one fizzled, all in a row! Now when you're fighting these types of enemies, you can't afford even the first one to fizzle.

Next item that bugged me, on my Death wizard, I have a 71% power pip chance, in DS and anywhere else in the spiral I would get power pips every round, maybe one single. Tonight, well for 5 rounds all I received were singles! Where you are in the spiral shouldn't affect this, so I can't understand why that was happening. Unless the computer has already set it up that you are going to lose from the minute you start the battle!

KI, not sure what you are doing in Test, but it's rather annoying!

Preacher7719 wrote:
Quite frankly, I think the whole critical hit/block just needs to be removed, possibly for implementation down the road when KI can get their act together and come up with a realistic solution that they and us can understand.

Unless you have a great deal of free time on your hands, coupled with an even greater abundance of patience, Celestia is not solo-able. Yet even if I have the ability to do critical hits, the only real time I need them is against the cheating bosses, and golly, they critical block each and every time.

What I find offensive so far about the whole Celestia update is the excessiveness. Excessive increases to health, damage, defense, accuracy. Excessive use of mutated cards and pet exclusive cards by the monsters. Excessive dialogue just about every time you talk to an NPC, and I have to admit that there doesn't seem to be any type of clearly defined main storyline here -- it feels more like Grizzleheim than any of the other worlds so far.

Clearly, KI is leaving absolutely no room for the addition of any more worlds ... unless they intend for us to achieve semi-deity status and we're invading Valhalla.

Mastermind
Jun 13, 2009
332
Prospector Zeke wrote:
The Critical and Block system is an addition to the existing dueling system that allows players to perform Critical Hits on opponents and avoid incoming Critical Hits. This will give players new strategies and defenses in combat and new ways to further build up their Wizard!

You will also notice with these Critical and Block Statistics, that the Combat Rating System displays as a numeric value and not a percentage.
Equipment will have values of "+14 Block Rating" as opposed to the "+1% Block" style of statistic you are accustomed to seeing.


Prospector Zeke, I still do not understand the Critical hit/block system. Could you simplify it for me please? What does it mean to have a +14 block rating (in simple terms please)? I do not understand the numeric values. Is it calculated the same way as percentages or is it different? if so, How?

Also, when a boss or monster is from a Celestian school, i.e. moon, sun or star, it doesn't show what class spells they will use, whether they're fire, ice, storm etc. I noticed that they mostly use balance though.

Astrologist
Aug 21, 2009
1205
critical blocks and strikes is a way to further nerf storm while bolstering balance and other schools to storm + damage that can afford to give up health, accuracy, and pip chance to obtain it

Mastermind
Jun 13, 2009
332
seasnake wrote:
critical blocks and strikes is a way to further nerf storm while bolstering balance and other schools to storm + damage that can afford to give up health, accuracy, and pip chance to obtain it


um, what?

Defender
Feb 28, 2010
114
This system is not an implementation to nerf storm... do you know what you are talking about?

seasnake wrote:
critical blocks and strikes is a way to further nerf storm while bolstering balance and other schools to storm + damage that can afford to give up health, accuracy, and pip chance to obtain it

A+ Student
Jan 05, 2009
1706
I just pulled up the 'Player Guide' but couldn't find any reference to either Critical or Blocks.

Prospector Zeke, can either you or Professor G whisper to Mr. Lincoln some pages seem to have falled out of the guide? :)

Armiger
May 10, 2010
2080
Prospector Zeke wrote:
The Critical and Block system is an addition to the existing dueling system that allows players to perform Critical Hits on opponents and avoid incoming Critical Hits. This will give players new strategies and defenses in combat and new ways to further build up their Wizard!

You'll notice your character sheet has changed a little. Press C to see a new character statistics panel

The two new stats being added to the game are called Critical Hit Rating and Block Rating

Critical Hit Rating increase the player's chance of getting a critical hit.
Block Rating increases the player's chance of avoiding incoming critical hits.
Players will gain Critical Hit and Block bonuses from equipment.

The chance for a critical hit or a block is calculated AFTER fizzle and accuracy. When a spell fizzles no calculation for critical hit or block is made.
Charms, Enchantments, Wards, Manipulations and Globals are not subject to the Block / Critical system. Heals cannot be Blocked, but they can Critical!

You will also notice with these Critical and Block Statistics, that the Combat Rating System displays as a numeric value and not a percentage.
Equipment will have values of "+14 Block Rating" as opposed to the "+1% Block" style of statistic you are accustomed to seeing.


Even talking to Diego does not explain Critical Hits/Blocks. We want to know, how it is calculated. It is not on a % value, so what is the current values based on. I understand it will do more damage, or block damage, like the boosts on an enemy.

But, why was this even incorperated into an easy system that we have all gotten use to and grown to love? Are you trying to make the game difficult and more advanced, so advanced that neither you, nor Diego can explain is sufficiently? Makes no sense to me, nor to you obviously. WHO does have any say on what goes on anymore, only PVP players?

Geographer
Jul 04, 2009
939
CoopKoda wrote:
This system is not an implementation to nerf storm... do you know what you are talking about?

seasnake wrote:
critical blocks and strikes is a way to further nerf storm while bolstering balance and other schools to storm + damage that can afford to give up health, accuracy, and pip chance to obtain it


Do you know what he is talking about? I understood what he was saying, although I don't agree that it was done specifically to nerf storm, only a side-effect.

Let's face it, on this board people were complaining about their schools, or a couple of specific spells in their schools and always compared them to the damage that Storm dishes out.

Now, with the implementation of critical strikes, other schools have the chance to make their attacks a big hitter. Other schools who's higher based health and accuracy can afford the loss of health and accuracy boosts in their equipment in order to obtain boosts in critical hits.