I don't think the time a mob follows you will reflect threat degredation in the way that you want. Mobs may all be on the same mechanic for following a target until they reach their tether range, or a certain time has passed in which they don't get attacked or attack back. The practical application of threat degredation is finding out how hard it is for a tanker to lose aggro. Thus, you need to test this in a different way. For example:
Have character A do 100 damage.
Have character B do 50 damage.
Wait X time.
Have character B do 25 damage.
If aggro switches to character B and neither used any kind of debuffs or other effects in their attacks, then we can determine how threat decays, based on how long it takes for character B to pull aggro after waiting.
Hmmm...that would also work, I would imagine. Although, as long as you didn't wander out of tether range, I imagine that you could get decent data for it.
Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson
"I was just the one with the most unsolicited sombrero." - Traegus
Hello all!
!!!Warning: Long Post!!!
While posting in a thread in the Player Questions forum, I found myself typing the phrase "We don't know how Threat degradation really works," or something to that effect. However, my brain is apparently working today, and I think that I've come up with an idea.
Okay, so most of us know the basic formula for Threat:
Threat = Damage * AT Mod * AI Mod * DebuffMod * RangeMod * (TauntDurationRemaining * 1,000)
While that is definitely a bit simplified, it works out true in the game, based on past testing. However, what has been difficult to show is how that Threat value wears off. Obviously, if you keep applying effects that generate aggro, it doesn't matter all that much. However, it would be kind of nice to know, at least for the game theorists among us.
Now, unless I am missing something, Threat should degrade in one of the six following ways:
1) A linear decline by value (i.e., a mob loses 100 Threat per second)
2) A linear decline by percentage (i.e., a mob loses 10% Threat per second)
3) An increasing decline by value (i.e., a mob loses 100 Threat at second 1, then 200 at second 2)
4) An increasing decline by percentage (i.e., a mob loses 10% Threat at second 1, then 20% at second 2)
5) An exponential decline by value (i.e., a mob loses 100 Threat at second 1, then 1,000 at second 2)
6) An exponential decline by value (i.e., a mob loses 1% Threat at second 1, then 10% at second 2)
Now, obviously those numbers are just made up, and they could be any values. However, I think that I've figured out a way to figure out in general which one it is. Since I will not be able to access the game until Thursday, though, I thought I would throw this out there for some help.
The Test:
Step 1:
Take a Level 50 Blaster. Find a spawn of level 50 enemies. Fire at one enemy with a single attack. Record the damage done to the mob, and let us know which attack was used. Back off quickly, and see how long the mob will follow you without you doing anything else to him (record how long until the mob stops to turn around). Try not to use a KB/KD power, as that could throw things off
Step 2:
Same thing, but with a Scrapper using a Ranged attack that doesn't KB/KD.
Step 3:
Same thing, but with a Scrapper using a melee attack that doesn't KB/KD.
Step 4 and 5:
Repeat Scrapper tests with a Brute.
Steps 6 and 7:
Repeat Scrapper/Brute tests with a Tanker.
Steps 1-3 will be used to find out how the RangeMod affects Threat level, and see if that affects the time the mob will follow you.
Steps 2-7 will be used to determine how the AT mods and TauntDurationRemaining * 1,000 affect the length of follow time.
If the mobs follow a Tanker for longer than the Scrapper, then the results would lead us to believe that Threat degrades by a value over time. If the mobs follow a Tanker for the same amount of time as a Blaster, then we know that it's some function of a percentage of Threat degrades over time.
Does this approach make sense? Did anyone even read this whole thing? Can anybody test this?
Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson
"I was just the one with the most unsolicited sombrero." - Traegus