Is defense softcap required for ITrials?

In terms of the time period from Issue 7 to Issue 18, after the critter accuracy change and before the introduction of the Praetorian class critters, the soft cap was spoken of as 45% defense, but it was also explicitly stated (by people in the know) that this was a "soft target" - thus the term "soft cap" - because even if you ignore tohit buffs which are uncommon, defense debuffs are extremely common and only SR scrappers can really ignore them for the most part - and not even they can if their defense is literally 45%. The defense to shoot for was 45% plus a buffer for defense debuffs, but that buffer was both situational and a matter of personal preference. So all we could say is the soft-cap was 45%, shoot for something at or higher depending on how much buffer you wanted.

That's what I was trying to convey -- the 45% does not change.

I ignored debuffs in my post, because debuffs situationally move a character relative to the soft cap, but I don't consider that "moving the cap" any more than I'd consider slowing down my car to be "moving the speed limit."

Leaving aside the (highly limited) Incarnate Trials (and "DE-in-tip-missions-for-some-reason") change, your individual relationship to that 45% number, if you want a buffer against debuffs, may vary, but it's not sometimes a 41% soft cap and sometimes a 49% soft cap. In particular, I always try to correct the misapprehension that "you'll want more than the soft cap if you intend to fight +1 or higher enemies," which I see a lot.

I agree that Boss/Lt/minion and level don't affect your chance to be hit. If I implied it did, I'm sorry I was misleading. And I also agree that the DE really are best dealth with by using strategy. However, this doesn't make the softcap a fixed point. I can assure you, debuffs happen to def based builds. If 45% is much better than 40%, which is the mantra for the softcap is king set, and you ever get debuffed to 40%, then 50% def to start with is for sure better yet. If you were immune to def debuff, and no groups you might encounter had tohit buffs, then yes, over 45 def outside of incarnate content would be wasted.

But def or 35 or 40% might be a waste too, if you consider that you have purple inspirations, and the effort spent on getting the last 5-10% could be used on more regen, ir more damage, or more defense vs rarer types, etc. To constantly insist that the softcap operates in a vacuum just doesn't reflect the way the game is played by everyone. For further examples, I'll just mention, Nemesis Vengeance tohit buffs (and we all know Nemesis shows up everywhere, since it's all a Nemesis plot) and tohit debuffs, which are 'wasted' if you are at 45% def (unless of course def debuffing happens, or are attacked but a different type or vector).

Ah.. I see what you were trying to get at. Yes, the number 45 is, outside of the trials, is pretty fixed, and enemy level doesn't change that. But the misapprehension I see at least as often, and I frequently try to correct, is that 45% is a magic number, and 41% just isn't sufficient, and 47% is LOLZ stupid and sure sign that you don't know what you're doing.

Except against turrets and pet-class enemies, which have a higher base to-hit (75%) than everything else in standard content (50%), as I understand it.

Originally Posted by Arcanaville Softcapping an Invuln is fantastic. Softcapping a Willpower is amazing. Softcapping SR is kissing your sister.

Fixed, since I so rarely get the chance to correct Arcana, even if it is only a silly spelling mistake.

Triumph: White Succubus: 50 Ill/Emp/PF Snow Globe: 50 Ice/FF/Ice Strobe: 50 PB Shi Otomi: 50 Ninja/Ninjistu/GW Stalker My other characters

First, welcome back!

Second, please publish the global name of this clown so we can all put him on gignore. WAIT! Just kidding!

You ran into someone who either has no idea what they're doing, or completely misunderstood you. Chalk it up to an abnormal encounter.