Deflection
 

I was looking over the Gamedata file for the test server and kind of noticed something for the first time. There appear to be two stat entries for Deflection percent one called Defense_AvoidanceDeflection and one called Deflection_Chance. Okay, what's the difference? The first one has always been there, as far as I know, and is under the Avoidance stats; but second one is new and is displayed under the combat stats. :confused:

They have been there for a long time (long enough that I don't remember when I added them). First is the deflection chance and the second one is the deflection chance modifier.

Okay, lets see if I got this right. Defense_AvoidanceDeflection is a modifier for your Avoidance and Deflection_Chance is a modifier for the modifier? :confused:

Oh and I found another one. There is Defense_AvoidanceBlock which is your chance to block with a shied and is a modifier for Avoidance and then there is Shield_Effectiveness which I assume is a modifier for the modifier.

Not to be accused of picking nits, but really is this necessary? How complicated is the math?

And one more question, what is Deflection? I mean Blocking is blocking an attack with a shield and Perry is knocking a side an attack with a weapon, so what is Deflection? What is doing the deflecting? Armor, magic, all the above?

Just first off, deflecting is something a brawler does that no other class can. It is their answer to shields which they cannot use despite being a fighter. I couldn't say exactly what effect Deflection_Chance has to your resulting chance to deflect an attack but Shield_Effectiveness was explained a bit more simply.

I personally have a Shield_Effectiveness of 42%. My shield has a protection value of something like 635. After the above modification, it acts as a shield with over 900 protection. That 900 points eventually results in a blocking chance verses a level 80 mob, which is my Defense_AvoidanceBlock. Well, it would after other modifiers such as a straight +1% chance to block from adornments.

I have to guess that a certain skill level in deflection equates to a protection value, thus that value would be affected by Deflection_Chance and change the resulting Defense_AvoidanceDeflection.