Yeah, and you also get a penalty when you're at low hp no? Might want to take that into consideration too. Or just screw that and go halfling and dump all your points into str and sta ;)

AGI vs STA was always the source of many arguments on my server during live. I created a Wood Elf Warrior back then, maxed AGI with my starting points and equipped AGI gear wherever I didn't have to sacrifice AC. AC/AGI was my focus. If a piece of gear had higher AC but no stat bonuses, I would opt for the higher AC. Since I wasn't going for an Ogre like a min/maxer, I decided I may as well take advantage of my innately high AGI and try to achieve the highest AC possible.

At end-game I was an effective tank, but that great AC only helped me against mobs that hit hard, not against hard hitting magic. A DD or a DOT still does the same damage, and in that case only HPs can keep you alive. I was at more risk to die in those cases, but I could rock the shit out of other melees in duels and tank giants all day. I had magic resist gear for raids anyway.

One thing to consider, as a Paladin, your use of the AC beyond the softcap is not as effective as that of a Warrior. Although as a knight class, you are second in line for how much of your AC beyond the softcap counts.

I think it really comes down to which stat is going to harder to raise later in the game, having an extra 20 points in that could come in handy.

This. 1000x this.

What softcap are you talking about, Dantes? I like your point about magic, but doesn't the question then become "do I go for AC/Agi and resists or STA/HP"?

Ask and ye shall receive.

For your displayed AC, your agility is added to 16/9 of your defense skill, and added to other things that influence overall melee damage prevention. The server handles the individual avoidance and mitigation components individually. Enchanter AC buffs will cause you to avoid more attacks. Cleric and Shaman AC buffs will grant you more mitigation from those attacks. Not all AC is created equal, but equal AC should result in equal damage prevention. There are soft caps on worn AC returns.

http://www.project1999.org/forums/sh...34&postcount=8
http://www.project1999.org/forums/sh...4&postcount=68
http://www.project1999.org/forums/sh...0&postcount=70


If you stand around taking damage for an hour, you'll avoid some of it, and you'll mitigate some of it. Think of your displayed AC as the average of all of those things, after law of large numbers is applied.

Your agility is also combined with your dodge skill to affect how often you dodge. So you do get to double dip agility beyond your displayed AC in this sense.

To get to the deeper question, you can't break it all down into one nutshell stat that you should max beyond all else. In Kunark, the mantra was AC is king. In Velious, two opposing camps sprung up over AC vs resists. Resists in theory are great, but in the verant era, resistances were futile.

Here, I've observed clear benefits from small changes in resists. Resists also offer utility beyond damage prevention. It's hard to calculate and measure the value of not getting rooted or feared.

Dex could be argued to be equally important because all the mitigation in the world isn't doing anyone any good if you aren't getting the PPM to keep sufficient, sustained aggro.

I'd advocate well rounded stat choices over bottlenecking yourself into one stat.

Thanks, Miles - though, is maintaining aggro that hard on a pally who can cast things like flash of light or stun? It seems like the top priority should really be damage mitigation over dps - am I wrong? Anyway, given all the talk in this thread, I think I'm gonna be going mainly for HP, Sta, AC, Agi, and resists.

Your aggro is going to come from spells

Dex comment applies to warriors. I skimmed the thread and missed that you were a hybrid.

This. I always made sure my dwarves had at least the 75 base agi. Well, after my first one anyway.

Live Lagaidh Smif still has the base 63 charisma to prove he misspent his starting points. I regretted not having 75 base agi until the gear became so retarded that all stats were over 300.

You don't have to put the base 5 in, I'll sell you a Djarn's amethyst ring for 8.5k, that's my newbie deal =p

Devs have said several times agility and avoidance ac are not working correctly on this server (in a negative way). Exactly how they don't seem too sure, or else they'd fix it, but it's something to be aware of.

Also worth mentioning, you won't be mitigating much in sky pre-kunark, and you will be getting smacked pretty hard, so agility will be king for tanks up there.