WC3's Damage System

Source: This Wc3c thread.

Table of Content
I. Introduction
1. Attack type (AT)
2. Damage type (DT)
3. Process for damage calculation
II. Detailed information about Attack types and Damage types
1. Attack types
2. Damage types
3. Some known examples
4. Notes

I. Introduction
Damage in Warcraft 3 is made up of 2 components: Attack type and Damage type. This is the case for every damage instance, be it attack or spell, even though the game rarely ever makes it explicit to us.

1. Attack type (AT): This is colloquially known as the "Normal, Siege, Piercing, Chaos, Magic etc." that you see when hovering over a unit's basic attack. What Attack type does is comparing itself against the target's Defense Type to work out whether it will be reduced or increased, before armor is taken into account. The damage factors VS. Defense types for all Attack types can be modified in Gameplay Constants.

For example: Siege Attack type has a 1.5x multiplier against Fortified Defense type before taking into account the target's Defense Value (armor). Thus, the target's armor will have to deal w/ 1.5x the attack value of the Siege attacker.

2. Damage type (DT): This is the information that you rarely ever see, which is only available to choose in the "Unit - Damage Area/Target" triggers. Ever wondered why Slow Poison and Disease Cloud's damage always leave the target at 1 HP without killing, but Shadow Strike, which is also a (poison) Damage over time spell, can kill the target? It's because they have different damage types.
What damage type does is determining whether the damage instance will be reduced by armor value.

For example: Slow Poison (Aspo) deals AT: Spells, DT: Slow Poison damage; in-game, it is only reduced by Hero Defense type since AT: Spells deals 0.75x damage VS. Heroes, and DT: Slow Poison ignores how much armor the target is packing.

3. Process for damage calculation

Step 1. Attacker's attack value gets multiplied with its AT bonus/penalty against the target's Defense Type.
Step 2. Attacker's DT is checked. If the DT is one that ignores armor, the multiplied damage from Step 1 is applied. Otherwise, the multiplied damage is further reduced by the target's Defense Value before applying.

II. Detailed information about Attack types and Damage types
That being said, the following are classifications of ATs and DTs, so you have a good idea of what to use in Triggers:

1. Attack Types
There are a total of 7 attack types but since some of them have similar behaviors, they belong to 3 broad categories:

- Normal (Normal, Piercing, Siege, Hero, Chaos): It's essentially a PHYSICAL attack type. Ethereal units ignore all damage with this AT.
ATTACK_TYPE_MELEE (this is AT:Normal),
ATTACK_TYPE_PIERCE,
ATTACK_TYPE_SIEGE,
ATTACK_TYPE_HERO,
ATTACK_TYPE_CHAOS
- Spells (Spells): It's an attack type for SPELLS. Understandably, it's used by all default spells in this game. AT: SPELLS is the most versatile AT since it can be ignored by Ethereal/Spell Immunity based on damage type. The Runed Bracers ability reduces damage from this AT only.
ATTACK_TYPE_NORMAL
- Magic (Magic): It's a MAGICAL attack type. It's used by spellcasters such as Priests, Witch Doctors, Necromancers etc. Spell Immune units ignore all damage with this AT, but Ethereal units don't. That's why spellcasters can hurt Ethereal units.
ATTACK_TYPE_MAGIC

2. Damage Types
There's a lot more of damage types but similar to ATs, they can be grouped into 4 categories:

- Normal Physical (Normal): Physical damage type which takes Defense Value into account. Basic attacks of almost all units in the game (except spellcasters) are AT Normal and DT Normal Physical.
DAMAGE_TYPE_NORMAL
- Enhanced Physical (Enhanced, Poison, Disease, Acid, Demolition, Slow Poison): Physical damage type which ignores Defense Value.
DAMAGE_TYPE_ENHANCED,
DAMAGE_TYPE_POISON,
DAMAGE_TYPE_DISEASE,
DAMAGE_TYPE_ACID,
DAMAGE_TYPE_DEMOLITION,
DAMAGE_TYPE_SLOWPOISON
- Universal (Unknown, Universal): Universal damage type which ignores Defense Value.
DAMAGE_TYPE_UNKNOWN,
DAMAGE_TYPE_UNIVERSAL
- Magical (The rest, including Fire, Cold, Lightning etc.): Magical damage type which ignores Defense Value. Will never affect Spell Immune units.
DAMAGE_TYPE_COLD,
DAMAGE_TYPE_DEATH,
DAMAGE_TYPE_DEFENSIVE,
DAMAGE_TYPE_DIVINE,
DAMAGE_TYPE_FIRE,
DAMAGE_TYPE_FORCE,
DAMAGE_TYPE_LIGHTNING,
DAMAGE_TYPE_MAGIC,
DAMAGE_TYPE_MIND,
DAMAGE_TYPE_PLANT,
DAMAGE_TYPE_SHADOWSTRIKE,
DAMAGE_TYPE_SONIC,
DAMAGE_TYPE_SPIRITLINK

Here's an excel table.
3f38dc70a4-1-png.253444


3. Some known examples
- Cleaving Attack (ANca, ACce): This spell takes AT from the basic attack of whichever unit it is present on, and has DT:Enhanced. On the Pit Lord, Cleaving Attack deals armor-ignoring damage to secondary targets in its AoE, including Spell immune targets, but gets reduced if the secondary target has Fortified Defense type.
- Death and Decay (AUdd): This spell has AT:Spells and DT:Universal. It can damage both Spell Immune units and Ethereal units, and gets reduced by Hero Defense type.
- If you played Dota in Warcraft 3, there's a hero called Beastmaster whose "Wild Axes" spell deals a damage that checks for both Defense type and Defense value on the target. It has AT:Spells and DT:Normal.
- Most of the "Pure" damage in Dota is actually AT:Hero (category Normal) and DT:Magic. That's why it affects neither Spell Immune nor Ethereal units, but always deals full damage otherwise.

4. Additional notes
- There should be no issue with dealing AT:Spells damage via Triggers; however, Blizzard abilities which deal spell immunity-ignoring AT:Spells damage will not affect on Spell immune units as long as the abilities' required level isn't greater than 1. It's hardcoded this way. For example, you can make a Death and Decay spell with 1 as minimum level requirement, and it will not damage Spell immune targets.
 

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That's a very useful tutorial.

Please attach the image directly to the post. We enforce this since it happened more than once already that other sites removed the images, and then the tutorial will be broken.

You're encouraged to use hive's bb code for lists and such, which will increase readability. It's all very useful info, but a bit boring to read.

You also can add an extra step into the structure.
Maybe:
  1. Intro
  2. AttackType (terminology)
  3. DamageType (terminiology)
  4. Damage Calculcation (new seperated point)
  5. Detailed infos about all ATs
  6. Detailed infos about all DTs
  7. Your examples
  8. Notes
Why you say "for beginners"? I think it's normal and good tutorial about the damage system.:)
 
That's a very useful tutorial.

Please attach the image directly to the post. We enforce this since it happened more than once already that other sites removed the images, and then the tutorial will be broken.

You're encouraged to use hive's bb code for lists and such, which will increase readability. It's all very useful info, but a bit boring to read.

You also can add an extra step into the structure.
Maybe:
  1. Intro
  2. AttackType (terminology)
  3. DamageType (terminiology)
  4. Damage Calculcation (new seperated point)
  5. Detailed infos about all ATs
  6. Detailed infos about all DTs
  7. Your examples
  8. Notes
Why you say "for beginners"? I think it's normal and good tutorial about the damage system.:)
Changes have been made.:infl_thumbs_up:
 
- There should be no issue with dealing AT:Spells damage via Triggers; however, Blizzard abilities which deal spell immunity-ignoring AT:Spells damage will not affect on Spell immune units as long as the abilities' required level isn't 6 at least. It's hardcoded this way. For example, you can make a Death and Decay spell with 1 as minimum level requirement, and it will not damage Spell immune targets.
Is there a way to take note of what type a spell is? Like universal/physical. For example here, he based an ability on WarStomp, made it level 6, but had no luck that it deals out damage to magic immune units.

Also, I think it doesn't matter if it's required level is "6" or just ">1", like "2" would be fine, too.
 

Submission:
Wc3's Damage System

Date:
28 Nobember 2016

Status:
Approved
Note:

I still would want us to talk about my post above, but it was actually only an additional info,
and the main tutorial looks good, so we might sort it out after approval slowly. Though I personaly find
the chosen green a bit aggresive for my eyes. I removed the "for beginners" from the title, it makes no real sense. Approved.
 
Level 13
Joined
Nov 7, 2014
Messages
571
Does this look correct to you?

JASS:
library DamageFlags

struct Reduced_By_Defense_Value extends array
    static constant integer NO = 0
    static constant integer YES = 1
endstruct

struct Affects_Spell_Immune extends array
    static constant integer NO = 0
    static constant integer YES = 1
endstruct

struct Affects_Ethereal extends array
    static constant integer NO = 0
    static constant integer YES = 1
endstruct

struct Damage_Flags extends array
    static attacktype attack_type = null
    static damagetype damage_type = null

    private static attacktype array attack_types
    private static damagetype array damage_types

static if DEBUG_MODE then
    // we need this because enum types like "ATTACK_TYPE_NORMAL= ConvertAttackType(0)"
    // compare equal to null
    private static boolean array is_valid_combination
endif

    private static method onInit takes nothing returns nothing
        local integer i

        // NOTE: by default ATTACK_TYPE_NORMAL (Spells), is reduced by 25% by heroes
        // Gameplay Constants/Damage Bonus Table Spells/Hero: 0.75

        // NOTE: ethereal units take 66%? extra damage from spells and magic damage

        set i = (((Reduced_By_Defense_Value.NO) * 2 + Affects_Spell_Immune.NO) * 2 + Affects_Ethereal.NO)
        set attack_types[i] = ATTACK_TYPE_NORMAL
        set damage_types[i] = DAMAGE_TYPE_MAGIC
        set is_valid_combination[i] = true

        set i = (((Reduced_By_Defense_Value.NO) * 2 + Affects_Spell_Immune.NO) * 2 + Affects_Ethereal.YES)
        set attack_types[i] = ATTACK_TYPE_NORMAL
        set damage_types[i] = DAMAGE_TYPE_MAGIC
        set is_valid_combination[i] = true

        set i = (((Reduced_By_Defense_Value.NO) * 2 + Affects_Spell_Immune.YES) * 2 + Affects_Ethereal.NO)
        set attack_types[i] = ATTACK_TYPE_NORMAL
        set damage_types[i] = DAMAGE_TYPE_ENHANCED
        set is_valid_combination[i] = true

        set i = (((Reduced_By_Defense_Value.NO) * 2 + Affects_Spell_Immune.YES) * 2 + Affects_Ethereal.YES)
        set attack_types[i] = ATTACK_TYPE_NORMAL
        set damage_types[i] = DAMAGE_TYPE_UNIVERSAL
        set is_valid_combination[i] = true

        set i = (((Reduced_By_Defense_Value.YES) * 2 + Affects_Spell_Immune.NO) * 2 + Affects_Ethereal.NO)
        set attack_types[i] = null
        set damage_types[i] = null
        set is_valid_combination[i] = false

        set i = (((Reduced_By_Defense_Value.YES) * 2 + Affects_Spell_Immune.NO) * 2 + Affects_Ethereal.YES)
        set attack_types[i] = ATTACK_TYPE_MAGIC
        set damage_types[i] = DAMAGE_TYPE_NORMAL
        set is_valid_combination[i] = true

        set i = (((Reduced_By_Defense_Value.YES) * 2 + Affects_Spell_Immune.YES) * 2 + Affects_Ethereal.NO)
        set attack_types[i] = ATTACK_TYPE_NORMAL
        set damage_types[i] = DAMAGE_TYPE_NORMAL
        set is_valid_combination[i] = true

        set i = (((Reduced_By_Defense_Value.YES) * 2 + Affects_Spell_Immune.YES) * 2 + Affects_Ethereal.YES)
        set attack_types[i] = null
        set damage_types[i] = null
        set is_valid_combination[i] = false
    endmethod

    static method get takes Reduced_By_Defense_Value d, Affects_Spell_Immune s, Affects_Ethereal e returns nothing
        local integer i = (((d) * 2 + s) * 2 + e)

        set attack_type = attack_types[i]
        set damage_type = damage_types[i]

static if DEBUG_MODE then
        if not is_valid_combination[i] then
            call BJDebugMsg("|cffFF0000Damage_Flags.get: there is no combination of attack-type/damage-type that matches the request; SORRY!|r")
            if 1 / 0 == 1 then // stop execution
            endif
        endif
endif
    endmethod
endstruct

endlibrary
 
Is there a way to take note of what type a spell is? Like universal/physical. For example here, he based an ability on WarStomp, made it level 6, but had no luck that it deals out damage to magic immune units.

Also, I think it doesn't matter if it's required level is "6" or just ">1", like "2" would be fine, too.
You are right, I'll fix that. Perhaps the only way to take note of what type a spell is through testing, but the only "Physical" spell that comes to my mind is Ensnare. War Stomp doesn't deal damage to magic immune units because its damage is (hardcoded) ATTACK_TYPE_NORMAL (AT:Spells), putting 6 as the required level only changes whether the stun effect should affect magic immune targets. He's better off using Triggers to set off the damage portion.
Does this look correct to you?

JASS:
library DamageFlags

struct Reduced_By_Defense_Value extends array
    static constant integer NO = 0
    static constant integer YES = 1
endstruct

struct Affects_Spell_Immune extends array
    static constant integer NO = 0
    static constant integer YES = 1
endstruct

struct Affects_Ethereal extends array
    static constant integer NO = 0
    static constant integer YES = 1
endstruct

struct Damage_Flags extends array
    static attacktype attack_type = null
    static damagetype damage_type = null

    private static attacktype array attack_types
    private static damagetype array damage_types

static if DEBUG_MODE then
    // we need this because enum types like "ATTACK_TYPE_NORMAL= ConvertAttackType(0)"
    // compare equal to null
    private static boolean array is_valid_combination
endif

    private static method onInit takes nothing returns nothing
        local integer i

        // NOTE: by default ATTACK_TYPE_NORMAL (Spells), is reduced by 25% by heroes
        // Gameplay Constants/Damage Bonus Table Spells/Hero: 0.75

        // NOTE: ethereal units take 66%? extra damage from spells and magic damage

        set i = (((Reduced_By_Defense_Value.NO) * 2 + Affects_Spell_Immune.NO) * 2 + Affects_Ethereal.NO)
        set attack_types[i] = ATTACK_TYPE_NORMAL
        set damage_types[i] = DAMAGE_TYPE_MAGIC
        set is_valid_combination[i] = true

        set i = (((Reduced_By_Defense_Value.NO) * 2 + Affects_Spell_Immune.NO) * 2 + Affects_Ethereal.YES)
        set attack_types[i] = ATTACK_TYPE_NORMAL
        set damage_types[i] = DAMAGE_TYPE_MAGIC
        set is_valid_combination[i] = true

        set i = (((Reduced_By_Defense_Value.NO) * 2 + Affects_Spell_Immune.YES) * 2 + Affects_Ethereal.NO)
        set attack_types[i] = ATTACK_TYPE_NORMAL
        set damage_types[i] = DAMAGE_TYPE_ENHANCED
        set is_valid_combination[i] = true

        set i = (((Reduced_By_Defense_Value.NO) * 2 + Affects_Spell_Immune.YES) * 2 + Affects_Ethereal.YES)
        set attack_types[i] = ATTACK_TYPE_NORMAL
        set damage_types[i] = DAMAGE_TYPE_UNIVERSAL
        set is_valid_combination[i] = true

        set i = (((Reduced_By_Defense_Value.YES) * 2 + Affects_Spell_Immune.NO) * 2 + Affects_Ethereal.NO)
        set attack_types[i] = null
        set damage_types[i] = null
        set is_valid_combination[i] = false

        set i = (((Reduced_By_Defense_Value.YES) * 2 + Affects_Spell_Immune.NO) * 2 + Affects_Ethereal.YES)
        set attack_types[i] = ATTACK_TYPE_MAGIC
        set damage_types[i] = DAMAGE_TYPE_NORMAL
        set is_valid_combination[i] = true

        set i = (((Reduced_By_Defense_Value.YES) * 2 + Affects_Spell_Immune.YES) * 2 + Affects_Ethereal.NO)
        set attack_types[i] = ATTACK_TYPE_NORMAL
        set damage_types[i] = DAMAGE_TYPE_NORMAL
        set is_valid_combination[i] = true

        set i = (((Reduced_By_Defense_Value.YES) * 2 + Affects_Spell_Immune.YES) * 2 + Affects_Ethereal.YES)
        set attack_types[i] = null
        set damage_types[i] = null
        set is_valid_combination[i] = false
    endmethod

    static method get takes Reduced_By_Defense_Value d, Affects_Spell_Immune s, Affects_Ethereal e returns nothing
        local integer i = (((d) * 2 + s) * 2 + e)

        set attack_type = attack_types[i]
        set damage_type = damage_types[i]

static if DEBUG_MODE then
        if not is_valid_combination[i] then
            call BJDebugMsg("|cffFF0000Damage_Flags.get: there is no combination of attack-type/damage-type that matches the request; SORRY!|r")
            if 1 / 0 == 1 then // stop execution
            endif
        endif
endif
    endmethod
endstruct

endlibrary
the jass values look correct to me, but I can't read jass anyway so I wouldn't be able to further tell if your code is correct :p
 
Level 13
Joined
Nov 7, 2014
Messages
571
the jass values look correct to me, but I can't read jass anyway so I wouldn't be able to further tell if your code is correct :p
Thanks for figuring WC3's attack/damage system in the first place =).


Anyway... here's a ridiculous function that calculates (at least it should) the damage, attack type and damage type that one needs in order to damage a unit (spell immune, ethereal) with exactly X damage (except heroes ;P):

JASS:
static method get_damage takes unit u, real damage returns real
    local real result = damage
    local boolean is_spell_immune = IsUnitType(u, UNIT_TYPE_MAGIC_IMMUNE)
    local boolean is_ethereal = IsUnitType(u, UNIT_TYPE_ETHEREAL)

    // We assume that spell damage will do 100% to heroes, i.e
    // the value of Gameplay Constants/Damage Bonus Table Spells/Hero: 1.0
    // has been set to 1.0, and heroes don't have spell damage reducing items.

    if is_spell_immune and is_ethereal then
        call get(Reduced_By_Defense_Value.NO, Affects_Spell_Immune.YES, Affects_Ethereal.YES)

         // because of ethereal we have to scale down: 1 / 1.66 = 0.6024096
         // blizzard will scale the damage back up with 1.66 and we'll get our
         // original damage
        set result = result * 0.6024096

    elseif is_spell_immune then
        call get(Reduced_By_Defense_Value.NO, Affects_Spell_Immune.YES, Affects_Ethereal.NO)

    elseif is_ethereal then
        call get(Reduced_By_Defense_Value.NO, Affects_Spell_Immune.NO, Affects_Ethereal.YES)
        set result = result * 0.6024096

    else
        call get(Reduced_By_Defense_Value.NO, Affects_Spell_Immune.NO, Affects_Ethereal.NO)
    endif

    return result
endmethod

Example usage:
JASS:
local unit u = ...
local unit target = ...
local real damage = 100.0

set damage = Damage_Flags.get_damage(target, damage)
call UnitDamageTarget(u, target, damage, false, false, Damage_Flags.attack_type, Damage_Flags.damage_type, WEAPON_TYPE_WHOKNOWS)

PS: WC3's attack/damage system is bananas =)...
 
Some things I'd like to add to this:

The mapping of ALL damage-dealing abilities to their respective damage types:

REPO in progress - mapping damage types to their abilities

The below table used by WarCraft 3 damage processing:


1

Unit attacks or casts a spell

→ →


2

The projectile or weapon hits the target unit

→ →


3

EVENT_UNIT_DAMAGING is fired before any modifications to the damage are made.

→ ↓


↓ ←


6

WarCraft 3 applies the value of Anti-Magic Shell, then Mana Shield, then Hardened Skin.

← ←

5

WarCraft 3 runs EVENT_UNIT_DAMAGING and EVENT_UNIT_DAMAGED for potential defensive damage like Thorns Aura/spikes, then runs those events for the “Spirit Link” chain.

← ←

4

WarCraft 3 processes any user damage made via BlzSetEventDamage.

7

Attack type, defense type and armor value calculations are made, taking into consideration user changes made via things such as BlzSetEventDamage/Attack/WeaponType.

→ →


8

WarCraft 3 runs EVENT_UNIT_DAMAGED based on the triggering instance of EVENT_UNIT_DAMAGING and any variables which were modified at the time.

→ →


9
The audio of the weapontype and armortype of the source and target unit is played. If the weapontype and armortype are both 0, no sound is played. This can be manipulated via script to emulate a "missed" attack.

→ ↓


√


12

If there were no reincarnations found, process the sequence of events for death of a unit.

← ←

11
The unit’s life is adjusted by the value of the damage event amount. If the damage was lethal, run any reincarnation abilities on the damaged unit.

← ←

10
WarCraft 3 processes any final user damage made via BlzSetEventDamage.
 
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