Free attack

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by Aldo, Mar 26, 2019.

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  1. Turk Key

    Turk Key Avatar

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    I have been using auto attack for all these years. Decided to try the free attack. I got the skill from the trainer and the book explaining how to use it. Useless. I know that you can get a stronger attack by holding down the left mouse button. But is that all there is? Can I use my melee skills? If so, how? I hold down the left button, aim at my target and let go to attack, but how do you apply the various skills to this attack? Either I am missing something or am just too set in my ways to understand what is going on. Help!!
     
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  2. Barugon

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    Free attack is best used with a partially unlocked deck. That way, you can combine glyphs while charging your basic attacks. To get the maximum benefit, you really have to be on top of it. I personally prefer to use auto-attack and charge up my specials.
     
  3. Spinok

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    Free attack is useless on all weapons except the ranged. Why I don't know, I would be glad if they would up charged attack for double-hand melee.
     
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  4. Turk Key

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    If I understand what is being said, Free attack power is exclusive of any learned skills. Does that mean I can change from blades to pole to bludgeon using free attack and essentially the weapon used is meaningless. The free attack is just a stack of whatever is in your hand. Does mastering your specialty tree have any effect on Free attack? (I know nothing about ranged).
     
  5. Barugon

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    The innate skill at the very top of the weapon skill tree affects the amount of damage that you can do with that weapon using free-attack. If you look at the tool-tip, it will show how much. Other innate skills in the tree also affect free-attack.
     
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  6. Turk Key

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    Thank you all very much. I see where my assumptions as to how it should work were mistaken. No complaints, but will stick with auto!! I have been wondering for some time whether some of my skill attacks were over-ridden by the auto attack if not timed just right. Still investigating my suspicion that if auto fires just before pushing the skill button on the combat bar that the auto will complete and the skill attempted basically is discarded from the bar but never actually fires. Hard to make out what is going on.
     
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  7. xadoor

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    its the other way around, it seems like some skills interrupt the auto-attack for a short time...(I think)
     
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  8. Weins201

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    Free Attack and Auto Attack re basically the exact same attack. Their Damage is based of an average of all the skills you have in that skill tree i.e if you have 100 in every skill in your Tree for Swords (all 6 *) then your damage for auto attack should be 100% of the Base Damage for a not skill used sword swing, or an un charged free attack. Now if you charge up a free attack should hit harder. Same example if you have your 6 Sword skills at say 100 / 100 / 50 / 80 / 40 / 20 then you attacks for Auto and Free are based off 65%* So auto simple auto attack and a simple non charged Free is 65% of a base damage.

    NOW this used to be based of the average of just the actual skill that is why I say 6 for Swords, but at this time I cannot say if it is based of just the Skills, Skills + Innates, OR Skills + Innates + Specialization.

    Auto attack is a hit that just keep hitting (going off) over and over while you are fighting it is an extra hit / shot in-between skill uses or spell casts.
    Free Attack ONLY goes off when fired so it acts like another skill BUT it damage can be significantly higher and can be used in conjunction more strategically for like Backstab bonuses, or hitting from above, both of which add to hit ability and damage output. Yes Auto attack is interrupted when a skill / spell is used that requires a global cool down but it will start back up on its own

    SOOO the bonus to free attack is the strategic and Damage boosts possibility and the bonus for Auto is extra damage without having to do anything but stay in LOS, it cannot get an increase to damage but it is AWSOME with poisons as it is extra swings / hits when poison is applied.

    Also when in free attack if you use mouse move something goes weird at least it does for me.

    If someone can get the actual information on where the numbers comes from Skills , Skills + Innates , Skills + Innates + Special AND what the base damage number is that would be AWSOME
     
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  9. Barugon

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    They do. Each skill has an execution time and auto-attack won't trigger during that time.
     
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  10. Barugon

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    All of your special attacks get the bonuses for altitude and backstab as well.
     
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  11. Lazlo

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    Free attack was a lot more relevant when there was no such thing as charging locked glyphs. Now in a lot of the situations where charging free attack used to be good, charging a glyph and leaving auto attack on is even better.

    It still saves arrows and weapons damage though, and I wouldn't really say that it's the same as auto attack. Depending on a mobs damage resist, a larger portion of charged free attack can get through compared to auto attack.
     
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  12. Arkah EMPstrike

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    Free attack does alot more damage than auto attack (in my case for a bow, hits harder than aim shot) but varies by weapon and you have to practice with it to get where you can really stay on top of it. I’ve always preferred free attack and use it while skills are unavailable, in situations where focus use is painful, and the beginning of a quick combo of attacks like freeattack-offhand-offhand-quadslash
     
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  13. Andrew Silverston

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    I tried both ways. Unless you have a 100% accuracy (no such thing), free attack is useless. I deal more overall DPS with free attack. I am a 2-h halberd user, and it has cone area frontal dmg, as long as I keep all the enemies in front of me, I can deal really good damage with autoattack, some crit procs are really nice. I tried free attack and didn't like that I have to babysit every hit. I am not a big fan of unlocked deck either. All this stacking and waiting for a good proc, not my cup of tea. Auto-Attack and locked deck is a way to go for me, at least in my current play stile. Considering that SOTA never really changed from the win-button stile, all I need is 2-3 maxed direct attack skills, some high level passives and it goes like a knife through butter T6+ enemies.
     
    Last edited: Mar 28, 2019
  14. Weins201

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    uhh o_O
     
  15. majoria70

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    I've always used free attack with my two handed axe. Even though I kill at times a bit slower while winding it up personally it makes me feel more connected to the battle.
     
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  16. Diab Blackbow

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    Free attack is great with Ranged when you have a reliable critical chance. Was really good when back shots gave a large critical chance bonus. Combining a free attack with a full stack ability can do a lot damage. I found it a lot of fun landing the combo from elevation/back on mages. That gave a strategic element to the combat, not just auto attacking and going afk. I used this on mages in the Rise before I could reliably solo them face to face.

    The weapon durability loss with auto attacks is pretty painful.
     
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  17. Sketch_

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    Experiment with free-attack and a single technical enemy, utilize special "attacks" (techniques) on a case by case basis. Avoid spamming techniques thoughtlessly, if this works you're probably fighting the incorrect mob type
     
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  18. Patchup

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    Free attack is just the auto attack toggled off. It isn't some new type of attack. You can click on the enemy target and it will attack manually. Reasons for not wanting auto attack toggled on vary. It allows for charging of skills.
    Back in my day we had to pay for the attack. Now it's free! Just another case where the Devs have made things easier.
     
  19. Sketch_

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    You can charge your attack, for example - and use technique-glyphs and then release the auto attack. The "default mmo" configuration of locked glyphs and auto-attack works just fine, but there is a lot of nuance lurking with the "advanced" options.
     
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  20. Weins201

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    ??????

    Auto attack just keeps "attacking" the ACTIVE target when it is "range"
    Free attack HAS to be clicked to attack, it can be a quick small attack or a "Charged" harder attack.

    Auto attacks keep going while the player casts spells or uses specific attacks.
    Free must be trigger, there are no attacks in between spells / skills.

    Damage from BOTH are calculated with an Average of the skills in the skill tree.

    You cannot charge an Auto attack to hit harder, so they are completely different modes of plain skill tree based attacks.
     
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