Larian Studios Forums Divine Divinity (English) Help/Tips/Tricks What is more important: Defense or Armor?

Just curious to see how people rank the importance of Defense vs. that of Armor.

I have 2 armor choices:
One provides Armor 415 and Defense 135.
One provides Armor 477 and Defense 126.

I suspect that the high Armor values make this a moot point, in other words, this would be a more serious question if the Armor values were 215 and 277. But I would like to see if anyone has any strong opinions about the Armor vs. Defense question. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/think.gif" alt="" />

Are those values from the stats pane? If so, it would be easier to compare the actual armour values and bonuses (move the cursor over the armour to see the description).

the armor prolly gives you agility,
i would take the armor with defense (chance to be hit decreased)

Raze:
Yes, this is from the stats pane, the Bottom Line as it were. My interest at the moment is this bottom line, individual armor piece stats are secondary.

Nemo:
Yes, the various pieces of armor provide more or fewer Agility and Defense bonuses. Your point about choosing Defense over Armor - avoid getting hit over reducing damage when hit, sounds pretty compelling.

Anyone else have any ideas to add?

The 'bottom line' armour rating is never used by the game; it is just for your information. The actual armour class of the area you get hit is used in the calculation to determine how much damage is done.

What sort of character are you playing?

HandEFood: I am a Warrior, currently near the end of the game in the Black Ring dungeon. Do you think a Survivor or Mage character would come to a different conclusion on the Armor vs. Defense question?


Raze: Here are my armor stats as they apply to Armor and Defense (my current Armor is 486, and my current Defense is 143)

Helm: 350 (20%) +20 Agility
Shield: 270 (30%) +20 Agility
Breastplate: 440 (25%) +2 Agility
Belt: 370 (5%)
Gloves: 220 (5%) +6 Agility, +2 Defense
Boots: 270 (5%)
Leggings: 200 (10%) +8 Agility

Interestingly, my Armor is 486, when my highest armor class is 440 for the breastplate. So, obviously, this total Armor score is NOT an average. I wonder how they obtain the Armor score.

Now that I have used my gold charms on it, I will stick with this armor set.


My general question to any DD Theorists <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/think.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mage.gif" alt="" /> still remains: As you are building up your character, is it better to emphasize Armor over Defense, or Defense over Armor?

As a warrior, I treated armour and defense separately. Agility raises both offense and defense, but I was mainly concerned with the offense. For armour, I went with the highest armour class first, then whatever bonuses I could get. Better bonuses might convince me to choose a slightly lower armour class, but I never looked specifically for defense boosts.

Even for an archer or mage, the chance of getting hit and how much damage taken when you are hit are separate (though similar) concepts. It depends on your playing style for which would be 'better'. The only time you even have to make a choice between them is when you have two pieces of armour, one with a (better) defense bonus but a lower armour class.

Nearly the same here as Raze. As a mage I took a high armour or if a lower one, one with bonus, spells and 5 charm slots in both cases. I recall taking the dragon armour gloves with only 20 protection because they had other boosts I thought more suitable for my mage and had 5 slots of course <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />. I neglected defense.

In my last end game I only had 208 armour, 76 offense, 90 defense
Kiya

Same as Raze - with a warrior char.

Armor is een item. Defense is a skill. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/think.gif" alt="" />

When defense is low, high armor values are more logical.
When your defense is high you can use items that have a less high armor value, but that probably boost other skills/stats/qualities.
Also, by that time you probably have found other items that keep your armorrating high too.
The thing to do is to balance everything.
<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

1) Yes, indeed, armor choices are very satisfyingly complex: Armor value vs. integral bonuses vs. charm slots. Keeps me constantly looking at merchants' stock to see if I can improve upon what I am wearing.
BTW I found charms to be a most useful tool, and therefore chose to mazimize charm slots whenever possible.

2) Some of the above posts seem to indicate that Defense is not of primary importance. I disagree. The concept of avoiding being hit strikes me as being THE most important (just my humble opinion <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/think.gif" alt="" />) Therefore I tried to increase Agility and Defense whenever I could.

3) Kiya: Yes, I realize that I was so strongly armored and buffed up that the game became a cakewalk (assuming that walking on cake is easy) <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />
A little soul-searching provides two reasons:
a) I wanted to have all the best items (YUPPIE?) and be the best I could be. I actually did this in Morrowind, and quit in the middle of the game because it became too boringly easy. Happily, there are limitations built in to DD that help keep players from becomming too strong too quickly.
b) I dislike losing, and therefore keep the challenge level from becomming too high.
I DO admire the skill and tenacity you must have had to finish the game at those levels.

As a Warrior, you will get hit a lot, so high Armour values are useful. I consider good Agility bonuses worth more than Armour or Defense bonuses because they raise your Offense rating. The higher you Offense rating, the quicker they fall, the less they can hit you!

Nothing to admire about, gcraighammond, - I was invincible <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/delight.gif" alt="" /> - you see, I was a mage, these monsters had no chance at all with the spells I chose <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/delight.gif" alt="" /> - I cursed/polymorphed Josie, the Demon = what armour, agility, defense did I need against a bunny and a frog? The rest was captured in an energy cage and brizzled/hailed to death in a whiff. The gargoyles had no chance either. I played at normal difficulty lvl though - maybe you used the hard one? I still think playing mage is the easiest class - enough restoration potions, mana, powerful spells = that's all. You warriors need armour, agility etc.
Kiya


[color:"yellow"]My end stats, click here please[/color]

Kiya:
As a Warrior I cringe as I think of you puny Mages going out alone into the dark and evil world. I do admire your bravery, but have to wonder if your Intelligence somehow just lacks "street smarts". Sure, you can cause great big explosions, and daze and confuse some monsters. But as you're doing that, another Baddie is certainly sneaking up behind you. And when it has its claws in your neck, it's Armor, Defense and Offense that will save you, not muttering and waving your hands. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" />

No, give me stout armor and a sword that sings as it slices through demon flesh. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/evilgrin1.gif" alt="" />

Sneak up to me when I have Deadly Discs <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif" alt="" /> - try to survive my radius <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/evilgrin1.gif" alt="" />
Kiya

oh, & blind him as well. the josephina battle tactics.

Nono, Deadly Discs - he wants to hear something singing when it cuts flesh <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/badsmile2.gif" alt="" />
Kiya

oh no, death by karaoke ....

Hmmm, I wonder how high gcraighammond's Karaoke voice can get if I let my Deadly Discs whirl in a deep radius <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/think.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ouch.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/evilgrin1.gif" alt="" /> - those sand demons were down in a nick of time, just sad little lumps of... sand. <innocent smiling/whistling smilie included here>
Kiya

Or those evil dwarves that came in hordes and surrounded me in a sneaky way, specially the lieutenants... they didn't have time to sing, my Discs were probably singing too loud... and those guards in the poor quarters when I killed Maria for testing sakes...

Janggut: I have to assume that death by karaoke involves some sort of strangling, so my above statement stands. My superior armor and strength will make quick work of you. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/badsmile2.gif" alt="" />

Kiya: Slipping me some discs might cause a bit of a sore back (Get it? Slip…discs and sore back? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> Oh well, never mind)

If your casting voice is anywhere near as fearsome as your bragging (Oooh I’m soooo scared <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/kissyou.gif" alt="" />) then perhaps there is something to be feared. However, I still find it hard to believe that anything really powerful can come from the delicate fingers dangling at the ends of your spindly mage arms. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/evilgrin1.gif" alt="" />

There’s too much danger out in the world to face it with just robes and a pointy toothpick. Too many things can go wrong in the heat of battle. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" /> If you stutter, or if something knocks your hand, then the Baddies are on top of you and it’s all over. If I stumble or make an error in judgement and the Nasties swarm, my heavy armor will protect me as I recover and turn them into dog food.

And let’s not forget the morale factor. The Monsters look at a puny mage wandering the countryside and think “Dinner!”. They see my shiny armor and blood-stained sword, and think “I’ve got real important business somewhere else.” <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/winkwink.gif" alt="" />

Any Newbies, take my advice: True success in <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/div.gif" alt="" /> can only come from having the stout heart of a Warrior! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/devil.gif" alt="" />