Damage cancel: Difference between revisions

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'''Damage Cancel''' (DMC) is a PSO community term describing the following process:
'''Damage Cancel''' (DMC) is a PSO community term describing the following process:


* You attack an enemy and create any damage #(including 0), MISS, or inflict a Status Effect (including Jellen and Zalure).
* A player attacks an enemy, producing any damage #(including 0), MISS, or inflicts a Status Effect (including Jellen & Zalure).
* Your game client sends to the server a data packet containing the enemy's current remaining HP.
* The player's game client sends to the server a data packet containing the enemy's current remaining HP.
* The server receives your data packet and beams that info back to all other clients in the game (but not you).  
* The server relays its most recently received "remaining HP" packet back to all players except the one who sent it.
* However, keeping the most recent value received is all it does. It does not check if your total is higher or lower than any other data it's received. Therefore, if two people send HP at roughly the same time, one of the two totals may overwrite the other, effectively negating one of the two players' damage.  
* However, the server relays the most recently received data packet no matter what - regardless of if its total is higher or lower than any other data. Therefore, if two people send HP at roughly the same time, one of the two totals may overwrite the other, effectively negating one of the two players' damage.  
* This manifests as an enemy under massive attack from multiple players taking far less damage than expected. As an extreme worst-case example, an enemy being hit by rapid fire weapons (e.g. [[Last Swan]]) doing 0 damage per hit can be rendered nigh-invincible to the other players.
* This manifests as an enemy under massive attack from multiple players taking far less damage than expected. As an extreme worst-case example, an enemy being hit by rapid fire weapons (e.g. [[Last Swan]]) doing 0 damage per hit can be rendered nigh-invincible to the other players.
== Exceptions ==
* Instant Kills are immune to DMC. Killing an enemy by any means (including [[Megid]], Hell, or a one-shot attack e.g. [[Dark Flow]]) sends a data packet that the enemy is Dead, which is not considered 'damage' and cannot be overwritten by incoming damage values.


== Mitigation Strategies ==
== Mitigation Strategies ==


* Pay close attention to your damage output vs. your teammates'. If a teammate's DPS on a target vastly exceeds yours, ''switch target'' - especially if you are using a high refire rate weapon such as a [[Mechgun]] or the [[Last Swan]] - or find another way to help the party.
* Pay close attention to damage output vs. teammates' and switching target if a teammate's DPS against the same target is superior.
* Keep your ATA as high as you can to avoid MISSing.
* Reduce MISS chance by keeping ATA as high as possible and using % Hit weapons.
* Use Instant Kill weapons and Megid where possible.
* Kill an enemy in one hit (via [[Megid]], Hell, or a one-shot attack e.g. [[Dark Flow]]) - this sends a data packet that the enemy is Dead, which cannot be overwritten.  
* If you're using a Devil's/Demon's weapon, once it's got the target down as far as it can go, stop firing.
* Cease firing Devil's/Demon's weapons once the target's HP has reached the lowest it can go.
* Know Technique strengths/weaknesses, and don't spam AoE techniques e.g. Gifoie if they are ineffective at killing the target.
* Know Technique strengths/weaknesses; don't spam AoE techniques e.g. Gifoie if they are ineffective at killing the target.
* Try to cast Jellen and Zalure on a target only once, if possible.
* Try to cast Jellen and Zalure on a target only once, if possible.

Revision as of 19:27, 7 September 2021

Damage Cancel (DMC) is a PSO community term describing the following process:

  • A player attacks an enemy, producing any damage #(including 0), MISS, or inflicts a Status Effect (including Jellen & Zalure).
  • The player's game client sends to the server a data packet containing the enemy's current remaining HP.
  • The server relays its most recently received "remaining HP" packet back to all players except the one who sent it.
  • However, the server relays the most recently received data packet no matter what - regardless of if its total is higher or lower than any other data. Therefore, if two people send HP at roughly the same time, one of the two totals may overwrite the other, effectively negating one of the two players' damage.
  • This manifests as an enemy under massive attack from multiple players taking far less damage than expected. As an extreme worst-case example, an enemy being hit by rapid fire weapons (e.g. Last Swan) doing 0 damage per hit can be rendered nigh-invincible to the other players.

Mitigation Strategies

  • Pay close attention to damage output vs. teammates' and switching target if a teammate's DPS against the same target is superior.
  • Reduce MISS chance by keeping ATA as high as possible and using % Hit weapons.
  • Kill an enemy in one hit (via Megid, Hell, or a one-shot attack e.g. Dark Flow) - this sends a data packet that the enemy is Dead, which cannot be overwritten.
  • Cease firing Devil's/Demon's weapons once the target's HP has reached the lowest it can go.
  • Know Technique strengths/weaknesses; don't spam AoE techniques e.g. Gifoie if they are ineffective at killing the target.
  • Try to cast Jellen and Zalure on a target only once, if possible.
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