Sleet and Freezing Rain bugged as of July 27 2020.

[modest]

Last night, I was Pylon testing a Storm Summoning Defender while monitoring the Pylon with a Power Analyzer. I noticed that the behavior of Freezing Rain has changed. Tonight, I tested Sleet on a Cold Domination character and found that it has also been affected by the change.

 

Previously, Freezing Rain and Sleet were coded to summon a pet that lasts 15 seconds. The pet applied debuffs that last 30 seconds. Previously, it was possible to stack these pets so that Sleet or Freezing Rain could be applied multiple times against the same target. Here is a screenshot of how Freezing Rain and Sleet previously behaved:

 

 

Now, the effects of Freezing Rain and Sleet end after 14 seconds. If Freezing Rain or Sleet is cast upon a target, the pet disappears after 14 seconds and the 30 second debuff is not applied to the target. In short, the debuffs associated with Freezing Rain and Sleet end after 14 seconds.

 

Here is an example of this behavior on a Storm Summoning Defender. Freezing Rain recharges in 14 seconds on this Defender, so it should always have two stacks permanently up on a target. However, it is unable to maintain a single stack because the buffs disappear after 14 seconds.

 

 

Here is an example with Sleet on a Cold Domination Corruptor. On this Corruptor, Sleet recharges in 15 seconds. I monitored a Pylon with a Power Analyzer, cast Sleet, and then clicked Sleet again so that it would cast on its 15 second cooldown.

 

 

 

[modest]

This is a continuation of the bug report. After 14 seconds, the debuffs disappeared:

 

 

I tested it a second time with the same results:

 

 

Notice that the Sleet (and Freezing Rain) patch(es) remain on the ground, but the debuffs disappear after 14 seconds.

 

[modest]

Attached is a combat log from the Cold Domination Corruptor.

 

The behavior that I described above is erratic. I tested it further and discovered that sometimes Sleet will function properly and stack three times. Other times the debuffs associated with the patch will disappear completely after 14 seconds. I do not know what causes this, but it does mean that both Sleet and Freezing Rain are intermittently operating correctly. It is very easy to replicate this by casting the powers and observing the target with a Power Analyzer.

 

Here is a screenshot showing what happens when Sleet lasts 45 seconds rather than 14:

 

 

I do not know what causes it to disappear after 14 seconds some of the time, and 45 seconds other times. I have measured this effect on multiple characters on multiple days.

chatlog 2020-07-27.txt

[Mikewho]

I can confirm this. I've noticed the same erratic behavior recently on my cold characters using power analyzer.

[modest]

After additional testing with @Bopper, I believe that I've discovered the cause of this bug. This behavior is replicable indefinitely with the same result.

 

If a character enters a map while on minimum graphic settings, then Sleet and Freezing Rain do not apply their debuffs properly. Sleet and Freezing Rain produce the behavior that I observed in the initial bug report: intermittently they drop all debuffs after 14 seconds.

 

If a character enters a map while on recommended or higher graphic settings, then Sleet and Freezing Rain stack perfectly:

 

 

If a character enters a map on recommended or higher graphic settings, and then lowers the graphic settings to minimum graphic settings, then Sleet and Freezing Rain continue to operate correctly.

[modest]

Here is a screenshot that was taken on a Cold Domination character that entered the map at recommended graphic settings, and then lowering the graphics to minimum graphic settings:

 

 

Here is a screenshot of a Storm Summoning character that entered the map at recommended graphic settings, and then lowering the graphics to minimum graphic settings:

 

[Mikewho]

EDIT: Just tested this on my cold characters and it doesn't work for me. Using recommended settings still produces the bug. Maybe recommended settings differ from machine to machine?

 

Fascinating. Any idea which graphics setting specifically is the cause? I use custom so I'm wondering which one I might try tuning...

 

Thanks for the testing!

Edited July 28, 2020 by Mikewho

[Mikewho]

Update 2: Even on Ultra settings I still get the bug. In terms of frequency, it seems to be roughly 90-95% of the time the bug happens.

[Bopper]

7 minutes ago, Mikewho said:

EDIT: Just tested this on my cold characters and it doesn't work for me. Using recommended settings still produces the bug. Maybe recommended settings differ from machine to machine?

 

Fascinating. Any idea which graphics setting specifically is the cause? I use custom so I'm wondering which one I might try tuning...

 

Thanks for the testing!

Did you try maximizing graphics and reattempt?

 

Edit: Nice snipe

Edited July 28, 2020 by Bopper

[modest]

6 minutes ago, Mikewho said:

Update 2: Even on Ultra settings I still get the bug. In terms of frequency, it seems to be roughly 90-95% of the time the bug happens.

This is very interesting and odd. Can you take and share some screenshots and post a combat log so that there's documentation?

 

Edit: Make sure that you completely leave the map, change your graphic settings, and then re-enter the map before you test it.

Edited July 28, 2020 by modest

[Mikewho]

1 minute ago, modest said:

This is very interesting and odd. Can you take and share some screenshots and post a combat log so that there's documentation?

 

Edit: Make sure that you completely leave the map, change your graphic settings, and then re-enter the map before you test it.

Will do, I should be able to get some more formal testing in tonight. Thanks modest & bopper!

[Mikewho]

So my testing strategy was to choose a graphics setting in Ouroboros, then head to RWZ and power analyzer a Pylon. Apply sleet, taking an image right after application, and then another image after 16 seconds or so. Continue until the bug occurs (or I've tried so many I don't think it will occur). I repeated this first for Ultra settings, then Recommended, then Minimum, the Recommended again, and finally Ultra again. Results:

 

Ultra run 1: First Sleet worked, Second bugged

Recommended run 1: First Sleet worked, Second bugged

Minimum run 1: All Sleets worked (kept going until 12)

Recommended run 2: All Sleets worked (kept going until 12)

Ultra run 2: All Sleets worked (kept going until 12)

 

My guess is that there's something else going on which just makes all the Sleets work for some period of time after whatever it is happens.

 

Some images, first from Ultra run 1:

 

[modest]

@MikewhoThis is good testing, thank you. Also, thank you for sharing the screenshots.

[Mikewho]

Recommended run 1:

[Mikewho]

Minimum run 1:

 

 

[Kai Moon]

Saw the same inconsistent debuff sticking myself. Checked score, and the debuff sticking is also inconsistent in score, so it's not HC specific.

 

It seems familiar, so it might have been this way in 2012, though I don't see it mentioned in the Current Defender Issues thread as of June 2012.

[Pzn]

Tested this out with dominator sleet and I'm seeing the same bug.  About half the time on zoning in the debuff always drops when the animation fades.

[Vanden]

Hard to say if this is really a bug or not. I believe this is a result of some under-the-hood changes to the power system. In a nutshell, pseudopet powers like Sleet would count as coming from different entities, but some new tech allows them to count as coming from the player. Since Sleet now always counts as coming from the player character, instead of a pseudopet, this is exactly the kind of behavior you would expect to see.

[Kai Moon]

Not sure what Pzn means, but zoning has nothing to do with what I saw. Sometimes the debuff sticks, sometimes it doesn't. I'm just standing there with my power analyzer, not zoning. Also, it happens in SCoRE, so it's not HC specific.

[Kai Moon]

I remember myself using Gale to blow things out of Freezing Rain before it ends, when soloing, to avoid this bug and make sure the debuffs stick, back in 2012. Long time ago, I may be misremembering. But it's such a weirdly specific memory, I think it probably happened. I haven't done that on HC, and I wasn't on the secret server, so I think I'm remembering 2012.

 

I'm just puzzled why I didn't post this on the Defender Issues thread. Maybe I reported it after April 2012 (the last archive.org snapshot)?

Edited March 30, 2022 by Kai Moon

[Pzn]

2 hours ago, Kai Moon said:

Not sure what Pzn means, but zoning has nothing to do with what I saw. Sometimes the debuff sticks, sometimes it doesn't. I'm just standing there with my power analyzer, not zoning. Also, it happens in SCoRE, so it's not HC specific.

I mean that it's directly affected by zoning.  I tested on homecoming, not another server.  Either sleet 100% stacks or 100% doesn't stack, and continues to until rezoning.

Edited March 30, 2022 by Pzn

[Kai Moon]

Did some testing.

 

Ticks reliably apply the debuff when the sleet/rain pseudopet is still active. And debuffs reliably stay stuck to enemies outside the pseudopet's radius when it despawns. So it's only unpredictable when a tick of debuff hits enemies at the same time as the despawn. Possibly a timing issue or race condition.

 

Maybe making the pseudopet persist for extra time, no longer attacking, might make a difference? For instance, instead of despawning after 15 seconds, make it last 15.2 seconds, but revoke its powers or make it only-affecting-self after 15. That way, no enemies are taking a tick of debuff at the same time as the despawn.

Edited April 16, 2022 by Kai Moon