Nanos
Note that some of the explanations are not based on my experiences but on others.
1) Q: How does Nanobot Shelter work?
A: Nanobot Shelter, Greater Nanobot Shelter and Superior Nanobot Shelter are NOT reflects (see misconceptions part). They are the same nano line as reflects though, meaning you can't stack it with for example RRFE. But has nothing to do with reflects. Shelter absorbs a portion of the damage dealt on you (20%, 22% and 25% respectively) and transfers the damage to your nanopool. This means that if you got hit, you receive less damage, but your nanobots are drained with an amount that is depending on the absolute amount of damage it absorbs.
This dependence is related to your breed.
This table shows, by how much your nano will be drained, if Shelter absorbs 100 points of damage:
Code:
Solitus/Opifex Atrox Nanomage
Nanobot Shelter 130 140 120
Greater Nanobot Shelter 120 130 110
Superior Nanobot Shelter 115 130 100
Nanobot Shelters (unlike reflects) reduce damage AFTER the 30% damage cap. This means that an NT with Shelter up will never be hit for capped, provided he/she has enough nano.
2) Q: How does Nanobot Guard/Shielding work?
A: Nanobot Guard and Nanobot Shielding are almost the same, only that Nanobot Shielding gives 1000 nanoinit, adds 75 to all damage types (lol who cares), increases the cost of every nano by 55% and increases nano damage to 200% (meaning that all nukes will hit 2x as big). The damage modifier does not add more hits, but actually increases the amount of damage done by the initial nano. However, Nanobot Shielding can only be used every 30 minutes. Note, that using NBG locks out NBS for 15 minutes, but not itself. NBS locks out both NBS and NBG for 30 minutes. This means NBG can be used more often, as long as the NT has the nano.
Both NBG and NBS works the same as Nanobot Shelters, but with some differences in values. Both NBG and NBS converts damage to nano, but at a larger scale, depending on breed. The amount of nano sucked by absorbing damage is also breed-dependant.
The following table shows what happens if you are hit with 100 points of damage.
Code:
Solitus/Opifex Atrox Nanomage
Damage absorbed 85 80 90
Amount of nano drained* 149 160 135
*calculation: damage absorbed × breed modifier = nano drained
breed modifiers: 1.75 2.00 1.50
Both NBS and NBG lasts for 25 seconds. After this duration a nano comes in your NCU that drains your nanopool to zero and attempts to hold it at zero every 5 seconds, virtually disabling the NT during this period. NBG nano depletion lasts for 1 minute, after which NBG can be cast again (if the NT has been able to rebuild his/nano pool sufficiently). The NBS version of Nanobot Depletion lasts for 2 minutes, after which neither NBS or NBG can be cast for the next 30 minutes.
3) Q: How do layers work?
A: Layers absorb the indicated value in the nano's description from each damage type. For example, Superior Fleeting Immunity absorbs 1334 damage from ALL damage types. This means that if you are hit with various damage types, the nano saves you from a total 10672 damage. If you are only hit with the same damage type, it only saves you from 1334 damage without recasting.
Note that currently layers are calculated BEFORE 30% cap. That means, one AS from a rifle having projectile damage will nullify the absorb value for projectile damage, and you will still be hit for capped. Otherwise it would make extreme lowhp toons immortal.
4) Q: How does Nullity Sphere work?
A: Nullity Sphere and Nullity Sphere MK II are REFLECTS. Both of them gives the caster 100% reflect to all damage types making the NT invulnerable to everything except those players/mobs that are capable to either hit through it (NTs' LE nukes) or reduce reflects (dynaboss mobs, or engineer nano Null Space Disruptor for example). NS1 has a 14 sec duration but a 6 sec recharge, which means that it protects for 14 seconds, but you can only cast nukes for 8 seconds. NS2 has 19s duration and 2s recharge, so the NT can cast nanos for 17 seconds under protection.
Both programs prevent you from moving during protection.
Both Nullity Spheres locks themselves (and each other) out for 1 minute.
Both nanos activate Defensive Focus.
5) Q: What is Defensive Focus/Offensive Focus? Why NTs whine about it?
A: Both Offensive and Defensive Focus are unremovable (even upon death) hostile nanos with 30 minutes duration. Offensive Focus appears in our NCUs when we cast LE nukes (including LE AoE nukes), Defensive Focus appears in our NCUs when we cast Nullity Sphere/Nullity Sphere MK II. Defensive Focus locks out ALL LE nukes for its duration while Offensive Focus locks out Nullity Spheres. You have to decide which would you want to use, because you cannot cast LE nukes under the protection of a Nullity Sphere. NTs whine about the long duration of the lockout, and that it renews anytime you use one of the nanos that trigger them. The long lockout time disables NTs to adapt to a changed environment.
6) Q: How do Alien DoTs work? How are they related to the Ancient Matrix perkline?
A: A common misinterpretation of these nanos' description, that after training Ancient Matrix, it will tick for more damage. That is not true. AI DoTs always tick for the same damage (not even affected by damage modifiers), but they land an additional nuke that is depending on your AM level. Here's a comprehensive table which DoT does what. (Only minimum damage values are indcated)
Code:
Cellular Res. | Poisoned Th. | Frost Blades | Magma Cover. | Self Illumi.
AM level Nuke Tick | Nuke Tick | Nuke Tick | Nuke Tick | Nuke Tick
AM < 8 460 460 513 513 630 630 741 741 830 830
AM8 920 460 1026 513 1260 630 1482 741 1660 830
AM9 1380 460 1539 513 1890 630 2223 741 2490 830
AM10 1840 460 2053 513 2520 630 2964 741 3220 830