Statistics is not just about complex mathematical models and regressions.  It is also about collecting and using data in a smart way to make decisions.  And one of the contexts that this applies to is in the world of gaming.

Behind every electronic game, there is a structure, an algorithm, a model.  Electronic games are made of statistics that dictate AI behaviors and game outcomes. By figuring out the game model and the underlying statistics, we can “beat the game” by behaving in a way that agrees with the model.

I focus on three games representing different game models:

• MapleStory — MMORPGs (Massively multiplayer online role-playing games)
• DotA 2 (Defense of the Ancients) — MOBA (Multiplayer online battle arena)
• Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft — online collectible card game

Part 1:

Maplestory is your classic MMORPG and has been around for a while. Basically, players choose a character with a “class” which uses a different weapon and skills from other classes, then go around completing quests, which often involve killing monsters and bosses, with the aim of leveling up to get stronger skills, power, etc.

The key to leveling up in Maplestory is to (smartly) allocate points to your character stats such that they overpower the monsters’ stats.  The whole “game model” is focused on these stats, and to “beat the game”, players have to find the right combinations of stat points as they level up:

The core stats are Health Points and Mana Points (used up every time a skill is activated).  Then, there are the base stats: Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, Luck, which I think are self-explanatory. Third, the secondary stats are Attack, Critical Rate (rate of one hit inflicting big damage on an enemy), Physical and Magic Defense, Accuracy and Evasion Rate which you can increase by wearing items which have specific stat attributes.  Finally, each class has a “skill tree” where you can choose which skill you want to learn as you level up.

Depending on your gamestyle and the class you have chosen, you might want to maximize DPS (damage per second), burst power for long-range attack classes, defense/evasion rate for tanking, etc.  There are also different combinations of base stats that are more efficient for every class and for each branch-line on the skill tree.

As you can tell, the gaming model is quite complex, but attempts have been made to crack the model by some quite devoted players out there.  I gather some interesting examples here.

Damage output based on Boss Damage, Character Ignore Defense and Monster Defense Rate

Original post: Ignore Defense & Boss Damage table

Most of the time, the damage we inflict on a monster/boss is not 100% because that enemy has a defense rate to partially block your damage.  If you want to be good at killing bosses and monsters, this table of damage estimations is very informative.

The table tells you what level of Boss Damage percentage and Ignore Defense percentage you would need to inflict a certain percentage of your usual damage on a boss.  %Boss Damage is a stat that can be obtained through skills, weapons, etc.  % Ignore Defense can be obtained from weapons, job skills or Character Card effects.

Damage Per Second by character class

Original post: Finally the long-wanted Paladin/DrK Nerf is happening in KMS!

This table is pretty cool if you are looking for a class that hits hard and kills fast. Based on the chart, which was updated in 2014, the best classes would be Zero, Night Walker and Arch Mage.  Keep in mind that these descriptive stats change occasionally with game updates and nerfs (to the angst of some of us).

Stats on Weapon Damage Multipliers and Base Stats

Original post: Formulas

The first table is useful again if you want to emphasize on damage when choosing your weapon. The second table is a guideline on which stat you should focus on for your chosen class.  Of course, there are variations out there where some might prefer making a build with the “secondary stat” as primary, or focusing on a totally different stat, but in general, the above table shows the stat builds that have shown consistent success.

The above source, Formulas, also has tons of ways to quantitatively measure the performance of your character, such as your character’s hit rate:

Hit rate =

It also reveals some interesting things about your characters’ stats. For instance, say you want to maximize your character’s Strength (STR) stat:

Total STR =

The above tells you that your character’s STR depends not only on your base STR (in which you allocate your character’s stat points), but also depends on the level of your Maple Warrior All Stats boost, your STR bonuses from weapons and items, your stat boost from Inner Abilities, and your Character Card bonus (which is obtained at level 30).  So now you have a precise idea of where to focus to maximize your character’s Strength!

For newcomers at an MMORPG, it is always more time-efficient to investigate existing data on the best character stat and skill builds because a player’s allocation of stats to his or her character is usually irreversible (unless some money can be invested into a stat/skill reset item).  Also, specific stats are necessary for certain items and skills, and many skills have prerequisites on the skill tree.