Damage resistance is a defensive statistic of a character or starship. It is multiplied with the incoming damage of the same type.
Players obtain damage resistance through items, like consoles and body armor, as well as skills, traits, and abilities.
The game internally differentiates between damage resistance magnitude and damage resistance. The former is what is indicated as bonus in the UI (e.g. the item or skill description), the later is the actual percentage by which incoming damage is reduced.
Star Trek Online uses a system of diminishing returns to prevent players from becoming invincible (100% damage resistance); i.e., the higher the damage resistance magnitude, the less additional damage resistance is gained from bonuses. With the exception of resistance boosts, such as Ablative Generators (500+ resistances), there is no way to exceed 75% damage resistance.
Formula
To compute damage resistance (dr) from damage resistance magnitude (drm) the game sums up all bonuses and handicaps (from debuffs) to calculate drm and then applies this formula:
This equation yields a curve, that starts out linear (mapping one point damage resistance magnitude to one percent damage resistance) and asymptotically approaching 0.75 (or 75%) damage resistance.
The following table gives you the mapping between the magnitude and the actual damage resistance:
| Magnitude | Damage resistance | Magnitude | Damage resistance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0.0% | 40 | 28.3% |
| 1 | 1.0% | 41 | 28.7% |
| 2 | 2.0% | 42 | 29.2% |
| 3 | 2.9% | 43 | 29.7% |
| 4 | 3.8% | 44 | 30.2% |
| 5 | 4.8% | 45 | 30.6% |
| 6 | 5.7% | 46 | 31.1% |
| 7 | 6.5% | 47 | 31.5% |
| 8 | 7.4% | 48 | 32.0% |
| 9 | 8.3% | 49 | 32.4% |
| 10 | 9.1% | 50 | 32.8% |
| 11 | 9.9% | 55 | 34.8% |
| 12 | 10.7% | 60 | 36.7% |
| 13 | 11.5% | 65 | 38.5% |
| 14 | 12.3% | 70 | 40.1% |
| 15 | 13.0% | 75 | 41.7% |
| 16 | 13.8% | 80 | 43.1% |
| 17 | 14.5% | 85 | 44.4% |
| 18 | 15.2% | 90 | 45.7% |
| 19 | 15.9% | 95 | 46.9% |
| 20 | 16.6% | 100 | 48.0% |
| 21 | 17.3% | 110 | 50.0% |
| 22 | 18.0% | 120 | 51.9% |
| 23 | 18.6% | 130 | 53.5% |
| 24 | 19.3% | 140 | 54.9% |
| 25 | 19.9% | 150 | 56.3% |
| 26 | 20.5% | 175 | 59.0% |
| 27 | 21.1% | 200 | 61.2% |
| 28 | 21.7% | 225 | 63.0% |
| 29 | 22.3% | 250 | 64.5% |
| 30 | 22.9% | 275 | 65.7% |
| 31 | 23.5% | 300 | 66.7% |
| 32 | 24.1% | 350 | 68.3% |
| 33 | 24.6% | 400 | 69.4% |
| 34 | 25.2% | 450 | 70.3% |
| 35 | 25.7% | 500 | 71.0% |
| 36 | 26.2% | 600 | 72.0% |
| 37 | 26.7% | 800 | 73.1% |
| 38 | 27.3% | 1000 | 73.7% |
| 39 | 27.8% | 1500 | 74.4% |
Discussion
Note that diminishing returns are eating away bonuses more dramatically with increasing magnitude; e.g., a magnitude of 90 is reduced by half to 45.7% actual damage resistance. Due to the shape of the curve, there is no actual "sweet spot" to aim for. While it is possible to equip more than one [Console - Engineering - Monotanium Alloy Mk XI] (+32 kinetic damage resistance), it is not recommended:
| Equipped Consoles | Kinetic damage resistance |
|---|---|
| 0 | 0.0% |
| 1 | 24.1% |
| 2 | 38.2% |
| 3 | 47.1% |
| 4 | 53.2% |
Three consoles of the same type only give twice the damage resistance that a single console provides.
Notes
- The Damage Resistance Equation as a formula is:
DR=(3*(0.25-(75/(150+DRM))^2))
Where DRM is substituted with a cell reference.
- Many, if not all, items/skills/abilities in the game that modify damage resistance magnitude include text that reads "damage resistance", instead of damage resistance magnitude. For example, the Subspace Field Modulator reads "+34 All Energy Damage resistance for 15 sec" but in fact, adds +34 to the damage resistance magnitude for all energy weapon types. The best way to distinguish whether it modifies your damage resistance or damage resistance magnitude is if the damage resistance is given in a percentage or a flat number. Percentages represent damage resistance, while flat numbers represent damage resistance magnitude.
External links
- STOked, episode 73, Al Rivera explains the math behind damage resistance.
- Starship Damage Resistance Calculator.