[Inaros] How do you calculate a Sand Shadow's duration?

[Ailith]

Casting Devour on an enemy will let you consume them, they will then be turned into a Sand Shadow for a duration based on how long it took to consume them. Additionally, Sandstorm can turn Devour-affected enemies into Sand Shadows.

Does anyone know the conversion/ratio on this? The wiki has no information on it. I know the primary purpose of the function is so that the ability scales, but it sounds very counter-intuitive for anything outside of endless content: positive strength = get a useless shadow, negative/no strength = take forever to convert an enemy into shadow.

And, what is Sandstorm's affect on a Sand Shadow's duration? I assume it's still a time-to-kill ratio, but what is it? :\

Edited April 19, 2016 by Ailith

[OverlordMcGeek]

DE we need less vagueness plz!

[Ailith]

Where my Tenno scientists/mathematicians at...? :c

Edited April 20, 2016 by Ailith

[(XBOX)Mechanized Mind]

Shoot, I need to know this as well.  Heck, I didn't even know that sandstorm made sand shadows, nor that actually creating one was tied to how long it takes to devour them.  I might head to the Simulacrum(sp?) later today to do some testing myself.

[Ailith]

4 hours ago, TheKnottyGentalman said:

I think its the same as checking the abilities. As for clarification on using sand storm for making sand shadows you have to cast devour first to begin with.
That's my guess so in this screenshot you would get 58 seconds per sand shadow even if you used sand storm to get it
Although it could be its based off the duration of the devour meaning  it starts the second you devour them.
(personally I think its the first option.)
 I do need to do further testing on this but this is just my guess.
 

Spoiler

 

Yeah, the Abilities tab shows the duration, but what does that number refer to? Is it a minimum duration not including time-to-Devour? Is it maybe the maximum duration, assuming there's a cap based on time-to-Devour?

I look forward to any tests you guys can run.

Edited April 21, 2016 by Ailith

[(XBOX)Mechanized Mind]

15 hours ago, TheKnottyGentalman said:

I think its the same as checking the abilities. As for clarification on using sand storm for making sand shadows you have to cast devour first to begin with.
That's my guess so in this screenshot you would get 58 seconds per sand shadow even if you used sand storm to get it
Although it could be its based off the duration of the devour meaning  it starts the second you devour them.
(personally I think its the first option.)
 I do need to do further testing on this but this is just my guess.

Thats interesting, also what the hell is going on with your Inaros in that pic?

 

12 hours ago, Ailith said:

Yeah, the Abilities tab shows the duration, but what does that number refer to? Is it a minimum duration not including time-to-Devour? Is it maybe the maximum duration, assuming there's a cap based on time-to-Devour?

I look forward to any tests you guys can run.

I figured the duration was how long they'd stay trapped in sand, but it could also refer to the sand shadows.  I'll have to check mine when I get home from work today.  My sand shadows don't last very long :\

[Ailith]

5 hours ago, (XB1)MAveric215 said:

Thats interesting, also what the hell is going on with your Inaros in that pic?

 

I figured the duration was how long they'd stay trapped in sand, but it could also refer to the sand shadows.  I'll have to check mine when I get home from work today.  My sand shadows don't last very long :\

Looks like he hovered over melee, went to his frame (without mousing over secondary and primary), and then clicked "Abilities" in the arsenal. The last weapon selected carries over into some menus. For example, I usually select my secondary before changing frame colors since holding a pistol is generally less obstructive than a primary (or you can just unequip your primary).

As for what the duration actually refers to, I think you're right, it's how long they stay trapped in sand. I came to that conclusion before, but it just completely escaped my mind for whatever reason. >_>

Edited April 21, 2016 by Ailith

[Ailith]

Well, I did some tests of my own and below are the results. To summarize: Power Duration has no affect on a Sand Shadow's duration and Positive Power Strength negatively affects a Sand Shadow's duration (by a significant amount). Quite disappointing, really. :\

Didn't get to test Sandstorm at all, since it's getting late, I might be able to test it tomorrow. I imagine the results will be the same though, +Strength = shorter Shadow duration.

 

Target in all tests: lvl 115 Bombard

-Base Strength (+100%)
-Base Duration (+100%)

Time to Devour
>1m:53s
Shadow duration
>3m:48s - 1m:95s = 2m:35s

======================
-Base Strength (+100%)
-Pos. Duration (+145%)

Time to Devour
>1m:53s
Shadow Duration
>3m:48s - 1m:95s = 2m:35s

======================
-Pos. Strength (+145%)
-Base Duration (+100%)

Time to Devour
>1m:18s
Shadow Duration
>2m:36s - 1m:18s = 1m:18s

======================
-Pos. Strength (+145%)
-Pos. Duration (+145%)

Time to Devour
>1m:18s
Shadow Duration
>2m:36s - 1m:18s = 1m:18s

Edited April 22, 2016 by Ailith

[(XBOX)Mechanized Mind]

5 hours ago, Ailith said:

Well, I did some tests of my own and below are the results. To summarize: Power Duration has no affect on a Sand Shadow's duration and Positive Power Strength negatively affects a Sand Shadow's duration (by a significant amount). Quite disappointing, really. :\

Didn't get to test Sandstorm at all, since it's getting late, I might be able to test it tomorrow. I imagine the results will be the same though, +Strength = shorter Shadow duration.

 

Target in all tests: lvl 115 Bombard

-Base Strength (+100%)
-Base Duration (+100%)

Time to Devour
>1m:53s
Shadow duration
>3m:48s - 1m:95s = 2m:35s

======================
-Base Strength (+100%)
-Pos. Duration (+145%)

Time to Devour
>1m:53s
Shadow Duration
>3m:48s - 1m:95s = 2m:35s

======================
-Pos. Strength (+145%)
-Base Duration (+100%)

Time to Devour
>1m:18s
Shadow Duration
>2m:36s - 1m:18s = 1m:18s

======================
-Pos. Strength (+145%)
-Pos. Duration (+145%)

Time to Devour
>1m:18s
Shadow Duration
>2m:36s - 1m:18s = 1m:18s

Yo you the real MVP, I was gonna do some tests last night, but my friends popped on and one more game kept going until 11 >_>  But now I wana try to make a negative power build to get longer sand shadow duration...  This is getting pretty interesting indeed.

[Ailith]

6 hours ago, (XB1)MAveric215 said:

Yo you the real MVP, I was gonna do some tests last night, but my friends popped on and one more game kept going until 11 >_>  But now I wana try to make a negative power build to get longer sand shadow duration...  This is getting pretty interesting indeed.

I'm not exactly convinced that negative Strength is the way to go, especially since it will negatively affect all of his other skills, though I guess it wouldn't hinder you too much in non-endless content. Using Sandstorm to Devour enemies is probably the way to go in that case, slap on Overextended and you should be able to tag a group of enemies with Devour then convert them all at once without dropping any of their bodies. Though, again, Sandstorm deals more damage so it'll probably result in a shorter Shadow (still need to test this).

My guess is that the convert time will be too impractical though. A level 115 Bombard took 2-and-a-half minutes to Devour (with base Strength), so even a lvl 30 Bombard is going to take about a minute with base Strength, negative Strength will take even longer.

Edited April 22, 2016 by Ailith

[TheKnottyGentalman]

I think its the same as checking the abilities. As for clarification on using sand storm for making sand shadows you have to cast devour first to begin with.
That's my guess so in this screenshot you would get 58 seconds per sand shadow even if you used sand storm to get it
Although it could be its based off the duration of the devour meaning  it starts the second you devour them.
(personally I think its the first option.)
 I do need to do further testing on this but this is just my guess.