Yeah, definitely not all fields in npc_types would be relevant for mercs. I was just thinking it would be a nice way for servers to be able to adjust merc stats so they aren't hard coded in the source. If it used npc_types, it would let servers adjust stats and min/max damage etc so you could scale them in any way you want. This would remove the issue of trying to have gear come into play for mercs. I think having a gearing option for mercs might be nice as well to make them more flexible, but it might also be nice to be able to just create them similar to creating a pet. Though, given that mercs can range to any level and there are quite a few variations of mercs, that could mean quite a few npc_types entries to do it that way.
One possibility might be to have it load the base stats, min/max damage, health/mana, regen, weapon models, and so on from the db along with maybe a scaling ratio or something right from the merc_types table with a few new fields. Just like NPCs, they could use the npc_types_tint table to load the armor colors. If material/texture was added to that table as well, it would make it easy to simulate the appearance of any armor set on live for mercs.
The main argument I would have for allowing mercs to use stats over armor sets is that stats are much easier to tweak than armor sets are. It seems pretty clear to me that mercs on Live don't reflect exactly what a character of the same class type (such as warrior compared to merc tank) is capable of. I leveled a trio on Live recently from 1 to 60 and had a tank merc that is able to well out tank my warrior that is fairly well geared for his level now. I don't know if it is just that his mitigation is higher or if he just has a ton more HPs, but he probably tanks 2 or 3 times as well as my warrior does. Unless he is geared far beyond the standard gear for that level, I assume Live uses different base stats and/or formulas for mercs from what player characters use. I am sure there is more solid data out there somewhere from the crazy number crunchers, but I haven't done enough research to find it yet.
It could just be that mercs on Live are wearing the same armor set until they reach the higher levels or maybe only the higher tier mercs. If the set has a recommended level on it, maybe the armor just scales as the merc levels, which makes sense for simplifying the process. If that is the case, armor sets might not be a bad option and then we would just need to adjust the weapons that are used, which is much less work. I am guessing we would have to add support to make sure gear scales to level for recommended level gear that mercs are wearing.
You are probably right that AAs are used to increase spell effects. I don't think it would be hard to get that working for mercs. The other possibility would be if they use focus effects on gear they wear. If using the same armor set as they level as mentioned above, the focus effects wouldn't kick in until they reached the recommended level I think.
I wasn't aware that they are all a single race with an illusion cast on them. That should simplify things a bit as far as DB entries go.
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