Combat rating
Combat rating is a fairly controversial subject involving the unseen (ie, passive) dynamics of the Fighting system after the infamous 'fight fix'. What the theory proposes is a flat value assigned to the character that actively decides their chance to hit, damage multiplier and damage mitigation based on a unit, herein referred to as CR.
Basics of the theory
1 CR = 2-3% hit, damage multiplier and parry chance
1 CR is gained for every 10 Fighting overall skill obtained 1 CR is gained for equipping a weapon, and 1 more CR added for every extra 10ql of the sword CR is deducted from enemy players when using shields of any size (in a ratio equivalent to 1 CR per 20ql of shield + 1CR per 10 shield substat) CR is deducted from enemy players when wearing armor - 1 CR for having a set of chain/studded armor and 1 additional CR for every 20ql of the armor.
Combat rating is multiplicative, and only applies to the Fighting skill, not Archery or anything else.
Focus level is seen to add a flat 10% additional CR per focus level, to a maximum of 100% additional CR at focus level ten.
This would mean, that a fighter with 40 FS wearing 60ql studded armor and using two 70ql longswords would have: 4 CR (fighting skill) + 4 CR (studded armor) + 16 CR (dual longswords) = 24 CR (48-60+ chance to hit, parry and .6x additional damage on hits)
Another fighter, with 50 FS wearing 60ql chain and using a 60ql large iron shield and longsword with 30 substat would have: 5 CR (fighting skill) + 4 CR (chain armor) + 7 CR (longsword) = 16 CR (32-40+ chance to hit, parry and .4x additional damage on hits)
However, since the second fighter is adept in using his large iron shield, he effectively negates 6 CR from the other fighter, bringing them to roughly the same level. Fighting then becomes a battle of maintaining and raising focus, which the shield user has a large advantage on (shieldbashing breaks focus)
Similar attributes apply when fighting monsters and animals in the Wurm universe - all creatures appear to have a base CR which increases with their age and is dependent on what prefix they may have. For example, an aged fierce spider could have CR similar to that of a young, no prefix troll. Obviously, the troll would have an advantage of being a self healer, but the spider attacks marginally faster and would likely stack dangerous wounds far, far quicker than the younger troll. CR has also been observed in animals to increase the chance they target sensitive areas, such as the head and shoulder areas, and even the legs in some cases.
While there is no definitive proof of this theory, many fighters feel it makes a great deal of sense in determining how gear and skill intertwine, and also explains how sometimes fighters of significantly lesser skill can win versus a superior opponent through merely gear and focus alone. One thing this theory does not explain however, is why there is such a significant difference between a 70 FS fighter and a 90 FS fighter, despite only having a base 2 CR difference.
Combat rating is a versatile tool which can be used to effectively compare players and understand the nuances of the new fighting system, but take it with a pinch of salt and realize that CR is not definite information, and has not been verified by the developers or even hinted to be even slightly correct. Make your own decisions based from the data presented here to you.
