How do skills combine?

I've been puzzled by this for some time now and would like to know the truth behind my madness :D

How do different skill bonuses that effect the same stat combine together?

For example I will use two skills:
Xion Particle Properties: +5% dmg to all ships per rank.
Offensive initiative: +2% dmg to destroyers and battle cruisers per rank.

So let's say we will use battlecruiser (Base ATK 18) and you have 1 point in each skill, how would the combination work?:

1. (2%+5%)*18= 19.26

Or

2. 18*2%*5%=19.278

Good question. I'd like to know this too.

Percentages in this game rarely appear to be a percentage of a current value. For instance, the first few percent increase in RO production takes you from zero to a few units per hour. What percentage of zero is a few? :p I'd be surprised if it is actually either of your proposed equations, but I'm a also interested to hear a response from the devs.

@Royce: Every planet has a base RO production value... it's only shown at 0 until you learn the appropriate skill. Behind the scenes, the planet may have a starting RO of +2, so when you tack on that 3% increase it bumps it up to +3.

@Supermand: If they're smart, they use additive logic instead of multiplicative logic.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Noah David

@Royce: Every planet has a base RO production value... it's only shown at 0 until you learn the appropriate skill. Behind the scenes, the planet may have a starting RO of +2, so when you tack on that 3% increase it bumps it up to +3.

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First of all, that makes absolutely no sense. A base value, that is always meaningless because nobody can actually use it until they increase it? Second, 1 is 3% of 2?

I think in the RO case, the value you see before you colonize the planet is the maximum production rate of RO. After you colonize, you see your current RO production rate, which is zero if you haven't learned the first rank of Advanced Mineral Collection. I believe the percentage quoted in the skill listing, at least for AMC, are percentages of the planet's maximum production rate (which you can't see anymore). The first rank of AMC both "activates" the ability, and increases your collection rate from 0 to 3% of the planet's max.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JetJaguar2000

I think in the RO case, the value you see before you colonize the planet is the maximum production rate of RO. After you colonize, you see your current RO production rate, which is zero if you haven't learned the first rank of Advanced Mineral Collection. I believe the percentage quoted in the skill listing, at least for AMC, are percentages of the planet's maximum production rate (which you can't see anymore). The first rank of AMC both "activates" the ability, and increases your collection rate from 0 to 3% of the planet's max.

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That is correct! As a trader you can see that distinction much clearer. For example I found a Jovian planet that said it could produce 400 RO. After I dropped and outpost, I was only getting 40 RO, because of traders 10% bonus.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Supamand

That is correct! As a trader you can see that distinction much clearer. For example I found a Jovian planet that said it could produce 400 RO. After I dropped and outpost, I was only getting 40 RO, because of traders 10% bonus.

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That's exactly what I was referring to in my first post. Percentages really don't ever seem to be a percentage of the actual current value. Ore production percentage increases are a percent of total possible production. Trade value percent increases and decreases are not a percentage of the value you currently get, but are a percentage of the total base trade value (so a 10% percent increase is actually a 20% increase from your base share). I see no reason to assume combat modifiers are any more transparent. It's probably nowhere near as simple as the possible equations you've proposed above.

I wish this post didn't get side tracked into RO....
I still have no idea about skill combinations ;(