Heiho,
this is an attempt to explain some of the more techical stuff about Golems, since I'm not aware of a reliable english source about that topic. You won't find anything exciting new here - at least it shouldn't be new, because nothing has changed recently. It is based on patch 1.11b files, but there were only minor changes regarding Golems since 1.10 release, so it applies there as well.
It is my first attempt to write some really lengthy posting in English, so feel free to complain about wrong semantics, syntax, spelling or use of metaphors not commonly known. Of course feel also free to correct me, if I tell actually wrong stuff ^^
Why Golems?
Well, I like them :-)
It's also a opportunity to give you some very basic approach to the *.txt files and how to do researches with them, especially about the cryptic formulas inside of some of them. If you really care about it you'll sooner or later enter the Phrozen Keep. It's tons of interesting stuff to read there. Sometimes the magnificent modding guys have a somewhat different approach, since they most of the time want to change things, not explain the ingame effect in unmodded game. [Disclaimer]: this is not a complaint. I've gotten a lot of friendly support there :-)
If you want to check the stuff I've written by yourself you'll need the appropriate *.txt files and a spreadsheet editor of your choice, which must be able to manage huge CSV tables. MonStats.txt, a file already invented in versions prior to 1.10, was in fact splitted in two files from 1.10 on and further, because the columns exceeded the capability of certain spreadsheet editors. Just for looking MS Excel will do, or OpenOffice, or NeoOffice. Actually there are fast little applications for that purpose at PK's Filebase which will do the job much better. They're almost all Windows/DOS based, though :-(
Most of the txt files, at least the gameplay related ones, are explained thoroughly in articles of their own, which you can find in PK's Fileguide Section.
There is an rar-archive of all extracted txt files from 1.11b Patch mpq, so you don't need to extract them yourself. However, I won't split that file, so you'll have to load about 300kB.
Recommended reading is PK's Formula Guide by Xeno and Kingpin. It looks a bit scary at first glance, but I hope you'll feel at home very fast.
Fortunately I could rely on a german formula guide by Red Havoc ^^
The german one lists this enlightening Ruvanalian Posting at the Phrozen Keep as further reference. I'm afraid Xeno's guide still has the wrong lnXY function in it.
<span style="font-family:Arial Black">---------------------------------
1) some files and what they do
---------------------------------<!--fontc--><!--/fontc-->
MonStats.txt/<span style="color:#CC66CC">MonStats2.txt
Every unit which is not a player character or an object is covered here. So are Golems, at least some of their abilities. Most of MonStats2.txt controls just the graphics of units and won't interest us here en detail. Just keep in mind that it exists.
PK MonStats.txt Fileguide
<span style="color:#CC33CC">PetType.txt
This small file groups the pets. So here's the place where regardless of class is controlled if some pets exclude each other, like Druid's Wolves or Necro's Golems. Regarding our Golems here is controlled that you can only have one at a time, and that it doesn't matter if your ability to summon one is native or from that sodding crossclass-skills business.
PK PetType.txt Fileguide
<span style="color:#CC33CC">Skills.txt
In this file the actual skills are covered, all the damage and synergy and mana stuff, the required cLvl, the prerequisite skills. Regarding our Golems here is the place where it says that you can only have one FireGolem at a time and what exactly it'll do.
Of greater interest in our discussion will be the calculation fields, like'<span style="color:#FFFF33">passivecalcx', '<span style="color:#FFFF33">calcx' and the Parameter fields '<span style="color:#FFFF33">Paramx'. The describers in '<span style="color:#FFFF33">Paramx Description' fields are more of a commentary character. Note that the parameters can be used not just in the row of a given skill but from another skill's row as well (in fact, from another file as well).
PK Skills.txt Fileguide
<span style="color:#CC33CC">SkillDesc.txt
This file controls the decriptions of all skills in the game. That is, what text appears on several places like the skill tree, the spell board etc.
We won't need this to an extend, just keep in mind that calculations done in Skills.txt must be done here the same way so the various ingame text displaying matches what really happens.
PK's SkillDesc.txt Fileguide
<span style="color:#CC33CC">SkillCalc.txt
You may think this is a very important file, but it isn't. Actually it's just more of a commentary file, and the formulas in there are not quite correct, since they don't cover floor and ceiling functions or omit a substraction.
some files we don't need here:
<span style="color:#CC66CC">MonSeq.txt
We would need that file to discuss Druid's Grizzly and his Smite attack sequence animation. I'm still at the very beginning of that mind-boggling animation business, so I'm glad our Golems don't use any sequences ;-)
<span style="color:#CC66CC">MonEquip.txt
In this file some units get their equipment. We would need it for discussing Valkyrie's or Shadow's gear. But none of the Necro pets has gear equipped.
<span style="color:#CC66CC">MonProp.txt
If our goal would be discussing the Druid's Ravens, here is the place where their blinding ability is stored. The Necro's pets don't have properties assigned from that file.
<span style="font-family:Arial Black">---------------------------------
2) related Skills
---------------------------------<!--fontc--><!--/fontc-->
Golem Mastery
We can't discuss Golems omitting the Mastery. As you may know it's a passive skill and boosts our Golem's life, Attack Rating and Velocity. There are no calculation fields filled here, just some parameters.
So you really don't see here how much boost you get from spent points in GM, even if the describers indicate it. This is the very first example of the aforementioned way the rows interact with each other. In fact, as we will see soon, the boni GM gives to each Golem are the same. It is not needed to be this way from the techie approach. Every Golem could get varying bonus from GM in a modded scenario.
<span style="color:#C0C0C0">Player's Note: usually you spend one point here and let your equip do further increasings.
Golem Mastery is no auralike effect, it affects the Golem's quality while he's summoned and doesn't change Golem's quality while he is alive.
Summon Resist
So let's cover the other Golem related passive skill to come over with it. SR gives your Golems (and Skeletons) a percentage boost of prismatic resistance. Other than GM it is actually a formula in <span style="color:#FFFF33">passivecalc1, which reads as '<span style="color:#CC6600">dm12'.
Oh well, I've never heard of a mathematical function called 'dmXY'.
Indeed this is a D2 specific shorty for a 'diminishing returns' effect. We could use SkillCalc.txt to look what it actually means, but as written above it is not very accurate since floor [ ] and ceiling { } functions are omitted. So I'll give you modder's more precise formula instead. dmXY actually means
<span style="color:#CC6600">dmXY = { (Y-X) * [110*lvl / ( lvl + 6 )] / 100 } + X
and the figures X and Y relate to the ParamX and ParamY of this row, in our case Param1 and Param2; lvl refers to the actual skill level (including boni from equip). Param1 is 20 and Param2 is 75.
On sLvl1 we would get
{ (75 - 20) * [110*1 / (1+6)] / 100 } + 20 <=>
{ 55 * [110/7] / 100 } + 20 <=>
{ 55 * 15 / 100 } +20 <=>
8 + 20 <=>
28
This is the percentage of boosted resistance at sLvl1. Feel free to check other sLvl figures.
Summon Resist works pretty much like an aura to your Skeletons and Golems. That is, it's effect will change automatically when you're using a Skill Shrine, changing gear and so on.
<span style="color:#C0C0C0">Player's Note: usually you spend one point here and let your equip do further increasings. At sLvl6 SR increases the resistances by 50% already.
Another Player's Note: SR increases resistance of Skeletons, Skeleton Mages and Golems. However, gained immunities don't show correctly on the life bar which you'll see with active Unsummon Skill or on a hostile pet. Heavy testing indicated that there is no immunity penalty when Lower Resistance and/or Conviction is applied to pets which became immune via SR (or, for the sake of completeness, Salvation).
And Last Player's Note: Revives don't get a profit from SR. I don't know yet where this is controlled, so just believe ingame testings.
this is an attempt to explain some of the more techical stuff about Golems, since I'm not aware of a reliable english source about that topic. You won't find anything exciting new here - at least it shouldn't be new, because nothing has changed recently. It is based on patch 1.11b files, but there were only minor changes regarding Golems since 1.10 release, so it applies there as well.
It is my first attempt to write some really lengthy posting in English, so feel free to complain about wrong semantics, syntax, spelling or use of metaphors not commonly known. Of course feel also free to correct me, if I tell actually wrong stuff ^^
Why Golems?
Well, I like them :-)
It's also a opportunity to give you some very basic approach to the *.txt files and how to do researches with them, especially about the cryptic formulas inside of some of them. If you really care about it you'll sooner or later enter the Phrozen Keep. It's tons of interesting stuff to read there. Sometimes the magnificent modding guys have a somewhat different approach, since they most of the time want to change things, not explain the ingame effect in unmodded game. [Disclaimer]: this is not a complaint. I've gotten a lot of friendly support there :-)
If you want to check the stuff I've written by yourself you'll need the appropriate *.txt files and a spreadsheet editor of your choice, which must be able to manage huge CSV tables. MonStats.txt, a file already invented in versions prior to 1.10, was in fact splitted in two files from 1.10 on and further, because the columns exceeded the capability of certain spreadsheet editors. Just for looking MS Excel will do, or OpenOffice, or NeoOffice. Actually there are fast little applications for that purpose at PK's Filebase which will do the job much better. They're almost all Windows/DOS based, though :-(
Most of the txt files, at least the gameplay related ones, are explained thoroughly in articles of their own, which you can find in PK's Fileguide Section.
There is an rar-archive of all extracted txt files from 1.11b Patch mpq, so you don't need to extract them yourself. However, I won't split that file, so you'll have to load about 300kB.
Recommended reading is PK's Formula Guide by Xeno and Kingpin. It looks a bit scary at first glance, but I hope you'll feel at home very fast.
Fortunately I could rely on a german formula guide by Red Havoc ^^
The german one lists this enlightening Ruvanalian Posting at the Phrozen Keep as further reference. I'm afraid Xeno's guide still has the wrong lnXY function in it.
<span style="font-family:Arial Black">---------------------------------
1) some files and what they do
---------------------------------<!--fontc--><!--/fontc-->
MonStats.txt/<span style="color:#CC66CC">MonStats2.txt
Every unit which is not a player character or an object is covered here. So are Golems, at least some of their abilities. Most of MonStats2.txt controls just the graphics of units and won't interest us here en detail. Just keep in mind that it exists.
PK MonStats.txt Fileguide
<span style="color:#CC33CC">PetType.txt
This small file groups the pets. So here's the place where regardless of class is controlled if some pets exclude each other, like Druid's Wolves or Necro's Golems. Regarding our Golems here is controlled that you can only have one at a time, and that it doesn't matter if your ability to summon one is native or from that sodding crossclass-skills business.
PK PetType.txt Fileguide
<span style="color:#CC33CC">Skills.txt
In this file the actual skills are covered, all the damage and synergy and mana stuff, the required cLvl, the prerequisite skills. Regarding our Golems here is the place where it says that you can only have one FireGolem at a time and what exactly it'll do.
Of greater interest in our discussion will be the calculation fields, like'<span style="color:#FFFF33">passivecalcx', '<span style="color:#FFFF33">calcx' and the Parameter fields '<span style="color:#FFFF33">Paramx'. The describers in '<span style="color:#FFFF33">Paramx Description' fields are more of a commentary character. Note that the parameters can be used not just in the row of a given skill but from another skill's row as well (in fact, from another file as well).
PK Skills.txt Fileguide
<span style="color:#CC33CC">SkillDesc.txt
This file controls the decriptions of all skills in the game. That is, what text appears on several places like the skill tree, the spell board etc.
We won't need this to an extend, just keep in mind that calculations done in Skills.txt must be done here the same way so the various ingame text displaying matches what really happens.
PK's SkillDesc.txt Fileguide
<span style="color:#CC33CC">SkillCalc.txt
You may think this is a very important file, but it isn't. Actually it's just more of a commentary file, and the formulas in there are not quite correct, since they don't cover floor and ceiling functions or omit a substraction.
some files we don't need here:
<span style="color:#CC66CC">MonSeq.txt
We would need that file to discuss Druid's Grizzly and his Smite attack sequence animation. I'm still at the very beginning of that mind-boggling animation business, so I'm glad our Golems don't use any sequences ;-)
<span style="color:#CC66CC">MonEquip.txt
In this file some units get their equipment. We would need it for discussing Valkyrie's or Shadow's gear. But none of the Necro pets has gear equipped.
<span style="color:#CC66CC">MonProp.txt
If our goal would be discussing the Druid's Ravens, here is the place where their blinding ability is stored. The Necro's pets don't have properties assigned from that file.
<span style="font-family:Arial Black">---------------------------------
2) related Skills
---------------------------------<!--fontc--><!--/fontc-->
Golem Mastery
We can't discuss Golems omitting the Mastery. As you may know it's a passive skill and boosts our Golem's life, Attack Rating and Velocity. There are no calculation fields filled here, just some parameters.
So you really don't see here how much boost you get from spent points in GM, even if the describers indicate it. This is the very first example of the aforementioned way the rows interact with each other. In fact, as we will see soon, the boni GM gives to each Golem are the same. It is not needed to be this way from the techie approach. Every Golem could get varying bonus from GM in a modded scenario.
<span style="color:#C0C0C0">Player's Note: usually you spend one point here and let your equip do further increasings.
Golem Mastery is no auralike effect, it affects the Golem's quality while he's summoned and doesn't change Golem's quality while he is alive.
Summon Resist
So let's cover the other Golem related passive skill to come over with it. SR gives your Golems (and Skeletons) a percentage boost of prismatic resistance. Other than GM it is actually a formula in <span style="color:#FFFF33">passivecalc1, which reads as '<span style="color:#CC6600">dm12'.
Oh well, I've never heard of a mathematical function called 'dmXY'.
Indeed this is a D2 specific shorty for a 'diminishing returns' effect. We could use SkillCalc.txt to look what it actually means, but as written above it is not very accurate since floor [ ] and ceiling { } functions are omitted. So I'll give you modder's more precise formula instead. dmXY actually means
<span style="color:#CC6600">dmXY = { (Y-X) * [110*lvl / ( lvl + 6 )] / 100 } + X
and the figures X and Y relate to the ParamX and ParamY of this row, in our case Param1 and Param2; lvl refers to the actual skill level (including boni from equip). Param1 is 20 and Param2 is 75.
On sLvl1 we would get
{ (75 - 20) * [110*1 / (1+6)] / 100 } + 20 <=>
{ 55 * [110/7] / 100 } + 20 <=>
{ 55 * 15 / 100 } +20 <=>
8 + 20 <=>
28
This is the percentage of boosted resistance at sLvl1. Feel free to check other sLvl figures.
Summon Resist works pretty much like an aura to your Skeletons and Golems. That is, it's effect will change automatically when you're using a Skill Shrine, changing gear and so on.
<span style="color:#C0C0C0">Player's Note: usually you spend one point here and let your equip do further increasings. At sLvl6 SR increases the resistances by 50% already.
Another Player's Note: SR increases resistance of Skeletons, Skeleton Mages and Golems. However, gained immunities don't show correctly on the life bar which you'll see with active Unsummon Skill or on a hostile pet. Heavy testing indicated that there is no immunity penalty when Lower Resistance and/or Conviction is applied to pets which became immune via SR (or, for the sake of completeness, Salvation).
And Last Player's Note: Revives don't get a profit from SR. I don't know yet where this is controlled, so just believe ingame testings.