This Starforce Calculator estimates the expected total cost and number of attempts required to reach your target item enhancement level, helping you budget for the necessary resources.
Starforce Calculator
Starforce Calculator Formula
$$ \text{Expected Total Cost (E)} = \text{Cost per Attempt (C)} \times \text{Expected Attempts (A)} $$
$$ \text{Expected Attempts (A)} \approx \frac{\text{Target Levels (L)}}{\text{Success Rate (R) / 100}} $$
Where $L = S2 – S1$ (Target Star Level – Current Star Level).
Formula Sources: Wikipedia: Expected Value, Investopedia: Expected Value
Variables Explained
- Current Star Level (S1): The item’s current enhancement level.
- Target Star Level (S2): The desired final enhancement level.
- Average Success Rate (%): The percentage chance of a successful enhancement per attempt. This calculator uses an average over the range for simplification.
- Cost per Attempt (C): The amount of currency spent on a single enhancement attempt.
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What is a Starforce Calculator?
A Starforce calculator is a simulation tool designed to estimate the resources required for enhancing equipment in games that feature randomized success rates, such as MapleStory’s Star Force system. Due to the high degree of variance and potential for item destruction or downgrade on failure, calculating the expected cost is crucial for planning and budgeting within the game.
While the in-game system is highly complex (involving different success/failure rates per star level, safeguard costs, and destruction mechanics), this calculator uses an averaged expected value model. This model simplifies the process by estimating the expected number of attempts needed to progress through the star levels based on a user-defined average success rate, thus providing a foundational resource estimate.
How to Calculate Expected Cost (Example)
- Determine the Levels to Achieve (L): Subtract the Current Star Level (S1) from the Target Star Level (S2). E.g., Target 17 – Current 10 = 7 Levels (L).
- Convert Success Rate: Convert the Average Success Rate (R) from a percentage to a decimal. E.g., 30% becomes 0.30.
- Calculate Expected Attempts (A): Divide the number of Levels (L) by the decimal Success Rate (R). E.g., 7 / 0.30 $\approx$ 23.33 Attempts (A).
- Identify Cost per Attempt (C): Input the cost for a single enhancement attempt. E.g., 500,000 Currency (C).
- Calculate Total Expected Cost (E): Multiply the Expected Attempts (A) by the Cost per Attempt (C). E.g., 23.33 $\times$ 500,000 = 11,666,500 Expected Total Cost.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Starforce refers to the item enhancement system that grants significant stat boosts through a randomized process, often costing immense amounts of currency. Potential, conversely, refers to bonus stats rolled onto the item using scrolls or cubes.
No. In most Starforce-like systems, the success rate decreases as the star level increases, making higher enhancements significantly more expensive and riskier. This calculator uses a simplified average rate.
Safeguarding is a mechanic where, for an additional fee, you can prevent your item from being destroyed or having its star level drop upon a failed enhancement attempt. This calculator assumes you are paying the base attempt cost.
If an item is destroyed, you typically lose the item and must use a replacement item (or ‘trace’) to recover its previous enhancements. The expected cost calculated here does not factor in the cost of replacement items.