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How does distraction work in Torn?

First answered

Confidence: high as of · about 20 months old

Distraction is Torn's group-attack mechanic. When several players attack one defender, the defender gets a Distracted effect that cuts their chance to respond and their Defense and Dexterity. The level is the number of other players who acted aggressively in the last 30 seconds, capped at 25.[1][2][3]

How it works

  • The Distracted effect sits on the defender, but its level is personalised to each attacker. If one player has acted aggressively against the defender in the last 30 seconds, every other attacker sees level one. Two players give level two to everyone else, and so on.[1]
  • When a player makes an aggressive action, their own perceived level resets to zero. Every action counts as aggressive except reloading and injecting temporary booster needles such as melatonin.[1][4]
  • The effect can carry over from a previous fight. An attack received within 30 seconds of another player's aggressive action is treated as a group attack, so a hit can be missed.[1]
  • The level is capped at 25, even if 26 or more players acted in the last 30 seconds.[1]

The two debuffs

  • Aggression (the defender's Strength and Speed): the defender's chance of getting a turn against each attacker's turn is 1/(D+1), where D is the Distraction level. With two attackers that is 50%.[2]
  • Suppression (the defender's Defense and Dexterity): reduced to 1/2^D. Level 1 removes 50%, level 2 removes 75%, level 3 removes 87.5%, level 5 removes 96.88% and level 10 removes 99.90%. A stat of 10,000,000 becomes 5,000,000 at level 1 and 9,766 at level 10.[3]

History

  • Patch list #140 (05/05/20) released Distraction. It merged two older group-attack debuffs into one effect that resets when you make your own hit.[4]
  • Patch list #192 (18/05/21) raised the simultaneous attacker limit from 70 to 100.[4]
  • Patch list #310 (10/10/2023) fixed how the shock effect interacted with distraction.[5]
  • Patch list #361 (12/11/2024) capped distraction at 25 stacks for everyone, NPCs and players.[4]
Current
Distraction is capped at level 25 for players and NPCs.
Historical
Released in Patch list 140 on 05/05/20, replacing two separate group-attack debuffs.
Change
The cap of 25 stacks came in Patch list 361 on 12/11/2024.
Source
[4]
How TornLife researched this: 11 searches in 2 rounds · 28 sources considered · 18 read closely · 5 cited · 10 findings · 19 minutes

Searches: how does distraction work? · how does the distraction mechanic work in torn? it may be a crimes 2.0 mechanic, a combat or temporary effect, or anothe · distraction · distraction crimes · how does distraction work · distraction effect · distraction crime mechanic guide · distraction chance duration · distraction · distraction staff announcement · group attack distraction strategy

Checked by a review pass before publishing.

Sources

  1. Torn Wiki Distraction ·
    Why TornLife says this
    Distraction is the mechanic that governs what happens to a defender when they are attacked by multiple players.
    When one player has made an aggressive action against a defender within the last 30 seconds, this defender will have a level one Distraction effect applied from all other attackers point of view.
  2. Torn Wiki Distraction — Aggression Debuff ·
    Why TornLife says this
    the defender will have the following chance to make a turn themselves: 1 / (D+1) where D is the level of distraction.
  3. Torn Wiki Distraction — Suppression Debuff ·
    Why TornLife says this
    these stats are reduced to: 1 / 2^D where again D is the level of Distraction
  4. Torn Wiki Distraction — Patch History ·
    Why TornLife says this
    Patch list #140 : 05/05/20 Released Distraction effect group attacking change.
    Changed distraction to cap at 25 stacks for everyone (NPCs & Players)
  5. Forum Patch list #310 : 10/10/2023 ·
    Why TornLife says this
    Fixed issue with how the shock effect interacted with the distraction mechanic

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