Enchantment length

Hi guys!
I have a question.. How does the game mechanic round enchantment lenght?
i mean.. i was looking at Shielding hands, which last 8 seconds, with a +20% mod how long would it last? (8+1.6) = 9 or =10??

Sorry if there are any grammatical errors but i don't really speak english

It really depends how numbers are rounded in the game. If they use the IEEE 754 norm (how numbers are usually represented in computers) then i'd say 10 seconds (.5 and lower rounded to the lower number .51 and higher rounded to the upper number if i remember correctly). In game testing would be the best way to find out.

It doesn't round.

Bingo. The enchantment will last 9.6 seconds.
The only thing that rounds in this game is damage numbers (since you can't be hurt for half a point of health).

I believe it does round, and here is why. I have always used [skill=text]Balthazar's Aura[/skill] for this test, since it produces an effect every second, and skills that have an effect per second do so at the end of every second in-game. Go to the Isle of The Nameless with [skill=text]Balthazar's Aura[/skill] and a 20% weapon, stand next to a barrel, and cast. There will be 10 pulses, therefore the enchantment is rounded from 9.6 seconds to 10. A more accurate test would probably be to capture the video with FRAPS or Gamecam and count the frames, but I have not bothered to do so, since Balthazar's Aura makes such a nice pulse counter.

Also energy (from things like Attunements) and Healing (from Infuse/Imbue).

Nyktos was right, it doesn't round. Look at spells that have a cast of 1/4th of a second they should round down to no time at all or the 1/2 second casts which don't round up to 1.

No, it lasts 9.6 seconds. There is a pulse at zero seconds (as soon as you put it on).
0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 = 10 pulses

That is just not true. Please at least test before posting. If that were true, if there were a pulse at zero, then the 8 second normal cast would pulse 9 times(0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8). This does not happen; there are 8 pulses. Furthermore, there is a clearly observable 1 second delay after you cast Balthazar's Aura before the first pulse. Like I said, the effects take place at the end of every second, starting with one second after you complete the cast. The easily observed effects of Balthazar's Aura are why I always choose this skill for this particular test.

well, i think be it 9 or 10 seconds, you wouldn't realize the difference. honestly.

I believe misterb is correct

itsn't it:
1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,9.6?

just like with spotless soul/mind.

The game rounds enchantment lengths by IEEE 754, just as it rounds energy costs and such.

http://gw.gamewikis.org/wiki/Of_Enchanting

I'm not disagreeing with you, but the talk page for your link mentions that the table is inaccurate (though they seem to be talking about changes to skills rather than the figuring of the numbers).

Also I read that recharge times use the round to even rule. I'm not sure whether this also applies to calculations in lengthening enchantments though.

enchanting mod did affect ancestors rage

This is true. Thanks for posting the link to that table. I just ran a test as well, using GameCam to cap Balthazar's Aura. It lasted exactly 10.0 seconds(300 frames of video @ 30fps) with a 20% mod.

It would be interesting if someone could test to see if it rounds or not (or if ANet would answer the question :/ ). It would also be interesting to see if there is a difference between the displayed damage/enchant length (w/e) and the actual numbers used in the game.

For example, this would explain why sometimes you will see a character or spirit with 0 (zero) health and yet they are still alive - they may actually have something between 0 and 0.5 health but the display is rounded down to 0.

One reason is lag - timers are client-side, but need expiration confirmation. If you have an enchant or degen on you, and you lag for a few seconds, bars will go down, but won't expire, until server confirms they did.

When it comes to health, it's perfectly possible to run around with 1 health. It happens with certain combinations of skills. In many such cases, small heal will actually kill you, since it will heal, but your health will still be negative.