Here's my most simple explination of the dmg equation for ESO.
Crit resists drop the dmg modifer before dmg hits you. The reason it is so effective, is that it reduces the crit dmg modifer of your enemy outside of the dmg mitigation equation.
Physical resists are calculated after dmg reduction percentage based mitigation. Physical resists also only reduce the dmg of poison/disease/physical dmg but do not reduce bleed damage. Physical resists are also multiplied with block passives, such that your total mitigation is watered down depending how many sources of resist/block mitigation you are stacking.
Think of it this way (in sequence order and as simple as I can describe it for the sake of explaining how dmg works):
1) enemy buffs up his attacks
2) attack crits
3) crit dmg modifer is reduced because you have crit resistance
4) attack hits you
5) your dmg mitigation now reduces the dmg. Each source is multiplied against the dmg leftover (10k attack reduced by minor maim 15% would be 8500. Next 10% hardy CP will reduce the 8500, not the 10k original dmg.)
6) then if you use a shield, the dmg will have to be reduced by a shield before continuing onto the next equation. the shield just simply subtracts from the dmg done. Keep in mind if a shield is present, crit dmg reduction doesnt apply (so youll have to ignore step number 3, unless spill-over dmg happens. spill over damage can be thought of it as a cup of water overflowing and the equation for crit dmg only cares what happens outside the cup)
7) any damage leftover now moves onto the second part of the equation; resistance and block. resistance is converted to a percentage based number (your resistance minus penetration divided by 662 for pvp)and then multiplied with block (if you initiate block). All the percentage numbers on this side of the equation are multiplied together.
8) your total mitigation value is created and you'll see the final number on your combat log.
Source:
https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/279426/damage-mitigation-explanation-updated-for-morrowind-new-calculator/p1
Dmg calculator (doesnt have impen). Use this to see your actual dmg
https://jscalc.io/calc/fiasVNPSGsOdmsF6
Hope this helps. It can be confusing
chris25602 wrote: »as a filthy casual crit resist in pvp is the number 1 way not to die. even considering doing pvp requires 1500 crit resist and I am currently at 2800 which lets me dance through fields of ppl shooting at me. i think there is a cap somewhere around 3300 but i dont rly know.