Arknights: Why Does My Auto Fail?

Odds are, you've had your auto deploy fail (and probably didn't notice until after it was too late to recover). Most of the time, that problem can be solved by simply doing the stage over again and saving a new auto. But why did it happen in the first place?

Auto failure is commonly mis-associated with RNG mechanics due to misunderstanding of how RNG works in Arknights. RNG events, such as Dodge or special Talents, use an "RNG seed" to dictate the outcome on the battlefield. This seed is saved and used for every auto-deploy (and, when known, can also be used to make flashy auto deploys).

Upon entering a stage, the game generates an infinite sequence of numbers between 1 and 100. This sequence of numbers is called the "RNG seed" and is what dictates if your unit Dodges, who gets Warfarin's buff, and everything else that is determined randomly.  When a random component happens, the game looks to this seed and uses the next number in line to determine the outcome. While some RNG components only get a "yes or no" answer (like Dodges), others have a much more complex use for the numbers in the seed (like Liskarm and Phantom). It is impossible to see the seed itself in game, and the only way to figure it out is through extensive testing.

• The seed for a stage is locked-in once you save the auto-deploy. From that point on, every auto deploy of that stage will have the same seed.
• If something with a 30% chance of success happens, something with a greater chance of success will also happen (if it replaces the previous 30%).
• Taking over an auto will not alter the seed.
• All RNG components use the seed and should be the same every time.
• Major updates have created changes in the seed before.

RNG components being seeded does not mean it is impossible for them to cause your auto to break. The game often drops frames. What this means, is that the game updates every 1/30th of a second, known as a frames or "ticks" (if you don't know what that means, find out more here!) Keeping this in mind, having issues with running the game at a smooth framerate can lead to having your deployment, Skill activation, or Operator retreat delayed. If they are delayed, they will use the seed differently (different events will take different numbers; see image below). A delayed deploy can affect more subtle mechanics like search cycles and, in extreme cases, lead to an Operator not having enough time to kill an enemy.

So how do you prevent your auto deploy from failing? While there isn't much you can do about losing frames, the following factors you CAN control:

• Extremely tight timings
• Operator stat changes 
• Operator promotion 

The major takeaway here is the following:

 RNG is seeded and isn't the reason your auto deploys fail. The one to blame is frame drops.