Tattoo levelling problem (in General)

OK, OK, I know what you're thinking, but hear me out! I've already unequipped and equipped my tattoo to try to fix this, and my tattoo is definitely not gaining levels. However, something strange is happening instead. I'll start from the top.

First, my tattoo was very close to my maximum tattoo level at the time the max tattoo was revalued, pushing my tattoo over my "new" maximum after the change. Naturally, I've been working to get more MPR and bring my maximum back up. My tattoo was (and still is) level 401,520.

During this time, I was checking against my max tattoo level to calculate my ST and came up with this formula:

My ST = INT[ ((Tlv / 2) + 20) * 1.12 ]

The formula works, and is just derived right from the wiki. (That's ToA, plus named HoE +11, and no trained ST; INT[] means integer truncation.)

However, I've crossed the point to where my maximum tattoo is above 401,520. Therefore, my ST should be 224,873 because my tattoo is level 401,520 (using the above formula), and it's not; IT'S MORE.

My current maximum tattoo is 412,420. Drop this number into the above formula and you get 230,977 which is my current reported ST. I tried some training and sure enough, it increases my ST every time my maximum tattoo increases, even though my tattoo is the same.

So, in summary, my under-level tattoo is behaving at my maximum tattoo level, and is not gaining levels.

Tattoo is named, meaning 4% bonus, which means it will actually max out at 4% below what your max tattoo level shows. Problem Solved, I hope?

You failed to mention that your tattoo is named.

Ah, but you forgot one thing. Your tattoo is named, and is working at 1.04 x actual level. That is still over your maximum tattoo level. That is why your tattoo is still giving the max benefits.

Why the tattoo isn't levelling? No clue. Though it is probably due to it being named.

So,
My tattoo is 401,520.
Named, it behaves at 417,580. (+4%) (??)

Therefore, since my max tattoo is between these two values, my tattoo is not gaining levels and is instead behaving at my max tattoo level.

Seems to me that this is counter-intuitive. I thought the point of naming an item was to give it an "edge" against comparable items; the maximum tattoo (evidently) completely cancels this effect out.

Well, at least my question was answered. Thanks, gang =)

Oh, by the way, your tattoo is named. ;)

If you bought a base tattoo for a base char, then you wouldn't even get close to the max tattoo level, so nothing counter-intuitive there...