Summoner / Scholar, In Math and Practice

[T0rin]

@T0rin:
Hotkey toggle (and mouse click) takes a 1.2 second shift before skills can be cast after button pushed (timed using py script to detect pixel changes after keystroke on 3 separate machines).

What? If I have Garuda on Obey and Steady, she takes less than a second to register my mouse click and cast Contagion. Are you talking about your personal lag?

Contagion won't autocast on something that has 0 dots.

I might have misread, but after testing, short of the pet casting aerial slash there is 0 difference in DPS (shockwave doesn't cast unless mob is in melee range like expected). There is a -10 potency drop from aerial slash and a .3 second delay from AS -> wind slash after cast.
Timing on contagion is perfect (with 1.6 seconds to spare) for dots to fully apply on first, and second rotation sets (probably the same for 3+) If pet isn't ordered to attack right before first do application there is a 5-6 second free period.
Conclusion: a minor loss in potency (AS -10 pot every 29.22 seconds) is not as detrimental as you make it sound.

Your math aside, which I think is atrocious, here is some real world proof taken about 5 minutes ago.

Garuda on Obey: http://i.imgur.com/LV2D0XU.jpg


Garuda on Sic: http://i.imgur.com/MpC1qpc.jpg


8 DPS difference.

Also, if you look at my screenshots, you will see that Contagion is on CD, while I sat there for 5-10 minutes letting Garuda wail away on the striking dummy. She _WILL_ cast Contagion against a target with no DoTs.

Leaving the effectiveness up to properly timing the casting of DoTs to line up perfect with Sic AI and the Contagion cooldown is about as folly as I can imagine. If you have to stop casting to dodge mechanics (i.e. first line on Extreme Titan), you could miss a spell entirely. You should also be fitting in Miasma II, which will fit in _ONLY_ if you are completely uninterrupted after you start casting. If you stop to do _anything_ after Garuda starts her Sic loop (Wind Blade, Aerial Blast, Contagion), you'll miss it.

Losing 8 DPS is as detrimental as it sounds.