Optimal BRD rotation?

[Inkin]

Depends on how many seconds have passed. Usually we want to see how long the burst can be sustained. If we are referring to first 10-15s / peak DPS number as shown in ACT, BRDs right now can hit 1000 mark (with the right conditions).

I'm referring to the peak DPS number. And 1000 is certainly not the highest number.

[SlyRoyale]

Why would you open with both your DoTs not fully buffed?

The reason why I use this opener is because starting with Straight Shot wastes a potential Bloodletter reset. By opening with Windbite, I've already set myself up to receive the boon of River of Blood's effect. With the Straight Shot opener, you need to get a Straighter Shot proc within 3-4 GCDs. If you don't you are faced with the following options:

1) Reapply it early, wasting potency and TP over a more potent and cost-effective Heavy Shot.
2) Clipping the two DoTs early, which is also a waste of potency and TP.
3) Reapply DoTs without Straight Shot up, which defeats the purpose of the opener in the first place.

On top of that, with the opener I provided you have all of your buffs up when you have to reapply your DoTs. With the traditional Straight Shot opener, to stack your buffs and get the most out of your DoTs, you would have to hold them all for long enough that you'd end up losing your DPS. From another angle, if you were weaving in your cooldowns as soon as possible, you would only have some buffs up for the first set of DoTs, and some buffs up for your second set. It's not as good as having all of your buffs up for the second set and none for the first.

That is why I open with Windbite instead of Straight Shot. I used to use that opener, but after changing it to the one I use now I've seen greater improvement in my numbers. Most of all, it feels a lot more fluid to me since everything in that opener just synchronizes well. I can crit up to 800+ with Heavy Shot and Bloodletter during the opener, but my DPS is far more sustained throughout the whole fight.

I haven't missed a hit on Kaliya or anytime during T11 as I usually hit the rear on the boss and nodes. It could be higher, but it works and I'm still putting out good numbers.

500+ DPS on opener isn't too good, though. I assume that number is in a party (a.k.a fully buffed). Also, I don't see why you wouldn't use potions on that opener, it's a really big part of your damage on opener.
Just an advice, read the link Krietor posted. I do over 800+ openings unbuffed, and usually do much more with Disembowel/Trick Attack/PT Buff/Food.

As Ooshima said, it depends on how long time has transpired in the parse. The static I help out says I sustain some of the best DPS they've seen out of any other BRD before me, and that 500+ DPS number they provided was from at least a minute or two in the fight if my memory serves me correctly. Any longer, it's usually 400+ or a little lower should I make a fumble, had to sing frequently, or got KO'd. As for leaving out the HQ X-DEX pot, that was intentional for those who don't raid or are struggling with gil or materials to get them. If you do have one, it's best to use it after Internal Release and before Barrage in the opener I provided.

[Inkin]

Won't bother answering all of that, I'll just tell you to read Krietor's guide, try his opener and see what numbers you get.
Could you also give out parses on things such as FCoB or a 3-minute dummy parse?

[SlyRoyale]

Won't bother answering all of that, I'll just tell you to read Krietor's guide, try his opener and see what numbers you get.
Could you also give out parses on things such as FCoB or a 3-minute dummy parse?

Why bother replying if you're not going to refute the post I spent time explaining my points? Either properly participate in the discussion, or save yourself some time and don't bother replying at all. What you just said was completely classless and undermines your stance on the issue.

And as much as I would like to refute your points with parses, I am on the PS3 and would have to rely on a PC player to parse for me. It sucks, 'cuz I'd be running parses all day if I could just to see where I stand every time. I'll see if I can get someone to parse for me and I will check out Kriertor's guide once I find it. Once I get two parses featuring both openers, I will post them here.

EDIT: Nevermind, I saw the guide before. My points still stand on the matter, but I will give it another shot otherwise.

[Ooshima]

Snip

Try out the other way. In theory you have valid points there but the opportunity cost exchanged with opening with unbuffed DoTs isn't justified. You are betting on a chance to receive 1 or at most, 2 BL procs with your opener VS guaranteed, more potent DoTs ticking with the chance of more crit ticks form IR.

I'm on PC and I run ACT all the time during raids, and the difference is easily seen. Sometimes after a wipe, one or 2 of my CDs aren't up. For example, after wipe, say my Raging Strikes aren't ready and we decided to go ahead - the burst DPS clearly suffers quite a dent there.

You should definitely try out a rotation where you apply your DoTs buffed.

And nope I don't happen to have the 3 problems you have written there. If you are talking about re-applying a Straight Shot buff without it being a proc, then my point to you is you don't always get to re-apply it proc'd. It's something you eventually have to deal with, and in the opener, the potency/cost suffered without being a proc is rather insignificant compared to a properly opening buff burst with buffed DoTs and the CDs end in tandem with your X-Pot.

[Inkin]

Why bother replying if you're not going to refute the post I spent time explaining my points? Either properly participate in the discussion, or save yourself some time and don't bother replying at all. What you just said was completely classless and undermines your stance on the issue.

And as much as I would like to refute your points with parses, I am on the PS3 and would have to rely on a PC player to parse for me. It sucks, 'cuz I'd be running parses all day if I could just to see where I stand every time. I'll see if I can get someone to parse for me and I will check out Kriertor's guide once I find it. Once I get two parses featuring both openers, I will post them here.

I said I won't bother answering, simply because Krietor's guide does it for me.
You're talking about greater improvement in your numbers and what not with your opener, but you just said you don't run a parser to see where you stand. I'm saying I would like numbers instead of "I saw improvement!" or "I was told that ... if I remember correctly". I fail to see how you can see improvement without running a parser or someone telling you your numbers precisely.
Thanks for taking the time to write up your thoughts on the matter, though. Will be waiting for your parses.

[SlyRoyale]

Okay, I had a friend parse both rotations and this is what came out of it.

DoT opener: http://puu.sh/dvtcK.JPG
Krietor's opener: http://puu.sh/dvtHk.JPG

From what can be shown here, the DoT opener is 10DPS stronger while Krietor's opener is spikier. The former would be better in longer fights, while the latter may be better for SCoB-style fights.

EDIT: Forgot to mention, this is with my raid setup I've posted earlier.

[Dervy]

One parse doesn't necessarily mean it's superior, not by a long shot. Parsing for optimal rotations literally means nothing as it does not take into account the rng that comes with your standard hit ranges, crit% or the bl proc chance.

For some reason, your DoT opener parsed higher min/max hits than when you used Krietors opener and this is shown in both Auto-Attacks and your out-going abilities. The crit% on both parses are also noticeably varied and your opener also had a lot more hits registered, despite it being a shorter parse, which is odd to say the least. All of these would affect the DPS of the parses.

[treuhavik]

(...)and your opener also had a lot more hits registered, despite it being a shorter parse, which is odd to say the least. All of these would affect the DPS of the parses.

This could be due to Bloodletter procs. As to what caused the spike in DPS toward the end, it could be several procs or buffs comming off cooldown just in time to make the cut.


SlyRoyale, you'd need to run at least 10 parses on each opener and find an average for each to even begin to make a case for either.

[SlyRoyale]

Thing is, other bards I've talked to have tried out both openers and the most common finding they've noticed is that the DoT opener is usually 10 DPS greater than Krietor's. It's a small increase, but still an increase that they've noticed. The parses I've posted do not stray from that trend in any significant way.

Not to besmirch Krietor's opener, but it's spike damage would be better suited for fights that ask for it. The DoT opener would be more for endurance-style fights, which is what the FCoB turns are. It's the latter why I prefer opening with DoTs over Straight Shot and the proof shows.