Shots Fired: A Machinist Guide

[Myon88]

I took the liberty of running each opener 10 times and recording total damage done in ACT. Used a macro to manually end encounters after Wildfire detonates, and checked against number of hits to make sure no parse is getting things like extra Lead Shot ticks due to me ending the encounter earlier or later. All were done completely unbuffed, no buffs, food, or potions.

(number of hits)damage done, Wildfire damage

Double Gauss Round opener,
(32)42211, 6406
(32)43625, 6751
(32)42267, 6379
(32)42290, 6513
(32)41900, 6384
(32)42162, 6450
(32)42355, 6426
(32)42731, 6522
(32)41893, 6478
(32)43665, 6658

Average,
(32)42647, 6497

Single Gauss Round opener,
(30)41039, 6531
(30)43101, 6718
(30)42056, 6984
(30)41778, 6786
(30)41132, 6773
(30)42299, 6920
(30)40280, 6666
(30)41123, 6616
(30)40690, 6643
(30)41417, 6642

Average,
(30)41492, 6728

[Myon88]

I used this double Gauss Round opener, http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...=1#post3264822
and this single Gauss Round one, http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...=1#post3264432

I won't type them all out as I've already gone over the post limit as it is. Now this is just a sample size of 10 each, so obviously you'd take it with a grain of salt, but even from this small set you can already see how the general principle behind each opener is reflected in the data.

One is highly optimized for Wildfire damage, while the other has lower Wildfire numbers but greater total damage.

32 hits vs 30 hits, because the double Gauss Round opener has an extra Gauss Round, and an extra normal turret shot (due to Hypercharge timing giving you an extra one), which also explains why Wildfire damage can be lower yet total damage done greater. An important thing to note is that the double Gauss Round opener takes 1 second longer due to the casting of that extra Gauss Round, so it technically has 1 more second to DPS which is partly why total damage done is greater.

So the real question is, if the single Gauss Round opener's parse were to end 1 second later, would it catch up to or overtake in total damage done?

Roughly 1 second, and roughly a 1000~'ish damage deficit. Frankly it's too close for me to call and I don't think you would notice a difference either way, if you were to use one or the other. This is splitting hairs to the highest degree after all.

It's technically not as simple as just extending a hypothetical parse by a single second too, as our rotations are very granular, and damage output doesn't come in smooth 1 second ticks. You might have a Split Shot dealing 1200 damage, 1.4 seconds later, with a 1000 damage ogcd tacked onto it, and then a pause with no damage for 2.5 seconds... you get what I mean, it's complicated.

[Greywolfamakir]

Hello

2 Gauss Rounds:
1º--> Base Potency: 180 + Passive Trait (+20%) + Gauss Barrel (+30%) + HE (~+8%) + Blood for Blood (+10%) + Raging Strikes (+20%) = 400 potency
2º--> Base Potency: 180 + Passive Trait (+20%) + Gauss Barrel (+30%) + Wildfire (+25%) = 351 Potency
1º+2º= 400+351 = 751 potency

1 Gauss Round:
Base Potency: 180 + Passive Trait (+20%) + Gauss Barrel (+30%) + HE (~+8%) + Blood for Blood (+10%) + Raging Strikes (+20%) + Wildfire (25%) = 500 potency

If You use 2 Gauss Rounds You are getting more overall damage, but if You use just one, you get better burst during Wildfire.

[Myon88]

Precisely, it ultimately hinges on whether getting that extra bit of damage is worth the GCD spent casting it.

To illustrate it another way, imagine that we suddenly got a new trait that gave Ricochet a 20 second cooldown, same as Gauss Round.

Now, at 300 potency, Ricochet is obviously so lucrative to use that you would be more than happy to let it 'jump the queue' in your opener, so to speak.

You would find a way to fit another cast of Ricochet in at all costs, even if it means shifting everything else 1 GCD further back. Because no matter what you happen to be doing at the time, if a 1 GCD, 300 potency attack lights up, chances are it's going to be a better option than whatever you were doing anyway.

So the question is, at 180 potency, is Gauss Round lucrative enough to warrant the same behavior? You would obviously modify your opener to accomodate a double-Ricochet because it's just that worth it, and you would maybe do it for Gauss Round. So it's a matter of degrees, at some point between 300 and 0 potency it goes from being "Worth it" to "Not worth it".

[Phyllo]

It's odd because I just checked yesterday and I still pull more dps with the single GR than I do with the double GR, if I remember correctly I was around 1800 with single GR and only 1600 with double GR.

Edit: I hadn't thought of comparing the actual damage dealt rather than the dps parse, I'll check when I get back online.

(On a side note, machinist burst is just outrageously high when you get a lot of critical xD)

[Sevyn]

Well...I think for the most part right now wildfire damage really comes down to crits in a raid setting. I've hit 9k+ (2.1/2.2k dps burst) wildfires and then averaged out to 1400 or so on the first phase in AS3 and then other times only had a 7.5-8k (2k dps burst) wildfire and hit 1500 or so on the first phase because of lucky crits/procs.

I'd say the most annoying thing about machinist is the pretty big variance the class has which is why I think they are doing the quick reload change. On a dummy parse It's not very noticeable or a big change in overall dps when you get unlucky but in a raid setting with party buffs/pots/food it can be a pretty big difference if you get lucky or not which is the most frustrating when you are trying to reach the same numbers every time.

[Ephier]

I'd say the most annoying thing about machinist is the pretty big variance the class has which is why I think they are doing the quick reload change.

They are changing quick reload?

[Griffeth]

They are changing quick reload?

There were some talks/hints in the Live Letter I believe about it. We will have to wait and see

On another note. I am going to start working on a google doc version of the guide posted here and working to update it with information that we have adjusted. Any major stuff that we need to make sure gets changed from the front page info here (besides the adjusted opener)

Here is the basic draft I have put together for the google doc.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...it?usp=sharing

Changes so far: Potency updates, opener updates, Added bookmarks for easy navigation. If anyone has a better way of doing this please let me know.
Needs: Updated BiS with savage/eso gear (I have a tentative one there)

[Ryaz]

Hmm... I didn't see anything in the live letter update thread about Quick Reload. It either wasn't important enough to mention or it was just missed.

[Griffeth]

Lots of people viewing the document so far. Any and all feedback on it is appreciated so feel free to let me know what we would like changed or what you guys want different. A lot of the initial information is from the first page guide and I will be working to customize it and change up some of the formatting.