Quote Originally Posted by Strident View Post
I did some math and in-field testing on the best in slot builds provided at the bottom of the original guide and have concluded, based on the (perhaps outdated?) provided Dragoon damage models, that Dervy's Best-in-Slot configurations is almost certainly not optimal.

To perform the comparison, I checked FFXIVGuild's provided BiS gear and found that the skill speed difference and accuracy differences were negligible (2 Skill Speed and 45 Accuracy in favor of FFXIVGuild's build). The big difference is in 116 CRIT vs 156 DET, and the difference based on the given CRIT and DET values comes out to ~4.4% extra damage in favor CRIT, which indicates to me that CRIT is grossly more powerful than DET point for point.

This also leads me to believe that Ariyala's build also cannot be BiS as it is down Crit and Skill Speed for DET (61 Crit and 27 Skill Speed vs 126 DET). I performed the same comparison with FFXIVGuild's BiS slot, while making the assumption the Skill Speed difference of 27 would not affect DPS (I highly doubt that). The difference finds that even ignoring Skill Speed, the FFXIVGuild BiS build deals ~2.1% more damage based on the current model.

Jack's build is one that I can't decide on. The difference is 30 Crit vs 29 DET and 44 Skill Speed (solely the Gordian Wristband of Slaying vs the Fabled Bracelet of Slaying). Of course the Crit beats out the DET but I am not sure on the Skill Speed. In any case, of the listed BiS load outs, Jack's is the best, with the exception of the Gordian Wristband being potentially interchangeable with the Fabled Bracelet.
Here is Dervy's reply:

DPS factors 1.03 party buff.

1. FFXIVGuid.com "BiS" set: http://www.ffxivguild.com/ffxiv-drag...&ct=clnk&gl=uk / http://ffxiv.ariyala.com/RJ5D

WD: 76 STR: 1079 ACC: 700 CRT: 930 DET: 328 SS: 606 Weight: 1721.240 DPS: 1508.56835902

2. Auirily's "BiS": http://ffxiv.ariyala.com/RL7Z

WD: 76 STR: 1079 ACC: 656 CRT: 869 DET: 454 *SS: 579 Weight: 1726.210 DPS: 1514.57267975

3. Jacks 650 SS: http://ffxiv.ariyala.com/RM4U

WD: 76 STR: 1079 ACC: 656 CRT: 869 DET: 454 SS: 579 Weight: 1724.852 DPS: 1514.01090884

4. My "Balanced" Set: http://ffxiv.ariyala.com/RLTG

WD: 76 STR: 1079 ACC: 655 CRT: 814 DET: 484 SS: 604 Weight: 1723.970 DPS: 1511.55580904

FFXIVGuild is the worst of the bunch. Not only that Strident. You can just use the stat-weights to get a rough estimation of the value of this 116 CRT vs 154 DET. 116 * 0.162 = 18.792 156 * 0.139 = 21.684 DET alone holds more stat-weight than Crit.

And no, Crit isn't x2 the value of Determination. Not even close. The problem is that you're calculating it one stat vs one stat. It doesn't work like that. Determination and Critical Hit Rating, although linear, scale from different base values and when you're calculating DPS of a set, you don't base it off 1 stat vs 1 stat. You compare the entire set together.
Not only that, I have a the biggest feeling you're doing something like (1 + 1.58 * 18.4%) to get the multiplier of CRT on damage. That's incorrect. You always do Critical Damage -1. Why? Because 1+ is a value used to convert the percentage, or, our coefficient, into a whole number value we can multiply with. Not only that. For arguments sake, let's assume we have a Critical Multiplier of 1.5, and a Critical Hit Rating of 20%:

Doing 1+1.5*0.2 = 1.3... No. We do not have a Critical Factor of 1.3. We have a 20% chance of getting that 1.5 damage boost. Our Critical Factor would be much lower. Using an expression like this gives the end result a multiplier of 2.5 if you had 100% Critical Hit Chance, which isn't the case. This isn't Diablo 3. We're not adding an additional 150% onto our base Critical Damage, which is 100%.

We should be doing 1+0.5*0.2 = 1.1

That, is most probably where you're getting your "Crit is 4% better!" Errors from. So if we compare my set and FFXIVGuilds set:

FFXIV Guild DPS contribution:
((930-354) / (858 * 5) + 0.05 = 0.184266
((930-354) / (858 * 5) + 0.45 = 0.584265734
(1 + 0.584265734 * 0.184266) = 1.107660155
(1 + 328/ 7290) = 1.0449931
1.107660155 * 1.0449931 = *1.157497264 Multiplier on WS Damage, or a 1.57% contribution to your base damage.

My sets DPS contribution:
((814-354) / (858 * 5) + 0.05 = 0.15722
((814-354) / (858 * 5) + 0.45 = 0.55723
(1 + 0.584265734* 0.184266) = 1.087610492
(1+ 484 / 7290) = 1.066392318
1.066392318 * 1.087610492 = *1.159819474 Multiplier on WS damage., or a 1.598% contribution to your base damage.

My Set is better by 0.028%.