gvkprime
Member Posts: 49 Arc User
lsegn
Member Posts: 594 Arc User
So looking online seems Anti Proton weapons for the critical severity is the most popular choice. Thematically for my char Romulan Plasma feels more true to the character but the question is, is it worth it to use the proc based weapon types over straight critical bonuses?
seaofsorrows
Member Posts: 10,919 Arc User
Answers
ALL energy types are worth using. Dont even listen to the guys who says otherwise. Just complement then with the synergy of your build and thats it. I use phasers, tetryon, polaron, antiproton, disruptor, plasma and almost everything. And all my ships perform amazingly well no matter what energy type i carry. The most important thing is, the skills you have piloting your ship and the synergy build you have to boost your energy weapons.
All damage types share an "identical" base damage table. The only differences are in the proc(s). Therefore, the factual statement "mods are a lot more important than type and by extension proc" is factual.
The base damage of a Phaser Mk XIV proc set X is identical to the base damage of a Tetryon Mk XIV proc set X weapon.
However, and especially when the min-maxxer is factored into the statement, does the differentiation of procs actually become important.
Plasma is appreciated due to it's bonus damage proc. Disruptor is occasionally appreciated more because it's resistance debuff proc helps the entire team. Polaron on drain Scis helps the team by cutting resistances / weapon damage / speed / etc. from it's drain effect.
Phaser is usually discredited because of the randomness of the proc and the "enforced cooldown". ie, if a phaser elects to proc 5 times in a 10 second span, only the first one is counted and applied. Therefore, to the min-maxxer, you get less phaser procs than anyone else. Tetryon is discredited because it's proc only functions against shields, so once the shield is down (or against unshielded targets like the majority of the big things in ISA, the defacto measurement area of strength) the min-maxxer again says that the proc triggers in periods of "essentially worthlessness" and therefore deserves to be replaced by one that has every proc "mean something" to the DPS number.
Antiproton, however, breaks this mold. Since it's "proc" is just an increase to critical damage, it removes that extra variable on how often it shows up. While the exact level of critical damage increase was originally balanced to "make up" for the lost "bonus effects" of the other types - ie, at the "original" low chance to critically hit, the extra 20% damage would have been about how much extra damage would have been scored by other actual procs, like the amount of shields stripped by tetryons or the extra damage incurred during the period of lowered resistances from the disruptor.
With the recent massive increases to the critical hit rate, however, that "original balance" is thrown out the window. Since antiproton weapons "effectively proc" whenever a critical hit is scored, if you double your critical hit rate, you double the number of times the "antiproton proc" is applied. To the min-maxxer, this is "mathematical gold" that needs to be taken advantage of.
To rob a line: [quote: Mariemaia Kushrenada] Forum Posting is much like an endless waltz. The three beats of war, peace and revolution continue on forever. However, opinions will change upon the reading of my post.[/quote]
I suppose making all energy types 'proc on crit' would create its own balance problems, right?
Honestly, I couldn't tell you if it would, or if it would just blend into the ongoing power-creepitis that we suffer from... Sometimes, I think the entire "space combat mechanic system" needs an overhaul with lots and lots of numbers being changed around - since it might be very very difficult to actually change around the core of the combat mechanics...
To rob a line: [quote: Mariemaia Kushrenada] Forum Posting is much like an endless waltz. The three beats of war, peace and revolution continue on forever. However, opinions will change upon the reading of my post.[/quote]