Ray Of Light
03-21-2006, 03:37 PM
More speculation than suggestion, but this is what the most likely melee weapon statistics look like.
By melee weapons I am only referring to melee weapons wielded with mastery, which should all be of equal power, not melee weapons designed for magic-users or other non-combat classes.
Behold the wonders of logic and mathematics ( plus some bored desk time at work :) )...
Weapon | Damage Range | Rate Of Attack
Axe | 6 - 28 | 1.33 seconds
Dual Axes | 6 - 28 | 1.33 seconds
Double-handed Axe | 16 - 38 | 1.75 seconds
Hammer | 9 - 25 | 1.33 seconds
Dual Hammers | 9 - 25 | 1.33 seconds
Double-handed Hammer | 19 - 35 | 1.75 seconds
Sword | 12 - 22 | 1.33 seconds
Dual Swords | 12 - 22 | 1.33 seconds
Double-handed Sword | 22 - 32 | 1.75 seconds
Dagger | 7 - 17 | 1.25 seconds
Dual Daggers | 7 - 17 | 1.25 seconds
??? | 17 - 27 | 1.33 seconds
Q. What is the ??? weapon ?
A. This is the ' two-handed dagger ' weapon, in terms of statistics. In actual terms, this will most likely be assigned to a spear, scythe or kitana.
Q. Why aren't dual weapons faster ?!
A. Being clever souls, Anet have chosen not to implement dual weapons with anything so crude as : carry 2 weapons = attack twice as often.
The only reason that daggers are inherently faster than standard melee weapons is that daggers deal less damage than standard melee weapons ( dagger average = 12, standard melee average = 17 ).
The compensation for giving up your off-hand is the capability to Double Strike.
Q. What exactly are Double Strikes ?
A. Double Strikes occur randomly ( determined by mastery rank ), and cause the wielder to strike with each hand in rapid succession.
Some sources describe them as " striking for double the damage ", but if you try your pre-order daggers you will see that it is in fact 2 separate attacks.
Q. Aren't Double Strikes unique to Assassins ?
A. Actually, no : Double Strike is the term assigned for special strikes with dual weapons in general ( in the description for Dagger Mastery ).
This is in contrast to Dual Attacks, which are a type of combo chain skill specific to Assassins.
Double Strikes can be associated with any number of melee weapons, and such weapons would in no way impersonate the Assassin specific functions of Dual Attacks.
Q. So there is no problem with allowing other dual weapons to Double Strike ?
A. Not at all, all it takes is borrowing the second line of Dagger Mastery ( which borrows it's first line from Warrior and Ranger masteries ) and adding it to the relevant mastery attribute :
"Also, there's a 2% chance per rank of mastery that attacks from your dual weapons will double strike."
Q. But exactly how does Double Strike compensate for loss of off-hand and no additional speed ?
A. This is where some mathematics comes in to play : if you were to Double Strike just 2% of the time, then in the time you would have struck 100 attacks you will in fact have struck 102.
Effectively you have improved your rate of attack by 2%.
Now factor in the impact of that bonus for every rank of mastery relating to a standard melee weapon...
Mastery Rank = Effective Rate Of Attack
0 = 1.33 seconds
1 = 1.30 seconds
2 = 1.28 seconds
3 = 1.25 seconds
4 = 1.22 seconds
5 = 1.20 seconds
6 = 1.17 seconds
7 = 1.14 seconds
8 = 1.12 seconds
9 = 1.09 seconds
10 = 1.06 seconds
11 = 1.04 seconds
12 = 1.01 seconds
13 = 0.98 seconds
14 = 0.96 seconds
15 = 0.93 seconds
16 = 0.90 seconds
With 12 mastery you have the passive ability to attack 24% faster all of the time for no expenditure at all !
With 16 mastery you are attacking 32% faster !
Q. But why not just make dual weapons faster in the first place ?
A. Because attacking so much faster is amazingly powerful, as any Tiger's Fury user can tell you.
If dual weapons were faster without investment then Illusionary Weapon Mesmers, Barbs Necromancers and who-knows-what-else would be running around chopping everyone to pieces.
Double Strikes are an ingenious mechanism to keep rapid attack firmly in the hands of defense-sacrificing melee-experts.
Thanks for reading and I hope that with this information :
* You will not mock low level Assassins for their initially wimpy damage output ( they'll make you eat such words later on ! ).
* You will one-day greet your 12-22 dual swords with maniacal cackling laughter ! :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:
By melee weapons I am only referring to melee weapons wielded with mastery, which should all be of equal power, not melee weapons designed for magic-users or other non-combat classes.
Behold the wonders of logic and mathematics ( plus some bored desk time at work :) )...
Weapon | Damage Range | Rate Of Attack
Axe | 6 - 28 | 1.33 seconds
Dual Axes | 6 - 28 | 1.33 seconds
Double-handed Axe | 16 - 38 | 1.75 seconds
Hammer | 9 - 25 | 1.33 seconds
Dual Hammers | 9 - 25 | 1.33 seconds
Double-handed Hammer | 19 - 35 | 1.75 seconds
Sword | 12 - 22 | 1.33 seconds
Dual Swords | 12 - 22 | 1.33 seconds
Double-handed Sword | 22 - 32 | 1.75 seconds
Dagger | 7 - 17 | 1.25 seconds
Dual Daggers | 7 - 17 | 1.25 seconds
??? | 17 - 27 | 1.33 seconds
Q. What is the ??? weapon ?
A. This is the ' two-handed dagger ' weapon, in terms of statistics. In actual terms, this will most likely be assigned to a spear, scythe or kitana.
Q. Why aren't dual weapons faster ?!
A. Being clever souls, Anet have chosen not to implement dual weapons with anything so crude as : carry 2 weapons = attack twice as often.
The only reason that daggers are inherently faster than standard melee weapons is that daggers deal less damage than standard melee weapons ( dagger average = 12, standard melee average = 17 ).
The compensation for giving up your off-hand is the capability to Double Strike.
Q. What exactly are Double Strikes ?
A. Double Strikes occur randomly ( determined by mastery rank ), and cause the wielder to strike with each hand in rapid succession.
Some sources describe them as " striking for double the damage ", but if you try your pre-order daggers you will see that it is in fact 2 separate attacks.
Q. Aren't Double Strikes unique to Assassins ?
A. Actually, no : Double Strike is the term assigned for special strikes with dual weapons in general ( in the description for Dagger Mastery ).
This is in contrast to Dual Attacks, which are a type of combo chain skill specific to Assassins.
Double Strikes can be associated with any number of melee weapons, and such weapons would in no way impersonate the Assassin specific functions of Dual Attacks.
Q. So there is no problem with allowing other dual weapons to Double Strike ?
A. Not at all, all it takes is borrowing the second line of Dagger Mastery ( which borrows it's first line from Warrior and Ranger masteries ) and adding it to the relevant mastery attribute :
"Also, there's a 2% chance per rank of mastery that attacks from your dual weapons will double strike."
Q. But exactly how does Double Strike compensate for loss of off-hand and no additional speed ?
A. This is where some mathematics comes in to play : if you were to Double Strike just 2% of the time, then in the time you would have struck 100 attacks you will in fact have struck 102.
Effectively you have improved your rate of attack by 2%.
Now factor in the impact of that bonus for every rank of mastery relating to a standard melee weapon...
Mastery Rank = Effective Rate Of Attack
0 = 1.33 seconds
1 = 1.30 seconds
2 = 1.28 seconds
3 = 1.25 seconds
4 = 1.22 seconds
5 = 1.20 seconds
6 = 1.17 seconds
7 = 1.14 seconds
8 = 1.12 seconds
9 = 1.09 seconds
10 = 1.06 seconds
11 = 1.04 seconds
12 = 1.01 seconds
13 = 0.98 seconds
14 = 0.96 seconds
15 = 0.93 seconds
16 = 0.90 seconds
With 12 mastery you have the passive ability to attack 24% faster all of the time for no expenditure at all !
With 16 mastery you are attacking 32% faster !
Q. But why not just make dual weapons faster in the first place ?
A. Because attacking so much faster is amazingly powerful, as any Tiger's Fury user can tell you.
If dual weapons were faster without investment then Illusionary Weapon Mesmers, Barbs Necromancers and who-knows-what-else would be running around chopping everyone to pieces.
Double Strikes are an ingenious mechanism to keep rapid attack firmly in the hands of defense-sacrificing melee-experts.
Thanks for reading and I hope that with this information :
* You will not mock low level Assassins for their initially wimpy damage output ( they'll make you eat such words later on ! ).
* You will one-day greet your 12-22 dual swords with maniacal cackling laughter ! :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: