Guild Wars 2

I’m interested in knowing how I might use a DPS meter to improve my game play. I have no interest in using it to rate other players; such would be anathema to me.

What I’m asking for is specific things a DPS meter can do that could help my play. I’m OK with using “brand” names, but should the forum mods object, we’ll stop.

What kinds of features do they have? How can they help <insert profession> play better? etc.

And, I should add: I’m not interested in absolutely maxing my damage. (I despise power builds.) I want to know how to improve, for example, my condi builds or mes/chrono improvements.

Don’t start with a downloadable DPS meter. Start with the golem in the aerodrome’s test center. Figure out how to configure it so it gives out the sort of buffs you typically get and the sort of buffs that are used to benchmark (e.g. for qtfy.eu).

Then follow a fire→ aim → fire → ready → aim → fire strategy:

• Kill the golem under the benchmark buffs; look at the DPS. It will almost certainly be lower.
• Can you adjust your use of skills? Almost certainly.
• Kill the golem again. DPS should be higher.
• If your DPS was marginally higher second time, adjust your build, gear, and skill usage. (If it was a lot higher, stick to just your skill use.)
• Kill the golem again. DPS should still be improving.
• Consider watching vids or reading up on what other people to. Copy that and try it out. You can go back to your original ideas once you learn what works and what doesn’t, and stick to just those things most important to you.

Keep doing this until you’re at diminishing returns, i.e. 15 minutes of research doesn’t lead to a noticeable improvement in DPS.

Once you feel you have a solid build, gear, and rotation, then you can decide whether a live DPS meter will help you figure out the difference between what you can do against the golem versus against actual encounters. More than likely, the difference will be how good you are at avoiding damage — inefficiency in active defense leads to inefficiency in offense, too.

A DPS meter can also help you identify the difference between the buffs you thought you were getting (and used on the golem) and what you’re actually getting in game. That might be a result of your skill at active defense (e.g. dodge too much, you miss buffs from allies) or your allies not serving up much in the way of buffs (for a variety of reasons, including their own struggles with build+rotation+active-defense).

tl;dr don’t download a DPS meter until you’re reasonably sure you know what it is you want to measure (and against what to compare it).

http://gw2bgdm.blogspot.dk/p/faq.html#2.1

this one is used by many, and give you several options. You can stuff like: your dps (power+condi), uptime of buffs, like might, fury etc, and other buffs, like banners, GotL etc.

As mentioned, use the golem to test stuff. But also go out and see if you can find a champ or something, as fighting a real mob will give you more “realistic” numbers.

If you play in a group, then being able to see your buff uptime is really good, as it often will show you if you are position yourself correctly to get the buffs. ex. a “noob” mistake is often to stand away from the group, and therefore not get the benefit of the others buff spam.

Thanks!

I see, though, that I forgot something: I play PvE only (plus fractals and dungeons, but not raids). I suspect the aerodrome of which you speak is in PvP or raids somewhere?

You can get to the Aerodrome from Lion’s Arch.

Daddicus.6128:

Thanks!

I see, though, that I forgot something: I play PvE only (plus fractals and dungeons, but not raids). I suspect the aerodrome of which you speak is in PvP or raids somewhere?

The test golem is located in a side room of the aerodrome (accessible via LA, as noted above). The room has nothing directly to do with raids; it just happens to be located off the raid lobby, since it’s presumed that it’s something that raiders will use it more than other PvErs.

Ah, OK. Thanks!

https://www.reddit.com/r/Guildwars2/comments/5wbgt6/qt_updated_benchmarks_for_all_classes_february_22/

Although you might over look the optimal dps ratings for your class, there are included videos on optimal skill rotations.

OK, something seems wrong. How can skills that take more than a second to execute, and do damage measured in 3-4 digits per hit, make it to 5 digits per second?

Can somebody please explain how damage can get that high per second.

Daddicus.6128:

OK, something seems wrong. How can skills that take more than a second to execute, and do damage measured in 3-4 digits per hit, make it to 5 digits per second?

Can somebody please explain how damage can get that high per second.

Since the golem pings your dps every 20%? it’s your average dps over that time. So take account of stacking other skills that take less than a second, it adds up.

That may be, but I’m trying to figure out how. It’s the mathematician in me.

Daddicus.6128:

That may be, but I’m trying to figure out how. It’s the mathematician in me.

Not sure what class you play, but I will give an ex.:

say you play tempest (staff), then you might start the fight with Air overload, this will hit 16 times, over a 4 sec duration, while it is casting you will drop a lavafont, that will stay on the ground for 6 sec and do dmg every sec. and then you will start your meteor shower, again doing dmg over time. Add them up and you will see you have several attacks running at the same time.

You might be looking at auto attacks (aa) and yes, aa’s will often be some of your lowest dmg, doing 3-5k pr. sec.

But, skill 1’s don’t do 3-5k per sec. They do hundreds, and take (usually) around a second for each. But, even the more rapid ones are 3-4 per second, which doesn’t add up to thousands per second.

The other skills do more damage, but they have a recharge time. So again, it doesn’t add up to thousands.

Now, you multiply by the power factor, which doubles it (by default) at level 80. But, then you have to account for the opponent’s toughness, which essentially cancels out your own power (assuming equal stats).

To get to even the measly 3k you cited, your power would have to be in the 10k range.

Daddicus.6128:

But, skill 1’s don’t do 3-5k per sec.

Daddicus.6128:

To get to even the measly 3k you cited, your power would have to be in the 10k range.

No buffs, no food, no 25 vuln on the golem. Just fire auto attack. With only 2797 power.Add buffs and you double that number, which will translate into over 4k dps form just auto attacking.
Are you sure you use the right gear for your testing?

easyer to show you

dont know what class you play, so here are a few:

Temp (scepter/warhorn): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vPPpLbmhzU (skip to 1:49 for realistic buffs)
Temp (dagger/warhorn): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ab5CdXkALoo
War (power): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7O7pWMBSl9I
War(condi): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ttns8jq8XUs

Some classes will naturally do more dmg then others, support classes will do less then pure dps classes. And besides that, your gear, weapons, traits, and not to mention food/other buffs will have a huge effect. Ohhh and rotation not to forget

I will concede that the meter(s) should provide an accurate comparison between builds, professions, and other factors. But, the math still doesn’t add up. I must be missing something.

Anyhow, I can use it for comparisons, which is what I really want anyhow. So, thank you!

OK, I see my problem, or at least part of it. I was using the damage listed when you hover over the skill. But, that damage is already adjusted for factors like my power and the enemies toughness.

(I did it by taking my armor and trinkets off, and then noticing that the damage output of my staff changed downwards. In that state, my dps was ~350.)

So, I think I have in understanding of it now. Using just my #1 skill, but with 5 minions (4 skills worth), it’s in the 2300 range.

I think I’m getting the hang of it.

Daddicus.6128:

I think I’m getting the hang of it.

Excellent Glad it’s working out.
(Thanks for keeping us posted on your progress.)

OK, without food (etc.), I’m stuck in the 3k range. He’s a carrion necro with ascended gear and necro runes. He is missing two max infusions on armor and one sigil. The other five armor pieces all have +5 condition dmg infusions on them (9/5, actually, but that doesn’t matter here). Trinkets have only agony infusions.

So, can being short 2 armor infusions, one sigil, and 5 trinket infusions really be that important?

You’re short a lot more than that. The benchmarks for a Condi Necro won’t be using Carrion gear, they use Viper’s gear. Viper’s gear is primary Power/Condi, secondary Precision/Expertise. This will be a sizable damage increase over Carrion, dropping the ‘useless’ defensive stat Vitality in exchange for two stats that do damage. The Expertise stat, in particular, is key to maxing out the damage of condition classes, as it extends your condition duration. Having 100% extra condition duration doubles your damage, against PvE enemies that are generally too stupid to cleanse conditions.

If you stat-swap your Ascended gear over to Viper’s, you’ll notice a big boost in damage. Make sure to remove your infusions first, of course! The next step would be to drop your minion-generating utility skills and pick skills that will do damage instead, like Blood Is Power and Corrosive Poison Cloud. Swapping your Runes will help as well, I don’t remember off the top of my head what the ideal runes are, but I know it’s not Necromancer. Probably Thorns? Maybe Berserker?

Daddicus.6128:

So, can being short 2 armor infusions, one sigil, and 5 trinket infusions really be that important?

carrion on necro, thats… tanky

If we are talking max dmg, then we are talking this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NOrQQizIQw You can see the build in the deskription.

or

this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uV_LsQdJb_A

Both are very similar, and its mainly the utilitys that differ. The best utility will naturally change abit depending on the fight.

OK, thank you. I’ll check into that.

I will say that I’m not interested in maxing damage, but in staying alive (I hate dying). But, what you’re saying about my carrion makes a lot of sense, especially the expertise part.

Daddicus.6128:

OK, thank you. I’ll check into that.

I will say that I’m not interested in maxing damage, but in staying alive (I hate dying). But, what you’re saying about my carrion makes a lot of sense, especially the expertise part.

FWIW, trailblazer is the highest tankiness possible for a condition necro — it brings both toughness and vitality, along with condition damage and expertise, giving you minimal direct / power damage, but still good condition damage on things.

Old world objects won’t be much fun, but everything else should be pretty good.

PS: remember condition duration only matters on things that stay alive long enough. If you double the duration of an 8 second bleed, that’s gotta stay alive for 16 seconds to fully benefit from it, while extra stacks or extra condi damage deliver improvements faster. So, it’s true that duration increases damage faster for some things, but it’s not the only thing worth considering.

Yes, that’s very true. It’s actually quite a trade-off. While tanking, the battles last long enough where condition damage actually has an effect. A glass build would kill things faster, but there wouldn’t be the staying power.

So, in battles against one or two open-world bad guys, glass is much better. But, in battles expected to take a while, tanking is better.

I wish there was a combo that included expertise and condition damage, but split between power/precision and toughness/vitality. I’m not sure minion toughness alone is enough to survive long in viper gear vs. longer combats.

I think I will try removing the minions for a while to see what that does. But, it will be with a view towards viper + minions. I just don’t want to spend all that money changing to viper only to find I can’t survive in open world.

Thank you for all your help!

You can always start by getting viper tinkets, with petrified wood, berries etc. thats fairly easy/cheap. And will give you alot more dmg.