Hello forum,
I don’t play this game since a while so before begin I’m not completely aware of the latest changes so please forgive me if I lack some information.
However the core of this topic shouldbe unaffected. Also, as I wrote in the subject, I’m talking about PeE. PvP and WvW require more attention and personally I don’t care
I have a question for you all: how do you test or measure a build is good or not?
Since we have no DPS counter or any other measurement system it’s hard to tell if a build is working or not apart from our personal feeling when using it.
Let me preface my system:
On the Heart of the Mists lobby there is a Golem which is Indestructible, if you damage it until it reaches 0 life points, it resets it’s health.
There are two of these golems close to the DPS trial waypoint.
So:
1) I check there is no one bothering me
2) I get ready my build and a stopwatch
3) When I begin with the first hit I start the stopwatch
4) When the Goleam resets it’s life I mark it and let the stopwatch continue
5) I repeat points 3 and 5 at least three times (possibly more).
Now I get the medium time and that’s how I measure a good build.
I tested condition builds, well, minion, hybrid and a lot more.
I also tested builds with other classes but I play mainly the Necro so I don’t have much data.
My results are:
1) Below 20s I have a fantastic build, this DPS is the best you can achieve and I reached it just my Ranger
2) From 20 to 24s it’s still a good build, strong DPS but not best
3) From 25 to 28 is still fine
4) Above 28s it’s a kittenty build.
I want to note I’m talking about medium time. I should get updated data but some time ago I asked a friend of mine to do the test with his thief and we had the first time of 18s, and he was already giggling with pleasure, but the next runs he reached 30s or so giving him a medium time of 24s (I don’t remember the exact value).
Ok, sorry for the long preface. I realize most of you already know the things I wrote.
Now real question: with my berkserker minion master build I have a medium time of 23s with no particula attention to details (I didn’t optimize it, didn’t used proper sigils and runes) and I found dagger have the best DPS. What are your timings?
I want your builds, your timings and explain me why the Axe is meaningful with it’s higher timings.
Another note: I understand axe is more useful becaue it stacks vulnerability and there are a lot of other variables, you are welcome to add them as a plus but note that extra seconds in this trial is a lot of damage lost and in general PvE it’s more important (of course, in my opinion).
Also I tried a Life Blast builds: from 30s to 40s. Is this build a joke? I mean: people really use it? It is me that I didn’t understand how to use it or it’s people that get fooled by the 5k or even 8k every shoot which is useless for the real DPS?
TL:DR;
Go to the Heart of Mists, kill the indestructible golem several times and get your timing of your build. Let us confront our builds.
Please note: I don’t want to have a fight of which of us have the bigger kitten, I just want to understand what I miss of other builds, find new playstyle, understand what is wrong and what is good of the Necro. It’s the only class I like to play.
And to be honest, ArenaNet after two years of playing the Necro I feel free to tell you this: you greatly fail in this game avoiding the trinity, the elitism and all the bullkitten that Warcraft and other games have. Removing the possibility of having a DPS counter didn’t help you cover your game design issues.