Guild Wars 2

Just felt like running the numbers to see how the relative strength of the weapons will change with the upcoming balance change

DPS at base stats, no crits or modifiers, but including vulnerability/might from attacks
I probably over coumt the effect from might because I start from low stats

Single-target:
greatsword auto+maul now: 295
greatsword auto+maul post-patch: 304
longbow auto+rapid fire now: 244(close),281,320(far)
longbow auto+rapid fire post-patch: 320(close),350,380(far)
axe auto+splitblade single-target now: 175 + 189(cond) = 362
axe auto+splitblade single-target post-patch: 192 + 199(cond) = 391
shortbow auto+poison volley frontal: 260 + 89(cond) = 349
shortbow auto+poison volley flanking: 260 + 231(cond) = 491
sword auto: 355 (excl pet might)
sword auto+path of scars: 373 (excl pet might)

AoE:
sword auto 3 targets: 841
sword auto+path of scars 3 targets: 900 (kind of unrealistic to consistently hit 3*2 times with path of scars though, even it it’ll get a speed buff)
axe auto+splitblade 3 targets now: 473 + 189(cond) = 662
axe auto+splitblade 3 targets post-patch: 618 + 219(cond) = 837
axe auto+splitblade+path of scars 3 targets now: 488 + 189(cond) = 677
axe auto+splitblade+path of scars 3 targets post-patch: 637 + 211(cond) = 848
axe auto+path of scars 3 targets now: 579
axe auto+path of scars 3 targets post-patch: 777
greatsword auto+maul 3 targets now: 885
greatsword auto+maul 3 targets post-patch: 912

Defense:
sword+dagger evades: 9 evades per 32s
greatsword now: 14 evades/blocks per 32s
greatsword post-patch: 15 evades/blocks per 32s (swoop time is nearly as long as the autoattack, so the improvement is small)

Conclusions:
Longbow now will get to compete with sword and shortbow at single-target damage
With a occasional misses on sword and a fair bit of time at mid-range for longbow, they’ll do about the same damage (which is far from the case atm)
Axe edges near what sword and greatsword do in AoE damage

sword and LB will not compete for DPS because sword attacks faster (even with traits LB arent fast enough). Also, sword gives might to pet, thus pet damage rises (increasing average DPS by a lot), LB does not give ANY buffs to pets.

LB has had stronger AA then SB with power builds since december 10th, even at close range. Once you drop some condi damage into SB, it would surpass LB though (LB get higher damage, cuz it keeps up vulnerability to a much higher degree).

Conclusion – you did something wrong.

Prysin.8542:

sword and LB will not compete for DPS because sword attacks faster (even with traits LB arent fast enough). Also, sword gives might to pet, thus pet damage rises (increasing average DPS by a lot), LB does not give ANY buffs to pets.

Longbow has damage coefficient 0.9, attack speed 1.0s, though the 0.7 coeffecient (post-patch) at mid-range is more like what you do in tough fights
Sword auto has damage cefficient 1.9, attack speed 1.8s
Rapid fire roughly doubles (at long range, post-patch) output and will be active ~20% of the time, [edit: because 2.5/(10+2.5)=0.2] if used on recharge, so it’s a 20% damage increase

So 0.7 * 0.8 + 2*0.9 = 0.96 for the longbow (more if you get in full-range shots [edit: 0.9*~1.2=1.08 if you stay at max range full time]) is not that far from the 1.9/1.8 = 1.06 from sword
Pet might can only be like 5-10% damage increase for the pet, it’s just 2-3 might stacks

Prysin.8542:

LB does not give ANY buffs to pets.

Hunters Shot grants 10s swiftness to pet
http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Hunter%27s_Shot

depends on build really, and that is what matters. If you play ONLY at base stats, you are doing it wrong.

A common build should be used for comparison (65030 or 44060 full zerk).

Another thing you MUST take into account is arrow flight time. Sword DPS is instant from the moment you engage, while longbow (in order to achieve max DPS @ 900+ range) need to stay at 900+ range, that means a travel time of ~1 second. Sure, that second only matters on the first shot, however it does screw over the calculations.

By that rationale, wouldn’t this start of the fight discrepancy be offset by a ranged weapon being able to start engagement earlier?

Vox Hollow.2736:

By that rationale, wouldn’t this start of the fight discrepancy be offset by a ranged weapon being able to start engagement earlier?

Terrain dependent.
However, yes, possibly. yet, there is a downside to this, if looking at the whole picture, running equal builds favoring neither one nor the other (meaning both weapons can gain max boosts), sword will win by a slim margin, which is good, because then my glassbow will not be nerfed anytime soon.

Prysin.8542:

depends on build really, and that is what matters. If you play ONLY at base stats, you are doing it wrong.

Doesn’t affect the ratio between sword, greatsword and longbow as they’re power weapons, and the access to buff traits is similar (the greatsword ones are harder to slot though imo). But true, it means axe and shortbow only can compete with the power weapons if you run a hybrid or condition build.

Prysin.8542:

depends on build really, and that is what matters. If you play ONLY at base stats, you are doing it wrong.

Hmm, power weapons get ahead once I factor in higher stats (pretty random equipment with hybrid stats: power 1882, crit chance 31%, crit damage 157% condition damage 483 duration +30%) gives

2518(close),2845(mid),3413(long) dps for longbow
3594 dps for sword/axe
2349(front),3255(flank) for shortbow

I may have missed it in the notes, but why are you seeing a DPS increase on Long Range Shot or Rapid Fire?

Atherakhia.4086:

I may have missed it in the notes, but why are you seeing a DPS increase on Long Range Shot or Rapid Fire?

Because the shorter channel time of Rapid fire will make LB shoots two more arrows from the time saved from channeling. (4.5sec→2.5sec)
Also the shorter channel of rapid fire literally decreases the CD of rapid fire by 2 secs, thus using it more frequently, combining with more auto attacks, increasing the dps.

With addition of new read the wind, the damage will be enhanced even more.

You also get a increase in dps from read the wind, as it will get 10% attack speed increase.

in simple words, the Rapid fire damage hasn’t changed.

the channel time allows two more shots from the auto , compaired to the current channel.

so two more shots= passive Dps increase though channel time changes.

rapid fire DAMAGE is not changed. Rapid fire DAMAGE PER SECOND is doubled.

Auto attack damage per second is increased by 12% or so due to 10% increased attack speed.