Fencer Archive

FAQ: How do I calculate my Average Hit, Effective Weapon Speed, and Damage per Second?

Part 1: How do I calculate my Weapon’s Average Damage (Average Hit)?

Listed on your weapon is the potential damage range. It will look something like "Lesser_Number – Greater_Number."
The Lesser_Number (on the left) is the minimum damage this weapon will produce on a successful hit. The Greater_Number (on the right) is the maximum damage this weapon will produce on a successful hit. This represents the damage range this weapon is capable of.
Upon each successful hit, the game engine randomly generates a number between these two values and that is the base damage done by this weapon for that attack. Since this number can be anything within the damage range with no weight on any individual result, and since it can change for each hit, no one can predict the exact amount of damage a weapon will deliver per hit. The best method we have for evaluating the damage a weapon will deliver on a successful hit is determining the “average” hit.
To determine the average damage, you simply add the Minimum damage value (the Lesser_Number) to the Maximum damage value (the Greater_Number) and then divide the total by 2. This is the formula:

Ave_Damage = (Min_Damage + Max_Damage) / 2

Example: Weapon range of 100-200.

Ave_Damage = (100 + 200) / 2
Ave_Damage = 150

This is the base average damage formula for any weapon. This is what most people are referring to when they say “average damage”.

If you wish to be more precise, this is still not the true average potential damage inflicted by a One-handed Weapon. Each weapon-type has a damage multiplier that further adjusts the damage of a successful hit. That damage multiplier is x1.86 for One-Handed Weapons. Therefore we multiply the average damage determined with the above formula, and multiply the result by x1.86 to find the true average. This is the formula:

One-Handed_Ave_Damage = [(Min_Damage + Max_Damage) / 2 ] * 1.86

Example: One-handed Weapon range of 100-200.

One-handed_Ave_Damage = [(100 +200) / 2 ] * 1.86
One-handed_Ave_Damage = 279

This is the base average damage formula for One-handed/Fencer Weapons. Although this is a more accurate value of average damage for a Fencer weapon, it is not widely known, and therefore rarely used. It’s not useful for comparing One-handed weapons against each other since they all have this same modifier, and it’s not useful for comparing other types of weapons unless you know their modifiers as well. However, if you are trying to calculate the real damage you will do in-game, you need to be aware of this formula.

Note: This damage does not take into account the adjustments from your weapon’s Armor Piercing (APx), or any Special Attacks you make. Nor does it consider your opponent’s armor’s Armor Rating (ARx) or resists. Nor does it take into account your opponent’s Toughness or Mitigation skills (if possessed). These adjustments are covered in another FAQ thread. However, all of these are based upon the results of first formula.

Part 2: How do I calculate my weapon’s effective speed?

Listed on your weapon is that weapon’s base speed. It’s somewhat of a misnomer that this is called speed, as it is actually the delay (in seconds) between attacks. Therefore the higher this number is, the slower the weapon is. Weapon speed is currently tracked in (rounded to) 1/10ths of a second.
As a One-handed Weapon user, you will gain bonuses that enable you to swing this weapon faster than its listed speed. The bonuses come in the form of “One-handed Weapon Speed” modifiers. You gain the first of these speed modifiers at Novice Brawler; more as you progress up through the One-handed Weapons branch of Brawler; more at Novice Fencer; more as you progress up through the Footwork branch of Fencer, more at Master Fencer; and (if you pursue it) more at Master Brawler.
Each bonus you see at each skill level adds together with what you had gained up to that point. Therefore at Master Fencer you have +90 One-handed Weapon Speed, and at Master Fencer plus Master Brawler you have +95.
This number is a percentage decrease of your equipped One-handed weapon’s listed speed. (No, the number shown on your weapon doesn’t actually change because the weapon itself is still the same. It’s only faster because it’s in your hands.) Remember that a decrease of this number is good, since the listed speed is actually a delay between swings. Here is the formula:

Modified_Speed = [(100 – Speed_Bonus)/100] * Listed_Speed

Example1: Weapon speed is 3.5, One-handed Speed Modifier of +50

Modified_Speed = [(100 – 50)/100] * 3.5
Modified_Speed = 1.8

Example2: Weapon speed is 3.5, One-handed Speed Modifier of +90

Modified_Speed = [(100 – 90)/100] * 3.5
Modified_Speed = 0.4 (Less than 1.0 seconds, so…)
Modified_Speed = 1.0

This generates the number of seconds of delay between attacks with this weapon, rounded to 1/10ths of a second.
But wait… we aren’t done yet. Currently there is a hard limit in effect that prevents very fast weapons from gaining the full benefits from high speed bonuses. It comes in the form of a 1.0 speed cap. If the previous formula generates a number less than 1.0 seconds, then the Modified_Speed of your weapon will be capped at 1.0 seconds.
It is due to this cap, the (relatively) fast natural speeds of One-handed weapons, and the high One-handed Speed Modifiers we receive that advanced Fencers go for Damage Slices instead of Speed Slices on their weapons. The speed cap simply prevents Speed Slices from being effective. (Slicing described in detail on other thread in the FAQ.)

Note: The results of this formula do not take into account any delay modifiers experienced when performing Special Attack Maneuvers, nor the effects of speed altering status attacks. You should also note that the 1.0 speed cap is only a "final cap." This means that the cap is only compared after all adjustments and multipliers (even those for Special Attacks). I also wish to add that the above speed formula (along with its 1.0 cap) is currently in contestation, and is subject to change in the future. It is among our top issues that have been presented to the Developers. I’ll keep you posted.

Part 3: How do I calculate my weapon’s average Damage Per Second (DPS)?

You will need to have the results from the first two calculations above first. (Ave_Damage and Modified_Speed) Then all you need to do is divide the Ave_Damage by the Modified_Speed. Don’t forget that if the true Modified_Speed is a number lower than 1.0 then you must use 1.0 as the effective Modified_Speed. Here is the formula:

Average_DPS = Ave_Damage / Modified_Speed

Example: Ave_Damage = 150. Modified_Speed = 1.8

Average_DPS = 150 / 1.8
Average_DPS = 83

Note: This is just an average of the damage done during normal attacks. As noted above, several factors can alter these results. Also, since the damage inflicted by any successful hit has a random element, the realized damage over any given fight could be higher or lower than the projected average. However, the longer the fight, the closer the real damage will come to the calculated average.

Calculators to figure this out for you:

http://www.subterrane.com/swgcalcs.shtml

Message Edited by LortRekkab on 10-14-2004 03:28 AM

Rehn,

I do not know the answer to your question. However the Carbineers have always had great correspondents and the Carbineer forum might have a sticky at the top of the page with that information. If not someone will help you there I'm sure.