Rifleman Archive
Thread: Spraysticks: The answer to half a rifleman's woes.
Yes, looking beyond Max Damage and speedare the signs of a moron. Ok.
As for the post, it IS overly simplified, I didn't account for Armor piercing or any of that. I didn't account for character speed mods. I also failed to mention that this is for lower level riflemen who have the biggest speed handicap of everyone, the only ones in Riflemen who really have a right to complain about the rough times in levelling.
Yeah, at Master the usefulness of a spraystick is greatly reduced, you fire that T21 every second and a half, so of course you can overcome that -67 or so point blank mod with your speed and accuracy, assuming of course, that the enemy ever reaches you while you do that much damage.
The problem for lower level folks is this: you can wait 5 or 6 seconds for a T21 (-68 for me PB mod)that probably won't hit, OR you can switch to a spraystick(-20 PB Mod), take the damage reduction and fire off a warningshot \ finish that critter off. The accuracy isn't great, but it does give you alot better cycling rate to get your hit than the T21 at low levels.
No, I'm not a master rifleman. I'm a low level one. Sure, this post doesn't do much for alot of high level rifleman. I'll admit that. I do ask, though, that you don't call names. I may be sick of naysayers on this board who feel that rifleman is one of the worst professions across the board, but I have never insulted them. I just ask that you do the same to me.
I get around the melee damage problem with a set of 40% resist composite armor and a PSG Mk. III. If things ever look grim, I lose the gun and burst run. That's what it's for after all. 
Oooh, Serenius,
I hope someday to be a Master Ladiesman like you. It's just ever since I got this darn game, my wife figures I am Ladiesman -3/-4/-2/-1
Settbacca wrote:
When you hit master rifleman this statement goes right out the window. My laser (which is 93-686 6.1spd sliced and PUP'd)shoots every 1 to 1.5 seconds.
I coiuldn't agree with my Wookiee brother more. Spraystick should be the weapon of choice during PvP for novice riflemen. But once you reach master the speed benefit of a spraystick is moot because you have reached the speed cap and you should now be looking do dish out damage (T-21 / Laser rifle).
Galacticspaceferett wrote:
Blankgrun, I've seen your countless posts on here, and after looking at them for some time, you apparently have no clue about riflemen. Go master one like me, and all will be revealed. Moron.
Countless post? You don't have to count them...he has 20...look beside his name....Maybe your method of counting differs from mine but I hardly consider 20 countless.
I am a currently low lvl riflwith one of my characters and i too love my spraystick. Its 25-199 with max powerup and 1.2 spd sliced for speed.
I am also a Combat Medic and i cant wait the 6 or more seconds after firing a rifle to heal my group. I use furryshot 1 and i do 3-500 damage a second, and can heal the whole group at a moments notice. So i too think the spraystick is a good weapon.
Actually you're wrong on your calculations on DPS.
A 200/2.0 spraystick isn't nearly equivalent to a 500/5.0 laser rifle.
Let's do some math. First we'll make it 10 seconds to get some nice easy numbers to work with. We'll also assume no misses and max damage each time.
Step 1: Raw damage in 10 seconds --
Spraystick: 200 x 5 = 1000
Laser Rifle: 500 x 2 = 1000
0% difference.
Now, you're probably thinking "see! see!" but you forgot AP. Let's now take that into account.
Step 2: Damage + Armor Penetration Bonuses (AR0 target)
Spraystick: AP0: 1000 x 1.0 = 1000
Laser Rifle: AP2: 1000 x 1.25 x 1.25 = 1562.5
Laser is 56.25% higher
Step 3: Damage + Armor Penetration Bonuses (AR1 target)
This is a guy with armor... any kind of armor since we're ignoring resists.
Spraystick: AP0: 1000 x 0.5 = 500
Laser Rifle: AP2: 1000 x 1.25 = 1250
Laser is 150% higher
Step 4: Damage + Armor Penetration Bonuses (AR2 target)
Spraystick: AP0: 1000 x 0.5 x 0.5 = 250
Laser Rifle: AP2: 1000 x 1.0 = 1000
Laser is 400% higher
Step 5: Damage + Armor Penetration Bonuses (AR3 target)
Spraystick: AP0: 1000 x 0.5 x 0.5 x 0.5 = 125
Laser Rifle: AP2: 1000 x 0.5 = 500
Laser is 400% higher
Conclusion:
As you can see, the DPS on the two guns are nowhere near equivalent.
In fact, the Laser Rifle is ALWAYS better than the spraystick. Depending on the AR level of the target, the laser is between 56% to 400% better than the spraystick at all times.
Now there are situations when it could be more advantageous to use a spraystick, but your argument was based on DPS only. As the math shows, the two weapons are definately not equivalent in DPS... not even close.
-- A6
Yeah I love my Spraystick. Great for short range warningshot intermittent with the little headshots it can do, to help whittle away the mind, because i have already stacked my bleeds, and I can handle any non-baf creature, within reason of course. Mind you this means I also have warning shot which is ranged support 3 not a rifle skill.
Those saying the 2.5 damage is too much to overcome, I bought a Ubese jacket, pants, and gloves on the bazaar, and creatures that used to one hit me now hit me 3-4 times before i fall. This is also cheap armor, it has around 30% kinetic resist on each piece. Get an Armorsmith to make you some and you can have up to 50% kinetic resist, and there is always composite but then the mind cost is up more.