Dual Pistols Damage Distribution w/ Swap Ammo

[Derek Icelord]

At current, Dual Pistols attacks are ~70% fixed Lethal and ~30% Lethal/Cold/Fire/Toxic depending on which ammo power is active. Swap Ammo replaces Aim in the set.

 

Changing ammo types changes secondary effects:
No power (lethal) is a knockback

Cryo Ammo is -Rech and Slow

Incendiary Ammo is a chance for DoT (fire)

Chemical Ammo is -Dam

 

The issue is two fold. First, the Cryo and Chemical secondary effect can generously be described as situationally useful. Second, the DoT from Incendiary is large enough that even if an enemy is resistant to Fire and weak to Cold/Toxic damage, 99% of the time Incendiary is still the best choice. Yes, I'm aware Cryo ammo makes Stunning Shot a mag 4 hold and Chemical Ammo increases the hold duration. That is the exception. Piercing Rounds now deals its -Res debuff regardless of ammo type as of Issue 27 Page 6.

 

For example, Circle of Thorns Behemoths have a 20% resistance to Fire and a 20% vulnerability to Cold.

On a Blaster, Executioner's Shot deals 92.84 Lethal and 39.79 of the ammo type. The fire DoT is 42.28 (4x10.57) with an 80% chance to trigger.

With Cryo ammo, the total damage dealt is 92.84+(39.79*1.2)=140.59.

With Incendiary ammo, the total damage dealt is 92.84+(39.79*0.8)+(42.28*0.8)=158.50

 

I suggest the damage distribution for Dual Pistols attacks be changed to 30% fixed Lethal and 70% of the ammo type. This would leave the total base damage the same, but make swapping ammo types based on enemy resistances worth considering.

[FupDup]

30/70 is likely a bit too far, but definitely 60/40 at minimum (so that typed lethal defense still works against it, and they're still bullets after all so being mostly lethal makes sense). 

[Derek Icelord]

Even at 60% fixed Lethal and 40% based on ammo, Incendiary still does more damage than Cryo in the Behemoth example. At 30/70, Cryo edges out Incendiary by less than 4 points of damage.

 

60/40 split:

Cryo is 79.58+(53.05*1.2)=143.24
Incendiary is 79.58+(53.05*0.8)+(42.28*0.8)=155.84

 

30/70 split:
Cryo is 39.79+(92.84*1.2)=151.20
Incendiary is 39.79+(92.84*0.8)+(42.28*0.8)=147.89

 

This is with the target being both resistant to Fire damage and vulnerable to Cold.