How does damage change that drastically?

[Darki]

Hay thar! I've been playing for a while as a HU/FO, recently maxed HU so I went the opposite way to level FO too... And there has been something bugging me from many runs and MPAs that I've done these weeks.

I don't really intend to be a S/T-ATK powerhouse that makes super huge NUMB4RZ, but lately I've been noticing that my damage has been really low compared to what I've been seeing in pretty much anybody that I party with, specially in the techs department. When I was a HU/FO I blamed it to that fact, as the only tech weapons I used were ungrinded unaffixed Pumpkinrod and Duel Gaze, and my tech damage was laughable at most. Also, my mag is 50% melee 50% tech to deal with my hybrid nature. But when I switched to FO/HU I noticed that this issue didin't get too improved. At first, my setup was a Stella Twinkle (+5, tech II + Ragne Soul, so a bit more than 400 TATK) with a not too DPS focused skill build (went for Flame S charge and bolt PP save, plus Tech Charge Advance 1 maxed). I'm also a sub-Hunter, so I don't have anything from here to boost damage other that the low TATK bonus that Hunter might have had, unlike FO/FIs or FO/TEs around.

As I said, I'm not really too obsessed with DPS. I don't really care about not making too awesome damage, but it really amazed me that my damage was that absurdly low compared to what pretty much any other FO or TE out there would do, specially when right before subclasses I didn't feel being that weak at all. To see if this would be improved, I switched to one of my old skilltrees that was full flame side (both Tech Charge Avance skills and Flame Mastery maxed). The damage didn't really change much, so I simply went back to my previous tree that I'm more comfortable with.

So, my intention is not really to baww for my low damage, but just to make sure that I gotta accept that my damage has to be that crap with my setup and live happily with it or in the other hand keep worrying because I should be able to improve it. With the setup I mentioned I roughtly reached around 1000 TATK without buffs (around 1200 with shifta + drink), and now I know that's pretty lame... For when I gain a couple more levels and can equip some more stuff, I was planning on getting a Milky Twinkle (+8 for now, with tech 3 and Ragne Soul), and a Snow Banther set with the same setup or similar (with similar I mean in terms of TATK). That should pump the TATK at least by over 500 points (around 300 points difference between my current rod and the new one, plus 225 for the units, affixes included). Count there some extra points gotten from levelling up and I should get myself in the 1700~1800 TATK points, which is not as good as I've heard from other people... And if I feel lucky enough, put that rod to +10 and get almost another 100 points.

But now my question is: would this extra juice be really noticeable? Somehow I don't see myself improving that much, even with that increase. I don't really like other weapons and I don't wanna complicate my life too much yet as I'm not that wealthy, so I would understand that somebody does more damage because they use a lambda Garland AND is a sub-TE, I'm not asing for that. So what's your opinion on this?

[Zyrusticae]

1700-1800 T-Atk is highly respectable. I'm at roughly the same range and I'm more than happy with my damage (but then again, I'm Fo/Te).

But I'm not sure how you'd get 225 T-Atk from units...?

[Darki]

1700-1800 T-Atk is highly respectable. I'm at roughly the same range and I'm more than happy with my damage (but then again, I'm Fo/Te).

But I'm not sure how you'd get 225 T-Atk from units...?

Fang Banther set gives 45 points on all attack stats when you don't use those horrendous chopped-head-mechguns, if I'm not (and Arika's thread isn't) mistaken, and Tech III + Ragne Soul (60) x3 would make 180... so 225 if my maths are correct? <_<

Sorry, I'm an arts student. Forgive me if I messed that simple shit.

[Heat Haze]

For the current 10* units and OP's set up, I believe 225 T-Atk would be achieved by:
Ragne Soul + Tech III x3 = 180

Then the set bonus, +45 to all attack winding up with 225 T-Atk.
My T-Atk is at 1400-1500 being a Marl and using a Garland still, but I'm still satisfied with my current damage output because of the modifiers FO/TE brings.

Also..

Count there some extra points gotten from levelling up and I should get myself in the 1700~1800 TATK points, which is not as good as I've heard from other people... And if I feel lucky enough, put that rod to +10 and get almost another 100 points.

1700-1800 is very respectable and about the highest you could feasibly achieve at this point. The people you've heard from must have given you numbers with Tree, Drink, and Shifta buffs active.

[Darki]

I suppose the modifiers are the bread and butter here.

I gotta admit that I really prefer using a more versatile build than going full DPS on a single element, in fact I was even thinking about starting my ice side because I REALLY like Sabarta and Photon Flare + PF Advance even with the crap cooldown, but hey, there you got Weak Bullet too). In any case I also have my full Tech Charge Advance tree, so is not like I can't switch to that one when shit just got serious...

But would stuff like Element Weak Hit really make that much of a difference?

[Heat Haze]

I suppose the modifiers are the bread and butter here.

I gotta admit that I really prefer using a more versatile build than going full DPS on a single elemnt, in fact I was even thinking about starting my ice side because I REALLY like Sabarta and Photon Flare + PF Advance. In any case I also have my full Tech Charge Advance tree, so is not like I can't switch to that one when shit just got serious...

But would stuff like Element Weak Hit really make that much of a difference?

How does your current skill tree look?

I personally like Element Weak Hit, it's a 20% modifier at level 10; equivalent to capping a mastery but is beneficial to all attributes.

With my Fire Tree, it's a 180% modified Rafoie/Safoie on Ragne which is pretty satisfying.

[Nerineri]

Maybe because of your sub as a hunter doesn't have elemental weak hit like techter? That's probably why your damage isn't as high as other FO/TE ?

[Darki]

How does your current skill tree look?

I personally like Element Weak Hit, it's a 20% modifier at level 10; equivalent to capping a mastery but is beneficial to all attributes.

With my Fire Tree, it's a 180% modified Rafoie/Safoie on Ragne which is pretty satisfying.

My usual skilltree is Flame/Bolt Mastery 5, Flame Tech S Charge and Bolt PP Save 10, Tech Charge Advance 1 10 and PP Charge Revival 1 (and T-ATK Up 1 at 3 and Just Reversal) at FO level 40. With the remaining 15 points I was planning on going now for Photon Flare 5 with its requirements next.

My other skilltree, which is more DPS oriented is basically all fire side maxed except Burn Boost, and the remaining points I was going to put them probably in Flame Mastery 2 and T-Atk Up 1, in that order.

There's one detail that I didn't really know so I decided to just assume it didn't do it, but in case I'm mistaken that would push the numbers a bit higher... Do Shifta (and drink) increase the stats based soley on base stats amount, does it also count there mag, skills and subclass as weapon requirements do, or does it count the whole amount including weapons, units, affixes, etc?

Maybe because of your sub as a hunter doesn't have elemental weak hit like techter? That's probably why your damage isn't as high as other FO/TE ?

Well as I stated in my first post, I know that my current low damage is simply because my gear sucks. I guess that not having that skill should lower my damage compared to someone that has it, but well, that's the point on being hybrid, isn't it? xD Versatility over raw power. I'll gladly trade that skill for swords and Wired lances and all the useful defensive HU skills.

My question is: How bad exactly would my damage be, then, compared to a FO/TE? What should I expect? I don't intend to get obsessed with DPS, I just wanna know where to expect my top so I don't get obsesed with numbers that I shouldn't be able to reach. I know my cmbination is not that popular.

[Zyrusticae]

By the way, good luck getting Tech III + Soul on everything.

I still haven't managed to do it.

Actually, I don't even try, because fuck the RNG. FUCK IT TO HELL.

*ahem*

There's one detail that I didn't really know so I decided to just assume it didn't do it, but in case I'm mistaken that would push the numbers a bit higher... Do Shifta (and drink) increase the stats based soley on base stats amount, does it also count there mag, skills and subclass as weapon requirements do, or does it count the whole amount including weapons, units, affixes, etc?

It counts mag + skills + base stats (including subclass). That's it. In other words, only the things that add to your T-Atk score that's in parenthesis when you look at your weapon's T-Atk req.

[Darki]

By the way, good luck getting Tech III + Soul on everything.

I still haven't managed to do it.

Actually, I don't even try, because fuck the RNG. FUCK IT TO HELL.

*ahem*

Interesting that you mention it because I already got that on the rod, and got a similar setup (Power III + soul) on both my melee weapons. And I didn't really do anything special for it, in fact I was pretty blunt: just bought tons of weapons with Tech/power III and the souls I needed, added first the stat modifier (using a single weapon as fodder so I had more attemps in case of failure) then adding the soul as a new slot. Surely it failed a lot of times, but weapons with those affixes aren't THAT expensive, even I was able to afford them in enough quantities.

Probably units wil be a different story. Those are far more expensive... But that's what TACOs are for, lol.

It counts mag + skills + base stats. That's it. In other words, only the things that add to your T-Atk score that's in parenthesis when you look at your weapon's T-Atk req.

Ok then my calculation stands as I first though it.