Hi Developers.
I feel that really great caster items, is a rare thing.
The build I have come up with for my necro Zake (still missing some augs and mask from Spires), has 0 tier 14 items, 5 tier 13, 4 tier 12, 6 tier 11 and 6 tier 10 items.
This is pure choice., There are many many tier 13 items to chose from, and a few tier 14's, but non of them does enough for my DPS, that I would wear them.
So why is this? What am I, and casters looking to max their dps curve, looking for?
(Not so focused on a long lower DPS curve, but focused on maxing the top of the curve, even if it hurts the amount of total damage, aka not really care about mana).
Well there are a few things, obviously:
So in short, the optimal caster item is type 5, has a focus effect and a skill bonus, has Elemental damage and some items will need to have a click effect on them, so we have something to click in between casts (if Corona, Chunk and Galaxy are to be taken off the set, or for a clicker to be relevant in general, same or better clicker effect need to be available on other items.)
If a Bracer or BP, have to have a high DPS proc rate or it wont get picked.
If mainhand, the best item that is also a melee weapon will probably be picked. If really good proc or ratio, it could be picked over all else to optimize dps.
* Math comming.
** More math comming.
I feel that really great caster items, is a rare thing.
The build I have come up with for my necro Zake (still missing some augs and mask from Spires), has 0 tier 14 items, 5 tier 13, 4 tier 12, 6 tier 11 and 6 tier 10 items.
This is pure choice., There are many many tier 13 items to chose from, and a few tier 14's, but non of them does enough for my DPS, that I would wear them.
So why is this? What am I, and casters looking to max their dps curve, looking for?
(Not so focused on a long lower DPS curve, but focused on maxing the top of the curve, even if it hurts the amount of total damage, aka not really care about mana).
Well there are a few things, obviously:
- Focus effects.
A Necromancer basicly need everything. Pet, Elemental, Direct damage, DoT, Mana, Speed, Range ect.
Wizards probably don't need DoT focus, would just help if they have procs or clicker dots. They also don't need Disease or Poison focus, again unless procs and clickers. They don't need pet focus either.
Mages also don't need DoT focus, would just help if they have procs or clicker dots or if the pet can do dots.... They also don't need Disease or Poison focus, again unless procs, clickers or pet. I think they need cold focus because of pets that can do cold nukes, and obviously they need both pet focus.
- Skill bonus.
Again the Necromancer need everything, Alteration for Lifetaps, Evocation for DD procs and components from initial DoT damage and Conjuration for their Dot's and more pet damage.
Wizards mostly just need Evocation. Alteration could be useful if they somehow is proc'ing lifetap, don't think they care about Conjuration at all.
Mages also need everything, Alteration for pet heals, Conjuration for Pet damage and Evocation for their nukes.
- Elemetal damage.
Type 5 is prefered, so we can aug with +24 elemental damage.
For Necro Magic is best*, for Wizards its between cold and fire, not sure about Mage; but this is also relevant for picking items that comes with + elemental damage.
- Bracers and BP are very important, because of their proc. Currently Formless Ribbon of Unbound Power is the bracer "to beat"**.
- Clickers are very important to increase DPS. It's optimal for a clicker to not take longer than 2.5 seconds, that way it can be used in between casting spells.Right now the top clickers to beat are Corona, A Burning Chunk and Darkened Galaxy-etched Bone.
With just these 3, a caster will have something to click in between a chain of spells that aren't faster cast time than 3.5 seconds. Perfect for Necro dots. For a Wizard flash flaming, these 3 will at times all be on cooldown.
- Melee damage and Auxing.
Personally I wan't my mainhand to be a weapon, mostly because the aux mechanic is huge.
But it's not irrelevant for adding to dps, if one gets lucky with a proc, it can add up, and just a hit for 100 in between spells and clickers could add some 2 digit dps numbers. Its all about pushing the max.
Haste is probably not super important, unless it pushes a weapon from doing 1 to 2 swings in 2.5 seconds (getting 2 hits in between casts, rather than 1).
Due to clickers in between casts, it's even more unlikely that haste taking a melee weapon from say 2 to 3 swings pr 2.5 seconds, is important.
So in short, the optimal caster item is type 5, has a focus effect and a skill bonus, has Elemental damage and some items will need to have a click effect on them, so we have something to click in between casts (if Corona, Chunk and Galaxy are to be taken off the set, or for a clicker to be relevant in general, same or better clicker effect need to be available on other items.)
If a Bracer or BP, have to have a high DPS proc rate or it wont get picked.
If mainhand, the best item that is also a melee weapon will probably be picked. If really good proc or ratio, it could be picked over all else to optimize dps.
* Math comming.
** More math comming.
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