Top tier light laser passives vs. bypass.

[Sirdannik]

I'm wondering about the timing of bypass vs the passives for the top tier of light lasers (most lasers have this smae choice though). if anyone has tested this out I'd love to hear feedback.

 

the choices are: 16% more hull dmg or 18% shield dmg.

 

When I fire a shot (that hits) vs an enemy with full shield arcs, is the passive bonus added before or after bypass takes effect?

 

first let's assume the shield dmg perk is the one I took, and my shot hits for 300 points of dmg. Is the 35% taken from the base 300 dmg (105 hull, 195 shield) then the 18% added to just the portion that hit the shield (230 to shield)?

 

Or is the 18% added to the base (making it 354), then 35% of that number split to the hull (meaning 124 hull, 230 shield)?

 

Theoretically the first choice would be more accurate based on what the abilities are designed to do, but I've noticed a tendency in games to apply passives built into the weapon or item itself first, then apply additional bonuses from external abilities.

 

Really just wondering if I should take the shield passive to make bypass even nastier to hulls.

[BallisticID]

I would think that the passives would apply first and then the buffs/abilities.

[Sirdannik]

Me too, but in the case stated above that leads to an extra 19 pts of hull dmg each shot when I selected the shield dmg passive, and the reverse (+16% to hull dmg) gaining no extra dmg what-so-ever because the shot was fired at the shields, passive applied (for 0), then split to the hull with Bypass... Edited January 25, 2014 by Sirdannik

[Armonddd]

The way the UI is currently set up (with no specific numbers available for how much hull/shields you have left), we'd only get clarification from a yellow post or someone with an enormous amount of time to devote to screenshots/video and calculations. Meaningful testing would probably have to come from crits, because the potential difference in damage depending on the order the effects are applied would be very small otherwise. Edited January 25, 2014 by Armonddd

[Sharee]

Or is the 18% added to the base (making it 354), then 35% of that number split to the hull (meaning 124 hull, 230 shield)?

 

I doubt that.

 

Consider what would happen if you shot a ship with 1 point of shield remaining. The weapon would essentially do 18% extra damage to hull, even tho the perk is supposed to boost damage against shields.

 

I think it is more logical to assume that the damage is first split into the part that affects shields and the part that affects the hull, then the appropriate part is boosted by the perk.

[Altheran]

I doubt that.

 

Consider what would happen if you shot a ship with 1 point of shield remaining. The weapon would essentially do 18% extra damage to hull, even tho the perk is supposed to boost damage against shields.

 

I think it is more logical to assume that the damage is first split into the part that affects shields and the part that affects the hull, then the appropriate part is boosted by the perk.

I think your example may be a different matter.

 

I think that bypass will distribute damage first, but however if shields aren't big enough to withstand the hit directed to the shields, all remaining damage will be directed to the hull, regardless that the weapon shouldn't hit that hard on the hull.

 

I'm basing my theory on something I experienced when I was still a beginner and have done something that seems stupid : I fired a full Ion Rail on someone with almost no shields (don't ask me if I acted out of stupidity, or forgot to swap my rails, i don't remember).

I was displayed of a neat 1600 damage and his hull was nearly destroyed.

[Sirdannik]

Consider what would happen if you shot a ship with 1 point of shield remaining. The weapon would essentially do 18% extra damage to hull, even tho the perk is supposed to boost damage against shields.

 

My point is that if the 18% is added before the bypass, the amount of shields left won't matter unless it's 0. be it 1 point of shields, or 1000 points, the hull will take an extra 18% dmg with bypass active. You're referring to the point when the shield fails (reaches 0) before all damage from a shot is accounted for (shield < 300 pts, shot = 300 pts), which is a slightly different but related topic.

 

I think it is more logical to assume that the damage is first split into the part that affects shields and the part that affects the hull, then the appropriate part is boosted by the perk.

 

I agree with you, and it is the most logical way, which I stated in the OP, but as I also said in the OP I've noticed a tendency for many games (not just MMOs either, most games period) to add built-in passives first (the 18%), then the external afterward (the 35% from bypass), so I felt it was a gray area enough to warrant the query.

 

Honestly Armonddd is right though:

 

The way the UI is currently set up (with no specific numbers available for how much hull/shields you have left), we'd only get clarification from a yellow post

 

Come on yellow post! Let's get some Dev action!