Curse

Electric Friend · Dec 02, 2007, 04:42 AM // 04:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chthon

Some notes:

Longbow and flatbow provide the kind of range that you want to keep between you and the monsters. Everything else is going to put you inside of spell range, or closer.
Flatbow misses a damn lot without Favorable Winds.
Faster is generally better, BUT you have to keep in mind the interplay between bows' "aftercast," Barrage's recharge, and IAS skills. As I understand it, the way the refire period is split up for an auto-attack or a no-activation-time bow attack (like BArrage) is that the first half of the period is string-drawing, the arrow is released in the middle, and then the second half of the period is "aftercast." For laying down a continuous stream of barrages, a 2 sec refire period is ideal, because the 1sec aftercast ends exactly as barrage becomes recharged. A shorter or longer period is going to leave you starting an auto-attack and then interrupting yourself.

I've also thought of the refire rates effecting barrage. But the way you explained it flabbergasted me!!

Chthon · Dec 02, 2007, 06:27 PM // 18:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Electric Friend

I've also thought of the refire rates effecting barrage. But the way you explained it flabbergasted me!!

I can't take credit for it. I'm merely repeating the results of testing done by others.

Anyway, an important detail I left out in my haste when posting last night: Once you make it a certain distance into the string-drawing animation and then interrupt yourself, you get a brief animation of lowering the bow back to its starting position so that the string-drawing animation can restart. This extra lowering animation is reported to add about 1/10 of a sec. So, if you're concerned about getting the best barrage rate possible, you need to adjust your bow choice and IAS to avoid interrupting yourself.

Quick reference of estimated optimal IAS points for barrage:

flatbow/shotbow - 0 IAS
longbow/recurve bow - 17 IAS (I'm not sure if either the 15% from drunken master or the 25% from various sources is close enough to avoid self-interruption.)
hornbow - 25.9 IAS (25% is probably close enough)

If anyone with a fast PC/connection wants to go test and see if they can reliably chain barrage back to back at these rates, that would be excellent. (Fast PC/connection is needed to make sure your display is in sync with the server.)

Yichi · Dec 02, 2007, 11:33 PM // 23:33

you don't need an ias to be able to spam barrage on recharge with a recurve

Chthon · Dec 03, 2007, 12:37 AM // 00:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by MistressYichi

you don't need an ias to be able to spam barrage on recharge with a recurve

I just stepped out and tested this.

Using a longbow/recurve bow you can buffer Barrage once it recharges, then you will get a 0.2 sec delay and then start the animation. It's clean; there's no (aborted) auto-attacks in the middle; and no self-interruption; but it's not quite on the recharge. With IAS you could eliminate that 0.2 sec delay.

(If you don't believe me, take both bows to the isle of the nameless and watch the delay between when you press barrage and when your hand starts back towards your imaginary quiver. The added delay on a longbow/recurve bow is quite perceptible.)

Now, as for the flatbow/shortbow, I'd say that some 2/3 of the time, I mess up the timing and end-up self-interrupting. So I'm slowing my cycles down to 2.1 sec, because I (and my PC and my connection speed) suck. But you don't have to suck like me -- with practice (and speedy hardware) you can fire barrage perfectly on the recharge using a flatbow/shortbow.

Tyla · Dec 03, 2007, 02:33 AM // 02:33

recurve>all
12chars

Div · Dec 03, 2007, 05:15 AM // 05:15

FW is a waste of space, unless you run more than one ranger. The range really doesn't matter since your tank should take enough of the aggro anyways, so I'd go with a recurve for pure barrage. The faster attack speed doesn't help, since barrage has a recharge of its own.

Wakka · Dec 03, 2007, 09:18 AM // 09:18

Quote:

Faster is generally better, BUT you have to keep in mind the interplay between bows' "aftercast," Barrage's recharge, and IAS skills. As I understand it, the way the refire period is split up for an auto-attack or a no-activation-time bow attack (like BArrage) is that the first half of the period is string-drawing, the arrow is released in the middle, and then the second half of the period is "aftercast." For laying down a continuous stream of barrages, a 2 sec refire period is ideal, because the 1sec aftercast ends exactly as barrage becomes recharged. A shorter or longer period is going to leave you starting an auto-attack and then interrupting yourself.

Interesting theory, I will test it with the master of damage later tonight.

Redvex · Dec 03, 2007, 11:14 AM // 11:14

Longbow for me, especially if group is moving flatbow miss and you pull them without damage.

I Will Avenge You · Dec 04, 2007, 02:04 AM // 02:04

Personally I use either Vampiric Hornbow (10% AP + life steal) or whatever longbow

samer542 · Dec 04, 2007, 06:16 PM // 18:16

My personal favorite is either a zealous/Vampiric Hornbow for splinter barrage and a fiery hornbow and a zealous hornbow (when energy gets low from ele skills) when i used Conjure Barrage. but thats just Me

Hookecho · Dec 04, 2007, 07:01 PM // 19:01

I use a recurve bow for my splinter/barrage ranger because after 2 barrages, splinter has wore off and I like to throw a dshot/savage shot in there and then back to spliter/barrage. but I carry a Recurve, LB, FB, and Short on my ranger for situational conditions

pkodyssey · Dec 04, 2007, 07:20 PM // 19:20

Recurve, and pack some itnterrupts too!

pk

MasterSasori · Dec 05, 2007, 07:00 PM // 19:00

Depends on who or what you play against. I usually prefer flat bow over long bow or recurve.

L-I-E-S · Dec 06, 2007, 07:43 PM // 19:43

I'm a fan of Vah's Hornbow.

Easy to get, cheap, +5 damage for every arrow, 10% Armor Penetration no matter the circumstance. That's just me.