A question about weapons outside of your specific role

MacMurroughTheFirst · July 2017

I was hoping I could get someone with a better grasp of mathematics than I to explain (without making my head explode) *how* much worse it is to wear the wrong type of weapon. If i want my healer to run, let's say for argument's sake, a two-handed on his back bar and I find one with a desirable trait in my particular set, how immense is the disadvantage of using it? And I ask this for every role; tanks, dps and healers all have their specific weapons with very little room to wander or play around with other choices but what are we missing out on if we do anyway? How massive of a loss and can it be overcome?

The first thing that comes to mind are the abilities and passives lost by not using the standard weapons but, taking those in stride, what else are we talking? Would it be impossible to complete content, regular or vet? Surely it would take longer but let's say I manage to cobble together a group of people who aren't looking specifically to min/max and are ok with the utter failure that could come of this, what would be some things to keep in mind?

Also, i ask this out of mere curiosity more than anything. I'm not doubting there's a very valid reason why people *don't* do this but I know the answers involve math and calculations and numbers, all of which are out of my wheelhouse unfortunately. Can dps thresholds just not be reached using "inefficient" weapons?

Also also, if this idea is as much of a non-starter as I think it might be, I'd like to take this opportunity to ask one of the devs (via @ZOS_GinaBruno maybe?) to please make the mace a healing weapon so I can live the clerical life I was meant to live. I supported the frost staff change so hard because I was hoping it would usher in an era of open weapon choices (or at least a few more) so maybe this isn't too far off?

AcadianPaladin · July 2017

I'd say it is just about critical for my magplar healer. Though most of her skills are class skills, she really wants Healing Springs, Rapid Regen and sometimes Combat Prayer - that means a resto staff. Then she also really wants Elemental Drain and sometimes Elemental Blockade of Storms - that means a destro staff on the other bar. Further, as a magicka character, staves are the only heavy attacks that will help restore magicka (resto better than destro).

davey1107 · July 2017

There's no inherent disadvantage to what you're suggesting. I use two swords on my magplar all the time.

A hit's power is a complex formula that takes into account several factors. One is a weapon's damage rating, but the system doesn't consider a weapon's damage value stamina or magic. Thus, a magic hit with swords with a damage rating of 1800 will hit harder than the same hit holding a staff with a 1500 damage rating.

You might lose some power via passives. For example, when holding a Resto staff you get "increase healing by 15% on allies under 30% health." However, you might pick up passives, like dual wield, which offers 5% more damage with two swords and a damage boost to off balance and stunned enemies. These don't reference "physical damage," so they apply to magic attacks too. 2h swords boost damage too, but most magic users who look to physical weapons go w dual wield.

Of course, you won't be able to use any of that weapon's skills well. All 2h abilities are stam based, so when used by a magic toon they blow.

And a weapon's light/heavy attacks are resource based, and return that resource as regen. So when my magplar has two swords equipped, his lights do a pathetic 500 damage...and they return stamina. This hurts threaders, and limits resource regen, but the overall net effect depends on class and play style. My magplar gets way more increased dps from the increased power of his jabs, reflective light and radiant destruct than he loses on light and heavy attacks.