All my testing for ranger is spread out in multiple threads and pages in general ranger threads, and makes it hard to find refer to and for others to collaborate with so welcome to the firing range, where those problems are no more. I encourage you to pick up a weapon and shoot some stuff with me, it'll be fun! Try not to forget your lab coat and sharpened pencils while you're at it.
I will edit this post with my testing statuses as I get to do them (or others do them for me). A lot of testing done so far is on ranged attack speed, as it's very not understood and very important for anyone shooting things.
In Queue/In Progress
THF - Network Delay Test
[Requires: Using two different internet connections, one with low delay, one routed through a VPN with very high delay.]
[Method: Compare the same set of tests with multiple delay weapons to see how network delay can affect ranged shots. Use THF to rule out rapid shot.]
[Why: To see how and if network delay is included in aiming delay and if that being included more often can help explain why flurry/snapshot seem to lose some effectiveness with lower delay weapons]
[Hypothesis: Ranged aiming delay will tack on the delay from SE's server to the client, once, and this will have a 10-15% influence on would be speed on extremely low delay weapons and also every shot with high delay reductions like capped snapshot. Also, weapons with a big ratio of the aiming delay shifted out of aiming delay because the delay is in the ammo will be less effected by this, and maybe SE knew this in part when designing them since low delay weapons tend to be crossbows and crossbows have the best ratio of aiming delay to ammo]
THF - Embrava Snapshot Test - Suggestion by Bismarck.Snprphnx
[Requires: Baseline Aiming Delay and SCH to Embrava and test with]
[Method: Abuse friendships to get SCH to help you]
[Why: So we know how much snapshot to gear for when embrava is active]
[Hypothesis: It will do more than Flurry II, if not cap snapshot by itself due to it being tied to SCH 1 hour]
RNG - Gastra Snapshot Test
[Requires: Baseline on THF with same delay ranged weapon, Gastra]
[Method: Compare Baseline and capped snapshot on THF to Ranger with Gastra and same gear]
[Why: To see if there's possibly any "breaks the cap" snapshot gear for ranger, like there is for magic burst and many other jobs gear]
[Hypothesis: Nothing ever released gives us cause to think it does but it's something I want to know anyway, I believe it will not break cap.]
Testing Done
RNG - Test Velocity Shot with Capped Snapshot
[Requires: Known snapshot caps and flurry values]
[Method: Equip max snapshot and then do a set of tests to compare to, then use velocity shot and do a set of the same test with the same snapshot values]
[Why: To see how to gear ranger, if Velocity shot is special then we need to not count it as snapshot in our gearing]
[Hypothesis: Due to my testing and Zeke's observations, Velocity will either be additive or multiplicative with snapshot but still increase firing speed beyond snapshot cap. Due to Byrth's testing I believe it will somehow be additive but due to testing it also seems multiplicative at first. Whether it is additive or multiplicative will be hard to test since Rapid Shot is multiplicative already. ]
[Conclusion:
Safe to conclude Velocity Shot is multiplicative as its own term with Snapshot, thus in effect breaking the 70 snapshot cap]
THF - Test Snapshot Cap
[Requires: tons of snapshot taeon augments, snapshot ambu cape, and confirmed Flurry values]
[Method: You can get a lot of snapshot through augments and cap pretty easily if you use flurry 2, then add in more snapshot and see if delay goes down. Use THF to rule out rapid shot.]
[Why: So we know how much snapshot to gear for]
[Hypothesis: It will be as SE said, 70 snapshot cap]
[Conclusion:
Safe to conclude 70 snapshot is the cap]
THF - Test Flurry 2 compared to 15 snapshot and Flurry I compared to a 30 snapshot set
[Requires: Flurry 2 Trust, Snapshot set with exactly 15 and exactly 30 snapshot for THF, multiple delay weapons for THF]
[Method: Use these sets to show Flurry levels, use THF to rule out rapid shot]
[Why: Flurry will be used in other testing and is needed to know for how to gear snapshot.]
[Hypothesis: As shown in prior testing, lower delay weapons will get a bit less out of it on average but for about a 582 delay weapon it will be flurry is about 15% effective aiming delay reduction and for a very high delay weapon about 17% effective aiming delay reduction (culverin) and a very low delay weapon about 12.8% effective aiming delay reduction]
[Conclusion:
For a 582 Delay weapon, 30% Flurry II and 15% Flurry I values are safe to conclude]
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Ranged Delay and Ammo Delay - tackles things like how ammo delay is not aiming delay but just benefits you as free TP and how there's 1 second between each ranged shot, and how ranged attacks get a different delay divisor (which in turn means we for the most part, get that 1 second counted into our TP gain).
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Flurry Testing Part 1 - shows how flurry and snapshot reduction varies some with how long a delay weapon you have, a longer delay weapon will get a bit more benefit from snapshot/flurry. (Avg reduction for a low delay weapon like Tsoabichi with 15% snapshot or Flurry I tends to be about 13%. For a mid delay weapon like Failnaught about 15% and for a higher delay weapon like Culverin it's about 17%). Opens questions for network delay, and other testing.
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Testing if Velocity Shot is special vs Snapshot
Testing Done by others in the Past and Resources
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Older mostly defunct testing on Amini Caban
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Byrth on Velocity and Snapshot
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BG mega thread on Ranged Delay and Snapshot and Stuff
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Official Forums Translation on Snapshot caps
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JP Wiki on Rapid Shot
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JP Wiki on Velocity Shot
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SE on Flurry 2 being 30%
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JP Wiki on Snapshot
* BG Wiki
Snapshot,
Velocity Shot,
Rapid Shot
Please keep posts informative rather than speculative so it is a good resource. If you have speculation, make it a hypothesis and test it or propose a new test, just don't be upset if no one tests your hypothesis for you.
Subjects other than aiming delay and how ranged attacks work welcome.