Ballistics is used, Maelstrom/Arsenal/Frost Arrow, 2.84 breakpoint.
The rockets fired by Maelstrom and Arsenal can only hit 1 target each. So if there's only 1 target, only 1 rocket hits them from each skill, the rest of the rockets are wasted. From my testing and what I've read this is how the rockets behave.
All targets are hit. So for example if there's 10 targets, the spray from multishot hits all 10 targets.
Edit: Added assumption that CA's initial hit explosion, hits up to 5 targets. Anything higher than that just doesnt happen enough to include in the calculations since the aoe is pretty small.
Let me know if any of my assumptions are off, of if I'm simply just missing something. By this data, it seems multishot would be the skill% to use on gear. It's better all cases except when there's more than 7 targets, in which EA becomes better.
Is this just a graph of single hit damage? I am guessing you are probably taking into account a "rotation" at the 2.84 BP and are counting up EA and MS damage in comparison to CA because just looking at the start point of 1 target is way off if it is just damage from one hit.
CA is 550% with a 900% rocket, so 1450%
MS is 360% with a 600% rocket, so 960%
EA is just 330%.
So that leads me to believe your numbers are either wrong to start with since CA should be higher on single target, or you are somehow taking into account the number of abilities fired in a rotation and comparing those numbers.
Is this just a graph of single hit damage? I am guessing you are probably taking into account a "rotation" at the 2.84 BP and are counting up EA and MS damage in comparison to CA because just looking at the start point of 1 target is way off if it is just damage from one hit.
CA is 550% with a 900% rocket, so 1450%
MS is 360% with a 600% rocket, so 960%
EA is just 330%.
So that leads me to believe your numbers are either wrong to start with since CA should be higher on single target, or you are somehow taking into account the number of abilities fired in a rotation and comparing those numbers.
Your numbers are correct however you arent factoring how often each shot fires. At 2.84bp, in a 30 second cycle you get the following: 14 CA, 29MS, 54 EA.
So yes, while CA hits harder, you get more than twice as many shots of MS fired. This is why MS is actually better against a single target.
Yeah I forgot to add I did not include the initial CA explosion hitting more than one target because in a solo game, enemies are usually scattered. Either way, it seems like even if you account for that (like youand the reddit poster did), MS is still better. Thanks for the feedback.
Edit:
Here's an updated graph allow the initial CA to hit up to 5 targets. Anything more than that just doesnt happen because the aoe from the initial hit is pretty small.
Either way, it seems like even if you account for that (like youand the reddit poster did), MS is still better.
Not if you're using LFB, it increases the aoe as well.
In a group game where you have a monk pulling things than yes loaded for bear is better but that's obvious (everyone goes full fire setup on 4 man high grift runs). But in solo play, you dont have this luxury which is why the homing feature of Maelstrom's rockets are better. It's why everyone runs this set up solo with the exception the ball lightning build.
http://us.battle.net/d3/en/forum/topic/13271407601?page=1
I've made the following graph.
Assumptions:
Ballistics is used, Maelstrom/Arsenal/Frost Arrow, 2.84 breakpoint.
The rockets fired by Maelstrom and Arsenal can only hit 1 target each. So if there's only 1 target, only 1 rocket hits them from each skill, the rest of the rockets are wasted. From my testing and what I've read this is how the rockets behave.
All targets are hit. So for example if there's 10 targets, the spray from multishot hits all 10 targets.
Edit: Added assumption that CA's initial hit explosion, hits up to 5 targets. Anything higher than that just doesnt happen enough to include in the calculations since the aoe is pretty small.
Let me know if any of my assumptions are off, of if I'm simply just missing something. By this data, it seems multishot would be the skill% to use on gear. It's better all cases except when there's more than 7 targets, in which EA becomes better.
CA is 550% with a 900% rocket, so 1450%
MS is 360% with a 600% rocket, so 960%
EA is just 330%.
So that leads me to believe your numbers are either wrong to start with since CA should be higher on single target, or you are somehow taking into account the number of abilities fired in a rotation and comparing those numbers.
So yes, while CA hits harder, you get more than twice as many shots of MS fired. This is why MS is actually better against a single target.
Have you seen this post?
http://www.reddit.com/r/riokou/comments/2fiiwd/d3_dh_m6_theorycrafting_indepth/
http://eu.battle.net/d3/en/profile/Sol77-2972/hero/66110450
According to my calculations it should be:
1 Target: 14*(550% + 900%) = 20300%
2 Targets: 2*14*(550% + 900%) = 40600%
3 Targets: 3*14*(550% + 900%) = 60900%
4 Targets: 4*14*(550% + 900%) = 81200%
5 Targets: 5*14*(550% + 900%) = 101500%
6 Targets: 14*(6*550% + 5*900%) = 109200%
7 Targets: 14*(7*550% + 5*900%) = 116900%
8 Targets: 14*(8*550% + 5*900%) = 124600%
9 Targets: 14*(9*550% + 5*900%) = 132300%
10 Targets: 14*(10*550% + 5*900%) = 140000%
Doesn't change anything about Multishot seeming to be the best choise across the board though.
Edit:
Here's an updated graph allow the initial CA to hit up to 5 targets. Anything more than that just doesnt happen because the aoe from the initial hit is pretty small.