DUST Search - [Feedback] The ion pistol is worst in its class

Arkena Wyrnspire wrote:

Comparing the stats of the ion pistol to existing sidearms, this is a weapon of very dubious value. IGÇÖm not comparing it to nova knives, because theyGÇÖre really quite different, but it is horrendously underpowered compared to the other ranged sidearms.
To prove this, I have some statistics. Please do feel free to point out if I have missed anything.

First, letGÇÖs compare its DPS to the other sidearms. ItGÇÖs worth noting as well that the ion pistol and scrambler pistol are both semi-automatic, meaning that they will very rarely attain their full DPS value, especially in the case of the ion pistol where the restrictively low RoF means that taps will not always translate to shots.

The RoF of the ion pistol is 375 RPM. At 50 damage a shot, with a maxed fire rate this translates to 312.5 DPS. It does, however, have a charge shot mechanic which allows you to charge up a shot for 1.45 seconds for 350 damage. This gives a DPS of 241.

The RoF of the magsec SMG is 666 RPM. At 35 damage a shot, this translates to 388 DPS. However, there is a short 0.3 second fire delay which reduces the initial DPS to 273.

The RoF of scrambler pistol is 400 RPM. At 80 damage a shot, this translates to 533 DPS. Notably, it also has a 450% damage bonus on headshots.

The RoF of the submachine gun is 1000 RPM. At 23 damage a shot this translates to 383 DPS.

The RoF of the bolt pistol is 150 RPM. At 135 damage a shot, this translates to 337.5 DPS. However, there is a short 0.25 second fire delay which reduces the initial DPS to 253.

From this damage assessment we can see that the ion pistol is the weakest sidearm in terms of damage output when not considering the charge time on the bolt pistol and magsec SMGs. With those, it slightly outperforms them.
A note on charge delay GÇô it is easily mitigated by pre-charging as the opponent comes around a corner, or constantly tapping the trigger as you move around ensuring you are charged up and ready to go at any time. This does not entirely discount the charge time GÇô it is a hindrance, but it is not a significant one.

The charge shot mechanic of the ion pistol is not notable for any practical application. Upon firing a charge shot, the weapon will immediately overheat GÇô rendering follow-up shots useless. The alpha damage is not high enough to kill many opponents, so using the charge shot means you will be helpless. Additionally, using the charge shot as a follow-up to normal shots does not work because the charge time is too long and you would be better served by using normal shots.

Now. Consider the sustained damage capability of each of these sidearms.

The ion pistol has 12 shots in a clip before needing to reload. This gives 600 damage per clip. There is also possibly an overheat mechanic, though this is only known for the charge shot.

The magsec SMG has 54 shots in a clip before needing to reload. This gives 1890 damage per clip.

The SMG has 80 rounds per clip for 1760 damage per clip.

The scrambler pistol has 11 rounds per clip for approximately 880 damage per clip.

The bolt pistol has 6 rounds per clip for 810 damage per clip.

The ion pistol is thoroughly outperformed by the other weapons in sustained damage output. The other weapons in its class give up to triple the damage per clip.
This is more of a handicap than it appears as well GÇô many opponents have more than 600 EHP, meaning a reload is absolutely necessary for the ion pistol where it wouldnGÇÖt be for the other sidearms.

The pistols generally have lower damage per clip than the SMGs, but the ion pistol still has the lowest in class there as well.


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Korvin Lomont United Pwnage Service RISE of LEGION 539	Posted - 2014.01.27 21:43:00 - [1] - Quote Arkena Wyrnspire wrote: Comparing the stats of the ion pistol to existing sidearms, this is a weapon of very dubious value. IGÇÖm not comparing it to nova knives, because theyGÇÖre really quite different, but it is horrendously underpowered compared to the other ranged sidearms. To prove this, I have some statistics. Please do feel free to point out if I have missed anything. First, letGÇÖs compare its DPS to the other sidearms. ItGÇÖs worth noting as well that the ion pistol and scrambler pistol are both semi-automatic, meaning that they will very rarely attain their full DPS value, especially in the case of the ion pistol where the restrictively low RoF means that taps will not always translate to shots. The RoF of the ion pistol is 375 RPM. At 50 damage a shot, with a maxed fire rate this translates to 312.5 DPS. It does, however, have a charge shot mechanic which allows you to charge up a shot for 1.45 seconds for 350 damage. This gives a DPS of 241. The RoF of the magsec SMG is 666 RPM. At 35 damage a shot, this translates to 388 DPS. However, there is a short 0.3 second fire delay which reduces the initial DPS to 273. The RoF of scrambler pistol is 400 RPM. At 80 damage a shot, this translates to 533 DPS. Notably, it also has a 450% damage bonus on headshots. The RoF of the submachine gun is 1000 RPM. At 23 damage a shot this translates to 383 DPS. The RoF of the bolt pistol is 150 RPM. At 135 damage a shot, this translates to 337.5 DPS. However, there is a short 0.25 second fire delay which reduces the initial DPS to 253. From this damage assessment we can see that the ion pistol is the weakest sidearm in terms of damage output when not considering the charge time on the bolt pistol and magsec SMGs. With those, it slightly outperforms them. A note on charge delay GÇô it is easily mitigated by pre-charging as the opponent comes around a corner, or constantly tapping the trigger as you move around ensuring you are charged up and ready to go at any time. This does not entirely discount the charge time GÇô it is a hindrance, but it is not a significant one. The charge shot mechanic of the ion pistol is not notable for any practical application. Upon firing a charge shot, the weapon will immediately overheat GÇô rendering follow-up shots useless. The alpha damage is not high enough to kill many opponents, so using the charge shot means you will be helpless. Additionally, using the charge shot as a follow-up to normal shots does not work because the charge time is too long and you would be better served by using normal shots. Now. Consider the sustained damage capability of each of these sidearms. The ion pistol has 12 shots in a clip before needing to reload. This gives 600 damage per clip. There is also possibly an overheat mechanic, though this is only known for the charge shot. The magsec SMG has 54 shots in a clip before needing to reload. This gives 1890 damage per clip. The SMG has 80 rounds per clip for 1760 damage per clip. The scrambler pistol has 11 rounds per clip for approximately 880 damage per clip. The bolt pistol has 6 rounds per clip for 810 damage per clip. The ion pistol is thoroughly outperformed by the other weapons in sustained damage output. The other weapons in its class give up to triple the damage per clip. This is more of a handicap than it appears as well GÇô many opponents have more than 600 EHP, meaning a reload is absolutely necessary for the ion pistol where it wouldnGÇÖt be for the other sidearms. The pistols generally have lower damage per clip than the SMGs, but the ion pistol still has the lowest in class there as well. This is kinda symptomatic for gallente weapons these days...