Linked thread wrote:
The complex damage modifier is currently equal to a complex shield extender in a 1v1 situation with the average assault variant rifle. This changes when you stack three of them due to their multiplicative effect (even with the stacking penalties), though.
The reason I am comparing the damage modifier and the shield extender is because they are direct competitors for the slots. They use the same slots (high slots) and approximately the same quantities of resources (with shields taking a shade more PG and damage mods taking a little more CPU).
This example holds true at both the standard levels and the prototype levels.
Consider a basic Caldari frame with no core skills, but mysteriously has the ability to fit a single complex shield extender. Opposing that frame is an identical frame but with a complex damage modifier in place of the extender. They are both using a generic assault variant rifle GÇô weGÇÖll consider it element neutral for the purposes of this demonstration.
The base HP of a C-1 frame is 210 shields and 120 armour, for a total of 330 HP (the ratio of shield:armour doesnGÇÖt actually matter to an element neutral weapon). With the complex shield extender, that goes up to 402 HP.
Both rifles have a base DPS of 430 (about average for an assault variant rifle in 1.7). The damage modded one has a DPS of 473.
It will take the extender-fit frame 0.76 seconds to kill their opponent.
It will take the damage mod fit frame 0.84 seconds to kill their opponent.
All other things being equal, the extender fit frame wins the fight.
LetGÇÖs look at the proto level. Consider a ck.0 with four extenders vs a ck.0 with three extenders and a damage mod. The base DPS of the rifles has jumped to 470, due to the higher tier gear. The damage modded rifle now hits 517 DPS.
The extender fit ck.0 has 553 shields and 150 armour, for a total of 703 HP.
The damage mod fit ck.0 has 631 HP.
It will take the extender-fit frame 1.34 seconds to kill their opponent.
It will take the damage mod fit frame 1.36 seconds to kill their opponent.
ThatGÇÖs closer, and the shield extender fit frame still wins out, but itGÇÖs so close we might as well consider it equal. Of course, these numbers will vary slightly (and a multi-damage modded Gallogi with 5 plates will beat out one with 2 damage mods, 1 extender and 5 plates, but only marginally GÇô and thatGÇÖs more symptomatic of the armoured Gallogi) but the point is the same. Shield extenders and complex damage modifiers are currently fairly well balanced.