Gaussian's Chance for BU in Nova?

Playing around with a nova/dwarf build for my PB, and was wondering if anyone's tried slotting a Gaussian's Chance for Build-up in the nova form? If I'm understanding it right, it should have a chance to proc every 10 secs in nova, since it's a toggle? If you have, do you find it procs often enough to be worth it? I've currently got it slotted for 2 flight speed, 2 end mod, and 2 to-hit buff.

The problem with putting the proc in a toggle is that although it goes off on average once every 200 seconds there is no guarantee that you are going to actually be close enough to get much benefit from the short lived build up.

In addition to that I would say you have probably got your Nova form over-slotted at the moment, the +tohit is good enough on its own (It will help against hard to hit enemies on its own, but once you start getting into the really hard to hit enemies even 6 slotting the +tohit wont help you - for example stacked Veng on Nemesis), the 2 EndMod IO's you have are only going to work out as good as a single chance for +end IO, and the flight speed I find unnecessary (Especially when you have more imho important things to spend your slots on).

So overall I don't think it is worth it, and I would change your slotting to at most 1 fly IO and the chance for +end IO.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aggelakis PrincessDarkstar: "RAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGHHHHHHHHHH SOMEONE IS *WRONG* ON THE INTERNET!"

I've slotted the Gaussian proc in my Nova form and have been running it on Hamidon raids. It *does* proc ... the problem is that the proc is so random that it winds up being a "nice when it does" rather than something you can rely on. It does bump your damage output (for 5 seconds) but there's really no rhyme or reason to when it will.

I've also 6-slotted Decimation (with its proc) into Dark Nova Bolt, where because of my set buffs the power has a recharge of under 3/4 seconds. That means that I can "spam" the power in less than 1.75 seconds per shot for the animation (1s) and recharge (<0.75s). That's 5 attacks per 10 seconds at a 0.75s recharge, and 6 attacks per 10 seconds at 0.66s recharge for Dark Nova Bolt with the power on auto-attack. That's a LOT of proc chances ... which is good because both the Gaussian's and the Decimation proc have a 5% chance each (which by themselves is kinda lousy).

The combination of the two, for Nova form, kinda sorta "works out" however ... so long as you're slotting up Dark Nova Bolt, because that gives you two Build Up procs to work with, which starts getting reasonable. The only problem is that you never know when one (let alone both together!) is going to proc ... which means they fall into the "nice!" category when they do, but aren't something you're going to be *relying on* to save your calamari.

It's the end. But the moment has been prepared for ...

Off-topic slightly: Redlynne, if you were only 5 slotting the Dark Nova ST blasts would you use the Decimation proc or just the other ones from the Decimation set? I have been considering getting the proc instead of the Acc/Dam/Rech but not sure if it would be worth it or not and really don't want to go wasting a respec or spending hours on test.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aggelakis PrincessDarkstar: "RAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGHHHHHHHHHH SOMEONE IS *WRONG* ON THE INTERNET!"

Gaussian's is probably best in a click power, actually. Yes, in a toggle it can go off whenever, but that whenever can easily be when you are moving between mobs, out of a mission, etc.

With a click like build up, it will go off when you are about to attack, making it probably more worthwhile there. Up to you, of course, but that's where I've come down on this proc.

I used to have it. I wasn't terribly impressed, TBH.

It proves much more useful in a click power, for sure.

I had it slotted in in Tactics on my blaster and loved it there when I'd every now and then get that "lucky shot" where I feel like I randomly hit the enemy right in the eye.

I would kind of have to wonder where else in the build you could put the thing that it would get better than a ten-second cycle time...

I find the proc very usefull in nova form.

What people seem to be forgetting is that on a shade who shifts into and out of nova often, the check is made when nova is activated and THEN each 10 seconds thereafter. In effect it works exactly like it would a click power...sorta.

But the only thing you need to know to make your decision is this:

The total damage you do in nova form over your entire playtime will be roughly 2.5% higher with the proc than without it. If this is worth a slot to you then take it, if it is not then do not slot it.

Anything else people are saying is personal taste.

Maybe if you had it in tactics, nova, and the decimation proc in each nova ST attack. Then you would be getting the buildup pretty often;.

Both the Decimation and Gaussian's build up procs are unique IOs. You get to slot ONE of each on your character.

It's the end. But the moment has been prepared for ...

Oh, didnt know they were uniques

I slotted this into bright nova and I did not see any good difference. im gonna stick with me flight speed and +end proc IOs as suggested already in this thread.

It's only a "waste of a slot" if there's something else you could USE in a single slot Nova form power that's more valuable to you. End Reduction and End Modification are most definitely wasted in that slot, if single slotting. The only End Mod set IO you might want to put there is the Performance Shifter proc ... maybe.

That leaves you with slotting Nova form with a simple common Fly IO ... or a Universal Travel proc, or a Stealth Proc ... or a To Hit Buff proc. Not exactly a whole lot of options.

It's the end. But the moment has been prepared for ...

That 2.625% damage buff over an infinite time span is a deceptive statistic. Not to say it's untrue (as far as these things go), just that it doesn't necessarily form an accurate representation of how it functions in actual gameplay. That's because the proc doesn't work as an always on buff ... instead it's a damage (and to hit) spiker.

During the time that the buff is in effect (for 5 seconds), I can unload essentially 3 attacks from my Nova which are all effectively critical hits (ala Scrapper) that'll affect every target I attack. So if the proc is in effect when I use my Nova cone or AoE attacks, that's not only a pretty serious uptick in damage for those attacks but also a serious potential time savings in being able to clear a horde. It can save me (and my team) the "expense" of 1-2 attacks against everything I've managed to hit ... which can ... but is not *guaranteed* to be ... can be a "game changer" in tight situations, especially on a team. No it's nothing you can "count on" happening at exactly the right time, but as you continue to play, IT WILL HAPPEN every so often.

The question is ... is that chance for profoundly increased effectiveness "worth it" to you over something more "obvious" and enduring such as a simple Flight IO? For a lot of people, the answer is simply going to be "NO" ... just because they look at the spreadsheet of statistical analysis and figure "it's not worth it" ... without having actually experienced the effect in actual gameplay.

Furthermore, I'd point out that it's possible to slot the Decimation proc into your Nova bolt power (fast recharge, low damage), rather than the blast power (high damage, slow recharge). With even moderate +Recharge, the Nova bolt attack quickly becomes a "quick shot" type of power, with a recharge speed of down around 0.75s or less on a reasonably quick animation. That gives you LOTS of opportunities to proc a buildup (from Decimation) ... which then makes the Gaussian proc in Nova seem a good bit more attractive, when you can get the synergies of the two procs working in tandem (albeit, most likely not at the same time).

With Decimation's proc in Nova bolt, and Gaussian's proc in Nova form ... your chances for a damage spike increase ... dramatically shall we say? It means that over any particular 10 second span of time, between the two procs there's something on the order of 4-5 chances to proc a build up. Without the Gaussian in Nova form, those chances to proc will drop to about 3-4 opportunities per 10 seconds (if only because you're not using the Nova bolt attack exclusively). 3-4 versus 4-5 chances to proc a buildup per 10 seconds is a non-trivial alteration in odds ... in my opinion ... hence why I slot both the Decimation (Nova bolt) and Gaussian (Nova form) procs in my builds (WS and PB).

As with so many things concerning Kheldians, taking a look at this issue of whether a Gaussian proc is "worth it" in Nova form requires seeing the whole picture of your entire build strategy ... and not just a narrow view of the Nova form power itself in compartmentalized isolation all by itself. Sure, the flight speed option is an "obvious result" choice, since you can see yourself flying faster ... but Kheldians aren't exactly "reliant" upon Nova form as their Travel power either. PBs can slot Swift for Fly on their way to Stamina, slot their human form flight power for Fly and be just as fast as Nova form in flight without expending any additional precious slots. WSs can get around faster using their Human form teleport, rather than flying around in Nova form. All of which means that the "pressure" to slot Nova form for Fly is really more a matter of convenience, rather than one of necessity.

So for me, the choice between a Fly IO and a Gaussian proc in Nova form is less a matter of *NEED* and more a matter of choice and preference. A choice between enhancing the power to make it more effective IN COMBAT ... the Gaussian proc ... or more effective at cruising BETWEEN COMBATS ... the Fly IO. It's a choice between a combat booster or a non-combat booster ... and everyone should decide for themselves which of those two things they want their Nova form to be "good at" when choosing what to put into a 1-slotted Nova form.

As always ... YMMV depending on your temperament as a player, your playstyle ... and your expectations for your Kheldian.

It's the end. But the moment has been prepared for ...