I found it contradictory to have casting speed on ranged weapon.
The purpose of using a ranged weapon is to stay in range. When using a spamming skill that scale with casting speed, the ‘range’ depends on the range of the skill.
For skills scaling with casting speed that have a % weapon damage component, base weapon damage of dagger and wand are similar to pistol, while 2h melee have higher base damage than 2h ranged. There is no reason for using ranged weapon for casting speed from this perspective as well.
Note that bullet type components can be attached to caster off-hand. So, you also don’t need/desire a ranged weapon to spam those component skills.
There are much more skill/proc requiring melee weapon than requiring ranged weapon.
The weirdest part about those ranged weapons with casting speed is that many of them are not associated with any casting speed skill: e.g. Chillborer, Plagueborne Revolver, Apothecary’s Injector, The Northern Wyrm, Ulda’Jax. They would be much better with CDR/attack speed instead.
Devs should look into those ranged weapons, and ranged weapons with casting speed in general.
it’s more relevant than OA on bows and staves in TQ anyway
but while i agree that a ranged build won’t rely on casting speed to shine, that can still improve it. the less time you cast your defensive spell or your debuff, the more time you shoot after all
on a side note, i always thought ammo components should be tied to ranged weapons exclusively, thus excluding off-hands.
True, but its only 28% weapon damage in Greater Fireblast.
Even for a build that use Greater Fireblast as main source of damage, dps-wise you can get more +casting speed from a caster weapon and a focus than a rifle. It should outweigh the dps gain from the higher weapon damage using rifle in most case.
Why as a caster do you have to be forced to use a melee weapon. The reason ranged weapons have casting speed is because some casters want to use a ranged weapon. Its called giving the player options to achieve what they want.
More ranged weapons should have casting speed on them. Especially this one http://gracefuldusk.appspot.com/items/7678-Earthscorcher
As I would love to do a Dual Wield BWC build using 2 of them, but since it doesn’t have casting speed I would be limited in my class and gear choices. Meaning I would have to go Sorcerer as that is the only way I can make up for the loss of so much casting speed and energy regen. But I already have a BWC Sorcerer and It makes little sense to me to have 2 basically the exact same builds just using different weapons.
I understand the choice/option reason, but other that it does not provide anything more function-wise.
In your BWC example, the pistols are merely just equipment with bonuses/procs. BWC doesn’t even have %weapon damage bonus.
Under the current game setting, you cannot use any skills such as Shadow Strike/Chaos Strike because of weapon choice. Of course we can imagine cases where ranged weapon benefits more, like you can apply blessed steel scared strike without running to the mob; but generally there are more skills you can’t use when using a ranged weapon than a melee weapon.
What does %weapon damage have to do with anything. Weather I use a pistol, sword or dagger BWC still does no %weapon damage. So by your logic no weapon should have cast speed on them. BWC doesn’t have a weapon restriction so what does shadow strike have to do with the discussion. No matter what weapon a caster uses it becomes just a stat stick or proc use.
You are absolutely right! That is why we look into other issues related to weapon choice in your BWC case.
“so what does shadow strike have to do with the discussion” and that is one of the other issues. You mentioned about option/choice, and I am stating that for example shadow strike will not your option/choice if you use ranged weapon in your BWC toon.
I still don’t get your point. BWC doesn’t have any restrictions on weapon choice, shadow strike does. This doesn’t mean you should restrict ranged weapons from having cast speed. You have given zero good reasons why ranged weapons shouldn’t have cast speed on them.
In my opinion crate should do same thing they did with gloves and add cast speed to weapons with attack speed and add attack speed to weapons with cast speed.
Well, I kinda agree with part of your and others’ opinions after the discussion.
I should have used “Many ranged weapons should have +atk speed instead of +casting speed” as title, and focus the discussion on particular ranged weapons.
I didn’t elaborate my points well.
Basically, for (most) builds use casting speed, weapon is just a equipment for bonus/proc.
However, there are more limitations when equipping a ranged weapon in (most) casting speed builds than equipping a melee weapon. So, melee weapon is a much better choice than ranged weapon for (most) casting speed builds.
Also, many ranged weapons should have attack speed instead of casting speed.
