I've been going nuts trying to figure out how multi ranged "really" works so i can make a good decision on blowing a lot of ip or not. I read a good deal in this thread and decided i needed to do some research on my own to help clarify.
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Ok so i've done some tests to see exactly how much the firing rate is slowed by using multi ranged. This test is all about timing and shots fired. I'm not going into damage yet, but i'm going to use these numbers below as a base for figuring out that step later.
Conditions:
Level 156 MP
Ranged Init 560
Multi Ranged 145
Guns: Two matching ql 15 Home defenders: Attack 2.49s Recharge 2.50s 25round clip (used lowbie guns to aviod ip cost of multiranged and to get matching attack recharge times, home defenders get faster as the ql goes up).
All tests start with the guns fully loaded (25 round clip). Reload time is not an issue as all the tests were one minute long and the guns did not run out of ammo. I pressed "Q" on the start of the minute and stopped shooting exactly at the end of the minute.
SINGLE RANGED (One Gun in Right hand)
Tests: 4 (Same results on all 4)
Duration: 1 minute ea.
Total Shots fired: 18 (same result in each test)
MULTI RANGED (Two guns, one in each hand)
Tests: 4
Duration: 1 minute ea.
Shots fired Right hand: 13
Shot fired Left hand: 13
Total shots Fired: 26 (same result in each test)
Basically this means that in this case i'm getting 5 less "main gun shots" over a minute's time if i choose to use multi ranged. So to not lose effectiveness I need to have my offhand gun hit in 13 shots for as much damage as my main gun does in 5. Rougly it has to be a bit less than half as good as my main gun just for me to do the same damage over time that I do using one gun. This is a LOT of IP spend just to break even. To play it on the safe side i woudn't want anything less than half as good as my main if i was going multi ranged.
By the figures above the "main gun" rate of fire is approx 38% slower when used in multi ranged. 18/min one shot per 3.333 seconds and 13/min once every 4.615 seconds. (4.6-3.3)/3.3= 38% slower (Thanks to docmax for the math on that). This tells me that whatever you do... do not hold low ql weapons in your offhand or you will lower your damage over time pretty badly.
Food for thought. Your own tests or thoughts are welcome.
-Dovve