Weapon stats, question from a new player

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buckly

So how do weapon stats work? Is there a post(didnt see any thing in the stickies). So where can I find a correct break down on how the ratings work? How can some weapons have high accuracy but a mod gives it a -.30 as an improvment? Bloom some say its the spread, some say the sight width. Also I have read claims that they differ from weapon types, and others say the devs have no idea themselves(not a bash I am just showing the confusion). I would love a break down of how all stats work and if they change from weapon types.

Ok, since no one else seems to have answered this.

So, in general, good is:

Accuracy, Bloom, Reload, Turn Radius, Lock-on Time: SMALLER numbers

Damage, Crit, Falloff, Blast Radius, Range, Homing Range: LARGER numbers

Reload, Fire Rate, Mag, Velocity: Depends on Personal Preference and Loadout

Accuracy: The SMALLER the number the better, with 0.0 being "perfect" (negative numbers aren't supposed to be worse than 0.0, but sometimes it is)

Bloom: How large an area the bullets hit in sustained fire (this is a a REAL LIFE term, so there you go). For some weapons, like a shotgun, a large bloom isn't always a bad thing (like when duck hunting), but in this game in general a SMALLER number is prefered as it means more of your bullets are hitting the X.

Accuracy reduces your initial (pre-firing) cross hair spread. Bloom reduces your increasing cross hair spread in sustained fire.

Falloff? That is the effective range of your gun. You don't see this in the stat card, but you will see it with mods. As the bullet travels, it slows down reducing it's kinetic energy (this is another real life thing). For some weapon types, you don't need Range or falloff (like a sniper, as it's fall off is farther than the draw distance in the game); for others, it can be quite important (like Pistols and SMGs) if you prefer to stay at stand-off distances instead of close quarters (duck and roll).

Turn radius: You find this on Guided Rocket Launchers only. It's how sharp the rocket can turn once you've locked on to an enemy.

Blast Radius: How big your explosion is. Blast Radius has falloff, too (thus the Min/Max Damage ratings on explosives)

Velocity: how fast your projectile goes, only found on Infectors (rarely), Rocket Launchers, and Grenade Launchers. For those weapons with a ballistic path (i.e. it arcs over), velocity can greatly change where you aim to hit a specific spot.

What do you mean depends on personal preference and loadout? Well, for example, with the right perks you can extend your EGO power time and/or reduce your recharge time depending on how often your reload. If you run with these two perks, then you should be using a smaller mag. Alternately, if you are using the Preparedness perk and two of the same guns, having a pair big mags means more bullets getting reloaded while you use one of the guns. If you prefer to be more precise with your shots (i.e. not needing to hit ammo boxes or ammo pick ups), but aren't the best at aiming, then a fast fire rate will just mean wasted ammo.