Strength weight on ranged weapons

[Timbermaw]

As i understand, there was a patch that did away with str weights and now str adds damage and dexterity adds accuracy. Is that correct? If so, is it the same for ranged weapons as well? Should i start just pumping strength as a hunter?

[genericpseudonym]

Ranged weapons have used the same damage and attack speed formulas as melee for a few versions now.

Dex used to play an important role in ranged attack speed, but since that's no longer the case pumping strength is a fine option.

Dex is still good because of EV and accuracy, but you probably don't want to focus only on it like you once would.

[Timbermaw]

I see. That makes sense, thanks!

[crate]

you should basically never be making a stat decision based on your weapon anyway

this was true before (has been since ranged reform) and is still true now

[Timbermaw]

Should I make it based on my defenses then?

[crate]

The main reason to raise str is to reduce armour penalties, especially for spellcasting. (It can help you get more EV also, but that's usually a smaller effect for most of the game.)

The main reason to raise dex is to increase your EV from dodging skill.

The main reason to raise int is to increase your spellpower. (Note that if you are wearing armour with noticeable ER, str is most likely better than int for spell success.)

The stats have other effects but they're generally small. Str is at best something in the neighborhood of 2 str = 1 slaying, and of course if you raise dex instead of str you still get a benefit, so the difference in practice is so small it should never affect your decision-making.

[pumpyscump]

I read that there's stepdowns after your stat goes above 20, so I just try to make the 2 most important stats for that character hit 20.

[crate]

20 is not a magic number for any stat at all, as far as I know (it could be for int if you have exactly the right spell skills, but then raising spell skills reduces the magic number below 20 or reducing them raises it above 20)

24 is a magic number for dex for dodging purposes

[HardboiledGargoyle]

Str is at best something in the neighborhood of 2 str = 1 slaying

Maybe I'm misreading the formulas, but isn't 1 str = 1 slaying with a great mace and maxed skills, and even 4 str = 5 slaying with a GSC, assuming you don't miss?

[crate]

At 20/27 maces/fighting I still get going from 20->30 str is less useful than going from 0->10 slaying in fsim for great mace. I guess for gsc at skill 24 10 str is approximately as good as 10 slaying. It would be more for dark maul but uh yeah.... In most situations, it's still 2:1-ish.

edit: actually my maces skill numbers here are wrong, since I forgot about crosstraining (I had more skill than these numbers say, probably 27 for all tests). Too lazy to redo it, and more skill makes str relatively better anyway.