Transformation Card - Why do people claim it is so good?

Expecting double XP, I spent many hours on a test server ... as a result, I decided not to pump this artifact ...
Firstly, there are more powerful combinations that give out more and more stable damage already on the sparring target and there are combinations that are weaker on the sparring target, but are more useful in real content because of additional effects.
Secondly, although the average damage is within the highest ... the individual parsers are within the worst. Too much depends on luck, in real content you can get the highest damage where it is unimportant ... and minimal in a situation where a burst of damage is important ... because of this feature, I personally think this artifact is even worse for a healer than for a DPS. ..

It does not matter which power, the same math applies to all damage ticks across all powers.

Edit:

For full disclosure, I was testing precision based attacks, mainly dual-wield flurry shot, using the transformation card on a munitions toon, on the test server. Single target dps on 1 target dummy in the HoD.

Reason for using a precision build to test was because the dual-wield flurry shot rotation gave the least variance to damage output compared to a Might-based rotation.

Test setup was:

1) Several parses of 60 sec combat duration with no artifacts equipped to get a baseline damage to compare against. This was the baseline control.

2) Parsing again with the Transformation Card at rank 200 equipped only.

I compared Transformation Card results with Grimorium Verum results.

Grimorium Verum at rank 120 handily beat the Transformation Card at rank 200.
Grimorium Verum gave approx 20% increased damage compared from baseline control.

Transformation Card results varied depending mostly on the crits done, I took many samples, averaged them, and obtained results consistent with the math shown in my OP, and LT's (mine and his are 2 different/similar ways to calculate average dps based on crit chance and crit damage), around 8-10% increased damage.

It would be interesting to calculate does using the strategist card with it increase to value of the strategist card enough to offset some of the gap (ps, I double checked the math, and you're correct - 8%). I guess in other words, is trans+start better than grim + arifact X (and I say artifact X because you wouldn't run the strat card without the trans). Assuming everyone is running solar in slot 3, it's probably between soul cloak, eye, stone, and possibly La-mort (and maybe terta, but that seems to have fallen by the way side . . .)

RANK BASE 80 120 160 200
AVG 126.3 127.0 130.2 133.4 136.6
% INC 0.6% 3.1% 5.7% 8.2%
Sry for weird formatting, it wouldn't let me paste in the table

This is why it's so poor as a dps artifact of choice. Makes no sense to me why people want to equip this thing, unless they want to gamble on large crits saving their day.

How does it not matter? Wouldn't the math apply a lot more frequently to a power that has a lot of smaller ticks as opposed to one that has fewer but larger ticks?

Also, where were you when the double artifact XP weekend was on haha

It does not matter, because all the smaller ticks have the same crit chance and crit magnitude as the larger ticks.

It's how probability works.

Tho depending on your powers it does matter if damage over time effects have higher base damage than other one-hit powers plus even though it flattens out the longer you parse, that's usually not how fights work.
Also, the higher chance (or rather almost guaranteed) uptime of the strategist card is also relevant and why these two just make a better pair.
I switched the card for grim on ST parses and the parses went down every time I didn't use the Transformation card. Powers that don't rely on PI setup are better off with the Trans.

Basically, if you calculate that the Trans card gives an overall increase of around 8% you have to evaluate each other artifact and compare it to a similar increase. Plus factor in the strategist that works off of crits that cause the damage over time to trigger, which is, also like for DoT powers are more likely guaranteed 100% uptime compared to burst powers or powers that draw a certain amaount of dps from non-crit-sources like pets.

Yup, you are right.

In this case for example, I compared it to the Grimorium Verum.

Perhaps someone can show me where the math is wrong?

Or point out flaws in my testing methodology? (see https://forums.daybreakgames.com/dc...laim-it-is-so-good.309179/page-2#post-4320485 above)

After spending time on the test server, I couldn't convince myself to rank it up to 200.

Its definately possible.

Yeah but as I've mentioned I don't think you can 1:1 compare two individual artifacts only when one of them clearly has synergies with others.

For a permanent DPS ... I will refrain from commenting, but for a burst damage, a combination of Grimorium Verum, Source Shard, Death King and the correct trinkets will give you the biggest burst damage achieved alone ...

So first you say it doesn't matter how you're doing the damage and then you explain that you used dw/flurry because it has less variation in damage. Listen, you want to not use transformation and think it's terrible you go ahead and do so, have fun with your solar amplifier or whatever.

On my water character, I use robot sidekick:
So, grim (=2 pets), solar, and Source shard has increased my damage from any other combo using transformation with any 2 listed above.

However for my Rage character, removing transformation significantly hurts my damage.

Transformation isn't "for" every powers' rotations. If you can find a rotation in your power set that it significantly works well with, go for it. If not, don't use it. At least for quite a few powers, trans is very useful.

IMO the Transformation Card is optimized when used in conjunction with the Strategist Card. The DOTS from the latter offset some of the base damage loss from the TC. The added crits from the TC increase the odds of getting that DOT damage from the SC. When both are maxed it can be an impressive combo.

I use two Artifact builds. Both contain the TC and SC. In content where nobody is carrying the Tetrahedron I use that for the group buff (I don't chase the scoreboard), otherwise my third artifact is the Grim just cause it's so cool.

Just my take.

I wondered too if Source Shard would potentially improve a power line Atomic similarly since it has very poor Supercharges and doesn't rely on many powers for DPS. It's an interesting bit of theorycrafting.

I would say to give it a shot. For my water character, I've got:
Transformation, Page of destiny, Star heart, grim, solar, (had strategist l, and source shard.

For dps, the numbers from any other combo were not nearly as high as with the 3 I use now. It's been a long time since using atomic, but I would suggest trying those 3 (if you like solar, if not, another higher might artifact like Tetra maybe).

You'll want RSK, godwave, and I'd say at least 2 (preferably 3) quick casting high burst damage powers (to hopefully reset the godwave cool down).
At 160, source gives you 5% might boost too (and the 2 pets get buffed, plus reset cool down timer chance).

Even for single target, it's increased my damage.

Too many scoreboard chasers dropping tetra because they "dont want to buff other dps". If you have 500+sp then tetra is one of the best might arts you can have imo. I have zero problem buffing other dps and letting them run other artifacts because I just want to finish the instance lol. But the last couple episodes everyone is doom spin so I guess I'm just buffing myself most of the time. Equip tetra then hit the sparring target in your base then check your stats. Do it again with whatever arts you are regularly running. I dont have any sp spec'd into prec. Everything goes straight into health, plus the extra health stats from other arts

I don’t think it has anything to do with not wanting to buff other dps. I think it’s just hoping someone else is using the tetra so that you get buffed while using 3 other artifacts that buff your own dps

Agreed. I always check in group missions, and if no one is using Tetra, I equip mine. It is one of the best Artifacts in the game. AND you don't really need 500 SP too make it sing. As long as you can put 100 SP into health and might, you will get a lot of bang for your buck.