Originally Posted by
thedeisel
Sorry, this is super nitpicky. I get that you just might want to see what the 4pc is worth for fun. But it's not something that can affect decision making in game not even in the 'marginal' sense you listed. The 'marginal decision' you listed is not "how much DPS will I get from equipping the 4pc bonus", it's "how much DPS will I get from equipping the 2pc+4pc bonus", as earthwormjim was saying.
After all, the value of the the 4pc bonus is not the same as the value of the 2pc+4pc bonuses minus the value of the 2pc bonus. That's because they bonuses multiply through one another. 2pc allows starsurges to hit harder. 4pc allows more starsurges. If our bonuses were something like, 2pc = Sunfire damage increased by X% and 4pc = Moonfire damage increased by Y% then the bonuses would just be additive. So, if 2pc allows our starsurges to hit 10% harder and 4pc allows us to cast 10% more starsurges (and starsurge accounts for say 35% of our damage), then 2pc is worth a 3.5% increase. 4pc on its own is also worth a 3.5% increase. But 2pc+4pc is not worth a 7% increase in this hypothetical. It's worth 7.35% So, the marginal increase from 2pc to 4pc in game is not 3.5% but 3.85% because it's not an increase from 2pc to 4pc but from 2pc to 2pc+4pc.
I totally get that you appreciate that point but just to clarify, the reason to sim 4pc without 2pc is just for funsies/the sake of knowing. Not for anything in game.
edit: also you guys just had that discussion much more quickly than i could type it out, lol