[TytosOfEight]

Originally Posted by bcbrown [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Gladiator's Chain Sleeves and Talisman of Benevolence combine for 23 AC, same as Lodi Shield. So my three parses will be:
1) Wear the sleeves, put the Talisman in ranged, empty back and shield slots
2) Empty arms and ranged, shield in back slot
3) Empty arms and ranged, shield in secondary slot

If a shield has an impact when worn in secondary slot, I'd expect 3 to parse lower and 1 & 2 to parse the same. If a shield has an impact in any slot than I'd expect 1 to parse higher and 2 & 3 to parse the same. If all three parse the same, that implies that at least sometimes shield ac has no effect.

I get where you're coming from with three separate experiments each with two parses, but this seems like a lot less work while answering substantially the same question. Only question this won't address is whether non-shield in secondary slot can push above softcap, I think, but I don't have any high-AC orbs anyway.

This seems pretty solid and good, practical compromise. Looking forward to seeing the results of it.

Not gonna lie, it's kinda funny hearing you ask me for longer parses when my first post in this thread was asking you for longer parses and you defending 400-hit parses. But yes, in case I wasn't clear enough I don't think my results had enough hits on either side to be conclusive. Suggestive but not conclusive, which is why I'm going to restart the experiment with a better design and a third option.

But there's no need for the parses to be exactly the same length. 1800 hits vs 1700 hits is just as legitimate as 1700 hits vs 1700 hits. You just have to normalize the total damage into damage/hit and then it's comparable.