About how Area damage is inflicted

[Twichigo]

When I hit the target, does it take only direct damage or both direct and area damage, if the hit is capable of inflicting both types?
Currently looking at the first upgrade tier of Shard Diffractor. It can increase direct damage by 2 or area damage by 2. If hitting the target inflicts both types, then boosting direct damage is just a worse option.

[Frisky]

both direct damage and area damage apply if you are hitting the target yes

boosting direct damage can be better since area damage is unaffected by weakspot multipliers

[Ittrix]

direct damage can benefit from weakspot damage, and AOE often comes paired with falloff.

Big Bertha is one of my favorite thunderhead OC's since it's got 'enough' AOE to take out most small stuff, but the rest is typically in direct damage to blast a big boy.

[JeanneOskoure]

AoE ignores armor, but doesn't get weakpoint bonus.
Direct damage gets weakpoint bonus, but is stopped/reduced by armor.

AoE also has damage falloff if enemies are far from the source. The falloff depends on the weapon you use.

[Husker_85]

Shard Diffractor is definitely better as a direct damage weapon. Take damage and anti-armor buffs, and give it it's ammo-boosting clean overclock if you can. Whip this bad boy out and take down any priority targets on the screen like a champ with literal laser-precision.

[Twichigo]

Thanks for the answers.
I don't think falloff matters when hitting the target directly, in relation to damage inflicted to the target in question, but the rest makes sense. And from further testing, it seems boosting direct damage can benefit the heating up property of Shard Diffractor, too.

[Ittrix]

Originally posted by Isaac_Clark:

Shard Diffractor is definitely better as a direct damage weapon. Take damage and anti-armor buffs, and give it it's ammo-boosting clean overclock if you can. Whip this bad boy out and take down any priority targets on the screen like a champ with literal laser-precision.

There's a handful of overclocks that turn it way around.
Volatile Impact Reactor makes a bootleg sticky flames to handle hordes, and plastcrete catalyst can chunk out smaller groups.

Most builds definitely skew towards single target though. Just throwin some other stuff out there for folks.