Standard melee damage formulae?

[Nekurahn]

hi, I found this formulae on ffxi.wiki:

2 Handed Attack = {( 8 + Combat Skill + 3STR/4 + (+attack from gear) + (+attack trait/ability/minuet)) * berserk effect (if available)} * (1+ percentage increase from food )

Now maybe I'm not reading this right, but it seems to me like this says that for example a pair of boots with +5 ATK would increase my melee damage more than another pair of boots with +5 STR instead. I decided to buy ATK-based gear to compare this with my STR-based gear but the numbers I got off my parser fighting the same monsters each time seems to indicate my STR build was doing better. Now as a SAM with STR-based WS, I expected to do more damage in that department but even standard melee hits were stronger than my ATK build.

Could someone explain this to me? thanks

[Jotaru]

Obligatory 'shit's situational'; the formula you have just shows how to determine what your attack rating should be, it won't determine how much damage each point of att / str gives you, because it doesn't work that way. ATT and STR are both considered vs. an enemies VIT / Defense when calculating damage; one raises and lowers your average, the other raises and lowers your standard deviation from this average (Its been too long, I've forgotten which is which)

Basically, different mobs / different areas / different buffs / different gear will put certain stats ahead.

[Argdar]

In general, adding atk helps more with weaker mobs, but if you're fighting anything with significant defense, like things that con VT or higher, you need more str to push your damage up to an acceptable level.

Just in general, though, it is situational.

[Raen Ryong]

with +5 ATK would increase my melee damage more than another pair of boots with +5 STR instead.

5STR on a 2hander is giving you 3~4 attack anyway.
1~2 attack will not outdo 5STR unless fSTR is capped.

adding atk helps more with weaker mobs

Other way around. Attack has diminishing returns and weaker mobs have lower defence meaning cRATIO caps earlier (and no level correction penalty) so attack caps, fast. Higher defence mobs, attack is comparatively more useful to overcome level correction etc. STR is handy for increasing the (D + fSTR) side of the equation, especially if you use a low D weapon, but attack is incredibly useful, especially on things with huge defence.

[Miraun]

That formula is for calculating attack (for 2Hs), not for calculating damage.