It’s clearly a buff overall:
In all seriousness, removing stagger from sticky is a HUGE nerf. Sticky is easily the hardest ability in the game to land consistently(except maybe traps… lmao) and the payoff was significant, not in terms of damage but in that it would force an enemy to burn stamina trying to iframe the blast. Without the stagger, melee players will just ignore it and cut the musket user to ribbons while eating the damage.
They have nerfed the last good ability on the trapper tree into a humdrum stat pad.
Unfortunately you are oversimplifying things as you can’t just count up all of the changes and give them equal weighting.
I’m confused to why you are testing it at 40m (presumably the pre-drop off damage case) and 55m (post drop off damage case) and not at the full dropoff damage distance? Is drop off damage the same at 55m and 100m? Have you tested that? If it’s not consistent which seems the most intuitive, then of course 55m might only show a mild drop. It could be that it’s not dependent on distance and you already know that (I am wrong plenty of the time), it could be that you just didn’t know how to test it properly, but it also could be that you did it on purpose to decrease it’s impact.
I’m glad you are testing it though instead of reacting blindly, but ideally you should test it thoroughly. Post pictures with numbers. Unfortunately this post isn’t particularly helpful and misleading, even if that’s not your intention to use the terms incorrectly.
This is what happens when you get a nerf that turns into a buff it’s a NUFF. Jokes aside I welcome any changes to trapper tree. And I don’t even play musket.
Another post of the same subject. Another player that is ASSUMING things even before PTR is even out.
Who is going to be the next to create another topic?
Ah I might also be at fault here. I assumed OP tested on the PTR. I suppose it’s not live yet then? Didn’t even check.
Might give a bit more insight into what the current ‘damage drop off’ on live is like.
That’s awesome! I’ll check it out. It also could be that we are making too many assumptions based on what dropoff looks like on live. It’s possible that was reworked at well and we won’t know until the PTR is up.
Such is the nature of the forums. This is the way.
Though tbf going solely off the current wording, and no mention of damage drop off reworking on the PTR notes, what has been said is pretty much true. Damage drop off is minuscule on live currently, 50% of that is even more minute. Currently (going off what is written in notes) they’ve buffed musket.
This post is the only honest one on the subject. The main post on this topic, getting most of the attention is titled:
‘Proposed Musket changes will KILL Musket’
But my post is misleading? 
Well if it is an actual buff then the game will die. simple as that.
They both are misleading though, that one being misleading doesn’t somehow mean yours is not? If that makes sense? I think discussion is great. I think even discussing how they want to approach the musket is important and helpful. Unfortunately we just don’t have any real data until the PTR is released, so the focus should be less on the amount of impact and raw numbers and more on the method. Is drop off damage an appropriate way of doing it? What about raw damage? Mortal empowerment? Musket being forced into 5 CON roles, maybe even CON needs a rework? It’s it hitscan? It’s it something else? It’s excelling in the environment it was designed for, is that okay? If we nerf it now and go back to a heavy meta will it be even more worthless than it was before? Etc. Etc.
The discussion should be focused in this direction and less on specifics until we actually know the specifics.
Also I really enjoy the musket and what it brings to this game, so I’m obviously biased as much as anyone. Which is why weapon balance posts are often not very helpful. Very few can be impartial as we all have our favorites.
Incorrect
damage reduction due to falloff damage increases the further the range past 50m
So it’s not -0.5% it’s way more
DEFINITELY A NERF INDEED
what they really need to do is remove the hitscan that invalid the core of auction combat.
that is: you can not avoid it, all you can do is hope the musker miss his shot.
Also, they need to add min range to ranged wep like bow and musket, eg: doing 0 dmg to target within 5m.
Thanks for that Zyrex
I’m assuming it’ll push muskets into closer range play style meaning during repositioning you can load shots or throw bombs since it doesn’t impact movement speed, akin to hatchet throw rework
Hopefully traps get some love, they are very lackluster. You can iframe over them or they destroy instantly from any AoE dmg
I wonder what these musket complainers are going to do with their time when its actually nerfed?
Complain about BB most likely…
They’re gonna start complaining about the next weapon that kills them after musket is gone
We still have OP lifestaff 
Incorrect
Musket has been tested on PTR:
Only have Ballastic Advantage talent, no modifier talents.
50m 2276
55m 2260
60m 2247
Less than a 1% damage nerf. NOT 50%. F me why cant people read.
Incorrect
Only have Ballastic Advantage talent, no modifier talents.
50m 2276
55m 2260
60m 2247
70m 2023
75m 1821
80m 1639
85m 1476
95m 1329
100m 1197
Musket = Dead for anywhere past 80m