Libra and Animus suggestions

[Sotek]

First off, I'd like the development team to know I personally find it insulting that at Lv.75, looking forward to the level cap being raised, they said Scholars role would be that of enmity control, and that one ability and two spells later, they absolutely gave up on such an idea. Yes what they produced was an steaming pile of sh*t, but that doesn't mean they can just dust it under the carpet and pretend it was never there, it still smells of sh*t. They've wasted 20 levels on Scholar by giving it no defined role, Regen and DoT mastery are nice and all, but I honestly wonder how long it will be until they change their mind again and stick us with more of a Geomancer role. Which is actually something I'd very much like, but it doesn't make up for wasting so much time dicking about with inane ideas. Libra being the biggest of their worthless ideas, lets make that worthwhile.
Secondly, long post. TL;DR? Make Libra not suck.

So, suggestions. Basic ones first:

• Increase the range on Libra. Next time I see an adjustment notice were you plan to increase the range of, lets say, Jumps, you damn sure better include Libra too. It's annoying enough that you've ignored this twice already.
• Adjust Animus spells to actually be useful. Static +/-Enmity spells are not useful (nor do they stack with out merit Stratagems) and certainly don't lend anything to Libra since even if they weren't a waste of MP, you'd just keep them up full time regardless. +VE/tic -CE/tic is a popular suggestion and I'm sticking with that. Reasons for not going with a static +/-hate level will reveal themselves.

Now for something a bit more interesting:

• Give Scholar a new ability to go alongside Libra, lets call it Modus Odium (Measure of Hate, though my Latin is bad so feel free to correct this). Something like Accomplice that steals a percentage of a targets hate. Instead of the Scholar just taking that hate however, we receive a new status effect that effectively stores that hate (similar to Sublimation storing MP).
• Rather than go through with butchering Stratagems flavor text any further, don't bother adjusting Rapture to work with enhancing magic (why people like this for Adloquium I will not know, +60% of 1TP/tic is 1.6TP/tic, not 2TP/tic), make this new status effect enchant enhancing magic. This can be limited with the recast on the new ability, but it's already limited through other peoples enmity gain, so bare that in mind when you try to push a 10 minute recast on me, if anything it should mirror Modus Veritas with a 3 minute recast or link their recast like Jump/Spirit Jump.
• When Animus spells are used with this new ability and status effect, they also work differently. Rather than what we currently have (+/-10 enmity?) or what I've suggested, they directly adjust hate levels based on how much hate the Scholar is holding.

An example is probably in order.
Lets say Modus Odium takes the same amount as Accomplice (50% of a targets hate).
I use Libra and see that a damage dealer has 80% hate.
Using Modus Odium I obtain 40% hate from this damage dealer locked in the form of a status effect.
I can now do several things with this hate:

• Cast Animus Minuo on a new target, reducing their hate by 40%.
• Cast Animus Augeo on a new target, increasing their hate by 40%.
• Cast a buff such as Stoneskin and have it enhanced based on the hate stored.

Useful? I think so. It's effectively one job ability with several uses. You can completely wipe someones hate by taking half of theirs and casting Minuo on them to reduce the other half; you can reduce two peoples hate by taking one persons hate and reducing another persons; you can reduce one persons hate and increase another persons; or you can enchant a whole series of buffs. You'd actually be controlling enmity in every sense and getting something worthwhile out of it. This would instantly change Libra and Animus from some of the most worthless additions to the game and make them pretty much the most useful thing Scholar has at its disposal.

A few other issues:

• Accession should reduce the effect or wipe the new status effect altogether. Accession + Animus Minuo reducing everyones hate by 40% is very clearly overpowered, either limit that (simply halves the effect or reduces the effect based on the number of people it hits or don't allow it at all. That should only apply to Animus spells of course, since enhancing Stoneskin without being able to Accession is is basically worthless.
• Usual buffs such as Stoneskin should not be improved just by the amount of hate stored, there should be some sort of multiplier involved or just ignore the hate obtained completely and just have it double/whatever the buff, though I personally think it would be better to have the hate obtained play some role since it gives a reason to use Libra to obtain optimal numbers, the effect with Animus is more than enough for that though I suppose.
• Obviously there are some buffs this shouldn't cover. Haste springs to mind and I'm sure Phalanx would polarize people (though Scholar is already better with it than Red Mage, I figure you should stick Phalanx in Addendum: White, it'll be like the Light Arts version of Dispel). In fact, despite people being adamant that Scholar should be an Enhancer, we don't really have very many enchantments to boast, we pretty much only just got the basic ones natively.
• Manifestation Spikes would be another area to think about, enhances Spikes would be nice, though I do see this as a Light Arts thing, which is stupid to begin with since all Modus Veritas does is fail to enhance eight spells, this would enhance far more (t2 Fusion Helices should balance that out though and hopefully you listened to me and that -TP/tic spell will stack with Modus).
• Storm spells would be... interesting. I've already suggested sticking +15% on Stormsurge (+3% per merit) and I'd still want that, adding more with this could be seen as overpowered. I don't think so, it's an option for a status effect that is not Scholar unique, its an added buff for everyone in the party. If this is on a three minute timer it's not even something you can keep up full time.
• I'd expect this to work with Regen. Previously I wanted Modus Veritas to have some duality and do exactly the same on Regen as it does with Helices, but this is equally as good in my opinion.
• Added Dispel resistance might be going too far, but I'll put that out there too. Perpetuance is fairly worthless without some form of Dispel resistance, hate enhanced spells could get a Blink-like effect for Dispel maybe? Resists three times then will get Dispelled. Or better yet just stick that on Perpetuance.

This is basically just a rethink on my "Corsair style buffs based on enmity" but I just removed the need for new spells because space is apparently limited. I can't remember if people actually liked that idea though. Stupid idea or another gem I can put in my box of "Ideas the development team out right ignores"? Trick question, it'll be going there regardless.
Alternative solution if this idea sucks; cut Libra and the Animus spells from the game, they're wasting space. Seriously, if nothing is going to be done to these three things, just delete them. My very first suggestion in this topic has been going around since Libra was first introduced, it's right up there with "Modus Veritas doesn't work". So community reps, just hurry up and drop by with a "Libra is working as expected" so we can all quit trying to pretend the development team gives a rats-ass.

Edit:
Libra could also do with having a more streamlined layout and giving us alliance wide data. Alliance wide data would even be possible now if it wasn't spread across six lines, just give us;

Player1 = #%, Player2 = #% ......., Player18 = #%

Depending on peoples character names that wont even take up six lines like it currently does and it gives us more information. I'm sure some people would also want exact information too, like VE and CE values. If possible I'd rather have this out of the chat log too so it can stay visible for more than two seconds, but it may as well stay there so everyone can see it if that's important. Currently though, basically clearing everyones chat log is fairly annoying. Having a long list of peoples hate isn't much better but it's an improvement.

[Pebe]

I like your idea about hate control but I don't neccessarily believe libra is useless. If I am in a party with blms or rngs i use it everytime it is up. And I make sure that the blms and rngs are not close to capping their hate. The last thing you need is Pil walking back to mages and using flank opening, you're just asking for a wipe. One thing I am very adamant on when i play BLM is enmity dousing BEFORE I take hate. Thus, when I'm on sch I can help the other blms achieve this, or tell the rangers to chill out. This is not entirely neccessary on the new voidwatch NMs since they have so much HP. All the DD just go balls-to-the-wall with fanatics zerg. I feel Libra's uses will show itself more on some of the new content that is more controlled and drawn out, if such content every comes.(I'm looking at you 4-winged Crystal Dragon).

Edit: Don't get me wrong, I too would welcome changes, just don't delete Libra.

[Sotek]

I tend to lump Libra together with Animus. As far as I'm aware there's no issue with space for new abilities, but those two spells are certainly a waste of space.
For a role in enmity control, Libra is pretty much worthless though. It's an enmity monitor and nothing more, we've got a very loose grip on any sense on control. Telling people to use abilities like Enmity Douse is pretty much the apex of it and they're on significantly large timers, telling people to chill is the equivalent of telling a Diabetic to stop eating to control their blood sugar. Unless we get a spell that lets us Terror party members, I don't buy telling people to stop doing anything as a use for Libra. It is a use and it is valid, I just find it very very stupid. It's the equivalent of having White Mages tell people to come rest rather than curing them - probably something SE thinks we should do.

Content that doesn't lend itself to "Grab a Fanatics and every DD can tank" would be good too. Though the enhancing buffs works pretty much irregardless of any real enmity control, only having to work on Black Mage and Ranger is pretty much pathetic. I'd love to see White Mage actually capable of pulling hate again, but more so than that it would be nice if some NMs would just absolutely wreak people who aren't Paladin. They've already come out with "White Mage is the only healer allowed" so they might as well just have everything that isn't a Paladin get one-shotted. Something similar to Spike Flail would be workable too, ignore the positioning and just have a nasty move for when an NM switches target. Maybe have an aura trigger when it switches target, those are so annoying I'd certainly bring a Scholar just to avoid them.
Thinking about it, holding hate also lends itself to quite a useful tool on anything that can reset hate. They can reset hate but you still have a significant amount stored and ready to give to the tank.

[Einalem]

The Way I see it: Libra needs a Range boost... and to not be damage display dependent. While it would take a lot of work, having a big number over your head like a Corsair's Roll for about 3 seconds would be nice with a readout for the SCH only. That gives everyone a baseline of how their doing and SCH a heads up of the whole party. Unrealistic, but worth mentioning.

Animus Spells: I would have them be an "Enmity Status" rather than an Enmity +/- effect. By that I mean someone with Animus Augeo would never have their VE reduced below ~900? and Minuo to have -1? CE, Meaning TE could never be reached by someone with Minuo and BLM can fully Enmity Douse. Augeo could then maintain some Tank Love post a hate wipe move.

[Eric]

I hate to be the asshole who says, "Not gonna happen," but seriously, it's not gonna happen. I love some of the ideas that you guys come up with, but you guys swear like SE's gonna implement anything creative and new for SCH. At this point, they're only slightly tweaking numbers for job abilities and spells. Changing a few numbers for recast timers and spell levels is easy compared to implementing whole new functions to job abilities that they didn't even care about in the first place.

There is only way that I can see some of these proposals being implemented, and that is through the new two-hours and/or merits. Even then, the chances are slim that they will give us anything as original as these ideas. The amount of effort that SE is putting into these updates is disappointing, and it hurts me to see all of these great concepts go to waste. :/ At least the new weapons skills give me some hope that I'm wrong.

Maybe I'm giving up too early, but deep down, no matter how much I tell myself otherwise, I truly believe that SE has just given up on bringing anything new to the game(new being anything that is not a rehashed version of existing content). They themselves admitted that Abyssea was a fluke.

[Daniel_Hatcher]

I hate to be the asshole who says, "Not gonna happen," but seriously, it's not gonna happen. I love some of the ideas that you guys come up with.

Agreed, sorry!

[Sotek]

I hate to be the asshole who says, "Not gonna happen," but seriously, it's not gonna happen. I love some of the ideas that you guys come up with, but you guys swear like SE's gonna implement anything creative and new for SCH. At this point, they're only slightly tweaking numbers for job abilities and spells. Changing a few numbers for recast timers and spell levels is easy compared to implementing whole new functions to job abilities that they didn't even care about in the first place.

Can't quite say I follow you. I pretty much admit SE wont do this. It's something I posted, reason enough for them to do absolutely nothing with it. This is nothing more than the product of an evenings procrastination, yes I post it with the hope that it does get implemented in some form, but I'm fully aware SE out right ignores basically everyone who posts here.

As for changing basic things, SE wont even do that. My first post here back nine months ago included "Increase the range on Libra". I've said it multiple times since, especially when they adjusted the range on Collaborator, Accomplice and Holy. They're not even going to do something this damn basic.

There is only way that I can see some of these proposals being implemented, and that is through the new two-hours and/or merits.

Can I ask why? They're perfectly capable of adding new abilities to intermediate levels (Konzen-ittai as an example). As a two hour this would be absolutely idiotic, though no doubt the developers have "Perfect Dodge for magic" lined up for Scholar after Embrava. Merits, workable but I still don't see why it could only be implemented as such.
They'd be making a new ability and status effect regardless, it makes no sense as a 2Hr and the only argument for sticking it on merits is that it could be considered overpowered, if anything making it a merit option would be the least lazy option they could take considering they'd have to not only design the ability but the effect for additional merits. Considering I pretty much designed this to mirror Modus Veritas, I say stick it at the same level as Modus Veritas.

[Merton9999]

I like the concept a lot Sotek. As you said, I don't see them doing anything this creative or "complicated" though, especially if just adjusting the Libra range is too tough. I have yet to see an addition to 76-99 for any job that was as well constructed or interesting as the random mid-year additions of Composure and Afflatus back in 2009, which didn't even have the strength of a full 24 level cap raise to warrant their introduction.

First, your idea provides a much needed boost to enhancing magic. While straight damage and cure value/potency/efficiency have grown astronomically (for some jobs...) the actual interesting concepts of strategic enhancing and enfeebling have not only lagged but actually become worthless, impossible and harmful in many situations. Any idea like this that moves battles away from the suicidally boring damage+cure spam are welcome in my book.

I also love the concept of SCH actually being able to do something with enmity, which animus spells hinted at but in the end proved disgustingly incapable.

In the end though I like your take on this. I've gotten to the point where reading wish list ideas (even if they're just time passers that people know will never happen) is far more entertaining than reading real update notes or even playing the game anymore.

[Eric]

Can I ask why? They're perfectly capable of adding new abilities to intermediate levels (Konzen-ittai as an example). As a two hour this would be absolutely idiotic, though no doubt the developers have "Perfect Dodge for magic" lined up for Scholar after Embrava. Merits, workable but I still don't see why it could only be implemented as such.
They'd be making a new ability and status effect regardless, it makes no sense as a 2Hr and the only argument for sticking it on merits is that it could be considered overpowered, if anything making it a merit option would be the least lazy option they could take considering they'd have to not only design the ability but the effect for additional merits. Considering I pretty much designed this to mirror Modus Veritas, I say stick it at the same level as Modus Veritas.

Sorry, I didn't mean to shoot your idea down specifically. I was just talking about all of the suggestions I have seen on the SCH forums in general. What I meant is that anything game-changing (or even vaguely creative) that SE throws at us will most likely come in the form of the new 2HRs and (if we're lucky) the new merits. As for adding job abilities for intermediate levels, there seems to be no hints at that from SE. Kaustra and Embrava only came about because SE randomly decided that it would be SCH's "job vision" in the Adjustments Manifesto.

[Sotek]

Currently most things are going to come about as 2Hrs or new merits because thats the current focus of the game. They've been raising the level cap so the majority of what they'll be doing will be related to that.
They're more than able to add job changing abilities to whatever level they please though. Konzen-ittai isn't really an example of that (but it is an example of them adding abilities to intermediate levels), but Yonin/Innin and Afflatus are perfect examples. Even if I had a vague hope that this would ever be implemented, it certainly wouldn't for a couple of updates. They've got Lv.99 related abilities and new merits to sort out, only after that are they going to look back and realize they've completely screwed Scholar over for twenty levels and do something about it.

As for other suggestions from this forum, I've pushed most of mine into merits actually. Geminus would have been the perfect ability for Lv.95 (its similar enough to what Red Mage and Black Mage got), tier 2 Helices should have been added in during the cap rise. Heck, I've even given up on having Modus Veritas make any damn sense and just gone with "+Accuracy" added to the merits, so I guess I do kind of see your point. This idea though has absolutely no place as either a 2Hr or merit ability. If Afflatus was SEs answer to White Mages lack of healing power, this would be the answer to Scholars lack of enhancing power and enmity control.

Low as my view of the development team is, I do actually understand that it cant be terribly easy for them to add a whole lot of what we suggest (but I certainly don't understand how they can ignore literally everyone when we dislike something they add). Every update they have to try and please every job, once we're at Lv.99 and updates can focus on specific jobs rather than everyone getting pretty much lousy abilities and spells, I'd expect far more things like this to be done. Hopefully this makes it to the development team so they can eventually butcher it, otherwise I expect another Helix adjustment where they spend time and money implementing something absolutely no one wants and all they can do when we inevitably flame the hell out of it is ignore us and come up with bullshit excuses because they've already wasted money doing it.