Make elemental magic damage vary with distance from enemy

[Zirael]

Currently, in most instances, unless enemy is resistant to physical damage or it is too dangerous to stay at meele range, magic damage jobs fall far behind in damage dealing output compared to double march/LastResort/Hasso/Haste+25% meeles. Addition of Delve weapons (2x D rating compared to non-Adoulin weapons) made this disparity even worse. Even coming magic changes with examples given so far won't change it.

One idea I had awhile back was to increase Elemental Magic's (and possibly avatar nukes, automaton nukes, BLU nukes, enspells, maybe even Wildfire?) damage the closer you are to enemy. Being at meele range would make your nukes do 2x more damage compared to staying at max casting range. One of reasons magic damage has lower output compared to meele damage was that mages can stand back safely out of harm's way whilst dealing damage. But if the mage is right next to enemy, and god forbid, is even engaged, that reasoning no longer applies.

It's not really anything game breaking, but would be a bone thrown at all the meele-mages out there (anyone still remembers why RDM has 3 legendary swords and one legendary dagger at their disposal or what for Claustrum was made?) and Geomancer whenever they have to stand bored next to enemy applying DEF-/EVA- debuffs so all the meeles can have some fun.

[Deifact]

I don't want to sound mean but this is a terrible idea. It would mean ALL mages would have to stand in melee range.

This would bring up the following problems:

1. Space: In a big alliance, can you imagine how much of a nightmare it would be to co-ordinate ~20 people who are all standing toe-to-toe with the mob? I mean FFXI monsters do tend to have big hit boxes, but still...

2. AoE: Most high level enemies have terrifyingly powerful AoE abilities that would simply kill any mage within melee range.

3. Design: The only mage jobs that are designed to be in melee range are BLU and RDM (although RDM is questionable). If a job is designed to be able to do damage from range, that is usually how the developers want it to be played and as such, will have low defense to enforce this as well.

Although it is an interesting idea and you could argue that the damage bonus is exactly that, a bonus, so if mage jobs wanted to remain full distance away from the enemy they can, this will never be the reality. When there is an opportunity for people to do more damage, even at the risk of dying, they tend to go for it because people like big numbers.

SE are going in the right direction with the changes to black magic they have planned. If mages want to do high burst, they cast higher tier spells but less frequently. If they want to do less burst but higher dps, they cast low tier spells more frequently.

[Zirael]

Risk:Reward

3. Design: The only mage jobs that are designed to be in melee range are BLU and RDM (although RDM is questionable). If a job is designed to be able to do damage from range, that is usually how the developers want it to be played and as such, will have low defense to enforce this as well.

As you've pointed out, mages staying in meele range is not for everyone. But the option is out there, for more jobs that you've thought up. If developers wanted mages to always stand back, how can you explain Mjollnir/Yagrush+KrakenClub? Afflatus Misery+Auspice+Cura3? Enspell II? Temper? Shattersoul? Vidohunir? ShellCrusher/Garland of Bliss? Myrkr?

My proposal is not for everyone, but there are people out there, who are into meeling as a mage. There's even a guy with Hvergelmir 99 on my server. And he hasn't made it for his manequin.
You already have Geomancers standing next to boss NMs because benefit of their DEF-&EVA- aura outweighs the risk they are taking of being one-shotted. But they're just standing there and don't even attempt casting -ra2 and T4 spells obtained natively, because the damage is not worth it. Same for, let's say, Holy2 or Banish3.

Why wouldn't you want to do 2x more damage as a mage? Because suddenly you have to gear up and get proper PDT/MDT gearsets? Poor you! News flash is, for endgame content meele DDs have been utilizing hybrid sets (capped haste and as much PDT/MDT capped as possible) for quite a while now, and no one's been complaining about it. Before ATK/DEF ratio update SE said they would release much better DEF+ and PDT- gear for lightweight and mage jobs.
And if you really don't have gear good enough to face the enemy straight on, you could continue standing back just like now. No loss for you.

You just need to play it smart. Whenever Rangers can, they go in with a Kraken Club (well, at least the ones serious enough at the job to get it), but when the risk of dying from AoE is too great, they stand back and shoot for TP instead. Noone's been complaining about that. Kraken Club gets you TP much faster (and before Recycle changes - significantly cheaper), but you don't see it utilized often for serious fights, because it would be stupid thing to do. Dead Ranger does zero damage to enemy. Dead mage does zero damage to enemy. Smart Ranger does more damage than reckless one. Smart mage will do more damage than reckless one.

Magic damage needs a serious boost to keep up with Delve weapons. My proposal is just one of things that could be done to facilitate that.

[Kincard]

"this is a terrible idea"

-Deifact, 5/28/2013.

[Quetzacoatl]

Mages aren't magical rangers, end of story

[Twille]

This idea is bad and you should feel bad.

Seriously tho, not a good idea.

[Zirael]

Mages aren't magical rangers, end of story

Speaking of magical rangers...

[Tamoa]

As you've pointed out, mages staying in meele range is not for everyone. But the option is out there, for more jobs that you've thought up. If developers wanted mages to always stand back, how can you explain Mjollnir/Yagrush+KrakenClub? Afflatus Misery+Auspice+Cura3? Enspell II? Temper? Shattersoul? Vidohunir? ShellCrusher/Garland of Bliss? Myrkr?

You don't see mages with those weapons/spells meleeing high level monsters/nms with devastating aoes.

There's even a guy with Hvergelmir 99 on my server. And he hasn't made it for his manequin.

Myrkr can be used from a distance if you have the tp. And again, you won't see this guy meleeing high level monsters (assuming he's not a complete moron).

Why wouldn't you want to do 2x more damage as a mage? Because suddenly you have to gear up and get proper PDT/MDT gearsets? Poor you!

Yes poor me, and everyone else really serious about a mage job - needing a full -pdt AND -mdt set on my mage jobs would totally kill my inventory.

[Chimerawizard]

I had a quirky little idea thanks to the title of this article.

example 1:
BLM/SMN/SCH level 99
Job Trait: Magical Staff
"Melee attacks become energy attacks which can travel a great distance."
[sweet spot is somewhere between 15-20']

Example 2:
WHM/GEO99
Job Trait: Magic Wand
"Melee attacks become energy attacks which can travel a great distance."
[sweet spot is between 5-10']

INT used for Magical Staff / MND for Magic Wand.

These traits do not affect weapon skills.

Damage=[BaseDMG+dSTAT+xSkill/100]X[MAB/MdB]X[100%-MDT]X[resist]

I have played several games where the mage as a normal attack will summon an energy ball to throw at the opponent.

example 3:
PUP99
job trait: this is a mage job, right?!
same crap as the others but for h2h. :P

[Raksha]

I will endorse this idea if and only if standing directly on top of the monster allows me to 1shot it with stone I.