Overall Battle System Adjustments for the Future

[Kincard]

The changes to the merit weapon skills are a good compromise (and in fact a better change than simply increasing the category max by a few points), and I will explain why:

As Motenten listed out, it means that under the new system, a 1/5 WS (65%) will be nearly as strong as a 4/5 WS currently is (68%). There are exceptions (Particularly Tachi: Shoha because of how powerful a SAM's other WSs are), but this means that a level 1 weapon skill will almost always be useful now. That extra 20% mod is admittedly quite a bit, but I don't think a lot of you are understanding what the idea behind the adjustment is.

Now, the vision the devs initially thought of (That we can choose between being versatile or being specialized) is actually true, because now even a level 1 weapon skill can be quite useful. As someone who plays a great variety of jobs, I greatly prefer this change over them simply adding an extra 5-10 total levels to the merit category, because now players can pick and choose. Beforehand, investing 1 point into a weapon skill would be completely useless. Now, most of the merit WSs will outdo most non-REM WSs with a single point invested.

Granted, it would be cool to have both this adjustment and a raise to the cap, but people are really exaggerating when they say that you are choosing between having 5 weak weapon skills and 1 strong weapon skill...that was true before. Now you are choosing between having 5 good weapon skill, 2 great weapon skills or 1 amazing weapon skill etc. It's far more flexible than it used to be.

[Motenten]

Actually, giving it some more thought, I think 17 would be the ideal number.

At 18, people are likely to just do 5/5/4/4, and given how close 4 is to 5 now, you're more or less giving 4 full weaponskills, which I think SE's been trying to avoid.

At 17, though, it becomes 5/5/4/3, which isn't quite as good, and lends itself to more general choices. While most people will almost certainly keep 5/5 on the first two, it's the last set of points that matters.

People who want to keep their third WS at 5 will be given 2 extra points to use on 'extra' weaponskills. For those who want more variety, you're given plenty of room to maneuver among the options. 4/2/1, 3/2/2, 3/2/1/1, 2/2/1/1/1, etc., depending on how many weaponskills they really want. Given that 1 merit in a weaponskill could be considered 'adequate', and that you'd want 2-3 to push it towards 'good', that seems like enough flexibility to allow people to specialize to their own preference.

Keeping it at 15, you can kind of do the same thing, but it really feels a lot more restrictive on your options. 16 might be an 'ok' compromise, but it really doesn't feel like it would lend itself to the proliferation of choice that you'd get at 17.

[SpankWustler]

BUT IT'S FRIDAY SO WE HAVE TO WAIT AT LEAST TWO DAYS I DON'T HAVE THAT LONG WHAT IF I DIE BEFORE THEN!? I WILL DIE NOT KNOWING! MY LIFE WILL BE INCOMPLETE!

And due to a strong desire for knowledge, your departing soul will forever belong to Belphegor.



THIS MAN'S SOUL HANGS IN THE BALANCE!

[Toadie-Odie]

What does you Current Merrit Points category tell you? 17% Per Merrit right?

17*5 = 85 .

Chances are that there its absolutly no change to a Tier 5 Merrited WS....

No I'm cool now, someone explained the 85% thing already so I get it now and it doesn't sound horrible to me anymore.

[Trumpy]

I am happy with the proposed changes to merit WSes. Although i would like a few more merits for cap in that category, i wouldnt mind having a 1 or 2 merit point ws and not have to cap each to make it worthwhile. With 20 (22 soon) jobs there needs to be more options to cap these than 3, but since it is merits i understand they want you to choose. that is basically the whole point of all the merits is to make you choose.

But it isnt like we can wield these weapons all at once and have access to all these WSes at the same time. even if dual wielding 2 weapons you can only access the main hands WSes. This is the same reason i dont get why we cant merit more combat skills (though they have increased this through the years) except these u can benefit from while dual weidling 2 different weapons of course, but you still can only benefit from 2 of those at one time.

All the other stuff i approve. the magic stuff: so now maybe utilizing a mobs magic weakness might actually work cause earth and water might actually do a lil bit more dmg to be worthwhile. of course 90% of the mobs out there are weak to ice or thunder one way or the other but its nice to have options.

[Kincard]

I should echo the sentiments of others regarding the planned 1H adjustments that a simple adjustment to the STR/DEX scaling of attack and accuracy VS 2 Handers will not help very much at all. Even at level 99 it results in maybe 30-40 extra attack and accuracy on the 2 handers. This is no insignificant amount, but closing this gap, even if it was for both hands, would not help 1 handers at all. The different ratio cap imposed on 1H jobs is what needs to be examined for things to be rebalanced, because acc/attack can generally be capped for any job if they are under the correct buffs, and these are situations 1H jobs truly fall behind by a massive amount.

There can be other, more creative ways of adjusting this (like giving 1Hs different bonuses from stats vs 2Hs, like they get more crit per point of DEX or something like that), but basically the point is that the STR/DEX scaling differences are actually a pretty minor factor in the big picture.

Other than that, i think the adjustments look amazing and I can't wait for them to go live!

[TheBarrister]

Regarding Dark Knight
Dark Knight is in need of major help because of the fact that it is perceived as slightly weaker than WAR and SAM, and therefore by elitist logic is "useless." "Loldrk" is treated like it's lightyears behind WAR and SAM by the general English-speaking FFXI community. I'm not saying this is true in terms of the jobs' actual power, but that's how the community views DRK.

Lol major help. DRK is one of the top DD in the game with arguably the best Relic weapon, if not the best weapon.

I can understand it being a barely perceptible margin behind more pure DD like War and Sam because those jobs are built for one thing - damage alone. WAR alone has no other abilities, magic, etc. that can help them do anything except damage.

You're welcome to the marginal increase from Resolution to Ukko's Fury/Upheaval/Resolution that you believe is there if you are willing to give up Stun, Spikes, and any magic.

Then again, typical blinders on FFXI poster...

...this is the reason we have to keep playing rotate the cup with top job every few years.

[saevel]

There can be other, more creative ways of adjusting this (like giving 1Hs different bonuses from stats vs 2Hs, like they get more crit per point of DEX or something like that), but basically the point is that the STR/DEX scaling differences are actually a pretty minor factor in the big picture

Well allowing the 15% haste from LR to apply to 1H would be a very interesting buff in and of itself. 1H also struggle to hit 20% delay floor without resorting to excessive DR which isn't as efficient as straight haste. Abilities such as soul eater also effect 1H more then 2H due to faster hit rate, of course there are some negative side effects. I'd like to see SE adjusted such that it only removes the damage it does, so at level 30 SE would take 5% HP away as damage from /DRK, at 45 it would be 4.25% HP for 5% damage. Would make SE useful for jobs like MNK, NIN, BLU, THF, DNC, ect..

We all know it's the ratio that is the problem. Specifically after level correction nerfs our damage into the ground. I would really like to see 1H have a more generous critical hit rate formula. Maybe needing dDex 20 rather then dDex 40 for any real difference to appear.

[TheBarrister]

Really warrior is the most overpowered job. Also, the big issue with Resolution and Rag is war's access to it, not drks. Especially during mighty strikes. As for the 1 handers, they are pretty weak on high defense mobs. I know in our neo nyzul group on the boss run its like our blue mage isn't even there. However during the climb, he can dream flower all the gears, etc, pen. embrace (spelling sorry) after chariots, blank gaze the soulflayers. If he was the best DD on the boss why would any other job exist? Got to be real careful with utility jobs like dnc, blue, thf, nin, pup as they are so strong in other ways.

Yes WAR is overpowered...geez...you people need to math some things out and see the slight % that a fully pimped out job XYZ really does over a fully geared job ABC. It's not as massive as you chicken littles make it out to be. The fact that you (not "you" random cryer #1,234,987,567 that I'm quoting) cry over it all the time, is the reason why the developers have to waste time thinking about boosting 1 handed utility jobs to make up for some imagined unfairness. 1 handers had their 6 years in the spotlight. Rightly pure DD that can't steal, treasure hunt, cast ninja or blue magic, or do dance spells were buffed to make them actually do good damage with 2 handed weapons. Shocker, I know. But let's not forget our history.

[Kincard]

You clearly have not done this "mathing out" you are telling other people to do, because if you had you would know that the game's mechanics by default have made it so that 1H jobs become significantly weaker than 2H jobs when fighting high level targets because of the ratio term alone.

Also my Thief can't effectively do area damage to multiple small enemies at once (in b4 aeolian edge is suggested in complete seriousness), or absorb a significant amount of a stat like some 2 hander jobs can. Every job has something unique to it without considering DPS numbers.

I actually agree that jobs like Dark Knight should continue be king of the hill, but you don't know very much about the mechanics of the game at all if you think 1 hand jobs are even remotely competitive with the 2H ones damage-wise.

I would really like to see 1H have a more generous critical hit rate formula. Maybe needing dDex 20 rather then dDex 40 for any real difference to appear.

If they can think of a separate, unique way for 1Hs to bring damage to the table I would be very much for it, because it would add a lot of variety to the game. Adjusting ratio would be the easier and lazier route, but ultimately boring from a gameplay variability perspective.