Defensive Skill Activation Rate in Adoulin Areas

[Sephiran]

There have been quite a few posts about having "tough" level monsters right outside the gates of Adoulin. While I understand that level correction mechanics are not in place for any of the monsters of Adoulin areas and have observed the effects firsthand (my sword thanks you bunches ), I believe that the development team may have overlooked one very important aspect of level-dependent mechanics.

And of course, I mean the set of skills sometimes referred to as "defensive skills", specifically shielding, guarding, parrying, and (to a lesser extent), evasion. As a paladin privileged enough to have both Aegis and Ochain, I have noticed that my block rate with Aegis is...lacking significantly on just about anything from Adoulin. Ochain of course still blocks 100% of the time due to it using a special calculation (either has a ceiling operation or a significant additive boost to blocking rate, from my speculation).

I'm also aware that Aegis has the block rate of a smaller size shield, and thus should really have no problems blocking at least half of the hits I take, yet it doesn't. (For the record, I'm giving these statistics with capped and fully merited shield skill.) If I'm having issues blocking hits with Aegis, I can only imagine the issues ninjas are having parrying/evading and monks guarding, let alone the plight faced by paladins without a special shield.

As you can imagine, this is a real pain in Rieves when I'm grating my heavy armor trying to tank four or five cute little raptors and a matamata like so:



Now imagine trying to do that without Ochain. You see all the people in the background? They all hightailed it outta there fearing for their lives when they saw me briefly switch to Aegis to test my survivability with it.

Please, help the jobs that use defensive skills by adjusting the rates at which they activate. I know this would help many rune fencers, ninjas, and monks in Rieves (and elsewhere where mobs are high level) since we all want to tank cute little raptors.

[Fynlar]

To me, Aegis has never been particularly good at blocking anything. This isn't just a Adoulin thing.

But I think I've been spoiled cuz I finished Ochain first :/

[Sephiran]

To me, Aegis has never been particularly good at blocking anything. This isn't just a Adoulin thing.

But I think I've been spoiled cuz I finished Ochain first :/

Not really. Remember, Aegis is supposed to have a high block rate. Now imagine if you had a coalition shield. Then how would you handle heavy tanking in Rieves? Also, note that other defensive skills work in a similar fashion. Other jobs need to guard and parry. Right now, there's no Ochain of parrying or guarding to demonstrate the disparity. It is certainly a problem that keeps people out of Rieves and from fighting high-level enemies in Adoulin in general.

[Fynlar]

I couldn't imagine supertanking any serious reive without either an Ochain or a healer, unless the reive goes very fast.

Aegis has never felt particularly good to me for blocking physical attacks. Even when it does proc, damage is not reduced by a significant amount. But again, I'm probably thinking this way because I was spoiled by finishing Ochain first. Aegis was intended to be used for magical attacks instead; it isn't SUPPOSED to be fantastic for supertanking multiple reive mobs.

[Sephiran]

I couldn't imagine supertanking any serious reive without either an Ochain or a healer, unless the reive goes very fast.

Aegis has never felt particularly good to me for blocking physical attacks. Even when it does proc, damage is not reduced by a significant amount. But again, I'm probably thinking this way because I was spoiled by finishing Ochain first. Aegis was intended to be used for magical attacks instead; it isn't SUPPOSED to be fantastic for supertanking multiple reive mobs.

Despite my pictures of PLD berserking, Aegis actually reduces more damage upon a successful block. Also, what happens if concept of gear levels is taken further? What happens when FFXI gets its sixth expansion and beyond? Now when enemy's levels are even higher, then no one but Ochain PLD's will even block at all, let alone parry. Like I said, it's not just about PLD. The way blocking works just makes observing block rate optimal for describing the state of defensive skills.