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  1. #1
    Player Quetzacoatl's Avatar
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    Mar 2011
    Posts
    527
    Character
    Quetzacoatl
    World
    Leviathan
    Main Class
    DRK Lv 99

    Suggestions for improvements to Geomancer

    I realize that improvements to Geomancer are already underway, but with my anxiety growing in concern for the job's future, I'd like to put in my thoughts on the matter.

    Like many players, I see a lot of potential for Geomancer as a versatile support job, in the unique way it performs its tasks. As observed over the years, Japanese and Western playerbases tend to have somewhat differing viewpoints in how parts of the game are to be played. Being from North America, I would like to show a western player’s point of view, where there is currently very limited use for Geomancer outside of an experience points group.

    The issues lie within the strong specializations Corsair and Bard already possess to be placed in high-level content, and are deemed irreplacable by today’s endgame standards. This is typically what the playerbase normally expects from a Support Job role is such:

    Bard: Minuet, Madrigal, March for Melee Damage Jobs. Ballad for Mage Jobs. Paeon for HP recovery. A party with multiple bards may stack more than 2 songs on the party as long as they are not the same song.

    Corsair: Chaos Roll, Hunter’s Roll, Tactician’s Roll for Melee Damage Jobs. Evoker’s Roll, Wizard’s Roll for Mage Jobs. Healer’s Roll for HP Recovery. As with Bard songs, the maximum number of Phantom Roll effects permitted from one Corsair is 2. Multiple Corsairs in the same party can each apply two rolls.

    And now we have a 3rd Support Job which can do the following:

    Geomancer: Indi/Geo-Fury, Indi/Geo-Precision, Indi/Geo-Regain (to be included in future updates) for Melee Damage Jobs. Indi/Geo-Acumen, Indi/Geo-Refresh for Mage Jobs. Indi/Geo-Regen for HP Recovery. While Multiple Geomancers can each apply two Geomancy spells as long as they are not the same effect, they affect one party only, and cannot carry over from one party to another, and a Luopan cannot follow its target as it moves.

    We have already found one or two problems: They can only cast two Geomancy spells in one party, and cannot keep their enhancing Geomancy applied to each party. What solutions could we provide for this problem? I would propose a few things:

    1. An ability to cast your next Indicolure spell on a target party member. For now, let’s call this “Inoculation.” This perk would provide your party member to be the vessel for your most important Indicolure spells to be surrounded within the target’s party range, especially when you and your party member are at a distance. It would relieve the restriction of having to be able to cast only one Indicolure Spell, and can offer a dynamic that is exclusive to GEO. I would recommend this as a Merit Ability with a recast of 5 minutes, and each merit point could either increase the Indicolure Spell’s potency or duration.

    2. An ability to retrieve a Luopan, but leaves behind the Aura of the effect from which the Luopan was pulled from, as a “Spirit Clone.” This is a way for GEO to be able to use two Geocolure spells at once, but the Aura’s consumption will be be quicker. It also solves the issue of having the inability to cast two Geocolure spells at once from one GEO, because of the Luopan being considered a Pet. It would essentially involve turning the Luopan into an NPC which would be called a Luopan Remnant, and with this ability, the possibility of either applying two enfeebling effects on the enemy, two enhancing effects on your party members, or a mix of one of each comes into play. The ability presents offers a wide dynamic and a variety of complexity to the job, and can enhance GEO’s role in various ways. This should be looked at as another potential Merit Ability that could be implemented, with a recast of 5 minutes, and each Merit Point could either decrease the Aura’s HP consumption, or increase the potency of the effect.

    3. As a Pet, a Luopan should be able to naturally follow the target of the Geocolure spell. This is more of an issue than an actual adjustment to GEO. However, having a Luopan to have mobility would certainly relieve various issues involving Geocolure spells, especially in endgame content where you must have enhancements on a moving party, such as Limbus, Nyzul Isle Uncharted, Salvage, Meeble Burrows, and the like.

    4. While I did not mention this sooner, I feel this should also be addressed: several Geomancy spells, such as the higher level spells like Indi/Geo-Frailty, Indi/Geo-Fade, Indi/Geo-Wilt, Indi/Geo-Paralysis, have extremely high MP costs. While it is understandable that this is the purpose for their Conserve MP trait, it is often a 25% chance for the effect to activate, and casting such spells takes a toll on GEO if they require multiple casting. Whether or not it should be considered for GEO to change into Conserve MP gear while casting Geomancy, perhaps we could see an increase in tier for Conserve MP. A second tier of Conserve MP resulting in 30% or 35% chance for the effect to activate I believe is a fair increase. Implementation of Clear Mind as a Job Trait should also be added to GEO.

    As a further examination into how Geomancer today is often utilized, let’s look at some of the advantages and disadvantages to having a Geomancer in groups, using Voidwatch as an example:

    Advantages:

    • Geocolure spells will keep NMs enfeebled or Party Members buffed if NM is kept in one spot
    • Irresistible Enfeebling effects from Geomancy, unless naturally resistant
    • Decent Mage Party Support with enhancements to Magic Attack, INT & application of Refresh+Regen
    • For the future: Regain is highly useful, especially when stacked with Tactician’s Roll from Corsair
    • Ability to deal additional damage through Elemental Magic

    Disadvantages:

    • Bard and Corsair are often preferred for groups with Melee Damage Dealers
    • Indicolure spells are limited by the range between Damage Dealers and the Geomancer
    • Having a Bard, Corsair and Geomancer in one party for support, and White Mage for healing, limits space for Damage Dealers

    In summary:

    In order for Geomancer to be offered a space in a party or alliance, the fundamental issues presented with the job should be implemented with solutions, whether exact or similar in comparison to what is currently being planned for Geomancer, to prevent it from being completey excluded from the game’s content.

    While Geomancer has already very strong debilitation capabilities, the ability to manage enhancements with Geomancy needs to be reevaluated and adjusted through means of relieving Geomancer’s limitations of using only two Geomancy spells each.

    In situations and events involving mobility or distance with Geocolure spells, a Luopan not being able to follow its target to maintain enhancing or enfeebling effects creates some inefficiency as a Support Job.

    Including Geomancer with a native Clear Mind trait, as well as a secondary tier of Conserve MP as a small increase to the effect could also help Geomancer’s effectiveness on the field.

    Thank you for reading! I hope SE has the same concerns as I do, and wish to see this fresh new job I've found interest in to thrive as a reliable asset towards what SoA has to offer. =)
    (13)

  2. #2
    Player Quetzacoatl's Avatar
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    Mar 2011
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    527
    Character
    Quetzacoatl
    World
    Leviathan
    Main Class
    DRK Lv 99
    C'mon guys, don't you all want to see more GEOs being shouted for? :O
    (2)

  3. #3
    Player Alhanelem's Avatar
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    Mar 2011
    Location
    Bastok
    Posts
    10,095
    Character
    Tahngarthor
    World
    Shiva
    Main Class
    SMN Lv 99
    Honestly my main issue right now is just the long cast time and high MP cost of geocolure spells (luopans). I would not be bothered that much having to dispel them and summon them again if the party moves, but the fact that it takes so long and takes a huge amount of MP for the debuffs makes usage of the job very difficult in events where parties move around a lot.

    Buffs should affect alliance members- since the affect is applied/removed as you enter/levae the aura radius and the radius is rather small, I think this would be a fairly harmless change.
    (4)
    Last edited by Alhanelem; 05-12-2013 at 12:07 PM.

  4. #4
    Player Quetzacoatl's Avatar
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    Mar 2011
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    527
    Character
    Quetzacoatl
    World
    Leviathan
    Main Class
    DRK Lv 99
    Cast times for Geocolure spells aren't a big deal if you have a pre-cast build on your character. Especially since going /RDM will help a great deal. /SCH is a different story, but like I said, not a big issue if you have a fast cast set swapped in during the beginning of casting.

    If luopans were able to follow the target of the spell that was cast on them, it would relieve a lot of issues having to recast them when events involves parties being mobile. And the job really does need the ability to cast more than two Geomancy spells...I'll be extremely disappointed if we need a Mythic weapon just to get invites.
    (0)
    Last edited by Quetzacoatl; 05-12-2013 at 01:10 PM.

  5. #5
    Player Alhanelem's Avatar
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    Mar 2011
    Location
    Bastok
    Posts
    10,095
    Character
    Tahngarthor
    World
    Shiva
    Main Class
    SMN Lv 99
    Cast times for Geocolure spells aren't a big deal if you have a pre-cast build on your character. Especially since going /RDM will help a great deal. /SCH is a different story, but like I said, not a big issue if you have a fast cast set swapped in during the beginning of casting.
    At the moment, /sch is basically required for me, because due to sch being my first real mage, and using light/dark arts at all times, my magic skills are severly underleveled and they refuse to go up (light/dark arts drastically reduces your ability to get skill ups- but unless you played another job, they weren't as important). Without /SCH, i can't land a nuke or more importantly drain/aspir to save my life.

    Yes, fast cast helps, but I still feel its way too long. it's long enough that without much fast cast, people can kill the enemy you're using for the focal point of the geo- spell before you finish casting, and then it doesn't go off even though the spell really shouldn't need to target an enemy at all....
    (0)

  6. #6
    Player Quetzacoatl's Avatar
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    Mar 2011
    Posts
    527
    Character
    Quetzacoatl
    World
    Leviathan
    Main Class
    DRK Lv 99
    /SCH does help in certain aspects, but I feel the utilization for /SCH as a GEO is extremely underpowered. No native enfeebling skill and only access to Sleep 1 (why this is, I have no clue) makes crowd control tough. You should be able to land nukes, SCH and GEO have the exact same elemental skill rating. Dark Magic I capped on my DRK, but I would just try spamming Drain/Aspir/Bio/Absorbs on worms in eithe Aby-Uleguerand or the IT++ Worms in Gustav. I can't guarantee that will give more skillups though, but might as well try it for curiosity's sake. *shrug*

    And the way I see it, Geocolure spells seem to have a casting time similar to Summoner's. If you're fighting squishy trash mobs, yeah, I could see that. In that case, it's not going to be worth casting, especially if the party's mobile. On Boss NMs, On the contrary.
    (0)

  7. #7
    Player Alhanelem's Avatar
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    Mar 2011
    Location
    Bastok
    Posts
    10,095
    Character
    Tahngarthor
    World
    Shiva
    Main Class
    SMN Lv 99
    You should be able to land nukes, SCH and GEO have the exact same elemental skill rating.
    As I explained, I currently have significantly underleveled elemental and dark magic skill because I never played BLM and SCH's light/dark arts severely hampered skill up rates (but you never noticed the lack of skill because of their effects). Now I'm playing a job without these abilities, and the skills are going up at a rate slower than that of the speed at which a snail moves with its foot broken.

    Granted, this is not a problem for everybody, but it is a problem I face personally.

    In that case, it's not going to be worth casting, especially if the party's mobile. On Boss NMs, On the contrary.
    Well, this is one of the biggest issue the job faces. It has some great benefits, many of which are not fully acknowledged by the playerbase. But the carveat you mentioned ("especially if the party's mobile") is a big one. While great for delve NMs in the field, it is not so great in fractures done for plasm farming because the party often moves around a lot. It is not so great when leveling up in abyssea, either- good luck getting people to pull mobs to your auras.
    (0)
    Last edited by Alhanelem; 05-12-2013 at 04:59 PM.

  8. #8
    Player Merton9999's Avatar
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    Mar 2011
    Posts
    528
    Character
    Mordru
    World
    Quetzalcoatl
    Main Class
    SCH Lv 99
    My skills are capped from other mage jobs but /SCH is required to sleep anything as well as -na spells if I dare to take the job to low-man stuff. I want a dark magic based sleep spell for GEO (sleepra?) to eliminate the /SCH requirement for sleep. I understand why GEO doesn't get native enfeebling skill. With that the single job could use /RDM to apply two slow or paralyze effects since the auras stack with the classic spells.

    /RDM certainly helps with casting time as Indi and Geo spells don't benefit from arts. However I did finish all the Magian damage staves and once I hit 99 the combination of the -14% casting time from those and the -5% from Orvail pants make a great difference, not to mention the other generic FC AH gear. I've also enjoyed the FC augment from the acp body since 75. With those combined I'm actually fine with casting time. I wouldn't object to FC in the AF sets though!

    I'd like a merit JA that allowed luopans to follow their target, and another to cast Indi spells on party members. The spell costs are problematic when not affecting several people. For use in low-man I'd like a JA that lowered the aura radius for a large drop in MP cost.

    Edit: phone auto-correct was being dumb
    (0)
    Last edited by Merton9999; 05-12-2013 at 09:32 PM.

  9. #9
    Player Quetzacoatl's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Posts
    527
    Character
    Quetzacoatl
    World
    Leviathan
    Main Class
    DRK Lv 99
    Quote Originally Posted by Alhanelem View Post
    As I explained, I currently have significantly underleveled elemental and dark magic skill because I never played BLM and SCH's light/dark arts severely hampered skill up rates (but you never noticed the lack of skill because of their effects).
    Ah, My derp. I must have not accounted your elemental as underleveled as well :x

    Now I'm playing a job without these abilities, and the skills are going up at a rate slower than that of the speed at which a snail moves with its foot broken. Granted, this is not a problem for everybody, but it is a problem I face personally.
    Are you using skill-up food to speed up the process? There's also that earring from a treasure chest in...I think it was Gustav? I can understand if no earring, but try some Pitarus.

    But the carveat you mentioned ("especially if the party's mobile") is a big one. While great for delve NMs in the field, it is not so great in fractures done for plasm farming because the party often moves around a lot. It is not so great when leveling up in abyssea, either- good luck getting people to pull mobs to your auras.
    Exactly, and GEO honestly needs a lot more flexibility to be able to considered a job to take along like COR, along with the ideas I had in the OP.
    (0)

  10. #10
    Player Damane's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Posts
    715
    Character
    Damane
    World
    Phoenix
    Main Class
    DNC Lv 99
    Quote Originally Posted by Alhanelem View Post
    Honestly my main issue right now is just the long cast time and high MP cost of geocolure spells (luopans). I would not be bothered that much having to dispel them and summon them again if the party moves, but the fact that it takes so long and takes a huge amount of MP for the debuffs makes usage of the job very difficult in events where parties move around a lot.

    Buffs should affect alliance members- since the affect is applied/removed as you enter/levae the aura radius and the radius is rather small, I think this would be a fairly harmless change.
    Flaws of GEO in a nutshell for you:
    - MP cost of geo spells (as you mentioned), this makes it almost impossible to do any form of support cureing or anything else, because you will run out of MP even as /RDM.
    - no crowdcontrol spells (adding sleepRA I + II, dark magic skill based sleep)
    - no flexibility in moveing/dynamic partys (luopans that dont follow mob/players, indi-spells not castable on other pt members)
    - potency of buffs is lackign compared to brd cor

    things GEO has going for itself:
    - unresisted debuffs.

    Fix the things above and you have a golden job.
    (3)

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