Shield Skill

[Blah]

Erm a question, why isn't there an "S" rank? By now with all the gear and equipment shouldn't we be able to by now have an S rank? Or maybe am I missing something...>100=F, >200=D, >300=C, >400=B, >500=A, <500 should...be...S...right? I mean unless even with weapons and equipment nothing gets 500~600 but I could swear...

[Demonjustin]

Skill ranks are based off base skills before anything else not what you can get with gear or merits. Every job has a skill rank for skills ranging from F to A+, a job with an A+ skill caps that skill at 424. So as for their being an S rank, no.

[Blah]

Which leaves the question why are our skills only at 424? That is once they even started putting in 80+ monsters...I mean if there's a cap on stuff like shield, haste and the like then aren't they essentially saying there's a cap on defense, dexterity, agility, strength also? And if there is then, once you're 99 there just isn't any point to...ah maybe that isn't the right attitude. Sorry continue on.

[Demonjustin]

I really don't understand what you're getting at. Yes, there are limitation, but that's what gear is for, it pushes us past those bounds. No matter how high a RDM gets their Fast Cast won't surpass 30% normally, but once you add in gear that limit is broken and 80% is attainable. To say our DEF, Atk, STR, HP, anything like that is capped is false because we grow through gear as well as it breaks those bounds we normally don't. But what are you getting at I suppose is my question because once you're 99 you make it sound as though a dead end is reached.

[Blah]

Well I guess I misunderstood because that's exactly what I thought hehe

[Mirage]

No, Blah, there being a cap on haste does not in any way indicate how defense should work. The stats work completely different. Haste is a percentual reduction of weapon delay, which means if there was no cap, you could get 100% haste, which means infinite damage per second. Everything you engaged would die instantly, no matter how much hp it had, as long as you dealt 1 damage or more per hit. There is no stat on enemies that lowers your haste rating, like there is with your effective attack rating. Because of this, haste *must* have an absolute cap somewhere in order to not make the game unplayable.

Attack/defense however, is a ratio where your value is compared to the enemy's opposite value. Attack "caps" differently on every monster in the game. Attack might cap at 50 if you fight a level 1 monster, while it could cap at 5000 if you fight a level 130 monster. If a monster has 10000 defense, you could keep boosting your attack to over 15000 and still not be near the theoretical cap. The same holds true to your other base stats. Your STR rating is compared to the target's VIT rating to determine the total damage rating of your attacks, so this stat also does not have a static cap. Same goes for your AGI rating, which is compared to the enemy's DEX rating to determine how often you get critical hits on yourself, therefore, this stat's cap is entirely dependent on what you are fighting. As long as stronger enemies keep getting added, your base stats will never cap.

[Blah]

No, Blah, there being a cap on haste does not in any way indicate how defense should work. The stats work completely different. Haste is a percentual reduction of weapon delay, which means if there was no cap, you could get 100% haste, which means infinite damage per second. Everything you engaged would die instantly, no matter how much hp it had, as long as you dealt 1 damage or more per hit. There is no stat on enemies that lowers your haste rating, like there is with your effective attack rating. Because of this, haste *must* have an absolute cap somewhere in order to not make the game unplayable.

Attack/defense however, is a ratio where your value is compared to the enemy's opposite value. Attack "caps" differently on every monster in the game. Attack might cap at 50 if you fight a level 1 monster, while it could cap at 5000 if you fight a level 130 monster. If a monster has 10000 defense, you could keep boosting your attack to over 15000 and still not be near the theoretical cap. The same holds true to your other base stats. Your STR rating is compared to the target's VIT rating to determine the total damage rating of your attacks, so this stat also does not have a static cap. Same goes for your AGI rating, which is compared to the enemy's DEX rating to determine how often you get critical hits on yourself, therefore, this stat's cap is entirely dependent on what you are fighting. As long as stronger enemies keep getting added, your base stats will never cap.

Well that's what I was hoping to hear because it really didn't make sense-well wait NONE of our gripes would actually make sense if there was an actual cap to everything.

[Mirage]

Skills cap at 424 because that's the amount of accuracy and attack the developers want us to get from our jobs alone at level 99. It doesn't go past that because the developers didn't want to let us level past 99.

[dasva]

I never asked for A, tbh I think that's to much anyways. B is what we have in Sword, Dagger, and Enhancing Magic, the only skill RDM has above a B rank is Enfeebling. B is 404 which excluding gear is a nice 20 behind a PLD, roughly 5% block rate from what I understand. C+ would be fine too, it's not to much lower and is another common skill we have.

The set sounds right, I would have to go look and fix my sets for melee on FFXIAH to suggest any improvements if there are any to be made but it's fine to me. I won't like that in optimum gear a RDM can get capped PDT somewhat easily, but comparing it to PLD isn't even close. PLD Relic Head, Body, and Legs alone amount to 3 of the highest DEF pieces if not the highest DEF piece in slot in the game on top of a total of 20% PDT between them. I don't mean to say RDM has a hard time getting PDT, but more that PLD has an insanely easy time getting it by compare to any other job, and with the ability to stack on so much PDT and their JAs it really makes PLD hard to beat.

PLD at 75 was competing with RDM but it was a different game back then, at the time Aegis was rare, now every PLD and their mom has one, back then your block rate was your block rate, now days PLD has 2 abilities to raise that rate sky high and one of them can be full timed with proper buffs/gear. I don't mean RDM would be too weak to make use of this, but to out do a PLD would be near impossible at this point unless you're talking about a maxed out RDM vs a half assed PLD, in which case I think the argument against raising the skill to high is a bit unfair.

I know I was just using A as an example of what a difference it could make. Even C+ might be pushing how much of a change they would be willing to make at once. Still looking at over 50% block rate.

Actually forgot the shield itself gets 4% and arts legs get 5% so that would make it a little easier. As far as beating in terms of pure dmg reduction sure. But what I was saying is rdm can get close enough that it's greater self sufficiency can help.

True things are different... but for example you say every pld has an aegis but iirc most the newer ilvl shields actually are better than aegis for blocking. And true pld gets pretty much full time reprisal but rdm also can actually block now and has shiled mastery which it didn't at 75. I doubt rdm would be used as a main tank against higher level content stuff since the dmg reduction will never be as high (well unless you count debuffing) but with a good block rate it could easily be preferred for mid level stuff for when you want someone who can hold something completely self sufficiently and of course that means also decent for soloing which is why I think if it does get raise it will most likely be done cautiously a little at a time.

Back to the enfeebling thing it's kinda a shame that it's only A rank skill plays such a small part battle. Perhaps there is some way to increase rdms blocking and make enfeebling better... like a debuff that lowers whatever is in the block rate equation that lets mobs get thru unblocked more. And then building on them also orginal being buffers and no longer really used for that maybe a party buff (enough of these self only buffs) that can increase your defensive skills like evasion, parry and/or shield? Or just give rdm reprisal I mean it is enhancing after all... probably better idea so they can say they gave rdm something to help block for those that want that but by not making it a straight up skill or trait say the rdm has to work for it for the people who would definitely complain if rdm started soloing stuff much again

[Demonjustin]

Can we please get enough Shield Skill for our 119 shield to actually block 119 content? It's not as though I'd be close to tanking Ark Angels/MPNMs or new Delve, just asking for enough skill so we can block normal, ordinary level 119 monsters...