The State of Scholar Address

[Einalem]

The State of Scholar Address

I posit this list of issues restricting Scholar for playing to it's fullest and suggestions for making it more enjoyable for anyone who plays it.

Job Abilities

Modus Veritas
I understand this was a potential Game Breaker, but the issue is not a single scholar using this ability, but multiple scholars stacking. The fact that a monster can have immunity to this in addition to it being able to miss is rediculous on a 10 minute cooldown ability.

Goal: To allow this job ability to funtion as intended on an individual basis, but without the possibility of exponential growth in an alliance setting.

Proposal: Change the Accuracy programming from a static hit/miss to a sliding scale based on Modus Veritas Used. The critical value we are trying to avoid is 8 to 9 Modus Veritas used. This should be limited to allow only one party worth of SCH to activate. We can achieve this by penalizing accuracy by 17 percent per additional activation.
1st Scholar 100% accuracy, 2nd SCH 83%, 3rd SCH 66%, 4th SCH 49%, 5th SCH 32%, 6th 15%

Libra:
This job ability has three issues. The first is that the range is incredibly short, especially for a job that is strongest in the back line. The second issue is the implementation of putting the data in the chat log, which requires damage to be displayed in the log to function as designed. The third issue is that the data is not encompassing enough to show all values of an alliance in a way that players can actually capitalize upon.

Goal: To make this ability a funtional information tool for an alliance.

Proposal: Increase the range. This is easily achieved independant of any other change. For implementation I suggest that the Enmity levels need to be displayed in the HUD for party/alliance, not in the damage log. We have a system for lotting that displays numbers next to a name on a 999 system, there is no reason why we can't have a numeric system for Enmity listed as well. As the ability has a 1 min recast time, let the numbers persist next to the player name in the Party Alliance HUD in real time until the cast time for Libra resets. This will give all players the ability to see their own Enmity, as well as other player's enmity accurately and cleanly while bypassing the damage log entirely.


The Arts
Theory: I have a personal theory on mages in general. The order of the 4 mages on a scale from White Magic to Dark Magic seems to be WHM > RDM > SCH > BLM. This is also intoned by the Tranquil Heart trait that will be released in the next update, as WHM gets it earliest, while SCH gets it last. I find it interresting that RDM and SCH have the same scores in enhancing when a SCH is under Light Arts. Scholars do seem to have new and unique Enhancing spells geared toward party maintenance. Some posit that Light Arts are dead, but I rather hope to think that the SCH is moving from a hard "Cure" role to a more party enhancing role instead. If this comes to pass, this would place a new context to the WHM to BLM scale, which could instead be listed as: Healing(WHM) > Enfeebling(RDM) > Enhancing(SCH) > Nuking(BLM). This would actually make me very happy as new possibilities for SCH in Light Arts would exist without infringing on WHM. there is another side to this coin, however. As Light Arts picked up Enfeebling as getting a Grimoire bonus, Dark Arts should also recieve Enhancing. This would allow a solid Enhancing Score in both Arts, similar to Enfeebling, making the SCH a mage that can effictivly emphasise the role of Enhancer.

Enlightenment
This functions well, but with one exception: The MP cost and Cast time should reflect the no penalty stance that Tabula Rasa also uses. If I am needing to cast an Addendum restricted spell off Arts, it makes sense that it is a dire situation that could benefit from the Art Bonus as well.

Stratagems
I love stratagems, they are why I love SCH with how I can shape and modify a spell. That said, I have no desire to attain the Merit Stratagems at all. This is due to multiple factors. These cost 2 charges in stead of the normal one. This is a rare case where basic math doesn't illustrate the cost of the endeavor. Consider, when all Stratagems cost the same, I only have to choose the most appropriate, but when all stratagems do not cost the same, I also have to judge the future potential of overconsumption. This is the real reason those stratagems are under utilized.

Proposal: Reduce the Stratagem Charge consumption of the Merit Stratagems to 1 in accordance to other Stratagems.

Tabula Rasa
First, I want to put this ability in context. Manafont is a 2 hour which has the ability to negate all MP cost of spells and guarantee non-interruption. Chainspell is a 2 hour which reduces to 0 cast time and recast timers, which also essentially makes the spells uninterruptable. If Tabula Rasa is used, it could theoretically allow a mixture of half Manafont and half Chainspell with the repeated use of Penury/Parsimony and Celerity/Alacrity. Spells can be interrupted during Tabula Rasa, but You do have the ability to put Rapture/Ebullience up to increase damage(healed) and the ability to make spells Area of Effect. I would say this ability is very balanced split of two other 2 hour abilities, but... not all spells will actually be half cast time! Each Stratagem Charge used essentially takes a wait time macro of 2 to not misfire. While adding all of these stratagems to spells, time to actually cast spells is taken up!

Goal: Make Tabula Rasa a more accessible 2 Hour ability for players and decrease the total number of command imputs during its duration without supercharging Arts too drastically.

Proposal: Let's ease the burden of commands in Tabula Rasa to something more managable by the interface. Ulbrecht had an enhanced version of Tabula Rasa where once a stratagem is used, it 'stays in place' for his spells. This can be implemented for regular Scholars as well. Stratagems are dispellable through the user interface if not needed, such as Accession/Manifestation. As the stratagems used are still limited by the Arts one is currently in, changing Arts wipes all Stratagems currently in place, keeping the ability from maximizing Light and Dark arts fully. This is also key to this new proposed implementation as well, as changing Tabula Rasa this way would also necessitate the culmination of Tabula Rasa's duration with wiping all Arts currently on a Scholar. This will quickly wipe all stratagems in place during the ability to keep the benefits from extending outside the duration and dissuade liberal Grimoire swapping during Tabula Rasa, as you will have to wait for recast.


Spells
Do NOT give SCH Cure V, Regen IV, Raise III, or Reraise III.
I would prefer a more enhancing/managerial take on Light Arts from here.

For Consideration:
"-storm II" spells. This is easily done. Look at Bards and corsairs. They can cast 2 songs simultaneously. Make a new line of storm spells with a different name. They have the same effect, but can be stacked to 2 allowing for double weather. This in and of itself might not be enough for "High level" magic, but if you could mix and match weather, it could. If I could add one Earth and one water to a Monk, they might get more milage off latent effects on gear...

"Provocation" Spells:
Make a spell that 'maxes' Volitile Enmity or 'wipes' Volitile Enmity for a single target... in Dark Arts. No sense in letting folks get all Accession happy.

Edits to existing spells:
Let "Pax" effect from Animus Minuo stack with other enmity reducing effects, please.

Release the AoE Restriciton on Haste via Accession across the board. This doesn't need to be done until the level 99 patch, though so as to keep /SCH from having a bias between RDM and WHM.

[Daniel_Hatcher]

Impossible to up Enhancing to B+ under dark arts, the only reason Enfeebling is on both is one reason, there is both Light and Dark enfeebles, the same is not really true of Black Magic Enhancing.

As for making them an Enhancer, I say no. BRD and COR are already that and as it stands neither has any real place for parties/alliances the same would happen to SCH.

[Sotek]

Why does Scholar have to be an Enhancer and only that? It's currently meant to be a Black Mage, White Mage and a Red Mage. Just slap Corsair on that and make this enmity control role actually viable. It's not overpowered. I can't cast Cure V while casting Thunder V and simultaneously buffing everyone and debuffing the mob, it would just make the job more strategic. Do we need defensive buffs? Would damage buffs be better than just nuking? Do we need to focus on Cures? etc.

And just to clarify on the Corsair comment, I'm thinking single target buffs which have their strength based on the targets enmity level, so instead of doing Double Up to hit the right number, we're actually having to control party enmity to get the most out of the buffs. If not that, to hell with the idea of enmity control. I don't care if you let me take or give a flat percent of enmity to people or even freeze their hate gain completely for several minutes, it just doesn't matter when there's no benefit to doing it. Hate control in a standard party is a joke now.

Other than that I pretty much agree with everything said in this thread. Except no Cure V obviously. If we're not getting Cure V because we're not meant to be able to main heal, go ahead and remove Stone V+ from our spell list SE, because if healing isn't a viable role for Scholar I don't see why nuking should be either. Light Arts is meant to make us a White Mage, Dark Arts is meant to make us a Black Mage, if we're not one don't bother with the other.

[Rambus]

I think we should get storm II spells since people get to sub storm one spells,

but there is a lot of threads aalready on SCH problems like libra was said before, merit job abilites been said before

there is dark enchaning magic and i think it should be allowed to get bonues like Perpetuance with spikes and Klimaform

we can AoE those dark buffs but without ja support or skill

[Merton9999]

I'll vote for Storm II spells again. I've loved the almost-Geomancer concept since the SCH job announcement and always hoped for more out of these.

One concept I've always liked is a "Geomancy" JA. Target party member, 1 minute recast, 2 minute duration. Adds bonuses to all buffs and abilities aligned to the target's weather. Firestorm + Geomancy could enhance double-attack, and the effects of Barblizzard, Barparalyze, and Resist Paralyze, if those effects were already in place or applied after the JA. It would do this in addition to enhancing Fire magic damage and WS damage. This would add more utility to the storms, give SCH main a unique use over /SCH (besides the currently worthless Stormsurge), and give SCH an extra way to enhance other party members' spells (Barblizzara from a WHM would be more potent, for example). I'm hoping something like this is what SE has in mind by saying job traits will be boosted by spells, equipment and job abilities.

Sotek's concept of spells that are based on current enmity is interesting. I'd like more spells and abilities on SCH that depend on the current state of battle. Similar to the Calculator job from tactics, SCH could use a JA that corresponded to a numeric parameter, and that JA would affect the next spell. For example, "Parameter: HP" used before Cure IV would multiply the amount cured according to the target's remaining HP. I'd take this in lieu of Cure V. "Parameter: Enmity" would boost the next spell based on the target's enmity, adding a use for Libra. For example, enhance Adloquium potency after "Parameter: Enmity" when the Enmity value is low. Let me give 5 TP/tic to a tank who isn't keeping hate. "Parameter: # of enfeebles" could boost Erase to remove more buffs, or cures too. I'd like these on a separate timer from strategems, and to have more of them, of course. Oh and make some cool Latin names for them.

I agree with the rest of the suggestions in the thread as far as MV, Libra, etc. We do need a higher tier Cure that can be used regularly, though, either a simple addition of Cure V or a JA that boosts Cure IV. I'm not a fan of niching SCH into enhancing mage. We need to be as potent as BLM and WHM, with intelligent use of gear and JA's to reach their level. On top of that, beef up our unique and interesting stuff (storms, helix, enmity spells).

[Einalem]

The main point of this thread was to succinctly list the issues with Scholar that needs addressing, and I'm glad you guys agree on that list. the only part I'm getting resistance on is the Enhancing suggestion, which is fine for 2 reasons.
1) It's my opinion, and 2) I really don't think I explained it well enough.
The misconception I am picking up on is that the term Enhancing and Buffing are interchangable. My suggestion isn't actually one to increase the "Buffs" a SCH gets, it's actually about the Enhancing Magic Skill! What I would like to see is a creative use of this Skill to reflect a Scholar 'getting more' for what je is doing.
Let me give explanation and an example!

Issue: Scholar needs more cure power to keep up with Damage in Abyssea context. Simple Answer: Get Cure V, but...

There are 6 Magic Skills that a Scholar gets. Let's list them with the main job for that skill in order of light to dark.
Divine(PLD)>Healing(WHM)>Enhancing(RDM/SCH)>Enfeebling(RDM)>Elemental(BLM)>Dark(DRK)
The first point I am making about Enhancing is that of these, SCH has a chance to utilize the Skill Enhancing at a high order. If SCH were to 'take over' this aspect, RDM still have a place, but now SCH gets a 'clean' designation. But this in and of itself is USELESS, which is what you guys are picking up on! Great! this is because the numeric Value of Enhancing only counts for 3 things aside interruption rate, which can be said about all magic: En-spells, Stoneskin, and Phalanx. How does this play into SCH curing?

Consider: SCH do need a way, without garnering hate at the rate of multi Cure IV in succession, of being able to main heal and maintain a party. I will not argue this point at all, but lets open design space instead of hedging SCH into 'must have Cure V'.
The biggest Bonus a WHM has to curing is that in addition to the HP cured, it also has the ability to put up a temporary Stoneskin buffer, which at worst allows a WHM to buy immediate time before having to recast a Cure. Damage mitigation is KEY, this is why /NIN is so popular! Shadows do so much for this, but also, Shadows aren't Ideal in all situations.
Sometimes you just need to Cure, and no one does it like WHM.
Now, let's take an enhancing spell: Regen. Regen is not ideal in FFXI, but it does its job. A Geared SCH can actually cure more HP w/ Regen III than a fully Merited and geared WHM, but this DOES NOT MATTER, as the time frame to achieve this is too long for general fights and the HP per tick cured is miniscule next to Damage output of monsters. this means it is only truly ideal for minimizing downtime. If there were a combat viable Regen, this would be different and THIS is what I am talking about when I say open up design space.

Proposition of a theoretical spell: Combat viable damage mitigation spells are Phalanx, Cure from a WHM giving Stoneskin, Utsusemi, Dread Spikes. These have the commonality of immediate gains that will last over a moderate duration and they have something that works on being Hit. Phalanx just reduces the hit entirely (and is affected by the Enhancing Skill score, remember!), Stoneskin sops up hit reducing interruptions and the amount of Cures needed, Utsusemi makes attacks flat out miss for a number of attacks, and Dread Spikes procs on getting hit to Drain an amount of HP from the aggressor.
SCH could get an enhancing spell that stays for a number of hits (Utsusemi) that procs on Damage taken (Dread Spikes) and provides an extra amount of HP (Stoneskin) that is cured by an amount BASED OFF YOUR ENHANCING SCORE (Phalanx). Imagine a tank being hit by Firaga III. with this spell in effect, he still takes the damage, but a trigger happens to heal for an amount of predetermined HP. This reduces the amount of Cures a SCH has to throw out, reduces the enmity gained, as its a static Enhancing spell, and is a substitute in a different way for Shadows.

This is what I am actually suggesting. Making that Score count for something that would be useful in light arts that would be 'LIKE' getting Cure V, but in a SCH way. In a novel way. I want Square to capitalize on underused game architecture that would work for SCH. This is an example of a 'Cure' that cares about the value of Enhancing as a magic skill, and I would love to see what other people could come up with to give SCH a unique flavor, but still get the job done without being another mage (or even a COR or a BRD! I'm really not suggesting SCH be that at all!)

[Merton9999]

This sounds better to me. I've said before that I'm not insistent on Cure V, only on the idea that SCH should be on par with WHM in Light Arts (Add:White). I too would actually prefer this be done in some way other than Cure V, something that is unique to SCH, and requires some planning and thought other than Cure spam. I have WHM for that.

The problem I have with this is that the course of 76-90 so far has been mostly composed of old spells with bigger numbers, or in semi-unique spells that just have not been that useful (Animus, Adloquium) in the current setting (Abyssea). My fear is that 91-99 is going a similar route. With the lack of creativity displayed so far, I suspect that we are in store for one of the following:

1. Nothing
2. Cure V
3. An underpowered mechanism designed to replace Cure V

Of those, I'll go with 2. My preference is for option 4: A mechanism to replace Cure V that is unique to SCH, interesting and strategic in its use, and on par with the power of Cure V.

Your idea of an enhancing spell sounds fine. I also like the idea of an additional strategem sort of JA set that allows magnification of existing spells based on current measures.

[Rambus]

there is one more idea that can solve balance issues where we do not need cure V

make healing magic skill MATTER!

like cap healing skill on sch under light arts may allow 500-600 cure base where sub is still stuck on 350 (w/e it is) and so on.

on second thought this may be stupid, ill make stuff/sch op

[Supersun]

Impossible to up Enhancing to B+ under dark arts, the only reason Enfeebling is on both is one reason, there is both Light and Dark enfeebles, the same is not really true of Black Magic Enhancing.

Nitpick: Spike spells

[Crossarius]

Great list! I agree on almost everything.

You already said it Einalem. What made SCH strong @75 on light arts was the strong damage mitigation. While WHM had the raw cureing power (and continuous having the supreme reign in that department), SCH was more about reducing damage taken to cure less and I am all for pimping SCH through enhancing magic.

I want to see rapture working for enhancing magic, boosting stoneskin, phalanx, regen and almost every enhancing spell there is. I guess Haste would be made an exception (epic raptured 22,5% haste).

I also would be interested in a tool to delay damage taken for a short period of time.
Make it work on high-damage attacks only or triggered by a certain % value of your max HP.
Instead of taking damage the moment the attack is done, you get a fixed amount of time until the damage is dealt to you (or the target with this effect on).
Let's say you have 1500 HP and you're sitting on 900 HP currently.
Bigevilmonster A readies an attack that would deal 1000 points of damage to you, making you wipe. The effect is triggered and the damage is delayed, enabling the healer to heal you up to 1000+ HP so you can survive the blow.

Or as alternative: turn the next incoming big damage attack into a DoT effect than just eating the raw dmg.

The rest of whatever I had to say just slipped my mind as I came back from afk'ing... I'll be back <_<