[dev 0101] Merits Dual Wield {Can I have it, please?}

[Darwena]

When Dev's will stop laughing at NIN and give them a real useful merit beside Ninja Tools Expertise and Subtle Blow?

I want Dual Wield merit for Ninja. WAR can merit Double Attack, MNK can merit Kick Attack rate, THF can merit Triple Attack rate, RNG can merit rapid shot rate, SAM can upgrade Zanshin that work like an extra attack when they miss...

Not a single merit for NIN are improving melee at all, If Dual Wield is impossible (I want to hear the reason on that...), then let us merit, at least, Yonin and Inin.

Ninja are 95% melee in fight and I would like to improve via merit my melee. ALL melee job can improve melee skill via Merit. And don't talk about Sange, I'm tired to read stuff about that useless piece of crap and proved many time that Merit is a waste.

I want Dual Wield Merit!

[Bulrogg]

Good luck with that. Dual wield is not an exclusive ninja trait and will upset a lot of folks if it was added to ninja merits. Maybe it could be implemented in the 'Other' merit category, but I doubt it'll happen. But hey, you guys doubted Sange would get an update, some even said they quit if it did. I see their word is not their bond. As SE has shown with their random adjustment scatter gun, anything can happen.

So what are your suggestions on DW merits? Yonin? Innin?

I had some ideas for Yonin and Innin in other threads where merits where used to add an effect that would enhance Yonin/Innin stances. But I am certain you'd be uninterested.

[Daniel_Hatcher]

Good luck with that. Dual wield is not an exclusive ninja trait and will upset a lot of folks if it was added to ninja merits. Maybe it could be implemented in the 'Other' merit category, but I doubt it'll happen. But hey, you guys doubted Sange would get an update, some even said they quit if it did. I see their word is not their bond. As SE has shown with their random adjustment scatter gun, anything can happen.

So what are your suggestions on DW merits? Yonin? Innin?

I had some ideas for Yonin and Innin in other threads where merits where used to add an effect that would enhance Yonin/Innin stances. But I am certain you'd be uninterested.

It is however the trait NIN has the highest tier in.

That said, No thanks!

[Bulrogg]

Yeah I don't see SE adding a merit for DW to increase our delay reduction even more.

However they could add a merit so that when Dual Wielding we have increased STP or something odd like that. But why?

[wish12oz]

Good luck with that. Dual wield is not an exclusive ninja trait

It was exclusive to NIN for 80% of FFXI's life.
If any job gets it, it would be ninja.


That said, the problem with NIN won't be fixed by adding more dual wield. A decently geared NIN with just haste is already at 70%~ delay reduction, and 80% is the cap. Once you add any form of real buffs you quickly exceed the delay cap and then need to build gear sets around what your SCHs enhancing skill is, and how much "+1 to march" your bard has. And carrying around and using 20 sets of TP gear is just annoying. The best and easiest way to help NIN would be the things SE could do to fix all the 1 handed jobs. Use the 2 handed str/dex conversion to att/acc for 1 handed jobs as well past level 75, increase the base damage of 1 handed weapons by a good 30%, let innin be used if subbed, and let it work from anywhere, not just when youre directly behind the mob. If SE did ALL of this, NIN melee damage would still be behind SAM WAR DRK but it wouldn't be so far behind.

The especially funny part of this, is that NIN's damage output is so far behind other jobs, and there's actually people who insist it's useful to use throwing weapons so they can end up EVEN MORE behind.

[Darwena]

It was exclusive to NIN for 80% of FFXI's life.
If any job gets it, it would be ninja.

[...]

The especially funny part of this, is that NIN's damage output is so far behind other jobs, and there's actually people who insist it's useful to use throwing weapons so they can end up EVEN MORE behind.

That exactly what I would like to see. Maybe Dual Wield merit could have "Attacks made while dual wielding occasionally add an extra attack". (isn't that way the +2 bonus work?).

If not why not improving Innin/yonin via merits?

Innin merit: -Enhances attack and critical hit rate with each successive melee attack you land
-Adds Double Attack.

Yonin: Increase effect of enmity boost?

I probably didn't make the best starting post about how to improve melee, but I wish we can find solution that will help improving our melee skill.

[Bulrogg]

IIRC the +2 augments dual wielding by adding extra attack made with the offhand weapon only; hence "dual" wielding.

Also, the augment Innin found on the +2 already adds Double/Triple attk effect.

And regarding Yonin, "if you need more enmity you must be doing something wrong" is what you cult-ninjas would say if one of us were to suggest adding more enmity to stuff.

Instead of adding merits that pretty much are just copies of traits/enhancements we already have, why not try thinking up something more useful. I guess the Innin merit would be useful, by that I mean it would allow other options for the head slot that is assuming Augments Innin head piece needs to be equipped for the duration of the ability and not just the activation. Can any one clear that up? Does Iga Zukin need to be full timed for the augment effect or does macro only work?

[Tsukino_Kaji]

I wouldn't mind Innin merits adding crit damage.

[vixin]

may allow the 20% chance to affect ws maybe would be nice that way nins would be more incentive to lower enmity gain for higher ws dmg.

[Kuroku]

Awesome thread title lol.

[Severence]

So... I've always had this random thought. How about a Silence, Healing, and dispel spells? Huh? Anyone? The healing would be proportionate to ninjutsu skill? Or Heck. A regen spell even. Something to make it easier to solo? I figured with everyone mad over blinkers and embrava we could sneak in some super sweet spells. And PS: Kakka: Ni and Utsusemi: San please. Soon. Kakka: Ichi sucked. But Ni would hopefully be way better hint hint. By the way. I agree with Dual wield merits. Who cares about the other jobs. Ours is higher tier anyway.

[Babekeke]

Something to make it easier to solo?

This is exactly what nin needs. Not content worth using NIN for, slots in a DD party for VW instead of proc party, better DD abilities/traits/spells or even better tanking abilities. Definately something to make it easier to solo.

Someone quick call the Brady Guide and tell them to write that NIN is a solo job only.

[Kincard]

Kakka: Ichi would be a lot more usable if it lasted 15 minutes like Utsusemi does. Otherwise, it takes too long to cast and lasts too short. (+10 STP actually lowers your hits-to-100 by a great deal) So instead of adding a Ni version, a duration increase on Kakka's Store TP would be greatly desirable.

Some easy ways they can fix NIN DPS by a bit RIGHT NOW is by adding some existing job traits that NIN should be all means have anyway:
Crit Atk Bonus
Accuracy Bonus
Store TP
On top of those, attack bonus II and triple attack I would be nice. Might as well throw in evasion bonus in there as a treat. Right now, NIN's job traits have terrible synergy and it's a pretty big part of what makes NINs fall behind even other one-hand jobs like THF and DNC. I mean, if they were going to give NIN's trait to other jobs they should've done the opposite and gave us some of THF and DNC traits too.

Another fix would be to increase katana base damage by at least 10%. 10% would bring katanas to just about the level of other weapons DPS-wise. Kaerin's suggestion of 30% for all one-handers would be even better, but I think katanas probably need another 10% boost on top of that because Katanas have lower DPS ratings than pretty much every other weapon class.

And, while I realize not everyone has REMs, "serious" NINs would, so an change for Blade: Hi's mod from AGI to DEX would go a long way. Not only would it provide better synergy for the WS, but it would make the Kannagi a far better weapon by providing a great deal of DEX. In compensation, Kikoku should get a delay reduction (190 maybe).

Nagi is a total piece of crap and need a total rehaul for it to be useful. Magic accuracy is useless, and enmity is even more useless (until they fix hate system). Change those stats to attack/accuracy or even...a dual wield enhancement (Job-specific enhancement is what they want after all). The Mijin Gakure augment is laughable, it blows my mind that they added stats onto other mythics like the Yagrush as they increased in level but the Nagi kept it's worthless three stats and gained absolutely nothing. Nagi needs to either have its DMG rating increased or its delay dropped to around 160-180 or it's completely worthless. Blade: Kamu needs to be adjusted as well. The accuracy down effect should be changed to a static land rate (100%), and the mod should either be changed to damage or critical chance, with the base fTP changed to at least 3.0.