Shoko
03-31-2011, 01:12 AM
Heya all. I haven't seen a serious post on fixes to the Ninja job, so decided to post on up on what I feel should be changed to make Ninja better as a whole. Funny thing, fixing old oversights in NIN might possibly be the huge update people are looking for, instead of adding "new" spells or Job Abilities. I'll split them up into 5 sections and go from there:
1) Hidden (unused) spells: This is possibly the biggest change that could be made to NIN that would also have the greatest effect. It's no surprise to anyone that NIN is missing a vast number of spells between lvl 48 and lvl 75.
Jubaku: Ni/San - Theres no reason why these shouldn't be used currently. They were likely not added along with other spells, due the the game balance in 2004 before merit points were added, and seen as an oversight there after. Jubaku: Ni's paralyze effect should be just under Paralyze II at max potency and just above Mind Blast. San's Effect would be over a max potency Paralyze II by a good margin, but RDM now has the JA Saboteur that makes up for lack of potency.
Kurayami: San - Would be ninja's most important spell to cast. Kurayami: Ni is matched with Blind II at max potency (both -30 Accuracy), but the fairly recently added spell Auroral Drape completely floors the spell in potency (-60~70 Accuracy). Adding this spell would greatly enhance a NIN's tanking role in conjunction with Evasion gear. Say... at -50~60 Accuracy Down?
Hojo: San - Similar reason to Jubaku. Hojo: Ni's Slow effect (18%~) is far lower than a max merited Slow II effect (39%~), and even lower than Slow's max effect (29.3%~). Even so, RDM has Saboteur In that, theres no reason why this shouldn't be added added as well as a level 70~75 spell.
Dokumori: Ni/Dokumori: San - Plenty of Poison spells that trump Dokumori: Ichi in either potency or duration. BLU get the upperhand just by using Disseverment. Then again, with the addition of Saboteur, NIN falls further behind in this regard. While not seen as a bread and butter spell for a NIN to use, an update to match other jobs would still be nice.
Utsusemi: San - Ahh yes, the spell that all NINs across the world are openly or secretly hoping for. Obviously if it was added, the spell usage would probably be at 2-3 seconds to cast, and a 1 min recast. It would also likely give 5 shadows. Considering that (and Iga Kyahan +2!), it would be a wonderful spell to finally add that would vastly aide with NIN tanking, or just evading hits while in a damage dealing stance. Enmity decay could be tied to this spell as well, in lieu of the previous Utsusemi spells.
2) NIN Merits: There are many problems with NIN merits... most of them are nigh useless, or out of place.
Sange - Would have been useful, but we have the entire Throwing/Shuriken problem. That alone renders the ability outdated and now useless. see #3!
Subtle Blow Effect - Have been rendered outdated and archaic due to the addition of both Yurin: Ichi & Myoshu: Ichi, as well as various pieces of NIN gear that boost larger amounts of Subtle Blow + (example, simply wearing a Heed Ring gives you more Subtle Blow + than meriting the effect 5 times to cap). Perhaps this merit can instead give a much more generous boost to Subtle Blow (+10~20), or can be extended (or changed) even give an extra bonus as well. Two extra bonuses I can see working would be either Critical hit rate %+ or Critical damage rate %+.
San Elemental Spells - Totally out of date and should be revised. Theres no reason why NIN should have to choose between San spells to merit for damage, especially after the magic attack increase (and the addition of Futae) update to all spells. So why not remove all of these as merits, re-add them into the game as usable scrolls (allowing everyone access to San elemental ninjutsu), and then instead remake these merits give an additional effect to the corresponding elemental spell casted? The effect could be a sharp increase to Enmity gained, or a more potent elemental resistance debuff (all spells currently have a -30 to resist, that lasts only a meager 15 seconds). It could also remain as a sharp magic attack increase to the specific line of elemental spells (but this would overlap the tier 1 merits) In re-adding San elemental scrolls, they could be sold at NPCs for a super low price of 5,000 to 10,000 gil, so as to not anger NINs that have already maxed merits into one or two spells prior.
3) Throwing: Throwing for NIN is out-of-date and should be fixed.
Shrikens - The cost for these to be made are simply too high to make, and even then the only "useful" (and now out of date) Shurikens to be made are Fuma-- the craft to make Fuma gives a pathetic yield of throwing stars (3~12) to justify ANYONE making them at all, unless for novelty purposes. To add insult to injury, one craft consists of using both a Gold Ingot, Tama-Hagane, and a Mythril Sheet to perform the synthesis. Not only that, they stack to 12 instead of 99. Futhermore the synthesis to create these is level 85 Smithing, 45~50 Goldsmithing. This simply means that constant High Quality synthesis simply will not happen. Assuming this is my server of Carbuncle and I made a stack of Fuma Shuriken with no High Quality (4 synths) with the current prices of materials, that's approximately 120,000 gil for 12 shuriken (1,100,000~1,300,000 gil for around 99). The alternative is buying the shuriken from the NPC for 57,960 gil per star. Instead, we can look to a more powerful Koga Shuriken instead-- however, Koga Shuriken are so rare to aquire (can only be obtained by doing ISNMs) rendering this also as a novelty. The most forward fix to change this would be to add a Syngergy synthesis to all of these weapons so that the quantity will be increased (like Bullets), allowing NIN to make use of them (Koga should be added as well). From there, newer shurikens should also be added, since the level cap has been increased.
Ninja Tool Expertise - This trait should be extended to shurikens and other consumable throwing items, ala Recycle. This trait could be set at a much lower expension rate under Yonin as well (-10% instead of -33% for Ninja Tools).
Sange - Would no longer need a fix if the first two problems were addressed, but a neat corresponding change to Sange would be to add the Job Ability itself to NIN without merits, and instead change the merit system so that with each increasing merit, one less shadow would be consumed per shuriken thrown.
4) Parrying: Parrying (and by extension Guard for MNKs) has the potential to be a wonderful asset to any fledgling ninja that decides to go the tanking route. However, as it is currently, it does next to nothing on higher level monsters that matter. Once monster levels con "Even Match" and above, the activation rate on Parrying is reduced to 5~8%. Raising this rate of activation across all levels of opponents above "Even Match" would make this trait more than a novelty. I have seen many ideas on how to raise it as well (via Job Traits, as a percentage increase under the effect of Yonin, as a Job Ability). Raising the skill up rate just a smidgen more will also be beneficial.
5) Mijin Gakure: Shouldn't be a two-hour ability, plain and simple. Personally, I haven't met many ninja that have used this 2 hour in any strategic way, other than to death warp home. It's original intent was probably for it to be a huge instantaneous damaging final attack to save the user's experience points as party members flee to safety, or saved due to the ability killing the target. Unfortunately, the damage for the 2 Hour is often extremely low to be effective in defeating the target at all. This ability was later converted as a nod towards the accepted tanking role that the players gave to NIN-- but remaining on a 2 hour timer makes the ability vastly useless. Placing it on a 10 minute timer with something else added and replacing it as the 2-hour, seems more reasonable (this also in turn brings more value to the mythic weapon, Nagi).
If anything, these would be my ideas for fixing up NIN, rather than some off-the-wall additions that aren't really needed at the moment. Any serious discussion is much appreciated!
1) Hidden (unused) spells: This is possibly the biggest change that could be made to NIN that would also have the greatest effect. It's no surprise to anyone that NIN is missing a vast number of spells between lvl 48 and lvl 75.
Jubaku: Ni/San - Theres no reason why these shouldn't be used currently. They were likely not added along with other spells, due the the game balance in 2004 before merit points were added, and seen as an oversight there after. Jubaku: Ni's paralyze effect should be just under Paralyze II at max potency and just above Mind Blast. San's Effect would be over a max potency Paralyze II by a good margin, but RDM now has the JA Saboteur that makes up for lack of potency.
Kurayami: San - Would be ninja's most important spell to cast. Kurayami: Ni is matched with Blind II at max potency (both -30 Accuracy), but the fairly recently added spell Auroral Drape completely floors the spell in potency (-60~70 Accuracy). Adding this spell would greatly enhance a NIN's tanking role in conjunction with Evasion gear. Say... at -50~60 Accuracy Down?
Hojo: San - Similar reason to Jubaku. Hojo: Ni's Slow effect (18%~) is far lower than a max merited Slow II effect (39%~), and even lower than Slow's max effect (29.3%~). Even so, RDM has Saboteur In that, theres no reason why this shouldn't be added added as well as a level 70~75 spell.
Dokumori: Ni/Dokumori: San - Plenty of Poison spells that trump Dokumori: Ichi in either potency or duration. BLU get the upperhand just by using Disseverment. Then again, with the addition of Saboteur, NIN falls further behind in this regard. While not seen as a bread and butter spell for a NIN to use, an update to match other jobs would still be nice.
Utsusemi: San - Ahh yes, the spell that all NINs across the world are openly or secretly hoping for. Obviously if it was added, the spell usage would probably be at 2-3 seconds to cast, and a 1 min recast. It would also likely give 5 shadows. Considering that (and Iga Kyahan +2!), it would be a wonderful spell to finally add that would vastly aide with NIN tanking, or just evading hits while in a damage dealing stance. Enmity decay could be tied to this spell as well, in lieu of the previous Utsusemi spells.
2) NIN Merits: There are many problems with NIN merits... most of them are nigh useless, or out of place.
Sange - Would have been useful, but we have the entire Throwing/Shuriken problem. That alone renders the ability outdated and now useless. see #3!
Subtle Blow Effect - Have been rendered outdated and archaic due to the addition of both Yurin: Ichi & Myoshu: Ichi, as well as various pieces of NIN gear that boost larger amounts of Subtle Blow + (example, simply wearing a Heed Ring gives you more Subtle Blow + than meriting the effect 5 times to cap). Perhaps this merit can instead give a much more generous boost to Subtle Blow (+10~20), or can be extended (or changed) even give an extra bonus as well. Two extra bonuses I can see working would be either Critical hit rate %+ or Critical damage rate %+.
San Elemental Spells - Totally out of date and should be revised. Theres no reason why NIN should have to choose between San spells to merit for damage, especially after the magic attack increase (and the addition of Futae) update to all spells. So why not remove all of these as merits, re-add them into the game as usable scrolls (allowing everyone access to San elemental ninjutsu), and then instead remake these merits give an additional effect to the corresponding elemental spell casted? The effect could be a sharp increase to Enmity gained, or a more potent elemental resistance debuff (all spells currently have a -30 to resist, that lasts only a meager 15 seconds). It could also remain as a sharp magic attack increase to the specific line of elemental spells (but this would overlap the tier 1 merits) In re-adding San elemental scrolls, they could be sold at NPCs for a super low price of 5,000 to 10,000 gil, so as to not anger NINs that have already maxed merits into one or two spells prior.
3) Throwing: Throwing for NIN is out-of-date and should be fixed.
Shrikens - The cost for these to be made are simply too high to make, and even then the only "useful" (and now out of date) Shurikens to be made are Fuma-- the craft to make Fuma gives a pathetic yield of throwing stars (3~12) to justify ANYONE making them at all, unless for novelty purposes. To add insult to injury, one craft consists of using both a Gold Ingot, Tama-Hagane, and a Mythril Sheet to perform the synthesis. Not only that, they stack to 12 instead of 99. Futhermore the synthesis to create these is level 85 Smithing, 45~50 Goldsmithing. This simply means that constant High Quality synthesis simply will not happen. Assuming this is my server of Carbuncle and I made a stack of Fuma Shuriken with no High Quality (4 synths) with the current prices of materials, that's approximately 120,000 gil for 12 shuriken (1,100,000~1,300,000 gil for around 99). The alternative is buying the shuriken from the NPC for 57,960 gil per star. Instead, we can look to a more powerful Koga Shuriken instead-- however, Koga Shuriken are so rare to aquire (can only be obtained by doing ISNMs) rendering this also as a novelty. The most forward fix to change this would be to add a Syngergy synthesis to all of these weapons so that the quantity will be increased (like Bullets), allowing NIN to make use of them (Koga should be added as well). From there, newer shurikens should also be added, since the level cap has been increased.
Ninja Tool Expertise - This trait should be extended to shurikens and other consumable throwing items, ala Recycle. This trait could be set at a much lower expension rate under Yonin as well (-10% instead of -33% for Ninja Tools).
Sange - Would no longer need a fix if the first two problems were addressed, but a neat corresponding change to Sange would be to add the Job Ability itself to NIN without merits, and instead change the merit system so that with each increasing merit, one less shadow would be consumed per shuriken thrown.
4) Parrying: Parrying (and by extension Guard for MNKs) has the potential to be a wonderful asset to any fledgling ninja that decides to go the tanking route. However, as it is currently, it does next to nothing on higher level monsters that matter. Once monster levels con "Even Match" and above, the activation rate on Parrying is reduced to 5~8%. Raising this rate of activation across all levels of opponents above "Even Match" would make this trait more than a novelty. I have seen many ideas on how to raise it as well (via Job Traits, as a percentage increase under the effect of Yonin, as a Job Ability). Raising the skill up rate just a smidgen more will also be beneficial.
5) Mijin Gakure: Shouldn't be a two-hour ability, plain and simple. Personally, I haven't met many ninja that have used this 2 hour in any strategic way, other than to death warp home. It's original intent was probably for it to be a huge instantaneous damaging final attack to save the user's experience points as party members flee to safety, or saved due to the ability killing the target. Unfortunately, the damage for the 2 Hour is often extremely low to be effective in defeating the target at all. This ability was later converted as a nod towards the accepted tanking role that the players gave to NIN-- but remaining on a 2 hour timer makes the ability vastly useless. Placing it on a 10 minute timer with something else added and replacing it as the 2-hour, seems more reasonable (this also in turn brings more value to the mythic weapon, Nagi).
If anything, these would be my ideas for fixing up NIN, rather than some off-the-wall additions that aren't really needed at the moment. Any serious discussion is much appreciated!