Originally Posted by
RAIST
See... there is an example of what I'm talking about. If you don't have an on par setup as people who actively melee and are supporting it, you can't really provide an accurate argument against it as you don't have anywhere near the output or possibly even a comparable damage mitigation strategy. I can be on the front line hitting just as hard per hit with my Staff as I do with my NIN--sometimes actually even harder. Other's on the front line have been killled by AOE's while I survived, stuck my pet on it, raised them and took off to kite it while they rested up.
Here's some more examples to try to illustrate the damage output difference:
My naked SMN has 396 base ATT with a staff equipped. Against a mob with 300 defense, before any of the VIT and level difference and everything, you are starting with a base mod of 1.32, giving a base of 105 damage with an 80 damage staff.
Now take off that 90 skill, lowering your ATT and ACC--dropping you to 306 ATT, leaving a mod of just 1.02 and a base of 81 damage with the same weapon. That's almost a 30% difference.
Lets say you have a NIN geared for a balance of haste and evasion that winds up with with 410 attack, 46 damage weapon. This yields a base mod of 1.3666... giving a base of 62 per hit, 124 per DW round.
Even with an avatar staff that only gives 52 damage per hit, it comes out to 62 damage per hit--the same damage per hit-- versus just 53 with 245 skill.
Because of your lower skill keeping you at a lower attack rating, you are more likely to suffer a penalty on that mod against the tougher level 74+ mobs (ones more likely to have higher base defense ratings), and so you aren't seeing the ramped up damage. All of this comes into play also with physical weaponskills. The math is stranger because of the secondary mods, the level mods, etc--but it has the same pDIF function at the end. So after all is calculated you are working off a 1.32 mod at 335 skill vs 1.02 mod on the same mob. Think of it like MAB for a BLM. Higher skill simply translates to more damage via a similar mechanic when it comes to physical damage.
So, until you have capped your skill and seen the increase in damage, then that can't really be part of your argument with someone who IS set up to deal out the bigger numbers. You are more likely to get that feeling you are just tickling things because you in fact have nerfed output because of your lower skill.
As for geting killed in one or two hits...that's more an issue with how you are set up when you go in, or maybe not seating hate on your avatar first is an issue. Gear and buffs may help mitigate that. Getting out of range for an AOE, or doing something to interrupt it if it's a spell, bar spells etc. go a long way to extending your chances too.
The point is...first get yourself set up on par with those that are doing it already, then debate it.