I know it's been said but...

Well, the currently weapons of choice for rangers are bows and guns, isn't that correct? In order to fire a dispel bolt, they'd need to swap to a crossbow, which would clear their tp.

And still, if dispel bolts aren't 100%, you might have to fire 3-5 low damage, high delay bolts before getting a dispel, which would lower their DPS quite a bit compared to if they were using a high-damage weapon combo during that time.

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Originally Posted by Mirage

In the case of dispel bolts, I realize you might think it is overpowered to be able to dispel almost non-stop. Perhaps the bolts should have a high delay, and the effect should perhaps not have the highest magic accuracy in the world. I do think that getting a dispel proc around 33% of the time would be all right, though. Firing bolts isn't free (and dispel bolts might be expensive to make too!), and doing several ranged attacks in a row lowers damage output significantly. Additionally, we wouldn't be able to use stat-boosting ammo such as raider's boomerang or other non-usable ammo pieces without losing all our TP whenever switching to a crossbow.

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For this post and every other post mentioning putting poor delay on a dispel bolt...

Higher delay on ammo is actually desirable. Why? Because ranged attack delay is calculated solely on the weapon delay, and the ammo delay is not taken into account. The ammo doesn't delay you any longer; instead, it just gives you more TP. This is why higher delay on ammo is better, as you still attack the same speed but gain more TP.

"Ranged weapon delay is the only variable affecting the total delay. "
http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/wiki/Delay

"Only ranged weapons' (not ammunition) delay account for the aiming delay (actual delay). "
http://wiki.bluegartr.com/bg/Delay

Just clearing that up a bit.

Dispel bolts could work just like Spartan Bullets on rng. They have a really low proc rate and they are low damage.

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Originally Posted by goozira

Dispel bolts could work just like Spartan Bullets on rng. They have a really low proc rate and they are low damage.

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Eh, a dispel bolt with low proc rate would not see much (if any) inventory time with me. I can't think of a situation where that would be functionally useful. If I'm in a group event, the mage will already have dispelled the monster several times while I'm firing bolts at it trying to get one to proc. If I'm soloing, it wouldn't be worth the opportunity cost to sit there firing bolts that have a low proc rate.

If anything, design philosophy behind status bolts needs to move in the other direction to make them more viable. Things I'd like to see that could easily be done via via Job trait, Equipment or Cross bow:

• Dramatic Increase to status effect duration. The current amount of firing needed to maintain status effects via bolts is unreasonable.
• An increase in status effect potency.
• An increase in the amount of HP drained from bloody bolts.
• A signiicant increase in the "magic accuracy" of status bolt effects against end game targets and NMs

According to their THF design philosophy, I wouldn't count on dispel bolts happening. They already think Aurasteal on a 5 minute timer is too over powered to separate from steal. That should tell you how weak they want THF to stay in the "dispelling things" department.

Or maybe the developer in charge of THF is just stupid enough to think THF's will 5/5 merit Aurasteal because stealing protect from Paladins in Dynamis is a super awesome thing to be able to do? Maybe he really DOESN'T know how worthless Aurasteal is outside of a utility dispel? (this option gets my vote)

Maybe we could see the addition of paralysis or silence bolts since they already have an arrow option available to us? Personally, I only ever use paralysis arrows when soloing something hard...which I don't do much of these days, but at least then I could /toss my bow and arrows.

Apparently, Thief is meant to have a lot of weird support elements to make up for it being one of the most lackluster melee around. If so, Thief should actually have a lot of weird support elements.

It would be interesting to see a new line of status bolts introduced that provided everything from the current line of bolts, some effects currently found only on arrows, a stronger Drain effect, and a Stun effect; all with somewhat higher accuracy than the present ammunition with these effects. Obviously, this line of bolts would have absolutely horrid base damage to balance it out.

A new crossbow could even be released to compliment this line of bolts, with extremely low delay and Magic Accuracy/Ranged Accuracy bonuses but execrable base damage and even a penalty to Ranged Attack. It would be terrible for Ranger but Thief and maybe even Dark Knight could get some mileage from it.

Bolts in general would be terrible for Ranger because the only thing approaching a good crossbow for Ranger is the Mythic crossbow, so I don't see any reason for concern there.

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Originally Posted by Nebo

Or maybe the developer in charge of THF is just stupid enough to think THF's will 5/5 merit Aurasteal because stealing protect from Paladins in Dynamis is a super awesome thing to be able to do? Maybe he really DOESN'T know how worthless Aurasteal is outside of a utility dispel?

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My favorite theory is that one of the Development Bros actually hates this game and everything in it. Long ago, someone he loved became a shut-in who, to this very day, does nothing but play Final Fantasy XI all day. This Development Bro is allowed to stay on and take revenge on Final Fantasy XI because he's the only one still around who can code for a PS2 and he is more interested in nursing his grudge than getting a raise.

The rest of the team just tries to ignore the howls of "I'll free you someday, ひきこもり-kun!" or "REEEVVEEENGE!" that emanate from his cubicle whenever he comes up with anything horrible enough to get him really fired up.

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Originally Posted by SpankWustler

My favorite theory is that one of the Development Bros actually hates this game and everything in it. Long ago, someone he loved became a shut-in who, to this very day, does nothing but play Final Fantasy XI all day. This Development Bro is allowed to stay on and take revenge on Final Fantasy XI because he's the only one still around who can code for a PS2 and he is more interested in nursing his grudge than getting a raise.

The rest of the team just tries to ignore the howls of "I'll free you someday, ひきこもり-kun!" or "REEEVVEEENGE!" that emanate from his cubicle whenever he comes up with anything horrible enough to get him really fired up.

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I want so very much to laugh at this, because it is really funny. But mostly I just feel sad...because it could very well be true.

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Apparently, Thief is meant to have a lot of weird support elements to make up for it being one of the most lackluster melee around. If so, Thief should actually have a lot of weird support elements.

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I think we have just about the only useful desired weird support element SE is ever going to give us.

Although, since SE has been talking about individual job variation analysis with DRK:

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Looking at each job individually, there are variations in what they are good at and what they are not so good at. (This would be the aspect known as job characteristics.)
These variations are altered through the addition of equipment/items and through job adjustments, and linked to the compatibility of content. Furthermore this is linked to the variations within a job itself.

These variations are a matter of degrees and will become a topic of where we draw the line; however, there are various methods to perform adjustments.

For example:
Adjustments to jobs
Adjustments to equipment and items
Adjustments to content
So on and so forth…

With that said, we feel that currently dark knight’s level of variation is much higher than that of other jobs, and since it seems that you share the same understanding we have come to the decision to revamp the stats on Twilight Scythe.

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I'd be VERY interested to see what the results of this stengths and weaknesses variation analysis were for THF....assuming that they did one....or that anyone on the development team cares about THF....I know...I live in a fantasy world.

I'm guessing it looks something like this...

Stengths:

• Makes the things drop .001% more than any other job that selects THF as their support job.
• Reaches the cap to evade the things with less pieces of gear than other evasive jobs.

Weaknesses:

• Every single job characteristic, ability, trait or piece of equipment not listed in strengths must suck worse than anything has ever sucked before due to the .001% drop rate added to the things by setting your main job to THF.

...with random bits of nonsense about being able to steal gold coins over and over whilst pillaging treasure coffers for astral rings.

All I'm really interested in (due to inventory constraints) is acid bolts and bloody bolts. Maybe blind bolts, and if they wanted to introduce para blots, they might find use. A higher level of bloody bolts would be a godsend, even if they were only ~50% more potent.

I like that we have Status bolts, But lets be realistic, They're at best solo tools, Or something you use when 2-3 Manning crap with friends... If you even bother equipping them then.

Lets assume for a moment we do have time to stock up on Bolts. The only truly useful one is Acid bolt, thats because its effect is useful to the group as a whole. Venom Bolts, Blind Bolts, pretty much every other status bolt (Saving bloody for later) are terrible, and at best a solo tool.

This is due mostly to the fact that if you need Blind or Poison, Theres a mage for that, who's likely somewhere in your alliance.. Or again, Solo tool.

Then, You have to topple on top of that fact, that our Skill in Crossbow is pretty crap. If we want to even have a chance at hitting any endgame enemy at all, You're going to need a full R.acc set, and Probably Feint. Now raise your hand if you have the inventory space right now to carry around a Crossbow, 1-2 Stacks of Bolts depending on what you want with you, and roughly 12 additional pieces of R.Accuracy armor.

aaaaaaaaaaaanyone? I sure as hell don't. Between an Evasion set, Eva/HasteHybrid, SAWS, TAWS, SATAWS, WS(Mercy), WS(Evisc), TP(AccNotNeeded) TP(NEEDSSUMACC), and so forth, an added Ranged Accuracy set would be impossible to fit. That, and Acid bolts can be easily replaced by say... Tachi: Ageha, or Angon... Which are more reliable and don't require special builds.

Marksmanship for THF is pretty much on par with the rest of the job, Crappy and horrifically niche at best... Sad but true.

*Also on the Subject of Bloody Bolts. Solo uses they're pretty cool, But I can't recall the last time i was in a situation where I required Bloody bolts... its been since the 75 cap.

I agree that marksmanship utility is pretty low these days.

The only one that really gets any use from me any more is acid bolts, but just as you said, other forms of defense down overwrite them and are beter.

To add utility for group settings, I'd say that the effects of status bolts could be changed such that:

• Blind bolts: Cause % based accuracy down that stacks with Blind
• Acid Bolts: Causes a % based physical damage taken increase.
• Venom Bolts: Non elemental DoT effect. Potency and duration increased.
• Bloody Bolts: Non Elemental Damage on the HP drain effect. Potency increased.
• Sleep Bolt: Non elemental Sleep. Duration increased.

So the first thing, across the board, would be to increase the base potency, duration and magic accuracy of the effect. As well, to have the elemental properties removed.

But as added group utility, to also enhance Potency, Magic accuracy and Duration of these effects based on the number of players on the hate list (similar to bully).

Just an idea that will never happen.

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Originally Posted by Nebo

I agree that marksmanship utility is pretty low these days.

The only one that really gets any use from me any more is acid bolts, but just as you said, other forms of defense down overwrite them and are beter.

To add utility for group settings, I'd say that the effects of status bolts could be changed such that:

• Blind bolts: Cause % based accuracy down that stacks with Blind
• Acid Bolts: Causes a % based physical damage taken increase.
• Venom Bolts: Non elemental DoT effect. Potency and duration increased.
• Bloody Bolts: Non Elemental Damage on the HP drain effect. Potency increased.
• Sleep Bolt: Non elemental Sleep. Duration increased.

So the first thing, across the board, would be to increase the base potency, duration and magic accuracy of the effect. As well, to have the elemental properties removed.
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It'd suffice too just to have more options to choose from as far as bolts are concerned, or higher level bolts that have the same effect but higher potency, BaseDAM, M.acc, and duration.