Unbalanced racial traits.

[Korpg]

again.. your strategy goes a long way to mitigating the racial differences. Reducing the mobs TP gain, reducing critical damage, stunning, WHM curing to grant SS, or something simple as keeping a regen going with carbuncle can make a big difference in the long run. The little things done by the GROUP have a major affect on the outcome. If someone is not up to par, it can mean disaster.

As for solo....have to pick your targets and your setup more carefully. I've seen Berstuk eat a galka that got caught off-guard by waterja and couldn't stun it in time. I've seen a Taru just flat out rape that NM. It's more about knowing your target and being prepared for what it is capable of and having a plan in place to manage it.

But race has nothing to do with either of those scenarios. Did the Taru win because they had more MP? Or did the Galka lose because they have less INT to "absorb" some of the damage?

Yes, there are stat differences between races, but the differences does not make or break a success. Odds are, if a Taru DNC dies to a NM by a margin of 10 damage overkill, a Galka DNC will die from the same NM in a few short seconds, assuming the same skill level between players. One more hit would be gained and lost from both situations, and in the grand scheme of things, one hit doesn't mean jack. Its like getting pee'd off for closing your umbrella from a rainstorm finally letting up, just to have a bird take a dump on your head. If you kept your umbrella on for one more second, that crap would have been on your umbrella, but you still have to clean it off regardless.

[RAIST]

But race has nothing to do with either of those scenarios. Did the Taru win because they had more MP? Or did the Galka lose because they have less INT to "absorb" some of the damage?

that is the point.. they were both NIN's, not mages. See a lot of NIN soloing that thing. I did it for some of my NIN seals (Hume, NIN/DNC in lol gears no less) and not once was I ever in danger of dying from it as I kept my steps up to stun the AOE's. HP does not matter so much if you are prepared to prevent what would be taking that HP away, or replace it when it is taken.

[Bumbeen]

I have no idea why you guys keep talking about skill since you have the same skill whether you are galka or taru.

[Korpg]

I have no idea why you guys keep talking about skill since you have the same skill whether you are galka or taru.

Skill as a player, not skill as in weapon skills or skillups.

It is possible to have the same 450 skill on Summoning Magic as a Galka or Taru, knowing what to do as a SMN are two different things with two different players.

[Hexacore]

it may be instructive to look at WoW raiding to see what Elitist Jerks and Tankspot have to say...the only thing that matters on the tank (or anyone taking damage for that matter) is Max HP...and to argue that the split between Galka HP and Taru HP doesn't matter is insane.

Pretty much.

If you want to be an elite tank, probably re-roll Galka.

For everyone else who plays just to enjoy the game or accomplish goals for us mere mortals, any race will do really.

[DebbieGibson]

Skill as a player, not skill as in weapon skills or skillups.

It is possible to have the same 450 skill on Summoning Magic as a Galka or Taru, knowing what to do as a SMN are two different things with two different players.

Did you really think he was talking about combat/magic skills?