Thoughts on the FFXI Job Adjustment Manifesto

[Fredjan]

I got some info to give you all an idea of what the development is already working on for future scholar adjustments.

The next job adjustment focus will be on Light Arts and Dark Arts.
Below is the concept:

1. Make adjustments so that Light Arts affects the effect of Regen and Dark Arts affects the effect of Helix spells
2. Adjust the level Regen III/IV are learned
3. Adjust the level Helix spells are learned as well as their MP cost
4. Adjust the recast timer of Modus Veritas
5. Adjust the effect duration of Klimaform
6. Make adjustments to Tabula Rasa

We will be posting more information here on the forum as well as adding things to the test server some time after the September version update.

1) While the ideas there are quite nice (I'd also hope that'd apply when SCH is main job ) one of the first things I'd directly think of for LA/DA adjustments is like what people've said beforehand - effectiveness of Light/Dark Arts scaling by level. The reason is anytime I play Scholar I feel slow compared to White Mage and Black Mage - BLM's got the Elemental Celerity advantage (even if I pop Alacrity on SCH main, I feel like it's STILL slower than BLM/RDM, something's wrong with that picture - the plus side is SCH is capable of beating BLM on damage comparing the exact nuke), and WHM has massive cure cast time- gear/merit options. Through this method, I was thinking of something such as the following (as a suggestion):

By default, Light Arts and Dark Arts reduce MP cost by 10% and casting time by 10%. My suggestion if this is adjusted to scale by level would be around the following:

Level 10 - Original effect
Level 35 - 15%
Level 60 - 20%
Level 85 - 25%

Or something like that, but people'd get the idea. Of course by the term of "scaling" here not only does it make the arts more effective as a SCH main, but it also improves it a bit as a support job. These thoughts are similar to how they improved Sublimation, but instead of seeing an improvement every 10 levels, I listed this based on every 25 levels after level 10.

2) The first thing that this implies is that Scholar will likely learn Regen IV, since as things are, Regen IV is currently WHM only (Lv86). I never understood why SCH learned Regen III 17 levels later than WHM, considering they learned Regen I and II both earlier (Level progression and all). I personally wouldn't mind seeing a final Regen that is for SCH only, even though I'm a WHM main. It'd fit the Scholar "theme".

And by this concept, I don't think SCH really needs Cure V - but more of a Regen like cure that's stronger than Cure IV, but weaker than Cure V (yet capable of being potent). WHM should still be able to heal people better in an immediate situation; people simply do NOT have the HP outside Abyssea to justify WHMs casting Cure VI, let alone Curaga V. Those in my eyes are Abyssea spells, simple as that.

3) Unless tier II helix spells are being considered, I don't see much of a reason to adjust their levels, unless they'd go as far down as below 50 (which I'd honestly doubt). I'd definitely welcome T2 helix spells though.

4) This has been needed for a long time ever since it was "broken" in the eyes of many Scholars. I hate using Modus Veritas, because it's not 100% accurate like it used to be, and having a JA that can miss with a 10-min recast isn't exactly encouraging to any of us. However, I'd gladly accept a reduced timer given the situation we're expected to deal with now.

5) I'd definitely welcome this change. I've used Klimaform much more often ever since I obtained Savant's Loafers +2. The duration's extremely short in my opinion as it is, and it's not compatible with Perpetuance, due to being dark magic and thus compatible with Manifestation. Possibly it could gain an additional boost if SCH is set as main job, because /SCH people can use it as well at this point. I'm not sure what I'd suggest... like enhanced magical crit rate, perhaps, since the AF3+2 boots increase damage. (Such as through an additional piece of gear designed to enhance the effect.)

6) Embrava and Kaustra were nice additions to get people to use Tabula Rasa. Before these were added, I don't think I ever used Tabula Rasa ONCE, probably because I never got into situations where I'd want to. Given that it is our two-hour ability, I don't think it's too unreasonable to make some stratagems always active with it up, such as Penury/Celerity/Rapture/Perpetuance as well as Parsimony/Alacrity/Ebuillence/Immanence, perhaps with reduced effectiveness for balance (Probably still too overpowered tho, maybe it's just my mind thinking at 12AM). Given that our two-hour spells are compatible with Accession/Manifestation, I'd want the option to use those or not to use those.

Another point: I know merits will be looked into as we approach 99, but I don't see any reason at all for our merit stratagems to justify costing 2 charges. Even if they were one only, I'd rarely use them.

And that's my two gil on the matters concerning Scholar. ^^