[dev1049] New weapon skills

[Greatguardian]

How many of the WS are gamebreakingly worth getting, though? It's not like they're all best-in-class skills. Most are a sidegrade at best next to their respective Empyrean WS, with or without Aftermath.

Honestly it feels more like a casual alternative to Empyreans to me. If you can't get Smite, get Shijin Spiral. If you don't have Drakesbane, get Stardriver. If you don't have Torcleaver, get Resolution. If you don't have a Mandau, get the dagger WS that I can't be assed to spell. You get a free pass on being awesome through merits without having to build an ultimate weapon.

The only really ridiculous Empyrean-killer in the bunch (disclaimer: For melee DD jobs) is Shoha. Oh god, Shoha.

[Kincard]

I dunno if anyone has mentioned it yet, but a couple nice options opened up by these new weapon skills is kinda dampened by the fact of how few weapons for non-specialist jobs have been released past 75. By that I mean most clubs released have been for PLD and WHM, most good daggers for THF, DNC, BRD, etc.

Like how BLU has access to a good club WS now in case you're fighting skeletons or something (Yeah I know there's plenty of blunt spells, but it's nice to have melee swings be stronger too, and BLU has a B- with the things anyway), but the last decent club for BLU was like, Mighty Cudgel or something back at level 70. There hasn't been any decent spears for WAR or SAM for a couple levels, etc. Hoping they add some new weapons to compensate for this, otherwise the multi-job nature of these WS is kinda pointless in terms of damage type flexibility.

[Greatguardian]

As far as Polearms go, Quint Spear is going to be pretty decent for these new WS considering the vast majority of their functional damage rating is going to be coming from WSC.

[Greatguardian]

Gun is 4.0-4.5 fTP 100% AGI stacked against 5.5 fTP 60% AGI. It's a solid competitor/alternative to Wildfire, but I wouldn't say it crushes it. Armageddon gets ODD too.

[Kaizersan]

Gun is 4.0-4.5 fTP 100% AGI stacked against 5.5 fTP 60% AGI. It's a solid competitor/alternative to Wildfire, but I wouldn't say it crushes it. Armageddon gets ODD too.

Being a COR that has a 85 Armageddon Last Stand does come in handy for when you are facing mobs that have heavy magic resistance or fire resistance but from testing it on the test server I was able to pull close to Wildfire numbers but to do so you can't sub RDM so it slightly gimps your Wildfire damage.

[Alhanelem]

The jobs already have strengths and weakness. I can't melee Quiln on my whm. I can't main cure on monk. I don't need any merits or gear to prove that.

The strengths and weaknesses are over other people playing the same roles as you. Lots of people have <job> leveled, but not everyone has invested their merits in a way to optimize <job>. Especially now when many people have 10+ jobs leveled, there's not many ways to stand out besides gear and "not sucking." Limiting merits adds another way.

The WHOLE POINT of merits was to allow players to spec out a certain way- not just to provide a general, generic boost to stats- If that were the case, it may as well have just been more levels with no new spells/abilities.

[FrankReynolds]

The strengths and weaknesses are over other people playing the same roles as you. Lots of people have <job> leveled, but not everyone has invested their merits in a way to optimize <job>. Especially now when many people have 10+ jobs leveled, there's not many ways to stand out besides gear and "not sucking." Limiting merits adds another way.

The WHOLE POINT of merits was to allow players to spec out a certain way- not just to provide a general, generic boost to stats- If that were the case, it may as well have just been more levels with no new spells/abilities.

There is a big difference between not having a few points of strength merits, or 8/8 GK, and not having the weapon skill to use them. And the not many ways to stand out thing is pretty weak, I doubt you know very many people who have every one of their ten+ jobs pimped out. Even if you did, I'm willing to bet that the guy who does that is building/has built end game weapons for those jobs too. These caps only hurt the people who don't have all the best gear yet, and thus are differentiated by gear and levels of suck. People should be differentiated by gear they have earned / levels of suck anyways. They shouldn't be different because of artificial limitations that automatically make a person suck on one job and shine on another.

[newmonkey]

What they need to do is remove the - Attack penatly on resolution this is just stupid and silly to have on.

[Neisan_Quetz]

Looks like Resolution isn't alone in that, Blade: Shun looks to have one and possibly Requeiscat as well.

[Byrth]

Exenterator has also been underperforming my expectations, but I need to do a more controlled test to be sure.