What is this "game balance" you speak of?

[Ziyyigo-Tipyigo]

I'm surprised nobody else has pointed it out...

This is what is meant by "maintaining balance" in the game. Sure, there are some flashy new aspects here and there, but ultimately they want FFXI at 99 to look almost exactly the same as FFXI at 75.

If XYZ wasn't useful then, don't expect it to become useful later. Ever.

[Babekeke]

It's a fairly easy and obvious concept.

The easiest way to look at balance is: if job A gets this suggested ability, would it make job B obsolete?

If THF can DD along with the rest of them, why take any other DD?

If PLD with all it's abilities to mitigate damage, was suddenly able to deal as much damage as a Ukon WAR, then what's the point in warrior?

Likewise, if WAR gets better damage-mitigation abilities like many of them are asking for, then what's the point in NIN or PLD?

RDM can't have cure 5 or 6 because it gets much stonger enfeebles and higher skill for landing them. (I refuse to accept phalanx 2 as an agrument).

SMN, PUP and BST don't get the best of updates, but they have their niche in many situations, and using a selection of magian weapons can allow for some very powerful pets.

DRKs claim they have the bad end of the stick, but can be utilised in many different situations by simply swapping SJ.

The balance isn't brilliant, but there is certainly some there, and it makes sense, you choose to only see what you want to see. It's human nature.

The only things that have really put one job in front of another are procs, and abyssea allowing any DD to tank anything.

[Alhanelem]

Gonna try EVE Online when my subscription runs out. Can you suggest anything else to try? That or I might just go "outside".

Of all the games you could consider as an alternative to FFXI, you choose this? EVE is one of the most brutal and cruel MMOs of the modern era.

[Malamasala]

I just wish SE understood the concept of "growth". Like they have BLM and BRD and WHM that get "tier" spells, and each new tier is better than the other, and that is logical. SMN on the other hand does not get tiers, just singles. But SE never remember to make them scale with levels so what you get at level 24, is pretty much useless around level 26 and forever into the future.

The only thing that actually scales in this game, is 70 BPs, which is why we haven't all quit at 85 when no new physical BPs were added.

[Xellith]

Of all the games you could consider as an alternative to FFXI, you choose this? EVE is one of the most brutal and cruel MMOs of the modern era.

You are saying FFXI isnt brutal or cruel?

[Urteil]

It's a fairly easy and obvious concept.

The easiest way to look at balance is: if job A gets this suggested ability, would it make job B obsolete?

If THF can DD along with the rest of them, why take any other DD?

If PLD with all it's abilities to mitigate damage, was suddenly able to deal as much damage as a Ukon WAR, then what's the point in warrior?

Likewise, if WAR gets better damage-mitigation abilities like many of them are asking for, then what's the point in NIN or PLD?

RDM can't have cure 5 or 6 because it gets much stonger enfeebles and higher skill for landing them. (I refuse to accept phalanx 2 as an agrument).

SMN, PUP and BST don't get the best of updates, but they have their niche in many situations, and using a selection of magian weapons can allow for some very powerful pets.

DRKs claim they have the bad end of the stick, but can be utilised in many different situations by simply swapping SJ.

The balance isn't brilliant, but there is certainly some there, and it makes sense, you choose to only see what you want to see. It's human nature.

The only things that have really put one job in front of another are procs, and abyssea allowing any DD to tank anything.

How the fuck does switching my SJ fix that I have nothing constructive do with my MP pool, increase my DPS more than /sam, or give me some kind of ungodly survivability.

[Babekeke]

How the fuck does switching my SJ fix that I have nothing constructive do with my MP pool

/WHM /SCH /RDM /BLM /PLD

And watch your language.

increase my DPS more than /sam

/THF gives you a crit ws every 60 seconds and some hate control, /WAR offers many JAs/traits to help increase DPS, and if you have haste, haste samba and double march you shouldn't need hasso to cap haste, so the benefit from /SAM isn't as great. Even /DRG offers jumps for extra TP, and some hate control, and /MNK offers counterstance which can increase your damage output greatly.

or give me some kind of ungodly survivability.

Sorry, I thought this was the same Urteil that claims noone can beat him in PvP.

[Quetzacoatl]

/WHM /SCH /RDM /BLM /PLD

And watch your language.

/RDM if you need something stunned. Have fun soloing otherwise. =\

/THF gives you a crit ws every 60 seconds and some hate control, /WAR offers many JAs/traits to help increase DPS, and if you have haste, haste samba and double march you shouldn't need hasso to cap haste, so the benefit from /SAM isn't as great. Even /DRG offers jumps for extra TP, and some hate control, and /MNK offers counterstance which can increase your damage output greatly.

/WAR and /DRG are terrible for TP Gain. Nothing beats having meditate for extra WS and Seigan-ThirdEye for tanking. You're off your rocker if you think Double Attack, Berserk and Warcry is more than enough to push the DPS, at the severe lack of any self-sufficient survivability methods other than Dread Spikes and having a WHM mule curebomb you. If you're dead, you're not doing more damage, are you now? For crying out loud, Urteil quoted me in his signature! and do jumps give you an extra 60 TP? i didn't think so.

However, I will agree that /MNK is good for Abyssea Tanking with Counterstance and the occasional boost for Torcleaver. /THF requires that situation where you have to have both tanks between the NM to fire off those awesome SATA numbers DRK/THFs talk about, but you don't come by that strategy very often. When you do, it produces results.

[Phogg]

Apparently balance means, "Here is your new pet Beastmaster! We made them for you since all the new content has made charm useless. Nevertheless, enjoy leveling fishing to 100 first so you have any chance at actually using your new pets!"

[Saiken253]

indeed. Best subs for DRK are SAM(WS spam and tanking), THF(awesome WS dmg), RDM(yay stun spam! And now we can haste/refresh/buff/cure4 ourselves with it!), then WAR is useful, but not in anything outside EXPing haha.. MNK for tanking, but SAM is better.