Blue mage Meriting

[SpankWustler]

First off, I think I love this image: Yes, I definitely love it. His eyes are a UNIVERSE of tears.

Second, I generally do content involving low level monsters on Beastermaster rather than Blue Mage, so I'm curious how drastically Blue Magic damage goes up as monsters go down in defense and level.

If the increase is actually as drastic as I'm remembering from the few times I've decided to cast pointy things on old content, I'd think that at least Benthic Typhoon and Delta Thrust would be worth casting due to the combined damage and enfeebling effects.

A lot of stuff does die fast, possibly before Defense Down or Plague would matter, but a lot of stuff in old content also lives a long time just by virtue of having too much damn HP.

[larrymc]

When doing content where MP conservation is important, like Neo-Dynamis, or NIv2 (the two events I play the most at the moment), I find Heavy Strike being very effective at dealing significant damage, without depleting the MP pool too fast.

In Dynamis, /war is not really a viable option for JA proc, as /dnc is needed for that - so total damage is a combination of fast swings with DW3+STP+DA, CDC once the proc happens, then depending on how much HP is left, either SC with A.Spike, continue swinging with aftermath, or a quick death with HS or DT.

Using Blu in NIv2 is quite different - Mobs need to be either 1 shot or killed in seconds. Swinging at them & using CDC takes too long for a normal mob. HS will usually 1 shot non-NMs.

[saevel]

I've done Dynamis many times as BLU/DNC + THF/DNC (my friend). We fight DC's for coins and +2 items. DC's tend to have weird lopsided stats. Some of them have a ridiculous amount of HP but otherwise mediocre stats, while others have normal stats except ridiculous defense (for a DC) and others have normal stats except ridiculous evasion. It's very much a YMMV deal. Otherwise BLU crush's the mobs in Dyna, spam JA procs then slaughter it with CDC. I find spells to rarely be worth it as I mostly use my MP for Dream Flower and Magic Fruit so neither me nor the thf need to waste TP on cures. One CDC -> CA + Efflux + A.spikes is enough to take a DC mob from 90% down to 20~30% which is usually followed off by a Q.Strike to finish em off. Time is very important in Dyna, I don't like wasting time casting two to three spells when I can cast one and have the same effect. HS actually works pretty well in Dyna, only things like DC crows and such have enough evasion to make landing it a PITA.

[saevel]

Tashan if a player has access to Almace and can reasonably go /WAR then they would get better damage vs time out of Melee + WS with the occasional self SC then they would spamming spells. Casting one spell or three spells doesn't ultimately matter as each one is reducing your melee damage and Tp gain rate. You end up reducing more damage then you get back from spells, this goes double for anything level 100 or higher. Attack food, Bergressor, DA, TA, +crit and ODD all effect melee damage and CDC but they do nothing for physical spells. The more you have of those first the less physical spells become worth. The only time that casting a physical spell, outside of SC, becomes worthwhile is when you need to finish a monster off quickly after a WS and are willing to sacrifice the MP to get the job done and then it's a high damage physical spell your going to want.

[Tashan]

Honestly, I'm speechless.

Please read this again and if you don't understand it I'l try and make it simpler:

Damage Over Time Ratio's

This is where you try to maximise your effieciency by dealing the most substainable damage wihtin a set amount of time. Once again, this greatly changes from situation to situation and monster to monster

There's so much to consider here it would take a really long time to go through everything individually but there are a few thing's can be used as a rule of thumb.

In situation's where Physical Spells (PS), Weaponskills (WS) and Melee Damage (MD) all work effectively:

A Blue Mage deal's the most damage over time by using PS, WS and MD with each over.
Blue Mage has enough native MP recovery options to sustain repeated casts of the Little 3 PS spells over a long period of time.
Blue Mage has enough native MP recovery option to be able to skillchain every 1:40 mins as well as "spamming" the Little 3.
With an Almace, BLU has enough tool's to maintain Aftermath LV1 constantly whilst doing the previous 2 points.



When put altogether BLU has extremely high DoT results. The majority of this comes from PS and not actually WS/MD.

[saevel]

All you've done is make a statement advocating a blu spell the weaker more MPamage efficient spells. Appeal to authority isn't a valid argument point.

[Tashan]

All you've done is make a statement advocating a blu spell the weaker more MPamage efficient spells. Appeal to authority isn't a valid argument point.

Don't understand this at all.

[Silvra]

Group 1:
5/5 Physical Potency, 5/5 Magical Potency

Group 2:
5/5 Assimilation, 4/5 Convergence, 1/5 Diffusion.

I am hoping that the timer for Diffusion will be brought down, even so I will probably switch my Diffusion and Conergence merits around. I always merit for balance on my jobs.

[Tennotsukai]

I really wish I had more time to get myself an Almace.

[Silvra]

UPDATE CAME OUT TODAY ABOUT ADJUSTMENTS!!

[dev1110] Job Adjustments: Blue Mage

Diffusion
Recast time reduced from twenty minutes to ten.
Additional merit points no longer reduce casting time, but instead lengthen effect duration.


Looks like diffusion merits go!