Suggestions for improvements to Geomancer

[Duelle]

We already have that. It's called Full Circle. But it only returns part of the MP spent, based on the remaining HP of the luopan.

Then it needs to scrap the thing about remaining HP of the luopan (which itself is probably to simulate a duration timer without the devs actually implementing one).

[Alhanelem]

Then it needs to scrap the thing about remaining HP of the luopan (which itself is probably to simulate a duration timer without the devs actually implementing one).

I don't really disagree with the HP stipulation- why should I get a full refund of the MP cost after recieving nearly the full duration of the effect?

(I don't think they would reduce the mp costs if they were to do something like that)

[Quetzacoatl]

Cast times for Geocolure spells aren't a big deal if you have a pre-cast build on your character. Especially since going /RDM will help a great deal. /SCH is a different story, but like I said, not a big issue if you have a fast cast set swapped in during the beginning of casting.

If luopans were able to follow the target of the spell that was cast on them, it would relieve a lot of issues having to recast them when events involves parties being mobile. And the job really does need the ability to cast more than two Geomancy spells...I'll be extremely disappointed if we need a Mythic weapon just to get invites.

[Alhanelem]

Cast times for Geocolure spells aren't a big deal if you have a pre-cast build on your character. Especially since going /RDM will help a great deal. /SCH is a different story, but like I said, not a big issue if you have a fast cast set swapped in during the beginning of casting.

At the moment, /sch is basically required for me, because due to sch being my first real mage, and using light/dark arts at all times, my magic skills are severly underleveled and they refuse to go up (light/dark arts drastically reduces your ability to get skill ups- but unless you played another job, they weren't as important). Without /SCH, i can't land a nuke or more importantly drain/aspir to save my life.

Yes, fast cast helps, but I still feel its way too long. it's long enough that without much fast cast, people can kill the enemy you're using for the focal point of the geo- spell before you finish casting, and then it doesn't go off even though the spell really shouldn't need to target an enemy at all....

[Quetzacoatl]

/SCH does help in certain aspects, but I feel the utilization for /SCH as a GEO is extremely underpowered. No native enfeebling skill and only access to Sleep 1 (why this is, I have no clue) makes crowd control tough. You should be able to land nukes, SCH and GEO have the exact same elemental skill rating. Dark Magic I capped on my DRK, but I would just try spamming Drain/Aspir/Bio/Absorbs on worms in eithe Aby-Uleguerand or the IT++ Worms in Gustav. I can't guarantee that will give more skillups though, but might as well try it for curiosity's sake. *shrug*

And the way I see it, Geocolure spells seem to have a casting time similar to Summoner's. If you're fighting squishy trash mobs, yeah, I could see that. In that case, it's not going to be worth casting, especially if the party's mobile. On Boss NMs, On the contrary.

[Alhanelem]

You should be able to land nukes, SCH and GEO have the exact same elemental skill rating.

As I explained, I currently have significantly underleveled elemental and dark magic skill because I never played BLM and SCH's light/dark arts severely hampered skill up rates (but you never noticed the lack of skill because of their effects). Now I'm playing a job without these abilities, and the skills are going up at a rate slower than that of the speed at which a snail moves with its foot broken.

Granted, this is not a problem for everybody, but it is a problem I face personally.

In that case, it's not going to be worth casting, especially if the party's mobile. On Boss NMs, On the contrary.

Well, this is one of the biggest issue the job faces. It has some great benefits, many of which are not fully acknowledged by the playerbase. But the carveat you mentioned ("especially if the party's mobile") is a big one. While great for delve NMs in the field, it is not so great in fractures done for plasm farming because the party often moves around a lot. It is not so great when leveling up in abyssea, either- good luck getting people to pull mobs to your auras.

[Quetzacoatl]

As I explained, I currently have significantly underleveled elemental and dark magic skill because I never played BLM and SCH's light/dark arts severely hampered skill up rates (but you never noticed the lack of skill because of their effects).

Ah, My derp. I must have not accounted your elemental as underleveled as well :x

Now I'm playing a job without these abilities, and the skills are going up at a rate slower than that of the speed at which a snail moves with its foot broken. Granted, this is not a problem for everybody, but it is a problem I face personally.

Are you using skill-up food to speed up the process? There's also that earring from a treasure chest in...I think it was Gustav? I can understand if no earring, but try some Pitarus.

But the carveat you mentioned ("especially if the party's mobile") is a big one. While great for delve NMs in the field, it is not so great in fractures done for plasm farming because the party often moves around a lot. It is not so great when leveling up in abyssea, either- good luck getting people to pull mobs to your auras.

Exactly, and GEO honestly needs a lot more flexibility to be able to considered a job to take along like COR, along with the ideas I had in the OP.

[Merton9999]

My skills are capped from other mage jobs but /SCH is required to sleep anything as well as -na spells if I dare to take the job to low-man stuff. I want a dark magic based sleep spell for GEO (sleepra?) to eliminate the /SCH requirement for sleep. I understand why GEO doesn't get native enfeebling skill. With that the single job could use /RDM to apply two slow or paralyze effects since the auras stack with the classic spells.

/RDM certainly helps with casting time as Indi and Geo spells don't benefit from arts. However I did finish all the Magian damage staves and once I hit 99 the combination of the -14% casting time from those and the -5% from Orvail pants make a great difference, not to mention the other generic FC AH gear. I've also enjoyed the FC augment from the acp body since 75. With those combined I'm actually fine with casting time. I wouldn't object to FC in the AF sets though!

I'd like a merit JA that allowed luopans to follow their target, and another to cast Indi spells on party members. The spell costs are problematic when not affecting several people. For use in low-man I'd like a JA that lowered the aura radius for a large drop in MP cost.

Edit: phone auto-correct was being dumb

[Alhanelem]

Are you using skill-up food to speed up the process? There's also that earring from a treasure chest in...I think it was Gustav? I can understand if no earring, but try some Pitarus.

The main difficulty here is needing to use the job (without dark arts) to get skill ups, but nobody wants you to use stuff that's that gimp (and it's embarassing)- since you have to fight appropriate level monsters to get skill ups.

- no flexibility in moveing/dynamic partys (luopans that dont follow mob/players, indi-spells not castable on other pt members)

I'd be fine with the way things are now in this area, provided that MP costs and casting times are reduced.

[JouriStarz]

The main difficulty here is needing to use the job (without dark arts) to get skill ups, but nobody wants you to use stuff that's that gimp (and it's embarassing)- since you have to fight appropriate level monsters to get skill ups.

There's always taking the time to skill up your skills before doing endgame related stuff.