PVP!

[Harukusan]

You're welcome to your opinion, but that doesn't make it correct. Let me guess, you play BLU in ballista? >.>

(Pre-cap rise): Disseverment- if this doesn't kill you instantly, the high damaging poison will. Easily the worst spell in PvP <=75.
Post cap rise: Several new spells that are all considerably stronger than Disseverment will kick your butt.

The only thing limiting these most powerful spells is short range (which is longer in ballista); The BLU spells do not seem to be affected much by the global damage reduction in PvP, either. This might just be a bug that's never been addressed, but it's a problem either way. BLUs are quite squishy, but they have accesss to a wide array of buffs that help cover that weakness.

SAMs )especially with RNG sub) are pretty tough customers too, but they are somewhat balanced by having no area effect or multi-hit attacks, so anyone with shadows (be it 60 cap or otherwise) has some defense. RNG/SAM is just about as strong.

SMN: Very, very weak until lv65 except for 2hour, so horrible for 60 cap. Merit pacts ignore shadows so SMN becomes quite good at 75+ ballista. BLUs and Tachi:Gekko are your worst nightmare though. Sleeping summons is very frustrating with the Smelling Salts being rather rare and the only way to wake them up, usually forcing you to resummon.

PUP used to be very probelmatic because killing the automaton was so crippling; but Deus-ex automata takes care of that problem and with the skill upgrade, PUP now performs very well in ballista, being able to fight without fear of losing the automaton for a third of the match.

I find this to be a large sum of your opinion, mixed with few actual facts, scrambled up and making no point at all.

First of all, the thing about BLU: I still believe people give them too much credit for how easy it is to actually NOT die from them. If you get 1-shot by a BLU then you are beyond the worst player, because no one should die in one spell. I'm a Taru, and I often find it takes 3 to 4 spells unbuffed, depending how good the BLU is, to kill me. In the amount of time it takes this BLU to mash their buttons I have several options I can choose to turn this situation around, all vary by different jobs. If I'm on DRK or SAM, my primary option would be to not run away, but face them and spew my TP on them instantly, preventing them from attacking me at all and sending them off with their tails between their legs. In the case they are subbing NIN, it's not very hard to wipe shadows... Weapon Bash > Poisonga > Guillotine. (Sorry I use DRK as a reference a lot, it's the job I have most experience on in Ballista, but not the only job). Simple strategy, I know, but it usually gets the job done. Also, Urteil has mentioned a few times that his main job is also DRK.

It has been brought up several times before on this thread that no job is overpowered in Ballista. There IS a balance that no one cares to look into, with all the options for gear you can use, and so many truly experienced Ballista players to reference for info, this should be no secret. People can take a job like SMN or PUP for granted and call them weak, but only because some jerkass BLU thinks it's funny to run up behind and Disseverment you all the time, or because SAM almost always has TP, peoples' first thought is to be afraid and avoid them. Their disadvantage is being predictable. Before they even get to you, you should be aware of what they are planning to do, it's ridiculously easy. I can't find the right words to explain anyone's ignorance when they jump to such conclusions that they are "over-powered." Have you ever tried I mean actually tried thinking of other ways to turn the tide of the "over-powered jobs" and demoralize them a bit?

Ballista is about strategy, you can't just go in without one and expect to win. Likewise, you can't expect to have fun when you get steamrolled because you were unprepared. This is what turns most people off from Ballista. Don't blame the game, there is nothing wrong with it. The problem is you.

[Alhanelem]

Ballista is about strategy, you can't just go in without one and expect to win

Of course, no one's disputing that. But there's an imbalance in blu because it gets a such a wide array of stuff and there's something awesome in all of it.

If BLU had the raw damage of its best attack spells but had no buffs or healing ability, it would depend more on others. But BLU has good self heals, a wide range of support spells, AND some of the most powerful magic in the game that also often takes no more than 2-3 seconds to cast.

The problem is you.

There's no problem with me. There IS an imbalance here. Even with two solidly, intelligetnly built parties, if one has a blu and the other one doesn't, unless the blue is incompetent the team with the BLU will win far more often than the other team. I've seen it time and time again through hundreds of ballista matches. The BLUs virtually always have the highest ballista point totals after a match as well.

It has been brought up several times before on this thread that no job is overpowered in Ballista.

I haven't seen "several" times, but any number of times it being said doesn't mean it's true.

Just because there are ways of dealing with something, it doesn't mean there's an imbalance. it its *more difficult* on average to counter a BLU than it is to counter most other jobs. It doesn't mean you CAN'T counter it, but it requires more skill and effort on the non BLU's part. That's when you can identify an imbalance. Something doesn't have to be unbeatable to be imbalanced. It's not a crippling, staggering imbalance, but it's enough of a problem to notice.

If you get 1-shot by a BLU then you are beyond the worst player, because no one should die in one spell.

Absolutely completely wrong. Many people get oneshotted or nearly oneshotted by certain blu spells, and it hass nothing to do with how good a player they are. If you get hit with it, you're going down. If you took more than 2 spells from a BLU, either they weren't attack spells, or if they were, none of them were Disseverment, or the BLU was intentionally gimping their damage capability; thus I call BS on your claim. The only thing you can do is not be in casting range. All melee are at a disadvantage as a result- even if you have a stun weaponskill or something, the BLU will get his spell off before you can hit him. You absolutely must have sleepga support, and hope the BLU doesn't have a poison potion on.

Sure, you can probably take several spells on PLD, or MNK or NIN. but if you're on a squishier job, there's no helping getting owned by one or two spells. I also play mostly squishy jobs, so I have to depend on party roles to get an edge, and that's not always enough.

[Tsukino_Kaji]

There doesn't need to be balance in PVP, it's not a game mechanic.

[Alhanelem]

There doesn't need to be balance in PVP, it's not a game mechanic.

What you just said makes absolutely no sense.

[Urteil]

You're welcome to your opinion, but that doesn't make it correct. Let me guess, you play BLU in ballista? >.>

(Pre-cap rise): Disseverment- if this doesn't kill you instantly, the high damaging poison will. Easily the worst spell in PvP <=75.
Post cap rise: Several new spells that are all considerably stronger than Disseverment will kick your butt.

The only thing limiting these most powerful spells is short range (which is longer in ballista); The BLU spells do not seem to be affected much by the global damage reduction in PvP, either. This might just be a bug that's never been addressed, but it's a problem either way. BLUs are quite squishy, but they have accesss to a wide array of buffs that help cover that weakness.

SAMs )especially with RNG sub) are pretty tough customers too, but they are somewhat balanced by having no area effect or multi-hit attacks, so anyone with shadows (be it 60 cap or otherwise) has some defense. RNG/SAM is just about as strong.

SMN: Very, very weak until lv65 except for 2hour, so horrible for 60 cap. Merit pacts ignore shadows so SMN becomes quite good at 75+ ballista. BLUs and Tachi:Gekko are your worst nightmare though. Sleeping summons is very frustrating with the Smelling Salts being rather rare and the only way to wake them up, usually forcing you to resummon.

PUP used to be very probelmatic because killing the automaton was so crippling; but Deus-ex automata takes care of that problem and with the skill upgrade, PUP now performs very well in ballista, being able to fight without fear of losing the automaton for a third of the match.

I play Dark Knight, and only Dark Knight, and at the max level range whether it was 75,80,85 and now 90.

If you're getting hit by Blue magic without being slept, or bound. You are doing it wrong.

I employ 38% PDT with a magian 2-4 Scythe versus Blue Mages, or if I (rarley) feel the need I bump it up to 50% with a Magian Earth scythe and switch the slots around. Dying quickly is.... quickly a thing of the past even if you mess up your movement pattern and stay too long in the short fatal casting range that is a severe weakness of a Blue Mage's physical spells, well who's fault is that.

Melee range is far longer in Ballista, much longer. There are no modifications to casting distance which is 20'. I do not see or notice a modification for the casting of Blue Magic spells that is any different from outside.

Blue Mage requires the most strategy, especially the nefarious BLU/SCH, and it goes far beyond that tiny tidbit but nobody wants to read a wall of text. Feel free to PM me though.

[Urteil]

There doesn't need to be balance in PVP, it's not a game mechanic.

Come again?

[Alhanelem]

If you're getting hit by Blue magic without being slept, or bound. You are doing it wrong.

No, you're not. It's extremely easy to get hit by blue magic even without being immbilized.

Unless you're already running away (and people love to whine if you run), you will get hit by most physical spells.

[Urteil]

No, you're not. It's extremely easy to get hit by blue magic even without being immbilized.

Unless you're already running away (and people love to whine if you run), you will get hit by most physical spells.

Okay, then you are doing it wrong, its easy to hit you without being immobilized. If you come to Phoenix once the apocalypse is over I'll be more than happy to teach you how.

If you are in melee range within 5-7 yalms and smacking somebody with a close range weapon. It is impossible to run away and both melee someone. Monks reverse guard, and their are ways to inhibit movement and increase it.

Running away is when somebody leaves the engagement range, when you forcibly sheathe your weapon while staring at their backside.

So let them whine, they are playing blue mage, and have bind, gravity, and both elemental forms of sleep. In AoE and single target flavors. Maybe they should learn how to use the arrow keys on their keyboard before worrying about PvP.

[Alhanelem]

Okay, then you are doing it wrong, its easy to hit you without being immobilized.

Therefore I'm not "doing it wrong" ? You're right, it is easy to hit people without them being immobilized. That's one of the things that makes BLU strong.

If you are in melee range within 5-7 yalms and smacking somebody with a close range weapon. It is impossible to run away and both melee someone.

Exactly the problem. But if you are a melee and you run away, you can't get TP to weapon skill, unless you're SAM or /SAM or you're DNC.

Running away is when somebody leaves the engagement range, when you forcibly sheathe your weapon while staring at their backside.

Running away is running away. There's no funny fancy definition. Nobody likes it when you fidget around turn and run, even if it's not out of engagement range.

Fidgeting and breaking target lock and running through the guy are "legal" tactics, but it just drives people crazy and then they don't want ot play anymore. I've had a fair few people stop doing ballista because they couldn't stand me and other people doing that. Seperate issue from balance, of course, but worth mentioning.

[Mordanthos]

Man PVP is a stupid idea for this title. Look at the problems u have when ur riding an enemies ass while they are moving,and the game still tells you they are too far away even though you are thoroughly humping them. Melee jobs would be at a huge disadvantage, easily being killed by an annoying lil bastard who just keeps moving and putting a dot on them or some crap. PVP bad idea for FF, dont improve on PVP, make PVP go away completely. There is no way to balance PVP in this type of game, NINJA would beat everything with shadows, and everyone and there mother would PVP ninja sub so no one dies anyways. Or the above problem happens where melee are riding a characters ass but its telling them they are too far away. I vote NO