Quote Originally Posted by Akihiko_Matsui View Post
Hail, adventurers! Matsui here with an update for you.

I would like to inform you that, based on your feedback, we have begun to consider balance adjustments for melee jobs, specifically the thief and samurai, in the March version update.

We are currently looking at adjusting balance in the following two ways:



I would like to share with you the thought process behind these adjustments.
  • The addition of Ardor
    In our preview of job adjustments several days prior, we made mention of a new magic spell known as “Ardor.” We elected to add this spell in order to decrease the gaps in damage dealt between the various melee jobs.

    As noted in that topic, Ardor increases skillchain damage based on the number of successful melee hits up until the time the weapon skill is activated.

    Jobs that often go for long periods of time without using weapon skills will receive stronger bonuses, thereby decreasing the damage gap that currently exists.
  • The adjustment of certain dagger weapon skills
    One topic keeps popping up where we hear players discussing the thief: skillchain damage when using weapon skills with Sneak Attack and Trick Attack.

    These skills are particularly effective in content such as Wanted battles, where it‘s possible for thieves to accumulate TP in advance and when combat ends in a short period of time, but we believe that this is one of the job’s strengths.

    Not all content enables players to accumulate TP in advance the way Wanted battles do, and other melee classes are competitive with thieves in extended combat scenarios.

    As such, we wish to avoid adjusting Sneak Attack and Trick Attack, as doing so would be tantamount to destroying part of the thief job’s identity.

    However, in its current state thief damage output is on par with or even surpasses that of other melee jobs even in long duration combat, and upon looking at melee jobs as a whole, we cannot deny that thieves are located at the top of the charts in a wide variety of content.

    Ardor has an incredibly strong synergy with thieves, who autoattack quite frequently, and thus we expect that their skillchain damage would increase to numbers even higher than they currently are. As such, we believe it necessary to somewhat reduce the potency or certain dagger weaponskills in order to maintain balance with other jobs.

    We are currently considering adjusting the following four weaponskills.



    These adjustments are meant to normalize damage between melee jobs, and there are some adjustments that can be viewed as nerfs when taken on the individual job level, so we wished to communicate these details to you in advance as we continue to thoroughly discuss this matter.

hello I like to share this video with Akihiko_Matsui, Dev team and all FFXI community. This is not my video but i found them in youtube. Since akihiko matsui take people opinion about thief seriously than maybe these video will open his eye more.


Kamihr Drifts Delve 1-5 + Utkux 8-18-2014[/B]

18-22 minute Clear 6/6 SAM, MNK, BRD, COR, BLM, WHM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcUlB5f_ELw


I don't think a Thief can clear that in a short amount of time.


Yorcia Weald Delve 1 - 5 + Wopket 6-20-2014

Clear 20 minute 4/6 SAM, BRD, WHM, WHM


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_60Fermz30


As you can see in that video SAM is extremely good. Fudo, Fudo, Fudo spam seems to be a lot better than THF. So if a THF can do that in less than 20 minute than please do and Nerf it but I highly doubt it.

Japanese group SAM, DRK, SCH, BRD, COR, WHM clear that in less than 15 minute but don't have links since maybe it was taken down. :/



Now for the best video in the internet have to offer! =)


Delve Yorcia Weald 1-5 + Wopket 3-14-2015

Clear less than 12 minute. 4/6 SMN, GEO, RDM, RUN


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvqyMyZM1qY


Thank you for the recent update February because some job do amazing things. Mythic Geo and Mythic SMN you gonna love them.

Since job like RNG, DRG, THF, DNC share Piercing and they nerf Thief so I guess that means RNG and DRG will be at the top dmg of the list. PUP and BST recently got an update and no one knows how strong those job are but I'm sure they are better than a thief in Solo. It's true that a THF does do really well in wanted battle but those are 15 minute timer to kill an NM. The question I have for the dev team is can a THF or DNC clear the new delve content in that amount of time less than 20 minute?