Skillchains

[Invader]

I do hope they bring back the old days of setting up Skillchains i love this game for that alone the max team work that you got to have to pull it off just right!

Or a SAM >.>;b

[Kari]

Make skillchains actually do damage.
Pulling off a Darkness isn't worth it for 400 extra damage when I can pull off two worthwhile skillchains for 3k+ each.

[Septimus]

We’ve got some tidbits regarding some future updates to skillchains and magic bursts I’m sure you’ll find interesting.

As a future direction for skillchains, instead of adjusting them to be a simple source of damage, we’re planning to implement adjustments that will allow for more strategic usage options.

I think it goes without saying that the current battle style has changed drastically since the time when skillchains were first introduced. As a result of this, skillchains have become nigh unsuitable as a means for dealing massive damage and often occur now as an unintended accident. With that in mind we made sure to avoid “upgrading” skillchains so much that they became required to earn exp.

For this reason, we’re looking into reducing an enemy’s elemental resistance corresponding to the element of the skillchain used for the duration of the magic burst window. This change will make skillchains more versatile and usable during battles with notorious monsters.

Below is a basic overview:

Example 1: When executing a transfixion skillchain
Transfixion is a light-elemental based, so the monster’s resistance to spells related to light is lowered.

Example 2: When executing a light skillchain
Light is fire/wind/thunder/light-elemental based, so the monster’s resistance to spells related to fire, wind, thunder, and light are lowered.

Skillchains already increase the magic accuracy for spells of the elements of the skillchain, the elemental resistance reduction will have to be absolutely huge before anyone even thought to pay any attention to them. Instead of just having the resistance reduction (alliterations are amusing) last during the skillchain window, maybe have the effect last for a minute or so after the skillchain so that there is more of a purpose to the bonus. Maybe throw in some other bonuses like severely limiting a mob's TP gain after a skillchain; 20% for level 1, 35% for level 2, and 50% for level 3.

Skillchains are supposed to be one of the hallmarks of this game, making them just a smidge on the overpowered side would definitely not be a terrible thing.

[Kuvo]

I also miss the way of the old SC. I think they are on the right track but instead of just adding elemental down affects they really need to increase the amount of damage the SC actually does too. The MB was always a fun way for me (rdm and blm main jobs) to really have fun in a pty rather then just watch melee jobs communicate and own mobs with SCs.

[Teakwood]

This is probably the first time I've been dissapointed by a dev team response since the forums have opened. (Which, one has to admit, is a pretty good track record.) Leveling BLM to 75 in the "good" old days (good means terrible), the only thing that kept me focused on party play at all was coordinating the melees in the party, actually choosing a job to invite based on what skillchains could be made, and then magic bursting off of a skillchain and doing half the monster's health. When I got into endgame and the same story played out against sky gods, it kept me into the game even after BLM got shafted from ToAU (I hate soloing, effectively).

I wound up leveling Samurai as my first melee, although I never hit 75 with it, precisely because I loved coordinating my attacks with my party members' to form chains - I basically -still- fistpump a little bit every time I hear the delicious 'whoosh' of a Fusion chain. It's the crystallisation of the game's entire approach to battling - time your attacks, collaborate with your fellow party members, in order to perform something you couldn't do alone. (Let's pretend for the moment that you're not a Blue Mage, although the ability to self-renkei and then burst off of it is definitely one thing that drew me to the job.)

I've had my fingers crossed for a boost to skillchains in some fashion, and I've sighed a little every time one hasn't been forthcoming. There have been items and traits that boost SC damage and boost magic damage on a burst, yes, but the community will need a definite sign saying "you should use skillchains!" in order to break out of the TP-spam mentality of colibri burns and the ToAU era. There's really no reason, as has been mentioned, to use skillchains right now.

The correct answer to this is not to give up on skillchains and bursts as elements of the battle system! While I understand that certain suggestions (adding debuffs to skillchains, for example) would be brokenly powerful, and I appreciate the design difficulty of coming up with a solution that wouldn't force skillchain+burst use as the /only/ method of effectively fighting something (although this is, admittedly, the only part of sky god fighting I actually miss), and that also wouldn't cause the game to become much easier due to constant debilitating effects, I think this isn't enough.

Perhaps it could be made easier to successfully land a magic burst by extending the timing window after a SC lands? Even with the multifarious sources of fast cast currently given to Black Mage, it can be hard to land a burst on a SC even if you know it's coming if you're using a IV or V nuke. Additionally, perhaps after a magic burst has been successfully landed, it would -then- put a debuff on the mob corresponding to the magic burst. (For example, landing Blizzard V as a magic burst would, perhaps, paralyze the monster for a very short period of time, and then as an additional effect, cause the monster to become even weaker to Ice elemental attacks, extending the 'use' of the SC+MB past the brief period it was active.)

Essentially, you'd be boosting the effects of a successful magic burst in some way. This wouldn't unfairly advantage people who are able to spam TP moves (and really, who -can't-, given Abyssea at least?) to make many many skillchains, unless they had the spell power backing them up and working with them as a team to finish the collaboration. Moreover, it should be possible to balance this such that it is strong enough to encourage people to SC+MB on, say, moderately difficult NMs being low-manned, yet not so strong that it disadvantages parties with larger groups but somewhat less coordination.

Thanks for reading!

[kingfury]

For this reason, we’re looking into reducing an enemy’s elemental resistance corresponding to the element of the skillchain used for the duration of the magic burst window. This change will make skillchains more versatile and usable during battles with notorious monsters.

Below is a basic overview:

Example 1: When executing a transfixion skillchain
Transfixion is a light-elemental based, so the monster’s resistance to spells related to light is lowered.

Example 2: When executing a light skillchain
Light is fire/wind/thunder/light-elemental based, so the monster’s resistance to spells related to fire, wind, thunder, and light are lowered.

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Sounds cool, and I'm sure Nuker's all around will most likely be singing praise once they see the burst numbers lol.

I wanted to put in a bit more feedback in regards to another aspect of this new adjustment though if I may. There are so many cool elemental weapon skills to be used (especially on WAR), yet their damage potential leaves much to be desired even inside Abyssea (unless you're only building +Elemental ws dmg Atmas which would be a huge trade off against other damage boosting Atmas). As soon as I read "lowers elemental resistance" I got all excited lol, but my shoulders soon drooped in disappointment as it seems only the mage-folk will see the spoils from this adjustment. My suggestion would be along the lines of this:

So to bring this adjustment to even greater use amongst as many party members as possible, how about allowing a short window of opportunity after a skillchain has been created for a Drastic damage increase when using the corresponding elemental weapon skill (like from the current 200+ dmg to upwards 1500+ dmg). This would happen independently of the skillchain > magic burst process, but would allow even greater cooperation and planning among the other non-caster party members to stack even greater damage numbers. Not to mention it would greatly utilize the tremendous proficiency most every DD has gained in the art of using elemental weapon skills in our months of Abyssea adventures lol.

The window of damage boosting opportunity would be just as slim as the magic burst window, further prompting party attention and focus on creating time sensitive damage throughout the life of the party like the days of old. Perhaps even allowing multiple elemental weapons skills to be chained together so long as they are timed, and executed close enough together. All while wonderful magic burst are exploding on top of the targets head! ^^

I think the direction would open party play once again like never before Thanks for taking feedback on this /salute

[MrButter]

Perhaps lowering relevant stats related to the SC's element, like Liquefaction reducing the target's STR

[Karbuncle]

Skillchain Damage is fine i think, They basically add 50% more Damage, or Double your damage when you do one, They're already a very powerful thing to have.

I think a great boost would be: (outside of my previous post)

Increase the window in which Skillchains can be performed. I think this'll help the "I don't wanna store TP for SC" thing. Increase the window for Skillchains to ~15 Seconds. This will allow more free-usage of Skillchains without people blowing WS-Phase DMG off by storing TP.

This would help a lot, Perhaps extend the "Magic Burst' window as well.

[Jski]

Or a SAM >.>;b

Well any job can /sam and get the same effect if not better.
I realy do hope they make skillchains have a use i lived for skilchaining in exp pts back in the day. I remember tricking mages who played like bots into MB with my good friends hehe! This should bring back some skill to this game and the non "omg hit the butte harder" type game play.

[Totema]

Aye, this a good idea. More incentives for setting up skillchains! Team synergy!