I've played the job since USA launch and it's always been my main but I think currently I have less of an MP problem than I did in the past.
With the increased Elemental Magic skill due to higher levels and gear with more readily available INT our DoT spells (Burn et al) are actually a much more viable source of damage than they were before. With 150 INT each spell does -5 hp/tick. That's -15 hp/tick. It helps a lot on NM's - even in Abyssea when low-manning. As far as I know there isn't a discovered higher tier of damage for more than 150 INT but I would guess there is, or will be. Stack this with Poison II's -10 (also lands more readily now) and Bio II's -8 and you have a good DoT of -33hp. I know it doesn't seem like much but it's cheap MP damage. -13INT on the monster can increase your nukes considerably as well. In the time it takes to get your Blizzard V off, the DoT's have done around 100 damage and will increase your nuke by about 100 damage as well, sometimes more depending on monster (if you use the burn stack).
I generally run out of MP just in time for a new convert. Sometimes I don't even get to do that if I have a WHM in the party.
I don't think the answer to "fixing" the MP issue some of you are experiencing is to give more MP or native Refresh but rather looking to the older spells we don't use so much instead of focusing only on the new goodies SE gives us.

Reply With Quote