FFXI Job Direction?? Dev Team, Please Respond.

[Sparthos]

Mobs in Abyssea dont need debuffs, Cure IV isnt going to keep up with AOEs/high HP pools and Refresh/Buffs being self-contained makes a support line a joke.

RDM nuking means nothing as you don't have all the trigs and damage is in no short supply. In Abyssea, RDM brings nothing to the table.

The only reason why RDM made all the parties back when was due to a support line being needed to keep MP going, debuffs were critical when wiping actually meant wiping and Cure IV was pretty much enough to keep DD up.

SE gave away all the tools that made certain jobs desirable through Atma so is it no surprise BRD/COR/RDM popularity has tanked.

[Return1]

Cry me a river.

The only problems RDM has are the people playing it.

[Neisan_Quetz]

I would say it's that being a generalist job is looked unfavourably upon in MMO settings (no one wants a job that can do a lot of things but not very well) but Rdm is still in a better position than most other generalist jobs that I can think of.

EDIT: NVM, just saw it happened late last year as well.

[Alhanelem]

the Hastega was inferior

the Hastega was inferior, but now it's superior. Hastes everyone at once for the same effect as the haste spell, and it lasts longer.

SYNTAX ERROR: Avatar Favors + Offensive Bloodpacts, does not compute.

The effect of avatar's favor on blood pacts, especially physical ones, is very minor. They are still completely useable.

[Neisan_Quetz]

It's minor on physical bloodpacts because Avatar Attack is either very high or capped with only 1-2 pieces of gear, possibly 3 with Favor up, -20 MAB is horrible for damage, especially for damage that's stuck on a 45 second timer at best.

[Alhanelem]

No, its just a few points of physical attack doesn't matter much at all, while a few points of MAB does matter measurably.

[Malacite]

Well, for starters they could maybe allow Avatar's favor to work on the freaking avatars themselves and not just the PT. Removing the 15% damage penalty would be nice too, since they're gimp enough as it is (I still think that was an unnecessary and back-handed drawback they put into that ability)

And BPs DO suck for damage, even the 70's unless you're inside abyssea and even then it's irrelevant - The whole big draw to them prior was because you could deal 1k+ damage to things like Kirin and not eat dirt because of it. Well, Abyssea kinda throws the whole notion of consequences out the window for the most part. Between Infinite-MP WHM's with Cure 6 and obscenely powerful weaponskills like Ukon's Fury, there's not much point to having a SMN around for damage.

And lord knows as others have pointed out, it's not good for much else anymore. Just about every buff a SMN can provide, other jobs can as well and in some cases they do it better. The only real reason to have a SMN around right now is for Voidwatch, and even that is totally random as it gives you absolutely no clue what pacts to use, and with a 1 minute timer it can get rather hectic.


A good start for fixing SMN would be something that players have been asking for since the game came first came out, which is individual timers for each blood pact.

[Damane]

Well, for starters they could maybe allow Avatar's favor to work on the freaking avatars themselves and not just the PT. Removing the 15% damage penalty would be nice too, since they're gimp enough as it is (I still think that was an unnecessary and back-handed drawback they put into that ability)

And BPs DO suck for damage, even the 70's unless you're inside abyssea and even then it's irrelevant - The whole big draw to them prior was because you could deal 1k+ damage to things like Kirin and not eat dirt because of it. Well, Abyssea kinda throws the whole notion of consequences out the window for the most part. Between Infinite-MP WHM's with Cure 6 and obscenely powerful weaponskills like Ukon's Fury, there's not much point to having a SMN around for damage.

And lord knows as others have pointed out, it's not good for much else anymore. Just about every buff a SMN can provide, other jobs can as well and in some cases they do it better. The only real reason to have a SMN around right now is for Voidwatch, and even that is totally random as it gives you absolutely no clue what pacts to use, and with a 1 minute timer it can get rather hectic.


A good start for fixing SMN would be something that players have been asking for since the game came first came out, which is individual timers for each blood pact.

Go try Voidwatch. You will want SMN or RNGs as the prime Damage tools on thosw fight (especially on higher Tiers).

Besides Avatar's Favor has some really nice buffs for melees in store outside of abyssea, and SMN can easy reach teh 50% cure potency cap makeing them also an excellent healer outside of abyssea, playing a hybrid healer/buff role in a melee pt is not farfetched and could work, if that damn Avatar favor would have a great reach effect then 10' ¬.¬

[Seriha]

I want to hear complains from well-geared melee RDMs, not the scrubs who think a sword and and maybe a few pieces of melee gear make a melee RDM. No, Enspells do not close that gap. But 99% of the time, it's the woefully ignorant who slap on a Joyeuse and engage in full mage gear.

You're looking at one, not that I trust you to really care to. Prior to the cap increases, I pretty much had all there was to offer for the job, and in terms of the melee game, that hasn't changed all that much. I've also got plenty of other dedicated DDs leveled and have no difficulty distinguishing the strengths between the jobs, nor will I sit here and demand someone have a level 90 Empyrean just to enter the conversation. Like it or not, there are levels before that. Like it or not, setting atma to devote yourself to melee will be depriving you of the more mage-y atmas that, even now, can't guarantee a RDM a spot in a party if a leader has a choice over a WHM or BLM. And we all know the moment a RDM starts slacking at their "mage duties," you and everyone else so vehemently against the notion will throw some form of hissyfit by picking a fight, kicking them, and/or taking some kind of screenshot and running off to BG with it like it makes you a pro. So, if you wanna tell people to stop talking strawman, than stop talking like every RDM is meleeing in full errant and that Abyssea is forever.

[Eeek]

Oh geez, where to start.

I pretty much had all there was to offer for the job, and in terms of the melee game, that hasn't changed all that much.

POIDH.

I'm also shocked that you're so blase about RDM's access to a WS as powerful as Chant du Cygne. Nothing's "changed all that much"? It's quite the opposite. Chant du Cygne is on par with the most powerful Empyrean weaponskills like Victory Smite and Blade: Hi (among others). A MNK or a NIN without access to their Empyrean weaponskill via a WoE Empyrean or Full Empyrean is simply subpar, and it's no different for RDMs serious about their DDing.

Also, new r/ex gear such as Zelus Tiara (+8% Haste) or Calmecac Trousers (+3% Haste/+2% DA/+2% TA ... and it's not a drop from Proto-Ultima or a mission reward from ASA) are not big improvements for serious melee RDMs?

nor will I sit here and demand someone have a level 90 Empyrean just to enter the conversation.

Sorry, but that's the way it's always been for the 'weaker' DDs. They simply have to work harder to compete, and it's not unreasonable for them to need a WoE or Full Empyrean to enter into the equation. DDs have never been on equal ground.

can't guarantee a RDM a spot in a party if a leader has a choice over a WHM or BLM.

My RDM, from 49-90+, always received fast invites for Abyssea exp. Leaders like me because I don't suck. I can heal better than most WHMs simply because I pay attention, and DDs love me because I keep every single DD in the ally hasted (it's just that important). I can nuke and crowd-control better than most BLMs simply because I pay attention, infuse the right Atma for the job (if I'm taking on that role), and I use proper Enfeebling and Nuking gear (it helps that I played BLM for years before leveling RDM).

And we all know the moment a RDM starts slacking at their "mage duties," you and everyone else so vehemently against the notion will throw some form of hissyfit by picking a fight, kicking them, and/or taking some kind of screenshot and running off to BG with it like it makes you a pro.

Don't want to be kicked from an Abyssea group? Suck Less, pay attention, and adjust your playstyle to address the needs of the party/alliance. I've never been bored enough to pull out a sword (even though it's fully capped and merited) because I can analyze a given situation and adjust my mage play to further complement and strengthen my party/alliance. Not everything demands the full healing or nuking power of WHM and BLM respectively, and RDM can adjust its approach to make kills faster and smoother. RDM is very powerful in the right hands.

Also, no one gets kicked from Abyssea exp groups these days, not that I've seen since no one seems to care, and I can't recall anyone being kicked from +1 seal NM groups. Even the people who really deserve it like full Aurore THFs, NINs, BLUs, DNCs, or BSTs (I kid you not, I've seen more than one full Aurore BST -.-).

stop talking like ... Abyssea is forever.

Actually, I'm on record as saying the exact opposite.

stop talking like every RDM is meleeing in full errant

But that's exactly what happens, although these days it's full Teal instead of full Errant. Or another smattering of decidedly non-melee gear.

On another note, you can't hide behind Guru status here. You can and will be called out when you're off-base, and if you're smart, you'll see it as an opportunity to reconsider your stances or learn something.

EDIT: Haha, I shouldn't have bothered to reply. Greatguardian nailed it again, and in far fewer words than I used. I tip my hat to you, good sir.