When is better to AoE trash pulls?

Disregarding other factors like tank hate or if a specific target needs to die much faster than the others, and going off pure efficiency for the DPSer, generally its best to single target until 4 mobs as a physical DPS, at which once there's 4 mobs the damage/TP/time ratio makes AOE more efficient. For casters, its 3.

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Originally Posted by Simaril

I think I'll just have to start asking my goups what they want to do. Communication in DF groups is really poor :/

I guess at least now I know it may be worthwhile... I didn't think it would be worth asking my group unless I was sure it was a valid approach.

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AoE damage matters more with content beginning at Castrum Meridianum in my opinion, once you get to level 50 dungeons tanks can out gear the instance and that makes AoE trash killing much more effecient/possible. Even when I sync down to level 49 dungeons like Aurum Vale I revert back to sleeping and single target killing. Like you said it's probably best to ask the party what they want but my default stance would be to sleep until CM.

As for DoTing multiple targets it pays off nicely for BLM, you get more thunder proc's on top of the DoT so it's well worth doing, it's usually best if you're fighting about 1-4 targets and not sleeping them, any more than that, like in WP then you're better off going straight into AoE. If you're sleeping mobs then you'll be doing it for a reason, to cut down damage on the tank so I don't try to tag them with DoT first as sleeping mobs promtly is more important.

I usually just use a thunder>sleep on targets and then focus on one. Thing is from what i have seen so far is if i try to aoe groups of enemies i end up having all the agro and in turn have to start healing myself.
I know Archer you get an ability to reduce hate but have found leveling Archer very boring.
So 3 or more targets it is best to just aoe? Like say Ice2>Ice2>Fire3

1-3 mobs (single target rotation), 4 + (Aoe rotation)

When I play BLM, I always cast sleep on the mobs right after the pull, so it would reduce the damage on the tank and give healer some time to catch up the HP lose during the pull.