Black Mage - Aspect Mastery

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Date & Time: Thursday July 18th, 2019 / 7am PDT
Frequency: All the time
World name: Goblin
Character name: Shurma Raha
Retainer name: N/A
NPC name: N/A
Monster name: Any
Class/Level: Black Mage 72
Party or solo: Party and Solo
In-game time: Any
Area and coordinates: Any
Housing: N/A
Steps:
1. Obtain 3 stacks of Umbral Ice III (Cast Blizzard 3)
2. Cast Flare [Costs me all MP] (Current Text of Aspect Mastery should be 0 MP cost for Flare)

Issue:
Aspect Mastery "Accumulating full stacks of either Astral Fire or Umbral Ice then casting a spell of the opposite element will consume no MP. "

The tooltip needs to be updated with something along the lines of "*With the exception of Flare" OR it should work as the text states and work with Flare.

You need Umbral Hearts to reduce the MP cost of Flare, so you should be using Blizzard IV. If it consumed no MP it would be very OP to use...

I disagree that it would be OP to use. It doesn't change the AoE rotation at all because of Umbral Heart. Enhanced Umbral Heart states that "Casting Flare completely removes the Umbral Heart status." Which means, I should lose all stacks of my Umbral Heart, even if it did cost me 0 MP. So, if Umbral Heart is working as expected, then what you assume to be OP is not OP. It would actually causing players to do less DPS for the lack of understanding their Job.

The *Only* reason it matters is for Single Target damage. If the Trait works as text states, a BLM would be casting Flare over Fire 3 for the increased 20 potency damage to the target. 1.7s over a 2.0s (Both under GCD, thus Flare would be the one to use)

Why would you be casting Flare on a single target at your level when Fire IV is more potent? Flare at higher levels is generally reserved for mobs/multiple targets.

If one does not understand the job then they can just ask, there are plenty of BLM players here in the forums that can help with anything that isn't clear.

You seem to be misunderstanding me. I am talking about casting Flare as your opening Fire attack (from Umbral Ice III) to gain 3 stacks of Astral Fire. I am not talking about using Flare over Fire IV.

Flare would in theory replace Fire III in the current rotation if the trait worked as stated in the text.

Fire III -> 240 Potency
Flare -> 260 Potency

Why would you open with Flare against a single target? Please explain this to me because you just wouldn't, at least i don't know anyone that does. Flare does not replace Fire III.

Here is a link you can read to learn BLM rotations.

http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...-BLM-senpai%21

The short answer, I don't use Umbral Hearts to extend my fire phase, thus if I use Flare to transition it will cause more damage.
As with all theory crafting, there isn't always 1 definitive rotation that is best.

There is no theory crafting here, at lvl 70+ (even 60+) you should be using Umbral Hearts, and be switching with Blizzard III/Fire III between transitions (or Transpose if necessary) for single targets, and Flare/Freeze for mobs. You can't aim for more damage with Flare alone when actually your biggest bursts come from Enochian spells.

Perhaps you used a job boost item to increase your BLM, but whether you did or didn't I would greatly recommend using the guides (others are online as well) as much as you can or even asking for assistance for anything you don't understand. Because if others catch on to what you are during in (high level) duties, don't be surprised if they call you out or even kick you from the party.

I'll agree that there is a single rotation that is best if you don't have to worry about mechanics.
Either way, what I posted still holds true; Aspect Mastery is either buged or has a tooltip error that needs corrected.

There is always theory crafting, if you want to think for yourself or not is completely up to you.

Shurma, I will support your report as a bug. I actually found this out myself earlier today and brought this to the attention of those on Novice Network. Many of the players there agreed that Flare should be able to be cast for free under full stacks of Umbral Ice due to Aspect Mastery. There are no exceptions listed under Aspect Mastery, Flare, or the Astral/Umbral effects that say it should function otherwise. However, let me make it clear how it should work just in case someone posts here without a full understanding of all things involved:

1.Flare is not a non-aspected spell. Flare, in its description, says that it does Fire aspected damage.
2.Flare has the added effect of getting rid of any stacks of Umbral Ice and giving you full stacks of Astral Fire.
3.Casting Flare while having Umbral Hearts reduces the mp cost of Flare by 1/3 and removes all Umbral Hearts. This is dealing with Umbral Hearts alone.
4.Aspect Mastery states that while you have full stacks of either Astral Fire or Umbral Ice, casting a spell with the opposite element will cost no mp.
5.Flare absolutely has an mp cost. It says 10,000 mp on the tooltip, which we know as all of our mp. What most people do not know, is that there is actually a minimum mp cost for the spell. You must have 1000 mp or more. Either way, Flare has an mp cost.

Now, let me state this case. Casting Blizzard 3, Freeze, or using Umbral Soul enough times will give you full stacks of Umbral Ice. I can cast Fire, Fire 2, and Fire 3 for free. They are all fire aspected spells, and I have confirmed their costing no mp under Aspect Mastery. However, if I have full stacks of Umbral Ice and then cast Flare, if I have any Umbral Hearts, Flare will cost 1/3 mp and remove my hearts. If I have no Umbral Hearts, it will cost all of my mp. The issue is not how Umbral Hearts affect Flare. The issue is how Aspect Mastery affects Flare. With no tooltip or anything to state Flare as an exception, Flare should, by all intents and purposes, under full Umbral Ice, COST NO MP. Period. Our rotations, or how anyone else feels how we should play the job is not an issue here. In fact, what anyone else here has to say in reference to how the job should be played or if something is OP or not is irrelevant. Those opinions belong on another thread. What IS relevant here, is the possible bug we have found. Nothing else.

I know that I said in my post below that opinions such as this belong somewhere else, but I will indulge you here. Being called out or kicked from a party is of no real threat, no real consequence. Players use that threat to hang above people's head like a shadow, expecting players to be fearful of it. I have been playing this game since 2011 and main black mage, and what I have learned is that threats like being kicked that are said are really of no real issue. Players said that to me about staying in tank stance as Dark Knight because they felt it was a dps loss to do so. Not only has it never stopped me from staying in Grit, but I have never once gotten kicked for it. No lie. And here, Yoshida has stopped issues like this simply by removing all dps stances from the game, period. You only have tank stance, and nothing else. You do the same damage either way, and you take the same damage either way. So, I say to you, Shurma, play however it is you wish to play. I say to you, Kurando, play however it is you wish to play. Kurando, you are an elitist, I get it. You believe that everyone should play like you or like another player(s), I get that. What I do not get, is the fact that you assume that anyone who does not do as you do, does not know how to play the game and/or their job. Shurma may understand just fine. I most certainly do understand Black Mage just fine after playing it for 8 years. It is alright to give advice as long as it is genuine. It is not, nor will I ever find it alright to use advice to belittle someone. And just know this, no matter who you are and what you are doing, there will always be someone better. You might play like crap to another person on the game. Striving to do better should be for one own's benefit, not for that of someone else's.

I've not once told OP they MUST do this or that, I've recommended they should be doing things as it's only to their benefit, and to consider using the guides. In the end they can do whatever they want.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JustinHiryu

. Striving to do better should be for one own's benefit, not for that of someone else's.

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If you hold back an entire party then it's not "one own's benefits", but you are effecting everyone else in your group. Whether you believe kicks are a threat or not, I encourage you to read the "Tales from the Duty Finder" thread that has over 300+ pages, you'll easily find stories there of players being kicked for disrupting others' parties because they are purposely making runs take longer as they do not fully utilize their job's toolkit.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kurando

I've not once told OP they MUST do this or that, I've recommended they should be doing things as it's only to their benefit, and to consider using the guides. In the end they can do whatever they want.

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I completely understand that you suggest I don't think for myself and take other people's experience as my own.

I posted here for a bug report, not a debate of if its wrong or right. My intent is to improve the game and make it friendly for players. If a new player is to pick up this game and comes across the same thing I did, they may be confused. I just want to clear up the ambiguity that Aspect Mastery has at this point.

This is my last comment on this, not getting in to it any further. Don't think it's a bug.

"The Elemental Gauge indicates whether you are under the effect of Astral Fire (after casting a Fire spell) or Umbral Ice (after casting a Blizzard spell). While under the effect of Astral Fire, all Fire spells will have increased potency, but require more MP to cast. "

It's specifically about spells that have "Fire" in their name (i.e. Fire, II/III/IV), not that all "Fire-damage" spells are effected, hence why Flare is not included as a free MP cost spell. Despair (at lvl 72), another Fire-damage spell that uses all MP like Flare also suffers from the same restriction.

Despair is restricted because it requires you to have Astral Fire to cast it.

Your Fire logic doesn't work the other way with Ice. Freeze is not a "Ice" named spell, but I can 0 cast it from Astral Fire.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kurando

I've not once told OP they MUST do this or that, I've recommended they should be doing things as it's only to their benefit, and to consider using the guides. In the end they can do whatever they want.



If you hold back an entire party then it's not "one own's benefits", but you are effecting everyone else in your group. Whether you believe kicks are a threat or not, I encourage you to read the "Tales from the Duty Finder" thread that has over 300+ pages, you'll easily find stories there of players being kicked for disrupting others' parties because they are purposely making runs take longer as they do not fully utilize their job's toolkit.

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Wanting to cast Flare for free so that I can cast Flare more often is a step toward utilization to Black Mage's toolkit. That is why we have posted this bug report so that it can get fixed. Nice try in you throwing your Tales from the Duty Finder example, however.

The thing is, by suggesting that I read Tales from the Duty Finder, is still giving me examples of how others think that I should play. That is a dog that will not hunt. I will play as I wish to play. I improve because I wish to improve for my own sake, not for the sake of other players. What you think, what you push, what you suggest, does not matter to my own will. This does not mean, however, that I will not take advice. If I deem that said advice will benefit me, it may be used. But, one's own improvement does not mean that they suck at the game. I do not need my hand held. I play completely fine. Shurma plays completely fine. You play completely fine. I will never disrespect how a person plays, but I will raise an alarm when people disrespect how people play when they think that their way is the only way or the best way. You can give advice to players, that is encouraged, but do not use that advice as a free pass to discourage or dispirit players. You can either accept the fact that not everyone plays the same, and deal with it, or not accept it, and either be upset, angry, or whatever you feel when you see someone do something that you do not approve of in their gameplay and make the game suck for yourself. I care not which you choose. I will continue to do as I see fit, when I see fit to. We all here, should play the game as we wish to play. Now, no doubt you will try to have some snide remark or last word to try to simply be mean or whatever. Let me save you the trouble of typing and say that, once again, I will do as I see fit with how I play. Accept it, deal with it, or not.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kurando

This is my last comment on this, not getting in to it any further. Don't think it's a bug.

"The Elemental Gauge indicates whether you are under the effect of Astral Fire (after casting a Fire spell) or Umbral Ice (after casting a Blizzard spell). While under the effect of Astral Fire, all Fire spells will have increased potency, but require more MP to cast. "

It's specifically about spells that have "Fire" in their name (i.e. Fire, II/III/IV), not that all "Fire-damage" spells are effected, hence why Flare is not included as a free MP cost spell. Despair (at lvl 72), another Fire-damage spell that uses all MP like Flare also suffers from the same restriction.

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Blizzard and Freeze do not have the word "ice" in their names. They are spells that do ice aspected damage, and can be actually cast for free due to the effect of Aspect Mastery under full stacks of Astral Fire. You are still believing that we do not know the effects of the spells. We do know. Our knowledge of the spells are only in question in your own mind, not in mine's and Shurma's. Aspect Mastery has no specifics on the direct names of spells. It simply states that a spell has to be of the opposite element of the stacks you have. Flare states that is does fire elemental damage of 260 potency. Fire, Fire 2, and Fire 3 also say that they deal fire elemental damage. I can cast those three spells for free due to the effect of Aspect Mastery under full stacks of Umbral Ice. Once again, the problem is that Flare, like Fire 1,2, and 3, state in its tooltip that it does fire elemental damage. Yet, it is not cast for free due to the effect of Aspect Mastery under full stacks of Umbral Ice. There is not anything, anywhere that states that Flare is the exception. That is why me and Shurma are here. That is why we think that it is either bugged, or missing the words to state that it is an exception.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Shurma

Despair is restricted because it requires you to have Astral Fire to cast it.

Your Fire logic doesn't work the other way with Ice. Freeze is not a "Ice" named spell, but I can 0 cast it from Astral Fire.

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Just like Blizzard 4 and Fire 4. They require a stack of either Astral or Umbral to cast. Despair is like Flare, however, in the fact that it will actually give you full stacks of Astral Fire upon its cast, where as Blizzard 4 and Fire 4 do not. Despair has much potential because of this.