New difficult content coming -- brutal programming going to rear its ugly head again

[Zaft]

Try casting Adloquium right before a mountain buster or Succor right before a Geocrush. You need to cast them 2-3 seconds before the actual ability hits or it won't absorb.

Not really. Here's how it works.

PLAYER spells such as Adloquium or Stoneskin are calculated as being in effect generally when their animation ends. Same with Benediction or Hallowed Ground.

However, ENEMY spells are calculated THE MOMENT the spell reaches 100%, but the damage is not SHOWN until the animation of the enemy attack finishes. That means that even if my Adloquium goes off before Death Sentence reaches 100%, if that animation does not finish before it reaches 100%, it will not absorb the damage.

So, some short examples:

Cast Adloquium before 100%, animation finishes AFTER 100%, you take full damage, but damage will be shown AFTER you gain the effect of Galvanize (enemy damage was calculated BEFORE Galvanize was applied).
Cast Adloquium before 100%, animation finishes BEFORE 100%, you take decreased damage (enemy damage was calculated AFTER Galvanize was applied).
Cast Hallowed Ground before 100%, animation finishes AFTER 100%, I still take damage, even though it shows Hallowed Ground is in effect (enemy damage was calculated BEFORE Hallowed Ground resolved).

etc.

Yes it's stupid. But you just need to get used too it for now, because that's how it's designed. Hope that helps.