Dark Arts Adjustment

[Esp]

I am hoping this isn't the only adjustment they plan to make for DRK. While building MP isn't much of a issue, Dark Arts cooldown reduction won't really change a thing in either defensive or offensive capabilities. I would rather them look over our OT potential and see what adjustments they can do there. I don't see much of a change from being able to activate Dark Arts 2 more seconds eariler, especially if your pre-loading it before your required weaponskill/ability.

[Jpec07]

I could care less honestly. I am Talathion, who are you?

I'm Jpec07. I have two tanking mains at 60, linked to my account on the forum (and a WHM/SMN I haven't linked yet named Sh'mara Naham, in the same FC). I regularly tank Expert Roulette, Trial Roulette, 24-man raids, Main Scenario Roulette, and Alexander Gordias and Midas in an attempt to keep them geared. I just unlocked the Awoken Anima weapon on my main, because the grind hasn't seemed completely worthwhile to me until recently. I haven't had an opportunity to do Ex or Savage raiding, but my FC is building up to start recruiting soon, which hopefully means we'll be pushing the front line with the rest of them. I read these forums more than I probably should, and while I have crazy notions about Parry, I'll generally admit when I'm wrong, and don't try to obfuscate my identity.

Who are you, Talathion?

What we can see is that you're Therion Kator'to, the Scholar who is still only wearing Eso gear.

Also, this has nothing to do with the thread. Stay on topic please. :P

Oh but it most certainly does have to do with this thread. You're naysaying the changes based upon your "own experiences," but so far as any of us can tell, those experiences are not actually yours. So you're basing your stance on the matter at hand on what seems to be, by all accounts, either a fabrication or a delusion.

Regardless of your experience, though, and whether or not you are who and what you say you are, you have failed to address any of my later points, which dismantle your notion that Dark Arts ought to be avoided.

EDIT:

Also, I read Japanese forums. They all say the same thing; MP cost is too much. So please; don't troll and assume things either person. THANK You.

If this is so, would you mind linking to a few such comments and threads? Google translate is pretty crappy, but at least it can help get the gist of what's being said.

[InfiniDragon]

I am hoping this isn't the only adjustment they plan to make for DRK. While building MP isn't much of a issue, Dark Arts cooldown reduction won't really change a thing in either defensive or offensive capabilities. I would rather them look over our OT potential and see what adjustments they can do there. I don't see much of a change from being able to activate Dark Arts 2 more seconds eariler, especially if your pre-loading it before your required weaponskill/ability.

The only real PvE change I can see from this is you may have enough time to fire off constant DAAD, provided you pre-load the first DA and have a ton of MP coming in from Blood Price. Apart from that, unless they're also adjusting the MP cost it won't be a super big change.

[Falar]

At least this will make it easier to pull of DA-CnS DA-SE combos when you have the MP for it. I mean, its possible now if you prep DA early enough but with a lot of stuff going on I mess up the timing a lot.

[Violette]

As noted, this change is an improvement to AOE SUSTAIN in pve mostly.

And it's a SLIGHT improvement to MT situations where you have enough mana that you can sustain your DPS while using boosted DEFENSIVE cooldowns.

For OT and PVE it's not an improvement in OVERALL dps, but allows for centralizing potential burst via DACNS-DASE.

In the end I'd have preferred a decrease in cost as opposed to a cooldown reduction, but you gotta take what you get sometimes.

[Starbirth]

I'd have preferred a decrease in cost as opposed to a cooldown reduction, but you gotta take what you get sometimes.

That's exactly what they should have done. I feel this is just Yoshi trolling.

[Jim_Berry]

Wow, this makes me glad I am still playing and switched to Warrior. Does he know how much Dark Arts costs? You can't even use 99% of your abilities with DA because its not worth the costs. Dark Arts and Darkside just EAT your mana away.

This changes nothing honestly.

The only way I can see this working is if Blood Weapon got a reduced CD and was useful in Grit and up all the time.

I used to feel that way, but I had to constantly play DRK in order to utilize Dark Arts with other abilities effectively. As an OT, I keep a lot of MP to almost always spam Dark Arts. As an MT, I rely heavily on Blood Price and Soul Siphon for MP regen, while Carve and Spit for those "oh crap I need a little MP" moments.

[Falar]

The only time Carve and Spit should ever be used without DA for the MP gain is when you are pulling trash. When MTing a boss every Carve and Spit should be with DA immediately.

[SpookyGhost]

Pretty sure this is entirely intended to be a PVP specific change but was also added to PVE as they couldn't come up with a way around it and it didn't dramatically shift anything DRK-related in PVE anyway. 3s is good, it means your next DA will be up sooner in the GCD. I always found it a bit frustrating that DA would always come up at the tail end of my GCD and this sort of alleviates that slightly (though it can still happen). DRK also doesn't really need a DPS buff in PVE... it's more than capable of pulling high numbers. Reprisal, DA + DM, and Delirium (with no MNK, and in some cases even with MNK) are very valuable things to bring to the raid if utilized correctly. I think, moving forward, we could see some issues arise with DRK depending on how the raids are made but for now there's really no need for adjustments. Obviously the DRK + PLD thing needs looking into as a viable tanking composition, but that's for another patch (though hopefully sooner rather than later).

[Februs]

it didn't dramatically shift anything DRK-related in PVE anyway. 3s is good, it means your next DA will be up sooner in the GCD. I always found it a bit frustrating that DA would always come up at the tail end of my GCD and this sort of alleviates that slightly (though it can still happen). DRK also doesn't really need a DPS buff in PVE... it's more than capable of pulling high numbers.

I agree. Personally, I can't say that I've ever felt like I wasn't doing enough damage as a Drk; though, there have been times in which the CD didn't quite line up as well as I would have liked. 3 seconds should alleviate that problem, so long as I don't use it more times than I should.

I also would have been more concerned for the current Tank balance if this did result in a straight Dps increase, specifically that between Pld and Drk. It's bad enough that they compete for the second tank spot as it is. Throwing additional Dps onto Drk, which already excels at MT dps in the first place, would only drive that wedge in deeper, as Pld's would be left even further behind than they already are. They do have more utility, obviously, but that's not necessarily competitive. There's a limit to how much additional utility is actually needed or even used in a party, but there's no limit to the value on additional Dps, hence Wars' undisputed hold on the OT position when placed with anything other than another War.