A samurai idea : going backwards

[Reynhart]

We all hope to see a Samurai in the next expansion...ok, maybe not all, but at least some of us. And I'd personally love to see it as a DPS, since DRK has supposedly taken its place as a tank.

But what gameplay could he have to make it stand out from MNK, DRG and NIN ?

I present you : The reverse combo.

Until now, each job starts learning its skills by its combo opener, the weakest attack, and slowly moves towards several finishers to unleash really big blows.
What if SAM could do this backwards ? Learning its finisher first and, as it slowly gains levels, learn several weapon skills that would enhance its finisher.

For example (And I'll use FFXI names just for the sake of naming) : You could learn Tachi: Enpi first as a WS with 150 potency.
After several levels, you can learn Tachi: Goten, that adds 100 potency to your next Tachi: Enpi, and further away, Tachi: Yukikaze, who makes your next Tachi: Enpi increase your damage by 20% for 20s.
You could add a DoT bonus, a leech effect, a slow effect, pretty much anything you want to make SAM stand out...but restrict the number of effect you can have at the same time by a trait with different tier (Like Astral Fire/Umbral Ice or Aetherflow).

And, at level 50, you could learn the ultimate skill which would allow you to stack as many different bonuses as you want for a few seconds.

[Ragology]

I'm a bit lost.

Could you repeat your "Tachi" skill chain example but use Heavy swing, Skull sunder and butchers block so that it's easier for me to follow you?

[ADVSS]

im guessing these work like mudras without the bunny effect? im thinking how dark arts is used except you have several different dark arts buttons to change the effect of the non combo only attack it has?

[Reynhart]

Could you repeat your "Tachi" skill chain example but use Heavy swing, Skull sunder and butchers block so that it's easier for me to follow you?

Instead of having Heavy Swing > Skull Sunder > Butcher's Block, you'll learn BB first, then Heavy Swing then Skull Sunder.

Heavy Swing could have the effect of adding +100 potency to BB, Skull Sunder could add a DoT effect on BB, Maim could add a +20% damage increase for 20% to BB, etc...
This way, you would decide what buffs you'll stack, and apply them all at once each time you use BB. And you'd be restricted to the number of buffs you can stack, depending on a trait.

[Venur]

IMO with samuraï it could be the right time to implent unic resource. Samuraï could use skill that generate "chi" then spend it. Could also be something like energy on WoW rogue and SWtOR sorcerer. You start fight with 100 energy, some skill use TP some other use energy and the bar fill up itself at a fixed rate.

But sadly I don't remember any samuraï class in the FF franchise (I haven't played them all too). Anyone may point me one ?

[Ashelia_Ferron]

The thing is, this would only make them "different" while leveling.

Once you learn every skill, the uniqueness of this "reverse combo" goes straight out the window

[ADVSS]

IDK I could see this working making samurai THE skill based tank/dps. Meaning instead of relying on cooldowns to refresh you have ultimate freedom at anytime, making your ability at the role solely dependant on your judgement and decision making, much like how warrior has options with their stacks...interesting concept

[Reynhart]

Once you learn every skill, the uniqueness of this "reverse combo" goes straight out the window

You would still decide what buffs you want to apply to your finisher each time, even at level 60.
For example, what if WAR could apply Storm's Path and Storm's Eye at the same time, instead of clipping Maim to get one of those ?
Or Storm's Eye and the higher potency that would feel like a Butcher's Block ?

[Shurrikhan]

Pretty much what I'd be hoping for, if in more rigid terms.

Any open sequence of moves we can get that build up an attack sounds good to me. No more locked combos, please.

That said, I'd prefer that each move affect all other moves to some degree, not just a specific one. You then pick the one that best fits what you're looking to build at that time. Do you want to try to max out your attack speed so you can quickly build up resource in time for a finisher on a newly spawned add, practically cleaving it in two (e.g. (|+Haste on NEXT| > |Triple Strike| > |Extend buff| > |Wind-aspecting strike| > |Omnislash-esque attack speed causes more total cleaving hits attack| > |Collect spirit -> Wind buff| > Tempest Blade (finisher))? That's just one of many, many options, equally optimal for different intervals of timing of burst/Sustained vs. Burst/AoE vs. ST/Magic vs. Physical/Self buff vs. Debuff vs. Support/Bleed vs. Enfeeble, and so on and so forth.

[Reynhart]

Pretty much what I'd be hoping for, if in more rigid terms.

Any open sequence of moves we can get that build up an attack sounds good to me. No more locked combos, please.

That said, I'd prefer that each move affect all other moves to some degree, not just a specific one.

Now that I think of it, it's a gameplay very close to the Assassin from Diablo 2 with charge skills and finishing moves.