Seeing Red - A Complete Red Mage Guide

[Fortune_Cookie]

Too late for napkin math so this may well be garbage:

To estimate the value of ss we need to determine RDM's "base cycle". Let's ignore Manafication, Acceleration and the guaranteed proc from Verholy/flare to make life simple.

Expected length of "ready" proc chain is 1, so on average 1 proc per Jolt2/Impact. This makes the repeating cast pattern J2+VA+VS+VA+Im+VA+VS+VA (obviously mixing WM and BM) for a total of 2250 potency and 76 mana. That means we need 139/76~1.829 patterns per base cycle.

So one base cycle deals 2250*1.839+550+970 potency in 8*1.829 +1 GCDs +5.2s.

On your numbers that would yield 159.173 PPS at base numbers and 159.837 PPS at increased SS for an 0.0083 PPS/SS benefit. Or more straightforwardly, ~187 SS is a 1% increase at the breakpoint (and more at higher SS).

[There are a lot of rounding errors in all of this - just for illustration. Also: not a replacement for a proper simulation.]

[Meng_Qing]

Yes... RDM casts 2 spells on 2 GCD of 5 seconds.

Even if you don't believe RDM has 2 GCD over 2 skills. Then it's still close to 5 seconds (2s cast (first spell) + double cast + 2.5s GCD = close to 5s).

Now, does that make double cast useless? No, in fact for skills whose cast time is very long (veraero, verraise), it's a godsend. Since you technically save time by not casting those long cast times. That's the way it was meant to be. Why do you think the 2nd spell of a RDM's rotation for double cast is always those long cast spells?

Does RDM's mobility help a lot?

[IchiExorz]

By the way, dunno if anyone here knows or would be interested but I stumbled on a Macro that is working wonders for me. Got the idea from when we had Thunder 3/Thunder 2 macros for Blackmage.

/micon Jolt
/ac Impact <t>
/ac Jolt <t>

Seeing as there is NO reason to not use impact over Jolt, this will use Impact every time it is up. If it can't it will use Jolt II, tested it out in a 70 dungeon with no errors or slow downs that I could see. You will get a constant error about "Cant cast during" but eh.

I haven't really used macros before, but I was wondering if there is a way to make the macro display the Impact icon when you have the prob ready or if thats impossible with the way macros work in this game?

[Zorzi]

I haven't really used macros before, but I was wondering if there is a way to make the macro display the Impact icon when you have the prob ready or if thats impossible with the way macros work in this game?

If you mean the icon swaps between Jolt and Impact, it's impossible. However, you can do /micon "Impact", and it'll light up like usual when you have a proc (and appear greyed out when you don't.)

[IchiExorz]

If you mean the icon swaps between Jolt and Impact, it's impossible. However, you can do /micon "Impact", and it'll light up like usual when you have a proc (and appear greyed out when you don't.)

Oh thank you! At least that's more visually noticeable.

[Draxxion]

One question I have kind of had about Jolt II and Impact from a mechanics stand point is why Jolt II doesn't become Impact when it is procced? If the rotation and math behind it is that Impact is used like a Jolt III to be followed up by a Verthunder or Veraero then why doesn't it just do that? Thought the point of this expansion was to avoid button bloat. I can kind of see it because it doesn't generate mana, but mechanically they are used in the same manner.

[Zorzi]

Something I've not seen mentioned, and I only noticed myself today - Acceleration works on Verholy and Verflare.

[PrismaticDaybreak]

Impact generates 4 of each mana.

[Draxxion]

Impact generates 4 of each mana.

Oh yes it does. That is what I get for not reading my own ability descriptions late at night. Still I do question if maybe Square had a different intention for the spell besides it being used like Jolt II would. Other then 1 additional mana more and 30 more potency I am still curious why the extra button? Still think if Jolt II procs Impactful then Jolt II should be replaced by Impact for the duration. Give it the Ruin IV treatment and save some buttons.

[heynowjose]

Once we have stat weights we will easily be able to tell. atm we are flying with a basic direction, no actual map. i'd choose 36 crit over 40 direct hit, but probably not 30 crit. it's gonna be a pretty small difference anyway

Added /macroerror off and omg just thank you! Its perfect basically stops me from having to switch over to my hotbar2 and makes it so I use the more dps effective move without any thought.