Black Mage

[NovaLevossida]

This is a really big issue. SMNs are already doing as much and more damage than BLM with a combat raise in the kit. They're getting some much needed QoL changes, but it looks like they're getting straight up buffs too. I don't know in what world it makes sense to buff SMN up with how it's already exceeding BLM and not touch BLM at all. And to that end, even SAM isn't that far ahead of SMN. Maybe there will be some surprise job changes in the 4.1 patch notes, but I'm not optimistic. I get the impression no one at SE can really play BLM to begin with from how YoshiP fumbles his BLM openers all the time and BLM launching in 4.0 with such a janky rotation due to MP issues. They're clearly not too afraid of making a caster powerful given the SMN changes coming up.

[Karshan]

This is a really big issue. SMNs are already doing as much and more damage than BLM with a combat raise in the kit. They're getting some much needed QoL changes, but it looks like they're getting straight up buffs too. I don't know in what world it makes sense to buff SMN up with how it's already exceeding BLM and not touch BLM at all. And to that end, even SAM isn't that far ahead of SMN. Maybe there will be some surprise job changes in the 4.1 patch notes, but I'm not optimistic. I get the impression no one at SE can really play BLM to begin with from how YoshiP fumbles his BLM openers all the time and BLM launching in 4.0 with such a janky rotation due to MP issues. They're clearly not too afraid of making a caster powerful given the SMN changes coming up.

Dw it's mainly QoL and not straight up buffs (we haven't seen potencies either, the changes are just an overview). They don't change the power, just simplified some things.
Right now SMN really only needed QoL cause damage is good, just need to make it easier to acces it (you need to know the fight as well as a BLM cause it's a frikin nuclear power plant control room at times and just like BLM with positionning, it doesn't go well in progress)

But we gain utility, and if fflogs translates devotion the way it does with radiant shield, then yes it will be too much. We can't have a SMN doing the same as the black mage damage wise WITH rez and devotion, that's not balanced.

[nakaflocka]

Dw it's mainly QoL and not straight up buffs (we haven't seen potencies either, the changes are just an overview). They don't change the power, just simplified some things.
Right now SMN really only needed QoL cause damage is good, just need to make it easier to acces it (you need to know the fight as well as a BLM cause it's a frikin nuclear power plant control room at times and just like BLM with positionning, it doesn't go well in progress)

Turning a single target skill into an AoE skill is absolutely a buff unless they happen to massively nerf the potency, cooldown and/or duration from it's current iteration.

But we gain utility, and if fflogs translates devotion the way it does with radiant shield, then yes it will be too much. We can't have a SMN doing the same as the black mage damage wise WITH rez and devotion, that's not balanced.

Whether it's attributed to the SMN or not doesn't matter, what matters is the raid DPS gain.

[Jukebox12]

Turning a single target skill into an AoE skill is absolutely a buff unless they happen to massively nerf the potency, cooldown and/or duration from it\\'s current iteration.


Whether it\\'s attributed to the SMN or not doesn\\'t matter, what matters is the raid DPS gain.

What skill

[BlackcatChen]

What skill

Devotion is being buffed to be AOE.

[Karshan]

Snip

Yes utility is highly buffed (yet again, we don't know if it will stay 5%, they never said it), but none of the changes affect personnal damage, as it should be since SMN is now very good in that field (didn't use to be that way 3 months ago).

So please don't talk about buff when it affects the raid, talk about utility. Otherwise it conveys the wrong idea that SMN deals too much damage, leading to a nerf.

Devotion should have been raid wise from the start, but with 2% not 5%, and all the other changes should have been there the 20th of June as well. They're just correcting mistakes they made with 4.0. I would gladly lose the DoTs buff (THAT was a buff) if the playstyle is being set right again.

As for BLM, though I think they should stay at that level of damage, they should be given a little utility so that a SMN only 100 DPS under on't be automatically chosen over him cause of utility.

[Sfia]

So please don't talk about buff when it affects the raid, talk about utility. Otherwise it conveys the wrong idea that SMN deals too much damage, leading to a nerf.

This utility = damage. In the same way that hypercharge = damage. You have to look at the total contribution of a class with personal dps and raid dps buffs to determine how much damage it is truly providing.

[Kabooa]

Yes utility is highly buffed (yet again, we don't know if it will stay 5%, they never said it), but none of the changes affect personnal damage, as it should be since SMN is now very good in that field (didn't use to be that way 3 months ago).

It was that way 3 months ago. Eirene Snow showcased it then and was putting out videos where he was more than capable of keeping up with the perceived higher DPS classes at the time.

[Gorb]

I've yet to reach endgame as BLM, but so far my experience hasn't been great. That isn't to say I haven't been enjoying it. Big crits are very satisfying. Having to properly learn mechanics is nice - playing BLM is forcing me to get better at the game.
However, the overall experience is mired by small yet annoying issues. Getting screwed by mana ticks, having to let TC drop off because you can't fit it into your fire phase, the boss targeting you with stuff 6 times in a row, etc.
So far, when it comes to "real" content, I've run some EX trials. In those EXes I felt like I could've been doing far more for the group as a different DPS. Sure, I did good damage, but I likely could've prevented those low % wipes by making everyone else do more damage.
All that in mind, BLM is still very fun to me. It's a bit clunky sometimes, and I'd like to have some utility, but I'll still play it anyway.
Until I get to raid content and have to switch jobs to get in...