[rant] I can never make everyone happy! (Everyone's a BLM critic)

[Bluevann]

Hello, I'm a fairly new player who started at launch, with no 1.0 experience whatsoever. My first and all-time favorite class was THM, and I was excited to become a Black Mage. However, I also like to enjoy every aspect of the game. This is what brought me to level all the other classes pretty much at the same time. I know, not smart as my Armoury EXP bonus will be minor, but meh, I don't mind not getting to 50 faster.

At the present time, my Black Mage is lv47, with the other classes ranging from level 31 to 39. I've been told I'm a wonderful tank, a great healer, had praises of all kinds as DPS classes too, which really flattered me.

However, my great love, BLM... That one, I never seem able to make people happy with.

Every time I enter a new DF group, I get told by someone to play my job differently from how I am. I comply, I like advice, and I want to improve. But even after doing what I'm told, the next group will tell me to do something entirely different.

"Sleep" "Don't Sleep" "Don't waste time on Thunder II" "Use Thunder II on every mob" "Ignore Firestarter, spam Fire II" etc. etc. etc.

The last drop was a person in my last duty roulette telling me that spamming Fire II on multiple enemies was better than trying to trigger firestarter with Fire, that 100 potency on 3 enemies = 300 potency and consequently was better than a firestarted Fire III for 220 potency, and that as a consequence "AoE is always better". She insisted that there was already a set, world-wide shared rotation among all black mages and that it included spamming Fire II, but all I've seen in these forums seem to support procing Firestarter.

Once again, I'm lost. I love Black Mage but I just know that no matter how hard I try, my next group will want something different. People tell me to stop trying to make everyone happy and just do what I've been doing (sleep and work on the firestarter rotation when the tank is a paladin, and favor AoEs when the tank is an Overpower-happy warrior), that my main class should be a source of fun, not stress. I try, but admittedly, people's constant critics/teachings does bring a certain level of stress as well after so long. What should I do?

[mythicrose]

Use your own judgement on sleep. Unless a tank and/or healer is undergeared, your group won't need it most of the time. If the tank keeps breaking it, that's a sign you're just wasting mana/time. Ignoring firestarter procs is generally a bad move. You get to cast a free, instant fire 3 after all. I generally will thunder 2 a couple mobs just in the hope of getting more thunder procs for a free instant thunder 3.

Keep your composure and play to your best capabilities. If you're not sure about sleeping mobs, just put the tank/healer to the question at the beginning of a dungeon. Your damage as a BLM is mediocre without firestarter and thunder procs. Capitalize on them when you can.

[Remn]

the basic w/ Frie II, (to me anyway) don't use it unless there 4+ mobs. anything less than that is not worth using Fire 2 better off spam Fire 1. (spam Fire 2 on 3-4 mobs will make you DPS parse look good but not efficiency.
for thunder I, II, III. I only use it as filter when i'm regen my MP with UI III.

Here my usually rotation for single target
Fire 3 > Fire 1... untill i'm below 850 MP, pop fire 3 if proc > Bilz 3 > thunder 2 > FIre 3 (depend on timing of regen, might have to wait 0.5 sec) > Fire1 .......

for AoE, (4+ mobs)
Fire 3 (to get Fire buff 3) > Fire 2 untill below 800 > Flare > Convert > Swiftcast > Flare > Transpost > Frez or bliz 2 > Fire 3 > fire 2 ........

this rotation get me 195-210 DPS on Titan Xm. I'm I86 BLM at the time of parse and my gear is a mess ;P, got every stat)

Oh.. for the sleep thing. it depend on the group. some gorup like you to sleep some perfer AoE every thing. just check with your tank first to see which he perfer

[JetBrooks]

I've only really seen Sleep implemented as a way to cheat certain dungeons; you use it to put mobs to sleep, run into a boss fight, and lock them out of the fight area (15-second lockout). Other than that, I cannot think of a good use for it in a team-oriented situation.

As far as rotation goes, you want to try to keep thunder DOTs up so you can get your procs, then use as much fire as possible. Here's a great thread for playing BLM: http://www.bluegartr.com/threads/119...eps-that-s-why.

[Bluevann]

Thank you for the advice, everyone. It's a chore but I'll keep studying the class until I find a way that suits me and the others' needs. It's just so hard to be able to tell the difference from instructions coming from people who know what they're talking about and those who don't. x_X

[rabbitzero]

It takes a while to usually find the grove each party plays in, regardless of which class you are playing, at least from what i've seen. I've rarely seen people complain to someone about how they are playing, unless they are a healer or tank and causing party wipes. I'd say, play how you are most comfortable, as that will probably be how you play best. Some people sleep mobs, other times they ignore when they are slept. As long as you are trying to do your best, that's what should really matter, and it sounds like you are.

[Firetta]

If you're doing the rotations outlined above, you're in good shape. There are very few cases where using an AOE spell on less than 3 targets is useful. Go with the flow with the party -- if your bard is AOEing the group, follow suit, because otherwise you are splitting the tank's aggro generation between single-target and multi-target, which can be a disaster if your tank is not totally on the ball and well-geared, and stop if you're pulling aggro off the tank anyways. Personally, I don't focus on casting Thunder on alternative targets, though if I have a Thundercloud or am at Thunder II in my rotation, I always evaluate the health of the main target and the length of time left on their Thunder DoT to determine whether I should use Thunder on an alternative target instead. If your tank/healer is having trouble staying up, sleep mobs, but otherwise I wouldn't sleep unless specifically asked. Most people are all "gogogo" these days, and you don't need sleep to clear any of the content.

Play along with your party unless they ask you to do something incredibly stupid, but don't take most advice to heart unless you hear it multiple times. Just adapt. Flexibility is a real asset in the end game.

[Remn]

Just thing of BLM as Turrent that split fire and some time Ice and thunder ;P. the more you move the worst your damage will be. as long as you can stand still and keep casting, you doing decently, after that it just rotation optimization.
also sleep help when you tank is undergeared. if your tank is gear enough, it better to have him tank all and you aoe everything.


oh, about the thunder thing. it more of a preference. for me, i dont like to apply Thunder on multiple target, usually just blast them w/ flare and fire 2. (also, since i'm doing endgame Raid mainly. NOT include CT. the only time i got to AOE is Garuda plume and maybe Coil (if my party let me go BLM instead of PLD T_T)

[Viridiana]

Thank you for the advice, everyone. It's a chore but I'll keep studying the class until I find a way that suits me and the others' needs. It's just so hard to be able to tell the difference from instructions coming from people who know what they're talking about and those who don't. x_X

Yeah, this would be why I tend to avoid giving casters advice. I don't know BLM that well, and what I do know of it is about lvl 50 BLM, half of which doesn't apply while leveling. That said, I can try to pass along what I've seen on the forums.

Sleep is going to vary by group. If you're interested in using it at all, just ask the party at the beginning. Or if you notice the healer/tank struggling or something.

AOE is *technically* better once you hit 3 mobs. However, most people wait for more than that before doing AOE, because it's only a little better at that point. Unless you need to hit everything immediately, of course, but even then if your tank can't handle it you're screwed.

The Thunder series, from what I hear, is your most MP-efficient series. I can see why multi-dotting for increased procs would be a good idea, there.

And now some one will come along and correct everything I just said. Which is cool, because then I won't feel like such a noob playing THM >_>

[Alcyon1]

Just don't listen, unless the advice is coming from someone (a BLM here) who is doing better than you are. just ignore the rest, most players are noobs acting like pros.