Why is BLM getting a buff?

[Atreides]

I think a slight buff to their single target DPS is fine, they should not go overboard though.
Currently their DPS in Coil is nothing to be impressed about, stacking Firestarter proccs would already help them alot.
Yes they are viable, we have cleared t9 with a BLM and did fine, that doesn't mean they don't need a buff though.

[Zell1226]

I generally get 2nd place in DPS as a BLM, only second to a good melee/summoner. Fights like Turn 6 and 7 are somewhat a nightmare, even with minimal movement it significantly lowers my DPS. Fights like T8 where I barely have to move for example, I'm pulling around 350~ DPS, 2nd place behind a monk. Turn 9 I get pretty good DPS, only because I'm aware of when to pop Raging Strikes and knowing when Nael is going to jump, positioning myself so that I don't get casts interrupted, etc. But it's more work for less reward, than say a Dragoon who only has to make sure a couple DoTs and a buff is applied to himself constantly. Getting respectable DPS on a Black Mage is more work than obtaining it from any other class.

I'm glad this buff is coming out. Black Mage was always labeled as a DPS with minimal utility, and thus should have high damage to show for it. When you must sit like a turret and cast spells in a game where dodging attacks every 5 seconds otherwise you die is the norm, there should be something to compensate. All they'd have to do is slightly increase Thunder damage/thundercloud proc chance, slightly increase Fire 1 potency, or stack Firestarters for later use (when in movement).

[Gardes]

knowing when Nael is going to jump, positioning myself so that I don't get casts interrupted, etc.

Care to share what exactly you're doing in this part? My DPS plummets during these. My party wants everybody to stay out of the circle because they want to stack in the middle for the beam. There's no one to warp to when the jump starts and I have to walk to the centre, cast one spell, then nael jumps back out to the tank position which usually means a 180 degree spin and then I still have to run back out of the circle. Scathing isn't helping at all.

[Zell1226]

Care to share what exactly you're doing in this part?

Everybody usually stacks in the same spot, I move away to create a line of sight that allows me to hit him when he first initially dives, move to the center, and I get a certain number of casts off before he uses Thermionic Beam and jumps back (Two Fire 1 or Three?). You can't avoid being interrupted when he jumps back to the tank, so if you have a Firestarter, save it for that moment, otherwise Swiftcast+Thunder right before he jumps back is a good way to do something useful besides scathe, moving back to your position while your GCD is resetting.

And if he targets you, no problemo because you can't get LoS'd that way anyway.

Here's a crude MS Paint map for you to enjoy. http://i.imgur.com/Q2fjAee.jpg

[Gardes]

snip

That is interesting. I'm more interested in your meteor method part now, though. Our group is placing the meteors right on the rim of the circles but the order is random. Everyone just stands wherever they want and the meteor placement is random-ish and we'd sometimes need to spin around to accommodate. I'm guessing that your group is stacking for meteors too? I'd imagine your meteors go counter clockwise, starting from (going by your chart tank is 12 oclock) 10 oclock or maybe starting at 11 oclock or 1 oclock if melees get targetted? If you stand apart at 5oclock right from the very beginning and you get stardusted, what do you do then? Join the group?

Our SMN suggested we stack and go counter clockwise to un-randomize the meteor placement but our PLD static leader refused, saying something about we'd panic once the beam part starts. I'm not even sure what he's talking about and I haven't asked about it. So we're still going with the 'random' designated spots method next time.

[Zell1226]

snip

We've tried two placements, one being BG method and the other looking something like this http://i.imgur.com/5ICnhvo.jpg , which is what we're currently doing. The group huddles around B at the start, first meteor is red, second is yellow, that pattern repeats. Should OT get a meteor before B is filled, they go to A instead. Once B is filled, we move to C, then to A. Normally we make 5 meteors not 6, but you are allowed 6 for that phase of the fight.

Anyways, it would be hard to explain my movements without some sort of video, so I'll just say that while I am close to a meteor drop point, I stay away from the group and move to a spot where my cast wont get interrupted when Chariot/Thermionic is coming. For that phase of the fight I usually parse 2nd sometimes 1st along with the SMN, (We have SMN/BRD/BRD/BLM). In a pug group last week I parsed 4~10 DPS behind a DRG (DRG/BLM/BLM/BRD) and I ended up in 2nd place. So I must be doing something right.

[Liger]

PLease note that BLM is not the only class getting buffed!

[abzoluut]

They said that they will not only look into BLM, chill out dude.

[Nicobo]

...BLM should not have good single target damage. Its already far outshining all jobs in AoE damage. Thats what BLM is for... AoE...

TBH, I don't think the job balance will be broken as labelling BLM only should be good in AoE is inappropriate
IMO BLM should be the most powerful range DPS, not limited to AoE.
While our DRG/SMN/BRD even the MNK say they can SR AoE very well, some even have said they out DPS BLM,
so I think the buff is the result of those user feedback..? ^^;

Anyway, maybe the buff is just a very little one like a joke, let's look forward to it ^^

[neizero]

Mainly because half the population of the game is BLM and they cry a lot.

They are also a little underpowered compared to SMN