Spellcasting in PvP

[Deelo]

This is a really condescending reply and doesn't uphold the spirit of good discussion.

You're right and I'm sorry. I just hate seeing these threads because it's probably how the first wave of nerfs came to fruition. A few bad players get loud and proud on the forums, devs listen, everyone pays the price.

[Avesta]

Forgot to mention if they player your casting on doesn't stay still your cast won't go off either. That's annoying too..

[Alkimi]

The way I see it, PvE and PvP BLM are like two completely different jobs with different roles. If you try and play BLM like you're doing a dungeon roulette then yes, you're going to get wrecked.

My priority as BLM is basically to be as annoying as humanly possible. If I get some respite from incoming damage or we're obviously facerolling the other team then sure, I'll just do fire rotations and wreck people.

[Deelo]

Forgot to mention if they player your casting on doesn't stay still your cast won't go off either. That's annoying too..

I think it only cancels if they move from line-of-sight, like if you start casting and they go behind you or something like that...I'm not 100% sure. But yea, that sucks.

[Vaeria]

I think it only cancels if they move from line-of-sight, like if you start casting and they go behind you or something like that...I'm not 100% sure. But yea, that sucks.

Is this really true? Running behind a blm breaks casting? If so *gives Deelo a gingerbread Roe cookie!*

[rex1976]

even a novice blm has plenty they can do if a bard or 2 is pestering them, a vet can usually handle a swarm.

not sure where to start here but first thing i will say is that even with no cooldowns you have lethargy which is insta cast, you also have sprint, the bard or melee cannot sprint after you without sacrificing entire tp pool making themselves pretty much useless for the duration of the skirmish.

if you have cooldowns up... sleep imo is better suited for surecast, and equanimity. swiftcast i use more fore freeze, or flare. but if sc and equa are down and you need to sleep, use it.

you have no choice but to adress the players pestering you before turriting down their healers, as it should be imo. when you`re forced to play defensively, play defensively. there`s no class better equipped, i mean really what can any other class do when 3-5 dps are targetting them all by themselves. seriously though ask yourself that question.

[rex1976]

only allowed 1k letters in a post even though some posts are tripple that, i don`t understand why.

as far as general strategy goes you have to be tactical as a blm. i know there are gap closers but positioning is everything. if you position yourself so that you are in range of your healers but any melee or bard is out of their healer range when they come after you, you can just stand there and scathe down 2-3 dps easily, or at least make them run back to their healers range and leave you alone. more than 2-3 if your healers are good. if you rush into the circle... you`re bad and deserve to get ko`d. let the skirmish develop a little bit before you even let them know you are there. focusing on how the fray is evolving is more important than messing up your rotation a little bit here and there for maximum dps. always remember your optimal position is as a turret that nobody is paying attention to dropping bombs on mofo`s

[Dimitrii]

not sure where to start here but first thing i will say is that even with no cooldowns you have lethargy which is insta cast, you also have sprint, the bard or melee cannot sprint after you without sacrificing entire tp pool making themselves pretty much useless for the duration of the skirmish.

Not trying to sound condescending or a smart a** but this is not entirely correct unless ur assuming the brd and melee have never heard of invigorate. Not only that but melee actually have two abilities that grant instant tp regeneration so they can and will sprint to catch you and pop one of these two abilities to retrieve the tp they need to continue assaulting you. That is of course assuming they havent removed the sprint in the first place using weapon throw or used their stunning gap closing abilities on you.

only allowed 1k letters in a post even though some posts are tripple that, i don`t understand why.

You can get around the 1k limit by subsequently editing your responses after you post them. Apparently edited posts have no character limit (or at the very least its much much higher than 1k).

[Braxy]

Until 2.4, I played pvp almost exclusively as SMN/BLM from the very first day; in frontlines, I would switch to SCH if an extra healer was needed. I now play as NIN. So, I have experience from both sides of the debate.

As a caster, particularly a healer, I agreed with the OP; the interruption of casts from melee damage, in addition to silence/stun effects, seemed harsh. I quickly realized I was playing BLM with a PVE mentality rather than the "support the team, annoy the enemy" approach needed. As SMN, I could usually stand in the background and get DOTS on a target to Bane, then focus down the team's target.

Now as a melee, I find it is exceptionally easy to 1v1 (or even 1v2) casters, especially if there is no healer present. They are easy to interrupt and as NIN I have a variety of stuns/silences, as well as two potential distance-closers. 9/10 times, the BLM/SMN has no chance, especially if my cooldowns are up.

At the same time, I find the casters that are easiest to kill are the ones who are trying to get off a long-cast nuke or hardcast blizz2/freeze/flare/other aoe. Every now and then, I come across a BLM who is smart enough to bind me so that I purify, and then chain sleep me until reinforcements arrive, or if near an outpost get to the top so that they have some free time to get a few nukes off, or at the very least, run away. I don't think that, so far, I have been KILLED by a BLM in 1v1. But that doesn't mean I haven't "lost" to skilled players. The number of bind/sleep/gravity mechanics is huge.

If anything, SMNs are even easier prey. Sure, they might get their dots up, but knowing what comes next it's easy enough to purify them before a Fester. A smart(er) SMN will use Garuda's knockback or Ifrit's stun in a more controlled way, and blow those global cooldown skills while kiting.

Healers are a different matter. Although interrupting is the same, WHMs are so OP that between their knockback/bind and sleep it's hard to keep them, 1v1, from getting one, big heal off on themselves, which is often all they need. SCHs might have more problems with no reliable CC, but between Lustrate and Eos (especially if the SCH is smart enough to micromanage Eos) they take care of themselves.

tl;dr : doesn't need to be changed, players need to understand the roles.

[Baradin]

I agree with the OP 100%. Coming from PvP environments such as SWG, EQ2, WoW, SW:TOR, GW2 and even LoL the PvP mechanics in this game are ridiculous and will never garner a larger crowd until it makes even a little sense.