Why Speed Pulls?

[Sousoulsu]

snip

I think what you're failing to understand is that DS fell out of rotation because it was weak. When it got buffed, it was no longer weak - and should be used in the right circumstance. It's fairly rare that you can't hit all the mobs with DS. Try experimenting with it. You may be surprised.

"Doing what you like" works just fine, but if you want to be optimal you do what is mathematically superior, in terms of potency and targets-hit. DS is unarguably better than RoT, and the circumstances where you cannot hit all the enemies if you position yourself properly are fairly rare.

You are probably a fine player. But the difference between a fine player and a good player is "doing what you like" and "doing what is optimal".

[Mykll]

I'll add something else. Because nobody asked and nobody really cares. But you get it anyway!

Go back before WoW, and there was EQ. I played mainly Monk, and Enchanter, and Bard. I was an expert puller, an expert crowd controller. I guess I miss that technical / finesse side of things, rather than the "Hulk AOE SMASH!"

I played a healer in WoW, a LOT. First game I played a true healer. In FF, I of course played healer again, a LOT. Even though they are different games, I healed a LOT of tanks. I paid attention to what they did good, what they did bad, how they pulled, where they stood, all that. So when I finally decided to try a tank for real here, with a lot of history I have seen what the really good tanks have done and not done.

Also, FF is the first game I have been able to play a tank really. A real tank, not a pet class tank found in many games. I couldn't stand it before, for a number of reasons. So I tend to be more of the former technical side of things, rather than the now AOE smash optimum button pressing side of things.

It's fairly rare that you can't hit all the mobs with DS.

I figured out how to pull certain groups of mobs where if you pull it just right, they actually form a straight line in front of you. I do that (try to, nothing is 100%) if there is a DRG or MNK (yeah one attack on long cool down) in the group. I have no idea if DS is good or bad. Don't have a clue and pressing buttons according to a spreadsheet is no fun for me. BUT, if I can line them up in a line, instead of them being in a circle and all over the place, I do, to give them the option of using it or not.

[Kaiser-Ace]

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Now this is an interesting development. We're getting somewhere now.

So you HAVE noticed why DS needs to be reworked into the rotation. And You're right, if the situation is right one should always take an opportunity to use a more powerful skill.

Rotations are patterns that we follow to keep our combos going. Weather it be Speed Combos, Chain Casting (healer/mage rotations), or Endless Buff (A Tank cool down rotation to keep at least one buff up at all times), there are patterns we follow and get use too. When 3.0 comes out and the lvl cap is raised to 60, we're all going to have to change our rotations a bit to add in the new skills in the best combination.

I think as far as the Dragoon issue goes we've come to an understanding. And don't get me wrong, I still claim to be pretty good because I am, but there is a lot of improvement that I could make as there is every one. Improvement is always achievable because we're always learning how to handle things better. I learned that as a Dragoon my animation locks actually make paralysis a near moot point because by the time I freeze my animation lock has got me any way. And my armor is high enough to take a few hits and live. But keeping my stats properly in balance is something I always have to work on so I do.

Nothing is as cut and dry in practice as it is on paper but it's how we adapt and still win that makes the line between good players and bad. You can be ilvl 130 with full dread wyrm gear + weapon, but if you can't work with a "Non-Optimal Set Up" then your T13 clear means nothing, how ever even a team full of i80 noobs could be powered through by a t13 vet who knew how to work with what they had even if that meant mixing it up from the "Preferred Method" to turn an absolute crap fest into an epic win.

[Sousoulsu]

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Our sentiments are the same.
You just did not like the way I voiced them before.

Math is how you find out what ability is worth using, and when. It shouldn't be denounced, neither should it be used as a substitute for player skill. A good player uses both.

[Kaiser-Ace]

Our sentiments are the same.
You just did not like the way I voiced them before.

Math is how you find out what ability is worth using, and when. It shouldn't be denounced, neither should it be used as a substitute for player skill. A good player uses both.

Agreed. Seems it was simply a miss understanding. Looks like we both had the same conclusion just different routs to seeing it. And I respect that fact with the greatest sincerity.