Black Mage

[Music4Therapy]

Instead of giving BLM utility, thus changing their identity, I say they make caster comps competitive. I'd love to see comps with SMNs + BLMs working together because they synergize very well. That 10% damage buff for 15 secs on a 60 sec CD from Contagion would be awesome... rather than having all casters fight for 1 single spot in a party.

As it stands, physical damage is so good that many high-end statics don't even take a caster. The way I would go about fixing the current design of the game would take a while, but I believe it would work.

Right now, NIN is amazing. Trick attack is awesome, their personal dps is solid, and their enmity tools and slash debuff (assuming no WAR) allow the tanks to do much more. So its hard not taking one if you're trying to be optimal. That said, what 3 dps go best with NIN? The trio of DRG, BRD, and MCH is insane. BRD and MCH provide amazing rDPS increases and DRG is able to give them both a pretty much 100% up time ~4% increase to their damage via the pierce debuff on top of the rest of utility DRG brings to the table. So long as DRG is the only class that brings a pierce debuff, this will remain the case and NIN+DRG+MCH+BRD will always be the meta, while swapping out BRD or MCH for RDM for progression will be meta pending on which is better at the time.

My solution to the issue would be to introduce a new Tank to the game, either in 4.whatever or next expansion, that was able to apply a pierce debuff. I was thinking Templar from FF Tactics. This would allow caster comps to function because you would no longer be required to take DRG for the pierce debuff and you would have 1-2 slots open for DPS.

[Llugen]

This thread has descended into a mess, go figure, so I'll just repeat a third time what I said before.

Stop bringing up "the meta" "it's doing fine" and "it's good enough for me/the playerbase" in this thread. The bottom line is that its entire modus operandi is false (damage as utility) because the other caster that it is supposed to out-damage by that logic (Summoner) is STRONGER AND has utility, and now even more utility since yesterday's patch.

This needs to be addressed before ultimate coil at least, if not immediately.

[Llugen]

Wyti gets it, sorta

[GospelVhae]

Adding from above regarding performance per skill level, that is no way implying that BLM should be top dps even for the underperformers but rather is trying to prove how SMNs at their 4.05 state has been outputting more damage starting from the lowest of skill levels. How do you think SMNs will do now that SE effectively removed their mana management issues and gave them a party wide buff?

To not further derail this into SMN vs BLM, let me remind you the thread is about the propaganda that is utility deals less pdps than a selfish dps

[Llugen]

Ha, get it? SQUARE one? /rimshot

Earlier in this thread I threw out some suggestions for innovative fixes that could help both movement and damage simultaneously without a bandaid potency increase to skills like Fire IV. Most notably, allowing for thundercloud procs to not only last longer (30 second duration of the proc to match Further Ruin and Verstone/Verfire Ready) but possibly add to the thunder timer rather than refresh the thunder timer up to 60 seconds, and for a "combo" out of Firestarter into an instant cast Fire IV that also costs no MP.

Oh, and convert needs love. 180s recast is silly at this point. Aetherial Manipulation would also appreciate a recast reduction.


....Umbral Hearts also kinda really need love, too. And honestly, I wouldn't be opposed to thundercloud refreshing astral/umbral timer. That could make for another Fire IV if used in astral, and less Fire if you get one and have to move.

[Remedi]

Ha, get it? SQUARE one? /rimshot

Earlier in this thread I threw out some suggestions for innovative fixes that could help both movement and damage simultaneously without a bandaid potency increase to skills like Fire IV. Most notably, allowing for thundercloud procs to not only last longer (30 second duration of the proc to match Further Ruin and Verstone/Verfire Ready) but possibly add to the thunder timer rather than refresh the thunder timer up to 60 seconds, and for a "combo" out of Firestarter into an instant cast Fire IV that also costs no MP.

Oh, and convert needs love. 180s recast is silly at this point. Aetherial Manipulation would also appreciate a recast reduction.


....Umbral Hearts also kinda really need love, too.

would add a 30 secs duration to firestarter too tbh, but I agree

[Llugen]

Only if the damage is substantially higher does the logic "damage equals utility" work, otherwise damage that is "lower" with utility (see also, THE UTILITY CREATES DAMAGE, just not from the player using the utility) is stronger. Which says nothing of the fact that Summoner can largely be higher damage already before the utility is even calculated in.

Couple that with BLM's inability to meaningfully deal with progression/mechanics due to its turret style nature and stacks management, and you have a recipe for really bad class design. And if you don't want to call it "bad", then at the very least, unfavorable design by most groups.

[Lelila38]

Pls don't go into the give Blm raise debate. It's not good for us doesn't fit our playstyle or our lore.
If you want utility, I'd like to see some magic dmg buff, or a magic resistance debuff.

[Kabooa]

Pls don't go into the give Blm raise debate. It's not good for us doesn't fit our playstyle or our lore.
If you want utility, I'd like to see some magic dmg buff, or a magic resistance debuff.

Damage isn't utility.

Embolden isn't utility, brotherhood isn't utility, battle litany isn't utility.

It's damage. It's bottom line.

[Llugen]

If I had a dollar for every time someone brought up lore, I swear I'd have my sub paid for years.

Guess what? Balance >>>>>>>>> lore and "playstyle"

I'm not necessarily stomping my foot for a raise, but it holds true that BLM is the only Disciple of Magic in the whole game that has no access to raise.