Thread: Comments on Patch 1.21

Originally Posted by darkstarpoet1

first, you are correct on invigorate. i just played it like normal and built up tp early on and didn't even look at the removal of tp cost. you are correct there. that was my own fault for not looking at a skill that was always an ability i used.

second, when i do go into a party as thm i will continue to enjoy both the class and being able to out parse most black mages that are in it, guy.

like i said many times i never said blm was bad, but that it wasn't as super powerful and vastly superior like you keep claiming. those 2 are very comparable to each other in the type of damage output they can do and the fact both have a few things that helps in a party that the other does not have.

You can out parse everyone on your server for all I care. Personal competence is not part of this.

Let me break it down for you:

As a DD there is something called a DPS ceiling. This is the highest potential level of DPS a job can achieve through means of gear, min/maxing, effective use of skills on cooldown. It is the ideal scenario for a DD to reach.

Now, often times the first obstacle to reaching the DPS ceiling is the enmity ceiling- reaching red enmity and having to slow down so as to not take hate off the tank. This is where effective use of enmity reduction skills come into play. For physical DDs, this is their primary obstacle in reaching their DPS ceiling. For mages, however, there's MP management.

When a THM/BLM manages to overcome their enmity ceiling and continues to rotate around cooldowns without slowing down so soon for hate, they hit their next obstacle: empty MP bar. This is where things get interesting. There are 2 very nice reasons as to why BLM takes the cake, even after their better enmity reduction:

1. You'll want a BRD in the party for both Ballad of Magi and Minuet of Rigor. By increasing magic accuracy to remove those pesky resists, or giving an MP regen when needed, they serve as a direct boon to the team. They also traditionally spend most of their time out ranged near the BLMs. What was it that THM spent time doing that BLM couldn't? Buffing? Yea, BRD's primary role is that and with a BRD on your team the lack of stoneskin on BLM is no longer relevant. Remember, obs are about team effort, not having 8 jacks of all trades.

2. Convert. Period. No argument against this one. No way to justify losing an instant ~2k recovery of MP.

There goes that MP wall. By switching to BLM, the THM immediately gains the ability to get past such obstacles and approach the DPS ceiling instead of getting stuck on the enmity ceiling.

I realize the theoretical tone of this post, but I assure you it's on purpose to break things down. I've been practicing based on these concepts ever since the patch, and I can assure you I've easily been outparsing my THM.