FF 5.X Alternative Raid Buff Alignment and Openers

[Oxdarock]

Thought I'd make an update on my progress with organizing my calculations on the potency of these delayed openers. It's coming along and I have a format and everything, but I've been a bit too busy to stop to work on it. ^^; I hope to make it public at least by early January, in which I’ll have four dps classes finished: NIN, RDM, DRG, and BRD. After that, I plan to update it with the rest of the classes little by little. After a bit more research into buff application delay, some openers will be adjusted slightly or have an extra note attached regarding timings.

On that note, some might have picked up on my challenge to the Balance NIN opener somewhere in this and the tank version of this thread. Well, the short answer is: I failed. Spectacularly, lol! Yeah, both the use of Doton, as well as the GCDs and oGCDs within TA, from the Balance opener provide more damage and more of a boost via TA than what I initially came up with. However, now that I know more about how the Balance NIN opener works, I was able to make adjustments and come up with a NIN opener that still fits within the raid buff timings of delayed openers while only falling short of the Balance opener by approximately 5.5 potency in a vacuum (i.e. solo on a striking dummy). So determining which opener does more damage will rely on raid buff alignment.

I will say that I did come up with an adjustment for the Balance NIN opener regarding the Huton and Doton timings. Assuming they haven't been updated and are still 11.5 secs and 7.5secs pre-pull respectively, you can actually wait till about 7-8 secs pre-pull to use Huton and 4 seconds to use Doton (3secs if you can manage it and still use Suiton in time). Here’s why:

Doton works similar to most DoTs in that damage goes out every 3secs, give or take. So if it’s used 7.5 seconds pre-pull, you’ve already lost 2 of the server based ticks (surprisingly, moves like Doton and Salted Earth hit one extra time within the first second after being used, plus the first server tick) and might possibly lose a 3rd if the boss isn’t dragged in quick enough. If used at 3-4 seconds pre-pull, you’re guaranteed at least 6 server based ticks (7 if you’re lucky), while still having enough time to use Hide (which now restores 2 charges of mudra, something I completely overlooked) and prep Suiton before the pull begins. Naturally, since the time you can use Doton pre-pull is shorter, Huton can be use a bit closer to the pull as well in order to possibly earn yourself an extra Aeolian Edge down the line before refreshing with Armor Crush.

So that’s where I am regarding organizing my calculations. Look forward to it and until then, Happy Holidays! \o/