best stats for a paladin

[Churchill]

There's bowing down, and there's arguing an opposing discourse against people who are recognized for being good at what they do.

You don't have to listen to anything Grey has to say, that's entirely your prerogative; however, it's equally bad for the community for bad advice to be considered similarly relevant as good advice.

[GreyJorildyn]

Yep, and that's all I care about; stopping the spread of misinformation. Everyone should get the same respect, simply for being a human being, but don't go spouting some nonsense if you have no business doing so. You don't see me giving people advice in the Bard section for that reason.

Furthermore, there is a difference between disrespect and disagreement. People on internet forums often mix those up. I can respect your opinion, but that doesn't mean I agree with it.

[Molly_Millions]

But information only coming from a single source with no discussion of why it's good information is just as bad. My point is that everyone has a right to interject where they think another option may be better. There is value to the discussion of why that option may or may not not be the best. There is a reason people play devil's advocate, that's because the discussion is actually more valuable than the point they are presenting. (I'm not saying that what am doing or not, that's really besides the point here.)

If somebody can't distill good information from bad based on the discussion, that's not my fault and it doesn't make me or anyone else any less entitled to join in the conversation. And I am entitled to join in the conversation just as much as anyone else here, as we're all paying customers. As long as I'm not lashing out, tossing insults, being disrespectful, or otherwise violating the TOS, I'm entitled to my voice in the conversation. Just the same, you have every right to correct me. Believe it or not, I learn something from it, just as others can who may not want to pipe up for fear of being wrong, or 'gasp' humiliated as some posters here try to do at every turn.

If nobody ever presents you with an opposing argument, what happens when you are wrong? And don't tell me you're never wrong, or have never had an idea that's been wrong, because that's complete and utter bullshit. The greatest successes stem from failures.

[Judge_Xero]

If nobody ever presents you with an opposing argument, what happens when you are wrong? And don't tell me you're never wrong, or have never had an idea that's been wrong, because that's complete and utter bullshit. The greatest successes stem from failures.

I'm pro-STR/MND but I can't argue against someone who's spent countless hours winning at all the highest engame content. STR/MND for me gets the job done right now. But I'm sure I'll get owned on Ifrit Extreme, or Raven Hard. Not that I wont try my setup first, of course.

[Churchill]

The problem with that is when multiple people are wrong, presenting the same or similar bad advice. Anyone who comes to these boards looking for help on their PLD sees the side of the argument clamoring the most and assumes that the greater numbers tell the more accurate story.

I can't tell you how many people in game have told me things like DEX effects crit rate, or misquoted Block rate, Attack Power conversions, that INT caps at 350, that DEF actually matters, etc. All of that information stems from these boards, from people like yourself and others. It's very difficult to even get the right information to someone who is asking and genuinely interested with all of the opposition and misinformation. What works for you may work for you, but it exists in a bubble. What works for me, what works for Grey and what works for others doing similar content is entirely different but it's different because it's tailored to content and players that demand it. There is so little room for error that when I miss a Skull Sunder my heart sinks and I go into damage control mode because shit is literally going to go south if I don't. I can't ask someone to hold off, I need to just be better than that.

If anyone wants to watch someone dominate this job (Paladin) then go to Grey's Twitch.tv and watch his Ifrit Extreme video.

[GreyJorildyn]

There certainly is demanding content, but there are also methods to win without it feeling like demanding. The tradeoff is the longer battles last, the tougher they become. This is why zerg is not just an important concept to build for in the end game, it is also practical due to the game's inherent design.

In the past I've had my arguments with people because they tell people how to gear and yet have no real experience. Yes, this does matter. Molly, you may think it does not, but if you were in the position of stufoo, brannigan, myself, and any other players that understand the higher end mechanics of the game from first-hand exposure, I can almost guarantee you would feel as we do. Some of us are more rough around the edges than others, granted, but there is good to be taken from the "bad" in those regards. The average players simply comes here for an answer to their problem. They do not want to sift through bad advice for the good, nor do most have the capacity to do so, which is why they are posting here in the first place most times. So we do that for them, and we explain why from our perspective, which is far more objective a view than you or Ace can offer. That's not really debatable, it's just not.

Are we always right? No. But do we know more about the ins-and-outs than most? Absolutely. Our angle is passion for the game. At least that's why I post--to help, not to hinder. We give the highest level of advice not to show off, but to prepare players for the upper echelon of FFXIV. Our biggest flaw is that we don't know how to play any other way. That doesn't make us no-lifers though. I work full-time, I play when I can, and when I do I strive to be the best and play with the best. Do we always win? Hell no! We lose a ton before we win, but then we keep winning, and that gives us the firm ground that we stand upon when giving the advice we do.

[Molly_Millions]

Well here's the thing, you can't just tell me (or anyone else for that matter) not to voice my (our) opinion(s). When I'm wrong, tell me so, and tell me why. I have just as much right as a new player to know why my position is wrong, not simply that it is wrong. See the difference? I'm just as interested as anyone else here in being the best player I can be. To do that requires explanation and discussion. Again, it's not my problem if somebody isn't willing to read and understand an entire thread to get good information. Understanding comes at a price, and that price is due diligence.

I'm going to call him out here, because it needs to be said. Having a conversation with Stufoo is like having a converstion with a brick wall. "Because I said so" or any variation of that answer isn't an acceptable response. Niether is insulting another player nor telling them to "just stop posting". That doesn't help anyone at all. For that matter, the post may as well simply read "you are wrong". What can anyone gain out of that?

And don't think for a second that I'm attempting to hinder anyone's gameplay. When I'm giving advice, it's usually because I think I'm right, otherwise why would i be giving it? Again, if I'm not right, correct me and tell me why.

[Darkillumina]

The problem I have with the class forums is that aside from a few people, a lot of the regulars post their opinion as fact. This is wrong because noobs grow up with that in mind and spread it to others and soon half the server is spreading disinformation. People like Grey and Churchill show up and try to set the record straight and then people attack them for telling the truth.

There's good information in many of these threads (such as Carraway's (ninja edit, got it mixed up with Brannigan for some unknown reason) Bard Guide) but you need to dig through them like a damn archaeologist to find the stuff that is true and the stuff that is totally false.

You see in end-game activities it's about respect. When I started doing Garuda or AV 16 minute runs I respected other people's time. What that means was that I was prepared for the content before I even went in. There is nothing more frustrating than doing something that is supposed to take 16-17 minutes then have people bumble along with 0 preparedness and it ends up taking 1 hour. In order to respect other people's time people need to be armed with the right gear choices for the right times beforehand and a knowledge of the content and your role in it. When misinformation is spread you end up having people come to content unprepared through no fault of their own which wastes everyone's time, even if they came in thinking they were prepared.

That's why information from high-end players is valuable. They've done the content and know what works and what doesn't. When I started doing high end activities I scoured the BG forums and other related forums for everything I needed to know and it helped me immensely. There is nothing worse than being the weak link and causing a wipe. So yes they do have a right to tell people flat out if their opinion is wrong.

So bottom line to everyone who wants to toot their own horn. Be 100% sure what you are saying is true before you pass it off as fact. If it isn't state that to be the case and ask for advice from the high end players. If it's an opinion frame it as such.

[Stufoo]

"Because I said so" or any variation of that answer isn't an acceptable response.

It's also not an acceptable explanation for what you say.

Don't put VIT on a chest piece for PLD, DEF is vastly more beneficial.

Nice. Not only were you objectively wrong about it, you had zero testing or stat knowledge to back it up but posted it anyway. That was your entire post, "Stufoo is wrong because I say so", you had nothing else to contribute. Don't act like you are a good poster or a victim. I told you why VIT was better to meld there and you continued to disagree for ten pages because you don't know how block rate, block power, VIT:DEF, VIT:mDEF, or defense itself works and you disagree that HP was a nice bonus, and at that point, honestly, why should I bother with you? Your misunderstandings of this game are such a clusterfuck I almost don't know where to begin, and I'm not your babysitter, I don't care if you ever beat anything in this game. You flat out call us all no-lifers because we are competent and actually progress in this game, and you honestly expect respect back?

Some of us are more rough around the edges than others.

I never knew you cared.

(such as Brannigan's Bard Guide)

Will Brannigan is a paladin. You're thinking of Carraway Author.

[Ashiee]

Kaeko says Molly is right.