Yea, i'm actually not sure if there's this discussion out there already, but whatever, no i didnt bother using search, rather i thought i'd just abuse my mod powers to bypass it
Aha.. jokes aside if you know about this discussion however, let me know, ill go bump it instead.
Ok..
In regards to tank jobs, we have plenty of choices actually, but some only work in some situations, rare situations.
Warriors can tank all the way, but are usually overlooked, by the WAR themselves and other jobs, most of the time. Can tank better according to common opinion with NIN subbed, but i've seen MNK and PLD subs, like, a couple times.
Samurais can tank somewhat, in lower levels, in a pinch. Needs WAR sub for provoke.
Thieves... i can vouch for a friend of mine who demands to be the tank in merit parties as a THF/war, he's pretty sick. But thats probably one in a million.
Red Mages have been tanking here and there, washed down Paladins with better defensive/healing magic, but lacking many tanking features that makes true tanks special, rellying on MP as their main enmity keeping and survival.
Monks used to be one of the main tanks, suddenly they became DD, are we overlooking MNK's ability to tank because we can simply do nice damage with it? Or are the other options so much better that we were forced to this change? Prolly the latter. Prolly both.
Blue Mages can tank quite well, me being a BLU, I have tanked in Valk, Qufim, and now in late 30's i've had to tank a couple times too in CN, but i've heard they can tank as effectively as a WAR would, with the slight edge of having MP for healing, buffing, and debuffing, but a down when it comes to natural defensive skills, though i think its still early to be making statements.
Obviously some other classes can also tank here and there, in this and that situation, for a minute or 10, or perhaps on a certain mob, or a certain place, considering the number of sub combinations, jobs in your party, gear, merits, etc that could define your ability to tank.
Can a WHM/war not tank with certain gear and merits? Maybe not in certain situations, but FFXI is full of situational events and everyday you hear of someone that achieved something out of the norm, like the RDM who soloed Genbu, or the WHM burn, or that DRG that soloed to 75.
With all that said, my intention to bring up controversy is solely so that people can think about this with an open mind, because today our main tanks are not unique in any way, we have the meat shield who absorbs the hits and relies on the shield, and the evasion god that doesnt get hit.
What else is there to be invented in terms of tanking?
I was bored.
The spiritual combat job:
Soulmaster
Evokes spirits, but not in the same way as a summoner, spirits are abilities, not pets, not MP consuming spells.
You get spirits by fighting mobs in SOLO combat, like the Summoner aquires his Avatars by fighting them, so would a SLM. However these would not be BC fights, these would be Spiritual Confrontations, there are as many Spiritual Confrontation battles as there are races in the game.
Apathy of the Hume
Arrogance of the Elvaan
Envy of the Mithra
Rage of the Galka
Cowardice of the Tarutaru
To challenge Apathy of the Hume, you need to go to Bastok, talk to a certain NPC at a certain level, and begin your Spiritual Confrontation battle.
To challenge Arrogance of the Elvaan, you need to go to San'Doria, talk to a certain NPC at a certain level, and begin your Spiritual Confrontation battle.
To challenge Envy of the Mithra, you need to go to Kazham, talk to a certain NPC at a certain level, and begin your Spiritual Confrontation battle.
To challenge Rage of the Galka, you need to go to Rabao, talk to a certain NPC at a certain level, and begin your Spiritual Confrontation battle.
To challenge Cowardice of the Tarutaru, you need to go to Windurst, talk to a certain NPC at a certain level, and begin your Spiritual Confrontation battle.
The Spiritual Confrontations are battles where you challenge your own spirit and master your fears and angers. The rewards are Spiritual Magic spells. There are 2 Spirit Spells per Spiritual Confrontation. An offensive and defensive.
Apathy of the Hume
Def. Spirit Spell: "Consume"
Target: Party Member/Self
For the duration of the spell, a percentage of the damage done to you becomes spiritual magic and is converted into MP.
Suggested use: Use this to give a flow of MP to your healer, that can cure you repeatedly.
Recast: 5 Minutes.
Off. Spirit Spell: "Delay"
Target: Enemy
For the duration of the spell, any action taken by the enemy will take twice as long, regular attacks not affected, spells and abilities only.
Suggested use: Certain deadly abilities and spells are almost impossible to interrupt, even with Slow spell. With this ability, the deadly Bomb Tosses and Goblin Rush, along with many others become less of a threat, all the more if you're partied with someone that can Stun.
Recast: 5 Minutes.
Arrogance of the Elvaan
Def. Spirit Spell: "Succubus"
Target: Enemy
For the duration of the spell, a non-elemental Damage Over Time spell is in effect on the target, the duration is determined by your Spiritual Magic skill, the damage done to the enemy is transfered to you each tick.
Suggested use: Useful in every situation, does not wake up mobs like normal DOTs.
Recast: 10 Minutes.
Off. Spirit Spell: "Demoralize"
Target: Monster
For the duration of the spell, your enemy will become Intimidated by your presence with a certain chance.
Suggested use: The effect is allways 100%, like all the spirit spells, but obviously this doesnt mean it Procs 100% of the time, intimidation is still based off a chance, that is to say, while the spell is effect, the mob might only be intimidated a couple times, this is based off your Spiritual Magic skill.
Recast: 10 Minutes.
Envy of the Mithra
Def. Spirit Spell: "Fierce"
Target: Self
For the duration of the spell, you get a percentage of Attack Bonus, Accuracy Bonus and a percentage of Haste.
Suggested use: Reflecting the wild nature of the Mithra, this spell gives you a sort of Berserk effect, with no detrimental effects.
Recast: 10 Minutes.
Off. Spirit Spell: "Screamer"
Target: Monster
For the duration of the spell, your enemy cannot cast spells or use abilities. Chance to land Based off your Spiritual Magic Skill.
Suggested use: Silence effect for spells and abilities.
Recast: 10 Minutes.
Rage of the Galka
Def. Spirit Spell: "Shield"
Target: Self
For the duration of the spell, you get a percentage of Defense Bonus, Shield Bonus and a percentage of Damage Absorption.
Suggested use: Reflecting the massive bodies of the Galka, this spell gives you a sort of Defender effect, with special effects added.
Recast: 10 Minutes.
Off. Spirit Spell: "Ram"
Target: Monster
Delivers a staggering charge against your enemy, canceling their next action and doing damage proportional to your defense and HP.
Suggested use: Spirits Within and Shield Bash put together in one move, a mix of both, it does not stun however, it simply cancels the next action, be it whatever, can miss based on your accuracy.
Recast: 5 Minutes.
Cowardice of the Tarutaru
Def. Spirit Spell: "Wall"
Target: Party Members AOE
For the duration of the spell, a special magic is in effect that nullifies everything, but only once, any detrimental action used on anyone affected will be rendered useless, save for multi-hit actions, only the first hit will be affected by the spell in this situation.
Suggested use: Something you have the misfortune of not being able to avoid by any reason can be nullified by using this ability, for example, a deadly AOE that your BLM or DRK is unable to stun, you can prevent by using this.
Recast: 15 Minutes.
Off. Spirit Spell: "Magia"
Target: Monster
Sends a strong flow of magic towards the enemy, dealing non-elemental magic. Can be magic-bursted with any Skillchain, it is instant. Based off your MND, has the same range as Chi-Blast. The properties of the imbued magic will give you extra Enmity towards the monster that you used it on.
Suggested use: This is your Chi-Blast variation with a twist. Not exceptional damage, but has a special hate-grabbing effect.
Recast: 2 Minutes.
... phew.
Two Hour:
Spiritual Manifestation
Send your spirit to calm the monster, delay between actions is tripled, with a small chance of failure to act, and a strong Gravity effect. You cannot move or act for the duration of the Effect, you can be attacked and killed however, but your spirit will not be dismissed even if you die, it's your spirit after all.
Lasts 30 seconds, after which your spirit returns to you and you can act again, unless you died ofcourse.
What are the aspects of this job?
Not unlike BRD, COR and PUP, you can only have a certain limit of defensive abilities activated. They are 2 in total, and you can cancel them, upon canceling you can only re-activate it after it's recast timer is over. Offensive abilities are instant, and can't be "activated", thus you can use them normaly.
Certain Defensive and Offensive abilities are dependant on your mob being alive, for example Succubus is a DOT Drain effect, if the mob dies, the effect is over and recast timer begins and you cannot re-use it again until timer is done.
What weapon does the Soulmaster use and what is it like stat-wise?
Let's get crazy here, Soulmasters would use Club and Staff mainly, as the only melee job that uses these weapon to deal damage as their MAIN weapon.
You would normally see Club+Shield SLMs.
Max skill in Club.
B skill in staff.
B skill in Shield.
And C- skill in all other weapons.
Decently noticeable Parry Skill.
Above Average HP
No MP
Highest stat being MND->VIT->CHR->STR->DEX->AGI->INT
MND Affects all your Spiritual Magic
VIT is your defense and has a role in Defensive Spirit Spells
CHR has a role in Offensive Spirit Spells
What native abilities does SLM have?
While this is not a "Pet" job, you do have your spirit manifestation following you. Your spirit is allways with you, it cannot die. Spirit is displayed as an aura that resembles your figure and hovers while following you.
The role your Spirit plays is simple, when you use a Spiritual Spell, your Spirit is the one that casts it, in actuality.
What does that help with you ask? because your link to the spirit is inner, Silence, Stun, Paralyze, Slow, Petrify, Sleep, and other "numbing" effects have NO effect whatsoever when using your Spirit Spells! But all the other normal actions are still affected as normal however.
You do not speak to cast a spirit spell, you do not move, you do not react physically, and you do not need physical intervention to cast spirit spells.
What does the spirit do besides looking pretty and acting as a novelty addition?
If you die, a popup box appears: Do you wish to be reraised? If you say yes, you get reraised, but your 2H gets used up, and you can only reraise after your 2h is up again.
If you died during your original 2h, you cannot reraise like this. And obviously your 2h must be ready to use, otherwise this cant be done.
Well this was a rather long post wasnt it ...
Post your tank ideas please.
Aha.. jokes aside if you know about this discussion however, let me know, ill go bump it instead.
Ok..
In regards to tank jobs, we have plenty of choices actually, but some only work in some situations, rare situations.
Warriors can tank all the way, but are usually overlooked, by the WAR themselves and other jobs, most of the time. Can tank better according to common opinion with NIN subbed, but i've seen MNK and PLD subs, like, a couple times.
Samurais can tank somewhat, in lower levels, in a pinch. Needs WAR sub for provoke.
Thieves... i can vouch for a friend of mine who demands to be the tank in merit parties as a THF/war, he's pretty sick. But thats probably one in a million.
Red Mages have been tanking here and there, washed down Paladins with better defensive/healing magic, but lacking many tanking features that makes true tanks special, rellying on MP as their main enmity keeping and survival.
Monks used to be one of the main tanks, suddenly they became DD, are we overlooking MNK's ability to tank because we can simply do nice damage with it? Or are the other options so much better that we were forced to this change? Prolly the latter. Prolly both.
Blue Mages can tank quite well, me being a BLU, I have tanked in Valk, Qufim, and now in late 30's i've had to tank a couple times too in CN, but i've heard they can tank as effectively as a WAR would, with the slight edge of having MP for healing, buffing, and debuffing, but a down when it comes to natural defensive skills, though i think its still early to be making statements.
Obviously some other classes can also tank here and there, in this and that situation, for a minute or 10, or perhaps on a certain mob, or a certain place, considering the number of sub combinations, jobs in your party, gear, merits, etc that could define your ability to tank.
Can a WHM/war not tank with certain gear and merits? Maybe not in certain situations, but FFXI is full of situational events and everyday you hear of someone that achieved something out of the norm, like the RDM who soloed Genbu, or the WHM burn, or that DRG that soloed to 75.
With all that said, my intention to bring up controversy is solely so that people can think about this with an open mind, because today our main tanks are not unique in any way, we have the meat shield who absorbs the hits and relies on the shield, and the evasion god that doesnt get hit.
What else is there to be invented in terms of tanking?
I was bored.
The spiritual combat job:
Soulmaster
Evokes spirits, but not in the same way as a summoner, spirits are abilities, not pets, not MP consuming spells.
You get spirits by fighting mobs in SOLO combat, like the Summoner aquires his Avatars by fighting them, so would a SLM. However these would not be BC fights, these would be Spiritual Confrontations, there are as many Spiritual Confrontation battles as there are races in the game.
Apathy of the Hume
Arrogance of the Elvaan
Envy of the Mithra
Rage of the Galka
Cowardice of the Tarutaru
To challenge Apathy of the Hume, you need to go to Bastok, talk to a certain NPC at a certain level, and begin your Spiritual Confrontation battle.
To challenge Arrogance of the Elvaan, you need to go to San'Doria, talk to a certain NPC at a certain level, and begin your Spiritual Confrontation battle.
To challenge Envy of the Mithra, you need to go to Kazham, talk to a certain NPC at a certain level, and begin your Spiritual Confrontation battle.
To challenge Rage of the Galka, you need to go to Rabao, talk to a certain NPC at a certain level, and begin your Spiritual Confrontation battle.
To challenge Cowardice of the Tarutaru, you need to go to Windurst, talk to a certain NPC at a certain level, and begin your Spiritual Confrontation battle.
The Spiritual Confrontations are battles where you challenge your own spirit and master your fears and angers. The rewards are Spiritual Magic spells. There are 2 Spirit Spells per Spiritual Confrontation. An offensive and defensive.
Apathy of the Hume
Def. Spirit Spell: "Consume"
Target: Party Member/Self
For the duration of the spell, a percentage of the damage done to you becomes spiritual magic and is converted into MP.
Suggested use: Use this to give a flow of MP to your healer, that can cure you repeatedly.
Recast: 5 Minutes.
Off. Spirit Spell: "Delay"
Target: Enemy
For the duration of the spell, any action taken by the enemy will take twice as long, regular attacks not affected, spells and abilities only.
Suggested use: Certain deadly abilities and spells are almost impossible to interrupt, even with Slow spell. With this ability, the deadly Bomb Tosses and Goblin Rush, along with many others become less of a threat, all the more if you're partied with someone that can Stun.
Recast: 5 Minutes.
Arrogance of the Elvaan
Def. Spirit Spell: "Succubus"
Target: Enemy
For the duration of the spell, a non-elemental Damage Over Time spell is in effect on the target, the duration is determined by your Spiritual Magic skill, the damage done to the enemy is transfered to you each tick.
Suggested use: Useful in every situation, does not wake up mobs like normal DOTs.
Recast: 10 Minutes.
Off. Spirit Spell: "Demoralize"
Target: Monster
For the duration of the spell, your enemy will become Intimidated by your presence with a certain chance.
Suggested use: The effect is allways 100%, like all the spirit spells, but obviously this doesnt mean it Procs 100% of the time, intimidation is still based off a chance, that is to say, while the spell is effect, the mob might only be intimidated a couple times, this is based off your Spiritual Magic skill.
Recast: 10 Minutes.
Envy of the Mithra
Def. Spirit Spell: "Fierce"
Target: Self
For the duration of the spell, you get a percentage of Attack Bonus, Accuracy Bonus and a percentage of Haste.
Suggested use: Reflecting the wild nature of the Mithra, this spell gives you a sort of Berserk effect, with no detrimental effects.
Recast: 10 Minutes.
Off. Spirit Spell: "Screamer"
Target: Monster
For the duration of the spell, your enemy cannot cast spells or use abilities. Chance to land Based off your Spiritual Magic Skill.
Suggested use: Silence effect for spells and abilities.
Recast: 10 Minutes.
Rage of the Galka
Def. Spirit Spell: "Shield"
Target: Self
For the duration of the spell, you get a percentage of Defense Bonus, Shield Bonus and a percentage of Damage Absorption.
Suggested use: Reflecting the massive bodies of the Galka, this spell gives you a sort of Defender effect, with special effects added.
Recast: 10 Minutes.
Off. Spirit Spell: "Ram"
Target: Monster
Delivers a staggering charge against your enemy, canceling their next action and doing damage proportional to your defense and HP.
Suggested use: Spirits Within and Shield Bash put together in one move, a mix of both, it does not stun however, it simply cancels the next action, be it whatever, can miss based on your accuracy.
Recast: 5 Minutes.
Cowardice of the Tarutaru
Def. Spirit Spell: "Wall"
Target: Party Members AOE
For the duration of the spell, a special magic is in effect that nullifies everything, but only once, any detrimental action used on anyone affected will be rendered useless, save for multi-hit actions, only the first hit will be affected by the spell in this situation.
Suggested use: Something you have the misfortune of not being able to avoid by any reason can be nullified by using this ability, for example, a deadly AOE that your BLM or DRK is unable to stun, you can prevent by using this.
Recast: 15 Minutes.
Off. Spirit Spell: "Magia"
Target: Monster
Sends a strong flow of magic towards the enemy, dealing non-elemental magic. Can be magic-bursted with any Skillchain, it is instant. Based off your MND, has the same range as Chi-Blast. The properties of the imbued magic will give you extra Enmity towards the monster that you used it on.
Suggested use: This is your Chi-Blast variation with a twist. Not exceptional damage, but has a special hate-grabbing effect.
Recast: 2 Minutes.
... phew.
Two Hour:
Spiritual Manifestation
Send your spirit to calm the monster, delay between actions is tripled, with a small chance of failure to act, and a strong Gravity effect. You cannot move or act for the duration of the Effect, you can be attacked and killed however, but your spirit will not be dismissed even if you die, it's your spirit after all.
Lasts 30 seconds, after which your spirit returns to you and you can act again, unless you died ofcourse.
What are the aspects of this job?
Not unlike BRD, COR and PUP, you can only have a certain limit of defensive abilities activated. They are 2 in total, and you can cancel them, upon canceling you can only re-activate it after it's recast timer is over. Offensive abilities are instant, and can't be "activated", thus you can use them normaly.
Certain Defensive and Offensive abilities are dependant on your mob being alive, for example Succubus is a DOT Drain effect, if the mob dies, the effect is over and recast timer begins and you cannot re-use it again until timer is done.
What weapon does the Soulmaster use and what is it like stat-wise?
Let's get crazy here, Soulmasters would use Club and Staff mainly, as the only melee job that uses these weapon to deal damage as their MAIN weapon.
You would normally see Club+Shield SLMs.
Max skill in Club.
B skill in staff.
B skill in Shield.
And C- skill in all other weapons.
Decently noticeable Parry Skill.
Above Average HP
No MP
Highest stat being MND->VIT->CHR->STR->DEX->AGI->INT
MND Affects all your Spiritual Magic
VIT is your defense and has a role in Defensive Spirit Spells
CHR has a role in Offensive Spirit Spells
What native abilities does SLM have?
While this is not a "Pet" job, you do have your spirit manifestation following you. Your spirit is allways with you, it cannot die. Spirit is displayed as an aura that resembles your figure and hovers while following you.
The role your Spirit plays is simple, when you use a Spiritual Spell, your Spirit is the one that casts it, in actuality.
What does that help with you ask? because your link to the spirit is inner, Silence, Stun, Paralyze, Slow, Petrify, Sleep, and other "numbing" effects have NO effect whatsoever when using your Spirit Spells! But all the other normal actions are still affected as normal however.
You do not speak to cast a spirit spell, you do not move, you do not react physically, and you do not need physical intervention to cast spirit spells.
What does the spirit do besides looking pretty and acting as a novelty addition?
If you die, a popup box appears: Do you wish to be reraised? If you say yes, you get reraised, but your 2H gets used up, and you can only reraise after your 2h is up again.
If you died during your original 2h, you cannot reraise like this. And obviously your 2h must be ready to use, otherwise this cant be done.
Well this was a rather long post wasnt it ...
Post your tank ideas please.
Comment