Reconsideration to Elemental Magic, Ranged changes?

[BurningPanther]

In light of the current acceptance of "burn" party practices(TP Burn, SATA Burn, even Avatar Burn), will there be any reconsideration to the changes made to Elemental magic damage Ranged attacks(which where adjusted to discourage the "burn" parties they popularized)?

[Karinya]

Re: Reconsideration to Elemental Magic, Ranged changes?

No. They were adjusted to reduce the "kite while RNG and BLM do all the damage" style of HNM fights, and manaburning DM and other battlefield fights; the effect on exp was a side effect, at most.

Anyway, WotG had better restore defense to a useful part of a party, or a whole lot of players who play defensive jobs are going to give up waiting for the balance problems created by ToAU to be fixed. All DD, all the time is not an interesting or fun game, no matter which DD you're talking about.

[Malacite]

Re: Reconsideration to Elemental Magic, Ranged changes?

I think a better question would be "Will there be a rivision of the magic system as a whole."


Magic Skills really should more heavily influence their respective spells (thus making /WHM nowhere near as strong as it is now for jobs like SMN) and removing damage/cure caps. Why should a lv 1 BLM's Stone be just as strong as a Level 75's? (Minus the MAB factor)

And I agree the ranged attack system should be tweaked in the wake of the 2 handed update.

[Yellow Mage]

Re: Reconsideration to Elemental Magic, Ranged changes?

Magic Skills really should more heavily influence their respective spells (thus making /WHM nowhere near as strong as it is now for jobs like SMN) and removing damage/cure caps. Why should a lv 1 BLM's Stone be just as strong as a Level 75's? (Minus the MAB factor)

Totally agreed. In fact, this could start a chain reaction of fixes: /WHM loses it's god-like power, SMN is left without anything good to sub, their party invites plummet because they are no longer able to main heal as well, and S-E wakes up to how pathetic the Avatars actually are, strengthens them, and BAM! Summoner fixed.

This could lead to many other good things, but that's just one of them.

[Malacite]

Re: Reconsideration to Elemental Magic, Ranged changes?

Yeah, like WHM finally beating out RDM in MP staying power.

RDM wins because of refresh and convert. Conversely, WHM should be just as capabale by being able to toss out fewer, more potent cures than RDM for the same or less MP thanks to their A+ healing skill.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: Reconsideration to Elemental Magic, Ranged changes?

No. They were adjusted to reduce the "kite while RNG and BLM do all the damage" style of HNM fights, and manaburning DM and other battlefield fights; the effect on exp was a side effect, at most.

If anyone really believes this, then I have a bridge to sell you. If it was just about HNM fights then that was an extremely poor reason to do it. The change had a lot more to do with politics than it did HNM fights. Before the adjustment (read: nerf), RNG dominated the DD portion of any EXP PT with great ease. RNG had weaponsskills that ignored level difference penalties which allowed them to deal immense damage in quick bursts.

Back then, a party wouldn't leave Jeuno without at least one ranger. You could have a BRD and people still wouldn't feel it was complete without a RNG in PT. And the RNG didn't even have to be good, they could just be loaded up on Scorpion Arrows and a War Bow +1 and still do obscene damage. The "gilbuying RNG" was largely an urban myth, you just needed a couple of these jokers with full AF and scorp arrows to lay waste to anything.

And this was also when you had a handful of high level EXP camps to got to. A couple roaming arrowburn PT in Sky was enough to ruin an evening of EXP/Merits for other PTs in the zone. You had maybe three other places you could go to EXP that level. Ule Range camp was a long trek and only supported one PT. The Deep portion of Kuftal held out for two PTs maybe. Lufaise was two PTs max as well.

Weapons in sky was probably the best camp, no one wanted to do Statues because of the MP they sucked up. Many many other jobs fell by the wayside. Warrior and Monk - the ToA golden boys - were nothing but subjobs to people back then. You simply didn't PT much or get good EXP if you didn't have a RNG in PT.

BLM is different - BLMs DID form exclusive PTs where RNGs didn't commonly need to do so. BLMs did it not just for endgame, but for PROFIT. They would merc KSNMs (they still try to, but people are wise to it now) and CoP missions alike. Manaburn PTs were common, but not was much of EXP and mercenary purposes.

SE made the changes to BLM because of the mercenary behavior and lazy endgame tactics. SE made the changes to RNG to give other melees a chance.

The problem is, with RNG, that SE went too far on the nerf and made a really hypocritical move with ToA. When burn PTs for other melee took hold, they became too popular to change back. And this directly hurt BLM and WHM as well, since the pace these PTs demand is greater than their MP can manage.