Changes in a year

[Sakiemdee]

I just started playing again after a year long absence. Could someone please tell me what has been implemented/changed in the last year that has really significantly impacted the DRK job (what new foods/items have been added, do we still level in the same places) or playing in general?

[Langolier]

Re: Changes in a year

I don't think we've changed at all aside from the introduction of Sole Sushi. Said food mods Accuracy by 14% I believe... so as you get higher in level it gets better and better. It is now much more efficient to stock up on +Attack gear and eat Sushi than it was back in the day to stock up on +Accuracy gear and eat Kabobs (or whatever +Attack food)

[Aeni]

Re: Changes in a year

I get feedback from other DRK players that went back to the "old school" ways of +acc and slapping on that Red Curry or Dragon Steak. A lot of them won't touch sushi now ;3a

[Langolier]

Re: Changes in a year

At end-game on VT's, sure. Or low VT's anywhere. However I doubt anyone is gonna do that (especially with DRK/THF) on IT's.

[Aeni]

Re: Changes in a year

Not end game. Sometime around level 60, you're able to do this. Don't worry, it can work, now that RNGs can't be expected to take parties to fight super ITs (12-14 levels) Also, it is generally more efficient and has been proven to be more effective fighting low ITs and chaining this way.

However, like you said, it is "cheaper" to use sushi instead. However, as a DRK, you are severely handicapping your damage abilities, regardless of what subjobs you are using. I think of using sushi in lieu of equipment as sort of a way of leasing accuracy in this game. You can either work your butt off and own your vehicle from day one, or you can lease a car from the dealership.

Sushi has actually made things worse, not better, as more and more players will rely on this food and try to "get away" from not obtaining equipment. How many threads have I seen and countless DRKs on my server using +STR rings and an AF body and sushi? They are level 50-70 players and are using sushi as a kind of a crutch to be able to exp without equipment. I rarely see DRKs with an Assault Earring anymore. I now see plethora of them using a Moldavite and a +MP or some other unique earring in that second slot. As you can see, sushi has made complacent many players across the servers.

In defense of the food, it helped many players to hobble along with their parties when they are lead to fight super ITs. Now, however, there is no need for this senseless trend to continue. What I am saying is that you cannot substitute equipment with food, only to enhance your effectiveness. I think it's probably a lot smarter for melee players to take on low ITs instead, get the proper equipment and use attack foods. That to me is how a melee should operate.

[Armando]

Re: Changes in a year

I agree with you whole-heartedly, Aeni. I'm not a DRK but I can definetely confirm this is happening. I'm amazed when someone eats Meat Mithkabobs in my parties anymore (I'm not into the 50+ range yet, talking 40 range here.) What's worse is I see people using Sushi IN THE TEENS AND TWENTY. Come on, people. You don't need acc this early in the game. It's even more frustrating to see someone use Sushi while having double Sniper Rings equipped. Again, this is pre-50...you don't need so much accuracy as to warrant the use of Sushi, and you're gonna go add a pair of Sniper Rings too? Some STR so you don't hit like crap would've been so nice. And like I said, I see this all the time. Hell, I had DDs using Sushi in Qufim against crabs. This sushi crazy annoys me, to be honest. I know it's good for the high levels, but now people are trying to use it in every level. It's like those WARs I see subbing NIN before 20.

[fuz]

Re: Changes in a year

I dunno, as a drk myself, sushi doesn't seem to have a cap on acc like equipment does. I loaded up heavily on acc back in the days when sushi was non-existant, but could only manage to hit ~70-80% at best. Sure I'd hit for melee (not WS) damage nearly twice as hard as today's sushi-eaters, but my TP gain made me cry. It worked ok on mobs that coned low evasion, but for things that are high evasion (without acc equips), there wasn't anything I could do, and my damage was dismal even if I was just 1 level too low.

Back to today, sushi is just another tool to help if you can use it correctly. It greatly helps drk/thf where WS is the main damage and melee is secondary. It's also very powerful on IT mobs where my parser tells me sushi > meat despite the low damage hits. As long as you don't rely on it to get away with poor equips, it can only be a good thing as it gives you more choice to suit the situation.

[Aeni]

Re: Changes in a year

Here is something that every DRK, high or low, can ponder about.

I so missed subbing WAR. So much so that some exp groups, I shout with joy to see a THF in there. I now have an excuse to sub WAR O_o

Okay, I only get into {short}{parties} so I can get 4-5K of exp and then the party disbands after an hour or so. Because of that, I can go to the same place (Mostly Moon or Sky) with either sub THF or WAR. Then I can make comparisons ...

With WAR subbed, I go without sushi. I noticed that I whiff the same amount with Sushi and Bison Steak. I'm not sure what that means, but if it indicates anything, I'm willing to bet there is a cap with accuracy (Or that DEX does determine this and you need to load up on DEX if you're putting accuracy in high orbit)

On a side note, I also notice that before eating a food, I'd whiff lots with sub THF. I use sushi and I still will whiff occasionally. I'm fighting monsters that should be roughly 11 levels higher than me, which leads me to believe that no matter how much accuracy you have, if you're fighting something you shouldn't, then you're bound to starve for accuracy no matter how much you already have.

Now, I try to get into sensible parties, that will believe in super chaining low ITs rather than slowly chaining Super ITs ...

[tdh]

Re: Changes in a year

What's worse is I see people using Sushi IN THE TEENS AND TWENTY. Come on, people. You don't need acc this early in the game.

This gets me too. Sole Sushi gives Acc+15% and DEX+5. At Lv.15, let's say your base Acc is 20. So you paid 50k a stack for Acc+3 and DEX+5. Or, if you're so hard up to load up on Acc, you could spend 5-8k for a Jack-'o-Lantern and get Acc+10 AND Eva+10.

I don't think Sushi because a truly viable option until after Lv.30, and even then closer to Lv.40.

Back when I could actually level my DRK, and before I went on my year long break from my digital crack, I was all Attack. I did everything I could to get attack. Now everybody is loaded up on Acc. Which isn't a bad thing. You build a good Skillchain, and have BLMs that give you huge amounts of burst damage. Faster TP build Vs. hitting like a ton of bricks but taking 5 minutes to build TP.

I think we need a means to truly calculate our base Acc so we can then decided how much Acc+ gear or how much Atk+ gear and truely decide that food to eat. The Food update was a good one, however it didn't so much fix the "problem." Everybody used to Meat Kabobs, or Fish Kabobs. Now everybody eats Sushi or Tacos. We just replaced our two staples.

IF I ever raise the gil, I plan to build about Acc+35~40, and then eat heavy Atk food. I can build TP at a decent rate and do 100+dmg a swing, and push WS damage as well. That's what I'd like to see.

[Langolier]

Re: Changes in a year

Sushi is a must today. People aren't going to be able to afford 7-8 million for a Haubergeon, 200k for a life belt, and 2.8 million for each Sniper's ring.

[Aeni]

Re: Changes in a year

Sushi is a must today. People aren't going to be able to afford 7-8 million for a Haubergeon, 200k for a life belt, and 2.8 million for each Sniper's ring.

50K for a stack of sole sushi. You go through the stack depending on your pick up party (If you're in a static, you have more reasons why you don't need to buy good equipment) ...

You can go through a hundred or so stacks from 30 to 75 ... that's about 5 million gil. You'll always need sushi in non exp situations as well, because, hell, you don't have proper equips (I rarely miss without food on anything lower than T because ... my equips?) What, add to that another 5 to 10 mil, depending on how often you're out and about doing things with friends and in non exp situation.

Tell me, how much different is it between food and no food?

[Langolier]

Re: Changes in a year

What do you mean exactly? The accuracy? The accuracy with Sole Sushi is much better than it was when I used to wear two Sniper's Rings + Hauberk + Life belt. Sushi is better, period. It gives you way more damage through more consistant attacks. Without Berserk regular melee hits fall a bit from what they were before Mithkabobs were nerfed, but the near 100% more than makes up for it.

If you are on phoenix and have 7million for a Haubergeon and 6million for two sniper's, as well as 2mil for an Assault earring, 2mil for a Bombcore, and then 5mil for a Vassago's scythe, then more power to you. You are better than me at this game. You are better than MOST people at this game. However many DRK's who are leveling their first job into the 50's are going to have a funner time playing the game if they get some reasonable +Accuracy and then eat Sushi.

[Emurei]

Re: Changes in a year

Depends I think, sushi if you want to get that extra TP when your SC partner gains TP extra fast.

I normally carry 2 types of foods with me, go a few dry battles first to see how well you hit, than eat foods accordingly. 90% of the time I end up eating Att+/Str+ foods than sushi. Eating sushi however does not excuse people from not farming for good equipment. I took 2 months off to farm for a Hauby+1 and I'm still using it till this day. I don't see why some other people can't take a month or 2 off of leveling and farm for some better equipment. Besides money comes by easier these days anyways.

And yes low level eating sushi. . . wtf! I keep telling my LS mates wait till you''re in your 50s before using sushi cause its a % base increase. /shrugs kids theses days

[Langolier]

Re: Changes in a year

Easier these days? Really now? The server population is bigger than it was. There are more RMT'ers around than there used to be. Three of best NM's to camp for gil are no longer available. Haubergeon is 7x what it used to be on Pheonix, but most of the farmable items that people rely upon are worth more than they were, but not 7x the old price. I agree that Sushi is no excuse to have bad gear. I never said it was, no one did. I said that sushi lessened the need for some of the old accuracy gear. Gear that you can replay with better DD gear.

Unless you get really lucky with the few NM's that you can still camp, there is no way you are gonna raise 15million in a month. It just isn't gonna happen. I tell every DRK that I talk to who asks about gear that they will love sushi, but that they should still get a Haubergeon, no matter how long it takes. Sniper's though? No, you can do without those. Haubergeon/Hauberk + Life belt are enough.

[Lmnop]

Re: Changes in a year

Sushi really is good stuff, though I think S-E executed it kinda wrong (sole sushi is the only true DD sushi, that was a big mistake). The problem with Sushi, however, is that everyone's still trying to have all that expensive acc gear. I keep seeing these melee -- even warriors who have aggressor -- with a comment that they have haubergeon, 2x snipers, and sole sushi. Where's the attack?!?! They basically took their meat build from the crack-kabob days and took damage out of the equation. We're talking a 5% increase in accuracy whilst a 25% loss in attack. I dunno, just seems rediculous.

That said, I think sushi goes better with dark knights than most jobs. First reason: dark knights are the only job w/out some gimmick for tp (DRG have jump, monk focus and higher dex, thf have astronomical dex, triple attack, and tp floor abuse, etc). In fact, since they're the only DD that casts spells, they actually have time taken away from melee which puts them further behind. Second reason: they end up with 4 attack bonus traits. That alone is practically a constant berserk. It takes up the slack for lack of attack food.

I think STR rings + byrnie + sushi is actually acceptable, but that's me. You get such a boost with sushi that often your +acc gear really is irrelevant unless, as stated above, you're fighting things you shouldn't be. the fact is, hauber is TWELVE million gil on my server, and that's rediculous. I don't wish that on anyone. Saying that only someone with 20 mil is any good (cost of ideal Drk on Asura -- and that's all NQ stuff) is just wrong.