FFXI: technical stuff (DRK/DRG, tricking)

[thistlechaser]

This will be a more "technical" post than usual, so if you don't play please feel totally free to skip this.

A few days ago I read about a JP player who played as DRK/DRG. That sounds wacky at first, but apparently it worked well (he went all-out with DRK stuff, totally getting hate, then super jumped it away). I love thinking about interesting and new combos like that. I don't think this one would work better in general (why jump the hate away when you can sub THF and trick it onto the tank?), but still, it's interesting to think about. Other than the loss of being able to pin hate, the other issue is one I'm not so sure about: Don't DRGs have ACC issues? I'd really, really hate to stack one ACC-challenged job with another...

THF 30 is just around the corner, and DRK 60 not much far behind that. I hope setting this tricking stuff up won't be as much of a challenge as it seems to be in my head. The way I'm seeing it, I'll line up behind Ashn (main tank) and Ead (MNK/WAR, backup tank) will stand across the mob from him. Because Xal tends to get hate, she should stand behind Ead. How slippery does our hate tend to be? Can you get hate off Ashn with just a provoke, Ead? If not, we'll have to do the trick in the beginning, which will mean I need TP at the start of the fight... which will mean less sitting for MP for me (bah).

So Xal pulls the mob in, Ead provokes it. Xal starts the SC, I close it with SA/TA. Hate snaps onto Ashn, and he can provoke from there. I guess writing it out makes it clearer than it was in my head. It's just that we sometimes have issues with me missing SAs because the mob turns, I really worry about our ability to form a nice steady line...

See, but if Ead can pull hate off Ashn mid-fight, tricking would be more useful. I could do more stuff (SE+LR+WS/SA/TA) and lose (and pin) more hate that way... Maybe we could arrange this with both SCs, if Xal can get TP fast enough:

Fight starts as usual. Ashn has hate. Xal and Ead (standing opposite Ashn and I) have TP, so SC. Mob will likely turn and face them? (Does Ashn usually have to provoke at this point? He does, right?) Then Xal gets to 100% again , she starts her SC with me, I do as much as I can (LR/SE + WS/SA/TA) while standing behind Ashn, and he'll get my fight's worth thus far, plus the SC hate.

But maybe doing it in the beginning would be handier, since then Ead wouldn't have to tank much and Ashn would get the extra hate-help early on...

Comments

[kamalloy.livejournal.com]

Dragoons get an Accuracy Bonus at level 30. (I just got mine, and it makes me very happy.) I seem to hit fairly reliably most of the time, but I have +DEX and +Accuracy gear (Battle Gloves, two Balance Rings, and now the Mercenary Captain's Headgear and Doublet). I'm also below level 50, and things apparently pick up greatly then. Aurian would be a bit better at telling you how Dragoons hit at higher levels. ^_~

I can't say much beyond that; my only experience with SATA is being the one that's getting the SATA put on them. (Sadly, it's about the only way I can hold hate now as a WAR/MNK tank. S'pose I should start levelling NIN, but I really don't feel like it all that much. ^^;)

[kamalloy.livejournal.com]

Super Jump is a level 50 Dragoon ability, though. Maybe he meant High Jump, which is level 35? (I believe that sheds hate too, though not as much as Super Jump.)

Oh, and forgot to include my Spike Necklace in my +DEX gear. So I'm at +9 DEX and +3 Accuracy. If you'd like, I can try and pay attention to how well I hit in static tomorrow. (I haven't got a parser, though, so it'd just be me taking mental notes.)

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Hm. The poster (a NA player who partied with that JP guy) had said Super Jump, but he must have been mistaken.

Thanks for all the info! No need to pay attention too closely, I think I'll stick with THF as my sub. :)

[draymor.livejournal.com]

It was a 60+ DRG/DRK, not the other way around.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Ahhh, okay. Thanks!

[loneguardian.livejournal.com]

Don't DRGs have ACC issues?

XD Nuuu. DRG is one of the most accurate jobs in the game. When I have all my ACC stuff and sushi, I'm usually hitting 95-100% of my swings. I just tend to swap out some of my ACC stuff for Attack and STR now 'cause I can hit things fine, I just need to hit a bit harder. 9.9;

[loneguardian.livejournal.com]

Also! With SATA, your mileage may vary. The only reason I still use /THF is so I can pile on the STR for Wheeling Thrust and not miss (yay SA!). If I try and SATA onto Niala... I dunno, we lose our groove. We're -so- used to just letting her keep hate that doing a SATA setup screws things up. We don't get the same bonuses to SATA that THF does, so it's not a huge chunk of hate that lands on the tank. I dunno, it might work since you guys have a NIN tank, but for a PLD tank, /THF SATA is really overrated.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

I think the difference in tank types might make a big difference, yeah. As far as I can tell, our hate tends to be sort of slippery (Ashn is a good NIN tank, but IMO PLD > NIN when it comes to tanking). I suspect that the saying "every little bit helps" applies for us.

But I could see "losing your groove" being an issue, too. I don't want to snap at people or ruin our energy by demanding perfect positions or anything like that... (It's hard to resist making a comment when I miss a SA because the mob turned. The SA makes a big difference in damage, but snapping at people and killing the mood would make a bigger difference.)

Must hit 60 so we can test this out and see how it goes! :D

[loneguardian.livejournal.com]

Yeah, this is really a case-by-case thing. It'll work great in some parties and suck royally in others. Try it and see what works. :3

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Oh, huh! You've called it "penta-wiffles" or something along those lines, so I thought the job just had some basic ACC issues.

I just tend to swap out some of my ACC stuff for Attack and STR now 'cause I can hit things fine, I just need to hit a bit harder. 9.9;

I keep getting so tempted to make the same switch. I wouldn't guess I'm hitting 95% of the time, but I'm comfortable with how often I hit. (Missing keeps me from getting hate! I'd endlessly have it if every one of my normal swings connected.) I'm not as happy with how hard I'm hitting... I might switch over and try ATT food once more...

[kelen.livejournal.com]

One lousy weapon skill doesn't mean the whole job has problems. ;) You always take things to such extremes.

[loneguardian.livejournal.com]

Because Thistle -is- extreme! ;3~

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

:P Do not!

But you're not saying that different WS have different ACC, right? Why would her penta-whatever thing miss more than something else? Or is it that it makes 5 attempts so at least a couple will likely miss?

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

I just saw Aurian's comment. *boggle* I had no idea that some WSs had better ACC than others.

[kelen.livejournal.com]

Yepyep! It's the same reason why I will use some avatar level 70 bloodpacts instead of others. Like Levy has decent accuracy and his BP is a one hit smack. Thanks to this he hits a lot of the time. Shiva on the other hand also has decent accuracy, but her attack has five blows instead of one.. meaning she has five times to miss. Her attack can do anything from 100-2k+. No exaggeration. >.<

Weaponskills work the same. Some are just better suited to hit than others. :)

[loneguardian.livejournal.com]

Yay PentaWhiff! X3 Naw, I call it that 'cause the WS itself has accuracy issues 9.9; I can be hitting 98% of the time and still miss 4/5 Penta hits. Kinna like Wheeling Thrust doesn't take the blunt damage of my lance into consideration, so my WTs are ~300 damage lower than they should be on bones. >

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Dude! I had no idea different WSs had different ACC. *boggle* That doesn't make much sense...

[kawaru.livejournal.com]

I have a suggestion: let me back in your party, then you can fuidama whoever the heck you please(except Xal, tricksy ranger). ^^b

Really, I'd say don't stress over it much. In pick-up parties you often get stuck with fools in the high 50s and 60s who don't understand how SATA works, but everyone in your static understands it pretty well it looks like. Once you hit 60, I'd imagine that in that same session you guys will work out exactly what needs to be done to SATA Ashn at the start and get into a routine. The only time it's worth worrying about is if you're a THF main who has to make a good name for himself to get invites, or if you end up in a pick-up party(which shouldn't happen because you have such a great static).

[philia.livejournal.com]

XE You just need to come back, period. :3

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Seconded!

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

I have a suggestion: let me back in your party, then you can fuidama whoever the heck you please(except Xal, tricksy ranger). ^^b


You'd have to come back to the game for that to happen! We all miss you! *smooches lots*

[kawaru.livejournal.com]

I was on once a few days ago, but it was only for about 15 minutes. No one was on the shell since it was late, but I saw Mori crafting so I talked to her for a bit. After Saturday, orchestra things will be settled down, and by Sunday afternoon I should have everything moved into the new place, so hopefully I'll be able to come back. Believe me, I really miss the game. ; ;

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

It'll be great to have you back! <3 Do you have a FI pearl? About half of CTY moved there (Beanie, Nif, Aurian, Ead, Draque, me, and others). If you don't have one, I'm sure that could be fixed!

[kawaru.livejournal.com]

Yep, had an FI pearl for a really long time, just haven't been on there because for a while there were a couple of people in it I really didn't like at all, and I'm a shy enough person I was worried about having to get used to all the new people I didn't know very well. ^^;

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Well, as far as I can tell, most of the strangers are gone and now half of CTY is there. (There's only one problem child left, as far as I can tell... and he's been smacked down lately so he's been quiet.) So pop in sometime! I told everyone you were looking forward to coming back and they all cheered! :)

[lokyst.livejournal.com]

Darnit, Thistle. You made me sign up. >.<

This gives a list of all the weaponskills, what stats affect them and *how* the stats affect them.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Yay for signing up! Woo! What are you playing? Where?

Yay!

[lokyst.livejournal.com]

*psst* It's me, Niala, but don't tell anyone. >.> <.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Oh ho ho! Yay, welcome! I thought you were one of my lurkers who finally gave in and tried FFXI. *snugs lots* My lips are sealed!

I don't friends-lock much, but I'll friend you so you can see what little there is. :)

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

*stares at site* Wow, that's complex. Thanks for the link!