Patch day = spammy day! (FFXI)

[thistlechaser]

Sorry to non-players for the extra posts, but it's like Christmas in FFXI land! Lots of new toys to play with!

New DRK merit abilities:
Muted Soul - (Trait) Reduces enmity while using Souleater
Desperate Blows - (Trait) Reduces delay for two-handed weapons when using Last Resort
Dark Seal - (Ability) Enhances the accuracy of your next dark magic spell
Diabolic Eye - (Ability) Reduces Max HP, increases accuracy

Ha ha ha. Well, the upside is that I don't have any real pressure to go meriting! And I don't have to be associated with silly names like "Desperate Blows". I'd have to think long and hard if you offered to sell me all four of those abilities for one single merit point.

Muted Soul: I hate to stress out WHMs (or kill myself) so I don't use SE too often. When I do, I either have shadows to protect me or click it off when hate gets too messed up. But it's not the hate that worries me when using SE, it's that my HP bar falls so fast.

Desperate Blows: Hello axes! (But more seriously, Last Resort is not up fast enough or long enough for this to add more than one or two swings per use, if I were to use a two-handed weapon.)

Dark Seal: The only one with any potential (for me), in my opinion. Does accuracy make the absorb spells absorb more? (I'm sure I read about magic accuracy in a RDM FAQ long ago, but I've forgotten now.) If so, stacking it with absorb-TP would be nice... EXCEPT that absorb spells have a 60 second recast, and I seriously doubt Dark Seal will ever get under 5 minutes. (Probably start at 15, and lower as you merit it more?)

Diabolic Eye: The funniest one! I have like +4783753174171 acc now. I would not trade HP for more acc! Might be useful for DRKs with less good armor, I guess.

I could see these abilities being a lot better for scythe DRKs, but for me personally? Meh. But at least absorb-TP is not a merit move! Yay! And as for my lone merit point? I might stick it in +crit for better Rampages, or just sit on it for now.

Even though I'm personally not thrilled by these, I'm still happy as heck about the update as a whole. Lots of jobs got some peachy keen abilities, and I'm getting TWO great things without spending any points! (Absorb-TP and Raptor Mazurka.) Plus the change to Besieged!

Can't wait to get home and start updating. (My timing was bad! I had to leave home to get back to work after lunch about five minutes before the download became available for downloading! Ack!)

Reminder: As with everything I post in my LJ, this is my opinion. I'm not claiming that no DRK should be happy about these abilities, I'm not saying that if you want one or more of the abilities that you suck. For me personally, in my build, they're "meh". YMMV! Happy playing!

Comments

[veri-of-remora.livejournal.com]

put that one merit into axe skill if you're hell bent on using a pair of those instead of a scythe/gsd. 2 skill will do you a world more good than 1%+ of critical.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Good idea on the merit use! (And the weapon I use is a situational thing. In Besieged I might as well use GS now that axe is capped, since I go /WHM for staying alive. Using just one axe was silly, other than for skilling it.)

My DRK situation is pretty different than most folks, as I don't really do much as it anymore. I'm not in a HNM LS, I don't usually merit... Mostly I just use the job to help LS people do stuff, as well as things like Escort.

I had you in mind when I tacked on that little note at the end of the post. :) I know we're quite different when it comes to the job!

[veri-of-remora.livejournal.com]

well i am honored that my drk was in your lj post thoughts lol ^^

[genomeffxi.livejournal.com]

You never know, some of those might turn out to be good, it's all in the details of how they are implemented.

But I definitely agree with you about "Desperate Blows". From the name you would think the real description would be: "Desperate Blows: Enhances DrkEmoLol jokes potency and duration."

I am really excited about the monk ones, formless strike in particular, but again who knows they might implement it in some way that doesn't make it as useful and powerful as it sounds...

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

But I definitely agree with you about "Desperate Blows". From the name you would think the real description would be: "Desperate Blows: Enhances DrkEmoLol jokes potency and duration."

*snickers*

I am really excited about the monk ones, formless strike in particular, but again who knows they might implement it in some way that doesn't make it as useful and powerful as it sounds...

All the MNKs I know are pretty excited about that one. I hope it does turn out to be as good as it sounds!

[danikar.livejournal.com]

Diabolic Eye: The funniest one! I have like +4783753174171 acc now. I would not trade HP for more acc! Might be useful for DRKs with less good armor, I guess.

sept that if you take off that acc gear and put on gear to do like... damage this becomes a very good ability. people who use full acc gear and then do things like eat sushi make me laugh cause they cant do shit.

a drk with full attack gear using scythe will usually beat out one that is dualing axes. just that the one with the scythe will die if they arnt careful. drks who only use greatsword in merits are just awful.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

sept that if you take off that acc gear and put on gear to do like... damage this becomes a very good ability.

I hate Alla, but in this case I'll make an exception:

http://ffxi.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?fitem=3354 (Hauberk +1)
http://ffxi.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?fitem=4065 (Thick Mufflers +1)
http://ffxi.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?fitem=4082 (Thick Breeches +1)
http://ffxi.allakhazam.com/db/item.html?fitem=4117 (Thick Sollerets +1)

My damage does not suffer for my acc. Thanks for your concern though!

[danikar.livejournal.com]

black legs/feet are way better than thick. thick hands are kinda bad too. armada is good (thats what i use) but obviously thats not an option for everyone. you should consider something like tarasque mitts or black hands. drk JSE is really good.

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

...thanks for your opinions?