Rounding up the weekend and than some

Well do to popular demand here is another little post before I forget about the blog. BTW this is definatly a record as far as blog dedication.

I didn't overdo it this week as far as leveling largly to the fact of letting my friend Akujin catch up so we can exp together. When he reached 64 I finally got a chance to exp with him and I think he will make a great BLM. Largly to the fact that he understands what going on and how to play his job. I came over his house and it was definatly fun to exp with him.

Myself ... well I'm 4k from 66 I think. When I hit 67 or maybe even at 66 I'm going to go and try to solo for my moldevite's earring. It was really nice to be able to outdmg a BLM in equal spells, kinda shows that I'm picking the right gear but on that topic I think I'm making a few mistakes.

I've come to except that skill > specific bonuses (ranged atk, accuracy etc...) > core stats (int, mnd, str ...). With that in mind I've tried to focus my gear around skill improvements like torques etc. Problem tho is that I'm scarficing tremandous amounts of int and mnd in the process. I do switch up int and mnd rings for all my spells. Each enfeeble works slightly differently, but even tho the ability to land enfeebles comes from Enfeebling skill, the duration and overall str of the enfeeble comes from core stats like MND and INT. Here is an example of what I mean ...

Elemental_Spell_Damage = [ (IDF * Spell_Multiplier) + SDC ] * Magic_Attack_Bonus * Day_Weather_Modifier

The aspect of this formula that I want to point out is IDF = INTcaster - INTenemy
What is means is that if your int is less than the int of the enemy, you will not only do little dmg, it's possible that will you produce no dmg. Granted this is usually never the case but an example would be doing uncapped ballista and having a lvl 20 cast on a lvl 75. Just like lower lvl mobs will cast magic and do no dmg.

So yes majority of the dmg does not come from INT, you will only do about 2 points more dmg per every 6 int. But INT has a different value or purpose in the formual.

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So how does this reflect on me. I used to brag about the fact that I wouldn't ever get resists even from much much higher level ITs. Yet recently on DRK or other mobs my enfeebles would not stick first try, and to me thats annoying because 1 it makes me look bad, 2 my sitting time is cut do to the wait, and 3 yea I don't feel like dishing out more MP even if Paralyze is just 6mps I don't want to do it.

I have a full set of elemental staves but I'm not considering in rebuying a wand and having a quick equipt when I learn that a perticular mob does not like me or has high MND or high INT.

I guess this is another step forward towards becoming a good Red Mage. Later on I think I'll have the opportunity to drop the wand again or only have it as back up due to +5 INT and MND rings and +10 and up in INT and MND that I will receive from Errant Gear etc...

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So that's that, I do have to give props on the acomplishments of my friend Sinspawn. Although he himself never attained the title I'm confident he played a big part in the defeat of Vrtra. So we should see more of those sexy BRD body peaces.
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Do to inconvenient work hours on weekends, and a few graduation parties that I tried to squeeze in I couldn't make it view Vrtra or attend the Dynamisis SanDoria. I'm a little upset I didn't get to experience Dynamis and all the dieing (I seriously don't think it's neccesarry to go through wipe outs) but on the upside even if I attended it I would gain nothing in return. Not being part of the LS, not being able to recieve any of the drops including currency and af2 I found it inconvenient except for the experience alone.
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Oh I almost forgot, right now I'm at work theirfore I'm not going to bother to proffread this and make it sound cohereant but Sin lent me his vermillion cloak for one exp party so I could test it out. So here is my review on the subject aimed at RDMs.

Vermillion Cloak (multi-million gil item)
Not worth it and here is why ...
What you must realize is that VC takes up 2 slots a slot that gives us RDM +15 enfeebling and +10 elemental skill and fast cast (thus ruining refresh chains)

So if you do decide to use it you can only use it during your short downtime as a rdm. Meaning while sitting. So I quickly macroed it into my sitting macro which at this point only takes out darkstaff.

** Quick note : if you want it for mp your an idiot, RDM should not need over 300 mps to do their job! ALL OF IT!

Anyways in a normal EXP setup with a WHM, BLM, PLD, RDM you will roughly have 20 sec to sit. 30 Sec if you don't enfeeble and go right into sitting after the chain, and as low as 10 seconds if you have to wait for a burst and do all your enfeebles (paralyze, slow, gravity and debuffs).

With that in mind you attain very little mp in the big picture. But I imagine once you got used to the INSANE equip changing that you have to do in the process you might be able to sneak in more auto-refresh mps when your not just sitting.

Here is another problem that I had. I'm a huge equip changing rdm. At this point all 6 lines of macros I taken when it comes to casting a single spell. With that I might even kill my /recast line soon to add in one more piece of optimaizing gear. So imagine me sitting I have my vermi equipt with dark staff and 2 mnd rings. Now I have to get up to burs all the sudden. It used to not be a problem but now I have to hit my macro to requipt hat and body piece which also changes neck piece because again I'm seriously trying to fight for line space without going over 20 macros. So just had 3 equipt changes than I quickly hit my burst macro which now switches in my thunder staff, changes 2 rings, equipts elemental torque launches /recast timer and selects the mob. If you haven't gotten the picture yet that's one too many equip changes and in the process more than once did I loose my hat and never had it equipt or a ring or two. This is just too much and very hard to pull off. Atleast at first maybe u can make it easier.

Anyways I returned the Vermi back to Sin since his smn is now 59 and can use it freely, but I would not advise any rdm to even consider this. Unless your so filthy rich that you can just drop several million on a piece of gear that u use sparingly if at all in party play. I will post up a sexy pic of me in it mwahaha ^^