Slow going.

Man, the last couple of levels to 75 take forever. At 72 you are still vulnerable as a melee because you don't have Ni yet. The gear isn't the top notch gear yet, well at least most of it. A lot of it comes at 73 and 75. Last night our RDM was trying to erase Amnesia, and our replacement THF didn't use any macro switches so was full-timing a level 14 Balance Ring. It's these kinds of things that makes a man loss his mind. I may just start asking people what their qualifications are before inviting them to a party. I mean I am partying with Glacian and Kirameki, so the initial party set up is NIN, WAR, BRD, at that point I can get a bit selective with the members. I invited a THF, DRG and RDM. The first THF was fine, actually pretty good, the DRG just fine, the RDM left much to be desired. The replacement THF was questionable at best. When I asked them why they were stacking SATA, they said they couldn't figure out who the tank was... so I told them it was the NIN *gasp* but at least at that point they started switching up SA and TA.

Lets see, in the next month this is what I would like to get done: 1. WAR to 75 finally, at this point I have almost all the gear I need for it except N. Hands which I have been waiting on longer than any other abjuration so it can wait some more if need be. 2. MNK to at least 60, AF done and ready to rocket on up through the levels, also have my Brown Belt completed. 3. Rank 9 in Assaults and my Perdu Blade. 4. At least one drop from an NM in Arrapago Reef.

So far this post is just a random conglomeration of things that are on my mind, so continuing in that vein I have been seeing suggestions to NIN's that the should adjust their gear for the katanas they are using because of the difference in delay, which causes my mind to scream. I have seen some people go so far as to suggest that if you are using Senj in main hand you should switch to meat and accuracy over sushi and haste. So I did a few calculations:

The starting raw base delay difference of several katana pairings:
S/P = 417
U/U = 402
U/P = 391

Now, with 35% Dual Wield and 20% Haste (from gear) the numbers become the following (and here is where my math breaks down, I don't know when each are applied, but for that sake of argument I will apply Haste then DW to have the smallest amount of reduction, I think [double checked the order doesn't matter]).

S/P = 217
U/U = 209
U/P = 203

So essentially people are trying to justify changing gear based upon a difference of 14 delay at most and 6 delay at least. This is all before haste spells and songs are applied to the equation which would further decrease the difference.

Honestly with a difference that small, I believe that the discussion could actually be turned on its head and good justifications could be made for the higher damage and critical hit bonus of the Senj outweighing the tiny difference in delay. The Perdu blade is so good that it can justify this comparison. I am not suggesting that a reduction of delay is not something you should aim for, but that making a gear based decision on a difference in delay of 14 doesn't seem to be sane. And that suggesting that the difference could some how justify giving up haste gear for accuracy gear is boarding on lunacy.

I like posts were I use a little math to justify theoretical positions on gear selection, especially to justify or deny differences of gear at the margins. Too much of this game is based upon doing what others do instead of formulating what is best for the player with the gear they have available. I think I would like to delve into other discussion like this, for example, which should a DRG build their gear around, Ares or Homam body? That would be an interesting discussion for another day.

Anyway, just so you know, in two weeks I am going in for surgery, the blog will be updated at my convenience during that time. Sorry, but I will be all stitched up and may not want to type. :)