The Effect of Atma on the Balance of Damage Dealing Classes.

Yadda, yadda, yadda, I'm not dead, etc.

Since the introduction of the Abyssea expansions, Atma have been of increasing interest and importance to all of the damage dealing classes. Perhaps more importantly (and maybe unsettling to some) Atmas may be completely realigning years old beliefs and understanding about the balancing of all the DD classes. Atmas are not the only thing factoring into these changes, of course, there are the new Empyrean weaponskills, the huge step up in the quality of the stats from the AF3 +2 gear, and even all of the new job abilties and spells that all classes have been receiving. Atmas, though, are one of the most obvious examples of the new world order that has appeared after Abyssea was launched.

Throughout much of FFXI's history the DD classes have been split into two camps: the dual-wielders and the two-handers. Dual-wielders have the tendency toward low swings speeds and multi-hit weaponskills (often with critical hit modifiers), while two-handers have leaned toward higher swing speeds matched with lots of Store TP to boost their TP per swing and reduce their number of swings to get to the next weaponskill. Dual-wielders tend to have a larger portion of their damage come from their regular melee swings, while weaponskills tend to make up a proportionally larger part of two-hander damage. This was in the past, though, and times are changing.

There are now several new Atma that have come available that have given a big boost to dual-wielders. This is a boost that dual-wielders have needed ever since the big two-handed buff from several years ago. The reason these new Atma are so good is that they modify what dual-wielders do best, melee damage and critical hit weaponskills. While there are very good Atma to help the damage of two-handers, like Voracious Violet (STR+:Superior, "Double Attack"+:Minor, "Regain":Minor), and two-handers can still use the Atma that the dual-wielders use, comparatively they just don't stand up to the huge buffs gain by dual-wielders. The first and most important Atma for dual-wielders (and it's so good that it is a top tier one for two-handers too) is Razed Ruins (DEX:Superior, Critical Hit Rate:Major, Critical Hit Damage:Major) which is the new main damage boost to dual-wielders. Razed Ruin massively increases the frequency of critical hits and then also increases the damage of those critical hits. Basically, it modifies it's own damage modifiers creating incredible internal synergy (and I am not just using that as a buzz word).

Speaking of synergy, second on the list of great dual-wielder Atmas is the Sanguine Scythe (HP+: Major, Critical Hit Damage+: Major, Enmity+: Minor). This atma has less straight forward damage boosts as it only has a major increase in Critical Hit Damage, but the HP and Enmity are excellent boosts to any dual-wielder that is considering tanking. MNK's could find this very useful, but NIN are really going to shine with this one. NIN with a huge boost to Critical Hit Rate and Damage can easily pull enough hate with damage that they are competitive with PLD. It is important to note though that the cap on the bonus to Critical Hit Damage modification is an additional 50%. Once you get past 50% Critical Hit Damage bonus, you are just wasting it. That means if you are wearing Critical Hit Damage bonus items, and can get to 20% before using Razed Ruin, then it will be better to go with a different Atma than Sanguine Scythe.

Third, is the Gnarled Horn Atma (Counter+: Minor, Critical Hit Rate:Minor, AGI+:Major). The modifications on this is a little different than Sanguine Scythe, and those differences can effect your choice for which to go with for your second Atma. There are still debates on which is better, but it looks like it can get to be pretty job specific when deciding which to use. If you do not need the increase in Critical Hit Damage then this is definite the right Atma to use. There have been reports of up to 80% Critical Hit Rates using this and Razed Ruin. Additionally, the new NIN WS Blade: Hi has a modifier of AGI, and it is a massive damage WS (and looks freaking awesome). The additional counter can also be very good for tanking or melee NIN.

In the end, the boost to dual-wielders has been huge and will likely get even larger after the next update when we likely get access to a third Lunar Abyssite. Of course, these Atmas boost the damage of two-handers but definitely to a lesser extent because a smaller proportion of their damage comes from the melee hits that are most modified by the Critical Hit boosting Atmas. The Critical Hit Rate Atmas in fact will likely be capped on two-handed WS that can Critical Hit. And my poor SAM doesn't even get a Critical Hit WS (though it does get Blade: Fudo which is still incredibly awesome).

Debates have already erupted about who is the new king of DD's. Have dual-wielders passed two-handers already? Does one of the dual-wielders stand above the rest? What about the other non-Atma factors like the new Weaponskills? The honest truth, despite the protests of the screamers and fan boys, is that the jury is still out and the jury will remain hung until things have settled after the last Abyssea expansion is released next month, at the very least. The balance only just started to tip toward Critical Hits after the launch of Scars. Things can and will radically change once we can get a third Atma, and even further once we get to the final level cap. Only once we hit the final level cap and things have stabilized for some time will we really even get a glimpse of what the damage dealing landscape really looks like.

Yadda, yadda, yadda, I'm not dead, etc.<br /><br />Since the introduction of the Abyssea expansions, Atma have been of increasing interest and importance to all of the damage dealing classes. Perhaps more importantly (and maybe unsettling to some) Atmas may be completely realigning years old beliefs and understanding about the balancing of all the DD classes. Atmas are not the only thing factoring into these changes, of course, there are the new Empyrean weaponskills, the huge step up in the quality of the stats from the AF3 +2 gear, and even all of the new job abilties and spells that all classes have been receiving. Atmas, though, are one of the most obvious examples of the new world order that has appeared after Abyssea was launched.<br /><br />Throughout much of FFXI's history the DD classes have been split into two camps: the dual-wielders and the two-handers. Dual-wielders have the tendency toward low swings speeds and multi-hit weaponskills (often with critical hit modifiers), while two-handers have leaned toward higher swing speeds matched with lots of Store TP to boost their TP per swing and reduce their number of swings to get to the next weaponskill. Dual-wielders tend to have a larger portion of their damage come from their regular melee swings, while weaponskills tend to make up a proportionally larger part of two-hander damage. This was in the past, though, and times are changing.<br /><br />There are now several new Atma that have come available that have given a big boost to dual-wielders. This is a boost that dual-wielders have needed ever since the big two-handed buff from several years ago. The reason these new Atma are so good is that they modify what dual-wielders do best, melee damage and critical hit weaponskills. While there are very good Atma to help the damage of two-handers, like Voracious Violet (STR+:Superior, "Double Attack"+:Minor, "Regain":Minor), and two-handers can still use the Atma that the dual-wielders use, comparatively they just don't stand up to the huge buffs gain by dual-wielders. The first and most important Atma for dual-wielders (and it's so good that it is a top tier one for two-handers too) is Razed Ruins (DEX:Superior, Critical Hit Rate:Major, Critical Hit Damage:Major) which is the new main damage boost to dual-wielders. Razed Ruin massively increases the frequency of critical hits and then also increases the damage of those critical hits. Basically, it modifies it's own damage modifiers creating incredible internal synergy (and I am not just using that as a buzz word). <br /><br />Speaking of synergy, second on the list of great dual-wielder Atmas is the Sanguine Scythe (HP+: Major, Critical Hit Damage+: Major, Enmity+: Minor). This atma has less straight forward damage boosts as it only has a major increase in Critical Hit Damage, but the HP and Enmity are excellent boosts to any dual-wielder that is considering tanking. MNK's could find this very useful, but NIN are really going to shine with this one. NIN with a huge boost to Critical Hit Rate and Damage can easily pull enough hate with damage that they are competitive with PLD. It is important to note though that the cap on the bonus to Critical Hit Damage modification is an additional 50%. Once you get past 50% Critical Hit Damage bonus, you are just wasting it. That means if you are wearing Critical Hit Damage bonus items, and can get to 20% before using Razed Ruin, then it will be better to go with a different Atma than Sanguine Scythe. <br /><br />Third, is the Gnarled Horn Atma (Counter+: Minor, Critical Hit Rate:Minor, AGI+:Major). The modifications on this is a little different than Sanguine Scythe, and those differences can effect your choice for which to go with for your second Atma. There are still debates on which is better, but it looks like it can get to be pretty job specific when deciding which to use. If you do not need the increase in Critical Hit Damage then this is definite the right Atma to use. There have been reports of up to 80% Critical Hit Rates using this and Razed Ruin. Additionally, the new NIN WS Blade: Hi has a modifier of AGI, and it is a massive damage WS (and looks freaking awesome). The additional counter can also be very good for tanking or melee NIN.<br /><br />In the end, the boost to dual-wielders has been huge and will likely get even larger after the next update when we likely get access to a third Lunar Abyssite. Of course, these Atmas boost the damage of two-handers but definitely to a lesser extent because a smaller proportion of their damage comes from the melee hits that are most modified by the Critical Hit boosting Atmas. The Critical Hit Rate Atmas in fact will likely be capped on two-handed WS that can Critical Hit. And my poor SAM doesn't even get a Critical Hit WS (though it does get Blade: Fudo which is still incredibly awesome).<br /><br />Debates have already erupted about who is the new king of DD's. Have dual-wielders passed two-handers already? Does one of the dual-wielders stand above the rest? What about the other non-Atma factors like the new Weaponskills? The honest truth, despite the protests of the screamers and fan boys, is that the jury is still out and the jury will remain hung until things have settled after the last Abyssea expansion is released next month, at the very least. The balance only just started to tip toward Critical Hits after the launch of Scars. Things can and will radically change once we can get a third Atma, and even further once we get to the final level cap. Only once we hit the final level cap and things have stabilized for some time will we really even get a glimpse of what the damage dealing landscape really looks like.

Morning in Vana'diel: Chop, Chop, Stab, Stab.

Morning in Vana'diel is your daily dose of FFXI and all things Vana'diel. Give us your thoughts on the interesting topics of the day! Is everyone dead?

Yes, it has been a little slow here as of late. It's the time of year when work picks up for me, but that doesn't mean that I don't have things to post, just not the time to do it as much as I would like. Enough of my personal failings, lets get on with the show.

I have noticed a trend in gear for my most beloved set of jobs: nothing is changing. Honestly, there may be an item here or there than steps up to take a slot or two from a previous King, but in the end there hasn't been a major shake up in gearing since the introduction of Salvage. There may be variations in play style for some jobs, but in the end those variations have been the same for a year or more. Samurai either use full Usukane or a mix and match set. Dragoon and Dark Knight may pick different body pieces but the best gear for the rest of the slots is pretty much the same. Warrior... well they haven't changed since Zilart really. LOL

Our mage friends have seen a lot of differences and there is a lot of variation based on what they are fighting and what they are doing. There best in slot gear varies from job to job and from event to event. Their best gear includes stuff from the most recent update all the way back to Zilart. This is probably because they have to do far more different things that a melee does. But I ask you, melee brethren, is it our fault that we are just so good at the chopping and the stabbing?

So, even though melee have done nothing wrong their gear still looks like it is circa 2004 a lot of the time. Then again, those poor mages have been using those elemental staffs since the beginning of time. Now that is something to complain about.

<a href="http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff151/ringthreetheicp/i-r-stab-u-now-k.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff151/ringthreetheicp/i-r-stab-u-now-k.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 259px;" /></a><span style="font-weight:bold;">Morning in Vana'diel</span><span style="font-style:italic;"> is your daily dose of FFXI and all things Vana'diel. Give us your thoughts on the interesting topics of the day! Is everyone dead?</span><br /><br />Yes, it has been a little slow here as of late. It's the time of year when work picks up for me, but that doesn't mean that I don't have things to post, just not the time to do it as much as I would like. Enough of my personal failings, lets get on with the show.<br /><br />I have noticed a trend in gear for my most beloved set of jobs: nothing is changing. Honestly, there may be an item here or there than steps up to take a slot or two from a previous King, but in the end there hasn't been a major shake up in gearing since the introduction of Salvage. There may be variations in play style for some jobs, but in the end those variations have been the same for a year or more. Samurai either use full Usukane or a mix and match set. Dragoon and Dark Knight may pick different body pieces but the best gear for the rest of the slots is pretty much the same. Warrior... well they haven't changed since Zilart really. LOL <br /><br />Our mage friends have seen a lot of differences and there is a lot of variation based on what they are fighting and what they are doing. There best in slot gear varies from job to job and from event to event. Their best gear includes stuff from the most recent update all the way back to Zilart. This is probably because they have to do far more different things that a melee does. But I ask you, melee brethren, is it our fault that we are just so good at the chopping and the stabbing?<br /><br />So, even though melee have done nothing wrong their gear still looks like it is circa 2004 a lot of the time. Then again, those poor mages have been using those elemental staffs since the beginning of time. Now that is something to complain about.

Latent Effect: Treasures of Aht Urhgan Rings.

Latent Effect is our newest column from Samuraisoldier, as he sets out an aim to challenge your preconceptions about what you can and can't do with your character and choices in gear in the world of Vana'diel. Sammy is as Sammy does. You can't stop him, you can only hope to contain his love of gear that he still needs to get.

The world of internet gaming is a booming industry, and everyone picks up the remote for their own reasons. Whether its to pwn someones face in Halo, or helping a friend through a tricky part in a game, there is a greater sense of fulfillment when connecting with other real people through your favorite video game, over playing with yourself (lol).

People play MMOs for a few different reasons. Some people play because their friends play it so much, there has to be something fun about it. Others play it because of the cool gear they can attain through arduous hours of game play, just to stand around and gloat in their sexiness. Final Fantasy players? We have been lured in by great story lines, kick-ass cut scenes, and well, really awesome gear. Luckily, for us FFXI players, completing story lines not only furthers our achievements while unlocking further territories, missions, and quests, but it also gives us access to some of the most worthwhile pieces of equipment.

Everyone who has completed the Rise of the Zilart missions remembers the time they beat those hellish Ark Angels, stood out in Sky, and contemplated where they want to go with their earring selection. When you finish Chains of Promathia, you'll probably even screen shot yourself receiving your Rajas Ring, or any other ring for that matter (get a Rajas Ring =Þ).

Today's topic: Treasure's of Aht Urhgan rings.

While I am quite sure that you will love being the submissive slave to the tyrannic tirades and tasks of Naja Salaheem, you're most likely to work on your ToAU missions to receive Salvage access (you bet we're gonna discuss that place quite a bit in the future), and to get hold of one of these unrivaled rings. We're going to take a quick look at the three rings, and then discuss possible alternatives for each.

The Ulthalam's Ring - Level 50 - great to have an end game item at such a low level. Accuracy and Attack +4 - one of the games few rings to combine both accuracy and attack on the same ring. In assault (these stats are NOT only limited to Assault's, but also to Nyzul Isle Assault's, and Salvage) - Strength and Dexterity +4 - some amazing stats, even better for the two-handed weapon wielders. Adds "Regen" effect - any extra ticks of HP can help us achieve our goals, so any item with Regen effect is a good thing.

The Jalzahn's Ring - Level 50 - same thing for all the rings =). Ranged Attack (RAtt) and Ranged Accuracy (RAcc) +6 - wow. Anyone who uses ranged weapons for their damage output, will surely appreciate all that sexy, and wants a piece of that. In Assaults - Agility +6 - some more ranged accuracy, and a boost to ranged weapon skills that have AGI as a modifier. Enhances "Snapshot" effect - reduces the delay of your ranged attacks. Sounds like Haste for a RAtt player, more attack rounds equal more damage, remember? All Right!

The Balrahn's Ring - Level 50 - yadda yadda yadda. Magic Accuracy +4 - from what I see, and correct me if I'm wrong, this is the highest amount of pure magic accuracy (MAcc) you can have in the ring slot. In Assaults - Intelligence, Mind, and Charisma +4 - all amazing stats on a ring. Adds "Refresh" effect - okay, broken. Refresh, like Regen, is one of those effects Square Enix places on certain pieces of gear, but in the case of Refresh, EVERYONE WANTS THAT GEAR!

Being that we all want to get the most out of our equipment and the slot they occupy, let's take a deeper look at each ring and its possible alternatives.

The Ulthalam's Ring. Accuracy and Attack +4. No other rings barring a Divisor Ring and Mars Ring (I am going to continuously LOL Absolute Virtue drops) give you both accuracy and attack. ANY damage dealers dream. Anyone who adds Accuracy and Attack to their build, will directly increase their damage dealt. Plain and simple. During Assault's is where this ring really shines. Adding the STR and DEX just adds more accuracy and attack, again, especially for the two-handers. Mr. Iron Will himself described this ring to me as a mini Mars ring during assaults, to which I have to agree. Adds "Regen" effect is always a nice thing, but its not any reason to sway to to pick this ring over any other ToAU reward. Possible alternatives. Well, you can spam the assault that gives you the Divisor Ring, I know after this post, I sure as hell will! Accuracy +6, Attack +3, when your players level is a multiple of 5. Great! 75 IS a multiple of 5, sweet deal for us DD's. Aside from our lottery drop, we have a Sniper's ring and its +1 version. The normal quality (NQ) has both 5 Acc and RAcc on it, while the white boxed +1 (everyone loves the white box) has +7 Acc and RAcc. Level 40 and +7 to those stats? Yes please. A Toreador's Ring, at level 57, which is a bit above the Ulthalam's 50, has 10 HP and 7 accuracy. A great ring for someone who doesn't need the extra RAcc. Seems as if Monks benefit from this one the most. Blood Ring is a free level 70 Sniper's ring without the RAcc, gives some added "resist" stats, and is obtained from a low tier Zeni Notorious Monster.

The Jalzahn's Ring. RAcc and RAtt +6. Close to heaven for a RAtt user. Why close to heaven? Bellona's Ring (lol) is heaven, thats why. RAcc and RAtt +8 on Bellona's Ring is unmatched. Where else can we get RAcc and RAtt on the same ring? There is a Bowyer's ring, at level 29 you get +3 on these stats, which isn't close to the stats of Jalzahn's ring. During Assaults is where we get some added amazing stats, however my only concern with this ring is that it is VERY limited to the jobs that can benefit from them. Possible alternatives. Behemoth ring (+1)- HP +10(+12), accuracy -11(-10), ranged accuracy +11(+12). Okay, no more NQ on this, spend the money on the +1! Full time this on both ring slots if you're a Ranger - unless you don't need the RAcc, and there are very juicy possibilities for the second ring for your RNG. Seriously, HP +12, RAcc +12? WHEE!!! Other top tier options are the Coral ring or the much nicer HQ (remember, we love white boxes) Merman's Ring. Acc -8, RACC +10, and magic damage taken -4%. Well, I think most End-game RNG's can cream right now. Firstly, if you pull hate at end game RNG, go sell your bow and sit in a corner. NO! I SAID NO! Stop showing off and let your team do its thing. You (yes, YOU ranger bots sniping arrows at the mob from a distance, better not take any physical damage, because THAT will most likely cause a HUGE distraction to your Linkshells fight, and cause the mob you've all gathered together to fight to move and chase you) need to learn to control your hate and if by chance you take damage, make sure its the ranged magic damage you're taking. And guess what? that -4% magic damage you get on the Merman's ring is great if you're sitting at a distance. Mage's pay extreme amounts for some damage down gear, and RNG's get it along with other juicy stats on these rings.

The Balrahn's Ring. Magic accuracy +4. No other ring rivals this statistic at level 50, and nothing rivals it until level 75, when you can obtain the Omega Ring (INT, MND, CHR, MAcc +3), and STILL, the pure MAcc stat is unrivaled. *breathe* Possible alternatives? Insect Ring? MAcc +2 falls a bit short. Fail. INT or MND rings? They're nice to look at but no. Fail. During Assaults - INT, MND, and CHR +4. All of these stats boost that beautiful MAcc even more when casting spells on the mob, or casting spells on yourself. Adds "Refresh" effect. Okay, go ahead and find me another ring with Refresh on it! Hercules ring? Two jobs only, and Paladin is the only job that really gets that ring. So, back to Refresh. A MP users dream. Wait. Wet dream. While a players HP can be replenished over time with Regen or direct cure spells, MP refreshing is not so simple. Devotion is the closest ability to "curing" a mage's MP pool. With capped Tier two merits on your White Mage, you'll have this ability at a ten minute recast. Not exactly an efficient method of Refresh, but seems to be an awesome ability to merit. You will either need pieces of gear to have "adds refresh effect" on them, or to have a spell cast/ability used upon you, to slowly recover a certain amount of MP per tick of time.

Sammy says:

I don't see much of an option here. Unless, AND ONLY UNLESS, you decide that you will never level a mage job, or don't give a damn about it, pick a different ring. As for me, I'm going with the Balrahn's Ring. Hell, my highest mage job is 44 (yeah, yeah, currently leveling it), and even with 5 melee jobs at 75 that can benefit from an Ulthalam's ring, I'm still picking this ring. As any mage job that has to directly effect a mob through spells or songs, landing your spell on its first cast is not only crucial to your limited MP pool (damn you Taru's), but usually crucial to the turnout of each fight you engage in. All of the melees, tanks, and other mages in your party will appreciate the extra haste/cure/protect/shell/refresh(RDM's) MP you will have, or simply the extra time you have to focus on the parties needs, all while your enemy will have to suffer the negative stat you've just imposed on them. No one wants to enter a fight and see their mage cast Paralyze three times before it lands. Think an MP ring can replace this ring? Wrong! Except for the tiny, tiny spot where Red Mages convert their HP to MP, and have that limited amount of MP to cast cures on themselves and maybe others, stats, especially one like MAcc will always be greater than a few extra MP (Credit to Potpressure for the persuasion). Like a baseball player who can throw the ball 100 miles per hour, what does it matter if you can't hit the side of a barn? Need some accuracy to support all that trash you're throwing!

Aside from all that, it has THE highest amount of pure MAcc piece usable by all jobs, barring Aureole, which is a ranged item Absolute Virtue drop (again, lol) and the new ammunition piece, Sturm's Report, that gives you +15 MAcc, however, only during Campaign. This ring is a Red Mage's godsend, especially when the additional stats are available. Count with me now. Dualist Chapeau, Morrigan's Robe/Dalmatica, Poison Taster's cape (poison potion needed - don't worry, stoneskin will take care of that), this ring, and Sanction refresh adds up to what? 5MP/tick! Sex anyone?

No other ring will give you the MAcc needed for your spells/songs at such low levels, and during Assaults/Nyzul Isle/Salvage, THERE IS NO BETTER RING! Now, now. All you damage dealers, hold your horses. Get a Sniper's ring +1 or Toreadors ring. Granted, at times where the additional stats come into play, you won't find a ring matching an Ulthalam's, but we don't all live in Salvage (although, sometimes I wish I did). Any DD will be able to appreciate almost double the accuracy gained from these Auction House alternatives and at full time. Ranged attack user? Get a Merman's or Behemoth's Ring +1. Jalzahn's Ring is just too limited for me to think its worth Naja Salaheem's biddings.

Agree? Disagree? Think I'm a Dum-Dum? Leave a comment either way ^.^ Next weeks discussion: A low level earring that will make your mages hate you. Until then, Happy Hunting!

<a href="http://www.playonline.com/ff11us/topics/read/mumor2/imgs/bn02.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.playonline.com/ff11us/topics/read/mumor2/imgs/bn02.jpg" style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 247px; height: 129px;" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Latent Effect</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">is our newest column from Samuraisoldier, as he sets out an aim to challenge your preconceptions about what you can and can't do with your character and choices in gear in the world of Vana'diel. Sammy is as Sammy does. You can't stop him, you can only hope to contain his love of gear that he still needs to get.</span><br /><br />The world of internet gaming is a booming industry, and everyone picks up the remote for their own reasons. Whether its to pwn someones face in Halo, or helping a friend through a tricky part in a game, there is a greater sense of fulfillment when connecting with other real people through your favorite video game, over playing with yourself (lol). <br /><br />People play MMOs for a few different reasons. Some people play because their friends play it so much, there has to be something fun about it. Others play it because of the cool gear they can attain through arduous hours of game play, just to stand around and gloat in their sexiness. Final Fantasy players? We have been lured in by great story lines, kick-ass cut scenes, and well, really awesome gear. Luckily, for us FFXI players, completing story lines not only furthers our achievements while unlocking further territories, missions, and quests, but it also gives us access to some of the most worthwhile pieces of equipment. <br /><span class="fullpost"><br />Everyone who has completed the Rise of the Zilart missions remembers the time they beat those hellish Ark Angels, stood out in Sky, and contemplated where they want to go with their earring selection. When you finish Chains of Promathia, you'll probably even screen shot yourself receiving your <strong><a href="http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/wiki/Rajas_Ring">Rajas Ring</a></strong>, or any other ring for that matter (get a Rajas Ring =Þ).<br /><br /> Today's topic: Treasure's of Aht Urhgan rings.<br /><br />While I am quite sure that you will love being the submissive slave to the tyrannic tirades and tasks of Naja Salaheem, you're most likely to work on your ToAU missions to receive Salvage access (you bet we're gonna discuss that place quite a bit in the future), and to get hold of one of these unrivaled rings. We're going to take a quick look at the three rings, and then discuss possible alternatives for each.<br /><br /><em><a href="http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/wiki/Ulthalam%27s_Ring">The Ulthalam's Ring</a> </em> - Level 50 - great to have an end game item at such a low level. Accuracy and Attack +4 - one of the games few rings to combine both accuracy and attack on the same ring. In assault (these stats are NOT only limited to Assault's, but also to Nyzul Isle Assault's, and Salvage) - Strength and Dexterity +4 - some amazing stats, even better for the two-handed weapon wielders. Adds "Regen" effect - any extra ticks of HP can help us achieve our goals, so any item with Regen effect is a good thing. <br /><br /><em><a href="http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/wiki/Jalzahn%27s_Ring">The Jalzahn's Ring</a></em> - Level 50 - same thing for all the rings =). Ranged Attack (RAtt) and Ranged Accuracy (RAcc) +6 - wow. Anyone who uses ranged weapons for their damage output, will surely appreciate all that sexy, and wants a piece of that. In Assaults - Agility +6 - some more ranged accuracy, and a boost to ranged weapon skills that have AGI as a modifier. Enhances "Snapshot" effect - reduces the delay of your ranged attacks. Sounds like Haste for a RAtt player, more attack rounds equal more damage, remember? All Right! <br /><br /><em><a href="http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/wiki/Balrahn%27s_Ring">The Balrahn's Ring</a></em> - Level 50 - yadda yadda yadda. Magic Accuracy +4 - from what I see, and correct me if I'm wrong, this is the highest amount of pure magic accuracy (MAcc) you can have in the ring slot. In Assaults - Intelligence, Mind, and Charisma +4 - all amazing stats on a ring. Adds "Refresh" effect - okay, broken. Refresh, like Regen, is one of those effects Square Enix places on certain pieces of gear, but in the case of Refresh, EVERYONE WANTS THAT GEAR!<br /><br />Being that we all want to get the most out of our equipment and the slot they occupy, let's take a deeper look at each ring and its possible alternatives. <br /><br />The Ulthalam's Ring. Accuracy and Attack +4. No other rings barring a <strong><a href="http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/wiki/Divisor_Ring">Divisor Ring</a> </strong> and <strong><a href="http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/wiki/Mars%27s_Ring">Mars Ring</a> </strong>(I am going to continuously LOL Absolute Virtue drops) give you both accuracy and attack. ANY damage dealers dream. Anyone who adds Accuracy and Attack to their build, will directly increase their damage dealt. Plain and simple. During Assault's is where this ring really shines. Adding the STR and DEX just adds more accuracy and attack, again, especially for the two-handers. Mr. Iron Will himself described this ring to me as a mini Mars ring during assaults, to which I have to agree. Adds "Regen" effect is always a nice thing, but its not any reason to sway to to pick this ring over any other ToAU reward. Possible alternatives. Well, you can spam the assault that gives you the Divisor Ring, I know after this post, I sure as hell will! Accuracy +6, Attack +3, when your players level is a multiple of 5. Great! 75 IS a multiple of 5, sweet deal for us DD's. Aside from our lottery drop, we have a <strong><a href="http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/wiki/Sniper%27s_Ring">Sniper's ring</a></strong> and its <a href="http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/wiki/Sniper%27s_Ring_%2B1">+1 version</a>. The normal quality (NQ) has both 5 Acc and RAcc on it, while the white boxed +1 (everyone loves the white box) has +7 Acc and RAcc. Level 40 and +7 to those stats? Yes please. A <strong><a href="http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/wiki/Toreador%27s_Ring">Toreador's Ring</a></strong>, at level 57, which is a bit above the Ulthalam's 50, has 10 HP and 7 accuracy. A great ring for someone who doesn't need the extra RAcc. Seems as if Monks benefit from this one the most. <strong><a href="http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/wiki/Blood_Ring">Blood Ring</a></strong> is a free level 70 Sniper's ring without the RAcc, gives some added "resist" stats, and is obtained from a low tier Zeni Notorious Monster. <br /><br />The Jalzahn's Ring. RAcc and RAtt +6. Close to heaven for a RAtt user. Why close to heaven? <strong><a href="http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/wiki/Bellona%27s_Ring">Bellona's Ring</a></strong> (lol) is heaven, thats why. RAcc and RAtt +8 on Bellona's Ring is unmatched. Where else can we get RAcc and RAtt on the same ring? There is a <strong><a href="http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/wiki/Bowyer_Ring">Bowyer's ring</a></strong>, at level 29 you get +3 on these stats, which isn't close to the stats of Jalzahn's ring. During Assaults is where we get some added amazing stats, however my only concern with this ring is that it is VERY limited to the jobs that can benefit from them. Possible alternatives. <strong><a href="http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/wiki/Behemoth_Ring">Behemoth ring</a></strong> (+1)- HP +10(+12), accuracy -11(-10), ranged accuracy +11(+12). Okay, no more NQ on this, spend the money on <a href="http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/wiki/Behemoth_Ring_%2B1">the +1</a>! Full time this on both ring slots if you're a Ranger - unless you don't need the RAcc, and there are very juicy possibilities for the second ring for your RNG. Seriously, HP +12, RAcc +12? WHEE!!! Other top tier options are the <strong><a href="http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/wiki/Coral_Ring">Coral ring</a></strong> or the much nicer HQ (remember, we love white boxes) <strong><a href="http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/wiki/Merman%27s_Ring">Merman's Ring</a></strong>. Acc -8, RACC +10, and magic damage taken -4%. Well, I think most End-game RNG's can cream right now. Firstly, if you pull hate at end game RNG, go sell your bow and sit in a corner. NO! I SAID NO! Stop showing off and let your team do its thing. You (yes, YOU ranger bots sniping arrows at the mob from a distance, better not take any physical damage, because THAT will most likely cause a HUGE distraction to your Linkshells fight, and cause the mob you've all gathered together to fight to move and chase you) need to learn to control your hate and if by chance you take damage, make sure its the ranged magic damage you're taking. And guess what? that -4% magic damage you get on the Merman's ring is great if you're sitting at a distance. Mage's pay extreme amounts for some damage down gear, and RNG's get it along with other juicy stats on these rings. <br /><br />The Balrahn's Ring. Magic accuracy +4. No other ring rivals this statistic at level 50, and nothing rivals it until level 75, when you can obtain the <strong><a href="http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/wiki/Omega_Ring">Omega Ring</a></strong> (INT, MND, CHR, MAcc +3), and STILL, the pure MAcc stat is unrivaled. *breathe* Possible alternatives? <strong><a href="http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/wiki/Insect_Ring">Insect Ring</a></strong>? MAcc +2 falls a bit short. Fail. INT or MND rings? They're nice to look at but no. Fail. During Assaults - INT, MND, and CHR +4. All of these stats boost that beautiful MAcc even more when casting spells on the mob, or casting spells on yourself. Adds "Refresh" effect. Okay, go ahead and find me another ring with Refresh on it! <a href="http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/wiki/Hercules%27_Ring">Hercules ring</a>? Two jobs only, and Paladin is the only job that really gets that ring. So, back to Refresh. A MP users dream. Wait. Wet dream. While a players HP can be replenished over time with Regen or direct cure spells, MP refreshing is not so simple. <strong><a href="http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/wiki/Devotion">Devotion</a></strong> is the closest ability to "curing" a mage's MP pool. With capped Tier two merits on your White Mage, you'll have this ability at a ten minute recast. Not exactly an efficient method of Refresh, but seems to be an awesome ability to merit. You will either need pieces of gear to have "adds refresh effect" on them, or to have a spell cast/ability used upon you, to slowly recover a certain amount of MP per tick of time. <br /><br />Sammy says:<br /><br />I don't see much of an option here. Unless, AND ONLY UNLESS, you decide that you will never level a mage job, or don't give a damn about it, pick a different ring. As for me, I'm going with the Balrahn's Ring. Hell, my highest mage job is 44 (yeah, yeah, currently leveling it), and even with 5 melee jobs at 75 that can benefit from an Ulthalam's ring, I'm still picking this ring. As any mage job that has to directly effect a mob through spells or songs, landing your spell on its first cast is not only crucial to your limited MP pool (damn you Taru's), but usually crucial to the turnout of each fight you engage in. All of the melees, tanks, and other mages in your party will appreciate the extra haste/cure/protect/shell/refresh(RDM's) MP you will have, or simply the extra time you have to focus on the parties needs, all while your enemy will have to suffer the negative stat you've just imposed on them. No one wants to enter a fight and see their mage cast Paralyze three times before it lands. Think an MP ring can replace this ring? Wrong! Except for the tiny, tiny spot where Red Mages convert their HP to MP, and have that limited amount of MP to cast cures on themselves and maybe others, stats, especially one like MAcc will always be greater than a few extra MP (Credit to Potpressure for the persuasion). Like a baseball player who can throw the ball 100 miles per hour, what does it matter if you can't hit the side of a barn? Need some accuracy to support all that trash you're throwing!<br /><br />Aside from all that, it has THE highest amount of pure MAcc piece usable by all jobs, barring <a href="http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/wiki/Aureole">Aureole</a>, which is a ranged item Absolute Virtue drop (again, lol) and the new ammunition piece, <strong><a href="http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/wiki/Sturm%27s_Report">Sturm's Report</a></strong>, that gives you +15 MAcc, however, only during <a href="http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/wiki/Campaign">Campaign</a>. This ring is a Red Mage's godsend, especially when the additional stats are available. Count with me now. <strong><a href="http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/wiki/Duelist%27s_Chapeau">Dualist Chapeau</a></strong>, <strong><a href="http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/wiki/Morrigan%27s_Robe">Morrigan's Robe</a></strong>/<strong><a href="http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/wiki/Dalmatica">Dalmatica</a></strong>, <strong><a href="http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/wiki/Taster%27s_Cape">Poison Taster's cape</a></strong> (poison potion needed - don't worry, stoneskin will take care of that), this ring, and Sanction refresh adds up to what? 5MP/tick! Sex anyone?<br /><br />No other ring will give you the MAcc needed for your spells/songs at such low levels, and during Assaults/Nyzul Isle/Salvage, THERE IS NO BETTER RING! Now, now. All you damage dealers, hold your horses. Get a Sniper's ring +1 or Toreadors ring. Granted, at times where the additional stats come into play, you won't find a ring matching an Ulthalam's, but we don't all live in Salvage (although, sometimes I wish I did). Any DD will be able to appreciate almost double the accuracy gained from these Auction House alternatives and at full time. Ranged attack user? Get a Merman's or Behemoth's Ring +1. Jalzahn's Ring is just too limited for me to think its worth Naja Salaheem's biddings. <br /><br />Agree? Disagree? Think I'm a Dum-Dum? Leave a comment either way ^.^ Next weeks discussion: A low level earring that will make your mages hate you. Until then, Happy Hunting!</span>

Morning in Vana'diel: Ranger, the Poor Unloved Brother of the Melee.

Morning in Vana'diel is your daily dose of FFXI and all things Vana'diel. Give us your thoughts on the interesting topics of the day! Today, Ring wonders why the melee don't have to push a button every time that have to swing? Rangers have to hit a button every time they want to shoot! It's Rangerism!

Ranger gets it the short end of the stick. They used to be the little Gods of FFXI. They had their own parties, they could kill anything, didn't have to stand at a certain distance, and their main defense of this was that they were shooting their gil away, as if that was a reason for them to dominate all DD's by a mile. And then SE came around with a huge nerf bat and knocked them into next week. It was a while before we ever found them again, after SE took pity on them and let them be what they are today: a sub-par DD in general, but one that can DD at a distance and without wasting the mana of the mages.

Ranger has become much like BLM, stand far back, do good burst damage, but nothing compared to what a melee can do. But I am not here to lament the damage of RNG. I am here to lament the play-style of RNG. There is no ability for RNG to auto-shoot at all in FFXI. Every time you want to shoot an arrow, fire a bolt or put a bullet into a mobs brain, you have to hit the Ranged Attack button. The worst part is that it is treated like a JA but it doesn't have a timer, so there is no way to even make a macro to adjust for your delay or more importantly your Rapid Shot procs. You just have to guess when to shoot next, and with practice you can get it down pretty well, but even then if you hit it a fraction of a second too soon you will get that "You can not perform that action yet" message and the built-in delay that comes with it. I don't know about you, but I play FFXI because I suck at games like Rock Band, this kind of keeping an internal rhythm is not something I look forward to doing every time I am on RNG.

SE really needs to level the playing field between melee and RNG. I am sure that when RNG was conceived there was a good reason to have auto-shooting, but like many things in FFXI that good reason is a bad reason now. Maybe SE expected RNG to melee for TP then just shoot for WS? I have no idea what their motivation was for sure but it is time SE fixed the issue. Give RNG auto-shooting that takes advantage of their Snapshot like melee's get with haste and also factors in Rapid Shot procs. I can't imagine this would be difficult, but it would have to be handled server-side because we don't get exact delay information on the client-side.

Do you think RNG need auto-shooting? Do you think RNG deserve auto-shooting? Do you even care if RNG gets anything at all? Do you still think RNG deserves to be nerf from their ancient days of glory? Leave a comment and tell us what you think!

<a href="http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff151/ringthreetheicp/FFXI-Mithra-Ranger.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff151/ringthreetheicp/FFXI-Mithra-Ranger.jpg" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 133px; height: 300px;" /></a><span style="font-weight:bold;">Morning in Vana'diel</span><span style="font-style:italic;"> is your daily dose of FFXI and all things Vana'diel. Give us your thoughts on the interesting topics of the day! Today, Ring wonders why the melee don't have to push a button every time that have to swing? Rangers have to hit a button every time they want to shoot! It's Rangerism!</span><br /><br />Ranger gets it the short end of the stick. They used to be the little Gods of FFXI. They had their own parties, they could kill anything, didn't have to stand at a certain distance, and their main defense of this was that they were shooting their gil away, as if that was a reason for them to dominate all DD's by a mile. And then SE came around with a huge nerf bat and knocked them into next week. It was a while before we ever found them again, after SE took pity on them and let them be what they are today: a sub-par DD in general, but one that can DD at a distance and without wasting the mana of the mages. <br /><br />Ranger has become much like BLM, stand far back, do good burst damage, but nothing compared to what a melee can do. But I am not here to lament the damage of RNG. I am here to lament the play-style of RNG. There is no ability for RNG to auto-shoot at all in FFXI. Every time you want to shoot an arrow, fire a bolt or put a bullet into a mobs brain, you have to hit the Ranged Attack button. The worst part is that it is treated like a JA but it doesn't have a timer, so there is no way to even make a macro to adjust for your delay or more importantly your Rapid Shot procs. You just have to guess when to shoot next, and with practice you can get it down pretty well, but even then if you hit it a fraction of a second too soon you will get that "You can not perform that action yet" message and the built-in delay that comes with it. I don't know about you, but I play FFXI because I suck at games like Rock Band, this kind of keeping an internal rhythm is not something I look forward to doing every time I am on RNG.<br /><br /><a href="http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff151/ringthreetheicp/11-ranger-a.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff151/ringthreetheicp/11-ranger-a.jpg" style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 178px;" /></a>SE really needs to level the playing field between melee and RNG. I am sure that when RNG was conceived there was a good reason to have auto-shooting, but like many things in FFXI that good reason is a bad reason now. Maybe SE expected RNG to melee for TP then just shoot for WS? I have no idea what their motivation was for sure but it is time SE fixed the issue. Give RNG auto-shooting that takes advantage of their Snapshot like melee's get with haste and also factors in Rapid Shot procs. I can't imagine this would be difficult, but it would have to be handled server-side because we don't get exact delay information on the client-side.<br /><br />Do you think RNG need auto-shooting? Do you think RNG deserve auto-shooting? Do you even care if RNG gets anything at all? Do you still think RNG deserves to be nerf from their ancient days of glory? Leave a comment and tell us what you think!

Morning in Vana'diel: Rethinking the Unthinkable.

Morning in Vana'diel is your daily dose of FFXI and all things Vana'diel. Give us your thoughts on the interesting topics of the day! Today, we follow up yesterdays consideration with another more blasphemous notion: Is it time to bring back dual-wielding?

The two-handed update was a real tectonic shift for melee game play. It shifted the focus from Dual Wield based jobs and MNK over to the rest of the DD. I complete agree that something needed to be done because there was an imbalance and a strong imbalance two Dual Wield because the buff from it was so strong even for those that subbed NIN that the damage had to be increased for those that didn't have access. My guess is that Store TP and Dual Wield were introduced with the same intention; both were to be used to decrease the delay of each kind of weapon type. Sadly, it still did not work to equalize the total damage output. The damage from the weapons that Dual Wielders could use was very high and had good stats compared to what the two-handers could use.

In one fell swoop, SE radically altered the situation and after a couple of quick adjustments we got what we have today. But is that situation ideal? NIN, MNK and WAR/NIN went from being the top notch DD's to being afterthoughts. SAM, DRK and DRG went from being also-rans or complete jokes to absolute parse domination. While WAR was able to maintain it's position as a top DD, and other didn't have to try to adapt to a Dual Wield world (dual axe DRK *shudder*) the change only worked to flip flop the position of these DD's. I didn't feel much for NIN at the time because they were still effective tanks, but with the continual buffing of PLD they have been pushed out of that role also. MNK has maintained some of it's strengths but still has to work hard to keep up. Why can't they be closer?

When the two-handed update was introduced there were two major changes. The damage formula for two-handed weapons was separated from dual-wielders and received a significant buff. Also, the STR/Attack and DEX/Accuracy formulas were changed to favor two-handers. I think that the change in the damage formula was well enough to straighten things out between the two kinds of weapons, and the new stat formulas was another great buff, but was it too much? Since no one likes a nerf, is it time to give dual-wielders the stat buff too? Give them a chance to increase their gear selection, and let them get closer to the accuracy cap without having to use Sushi? The change in the damage formula was necessary and sufficient to correct for the problem with weapon damage not scaling enough. Did SE go too far?

Is it time that a Ridill WAR was again a top-notch DD no matter the situation or player comparison? And what about THF and RNG? Is it time to give them some kind of AGI based damage buff?

Should SE roll back some of the two-handed changes? Should SE buff dual-wielders stats bonuses to be in line with two-handers? Are players getting too strong compared to the mobs they are fighting? What would you do to rebalance the situation? Leave a comment and tell us what you think!

<a href="http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff151/ringthreetheicp/Q_Iz_Stock-1.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff151/ringthreetheicp/Q_Iz_Stock-1.png" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 380px;" /></a><span style="font-weight:bold;">Morning in Vana'diel</span><span style="font-style:italic;"> is your daily dose of FFXI and all things Vana'diel. Give us your thoughts on the interesting topics of the day! Today, we follow up yesterdays consideration with another more blasphemous notion: Is it time to bring back dual-wielding?</span><br /><br />The two-handed update was a real tectonic shift for melee game play. It shifted the focus from <a href="http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/wiki/Dual_Wield">Dual Wield</a> based jobs and MNK over to the rest of the DD. I complete agree that something needed to be done because there was an imbalance and a strong imbalance two Dual Wield because the buff from it was so strong even for those that subbed NIN that the damage had to be increased for those that didn't have access. My guess is that Store TP and Dual Wield were introduced with the same intention; both were to be used to decrease the delay of each kind of weapon type. Sadly, it still did not work to equalize the total damage output. The damage from the weapons that Dual Wielders could use was very high and had good stats compared to what the two-handers could use. <br /><br />In one fell swoop, SE radically altered the situation and after a couple of quick adjustments we got what we have today. But is that situation ideal? NIN, MNK and WAR/NIN went from being the top notch DD's to being afterthoughts. SAM, DRK and DRG went from being also-rans or complete jokes to absolute parse domination. While WAR was able to maintain it's position as a top DD, and other didn't have to try to adapt to a Dual Wield world (dual axe DRK *shudder*) the change only worked to flip flop the position of these DD's. I didn't feel much for NIN at the time because they were still effective tanks, but with the continual buffing of PLD they have been pushed out of that role also. MNK has maintained some of it's strengths but still has to work hard to keep up. Why can't they be closer?<br /><br />When the two-handed update was introduced there were two major changes. The damage formula for two-handed weapons was separated from dual-wielders and received a significant buff. Also, the STR/Attack and DEX/Accuracy formulas were changed to favor two-handers. I think that the change in the damage formula was well enough to straighten things out between the two kinds of weapons, and the new stat formulas was another great buff, but was it too much? Since no one likes a nerf, is it time to give dual-wielders the stat buff too? Give them a chance to increase their gear selection, and let them get closer to the accuracy cap without having to use Sushi? The change in the damage formula was necessary and sufficient to correct for the problem with weapon damage not scaling enough. Did SE go too far? <br /><br />Is it time that a Ridill WAR was again a top-notch DD no matter the situation or player comparison? And what about THF and RNG? Is it time to give them some kind of AGI based <span style="font-style:italic;">damage buff</span>? <br /><br />Should SE roll back some of the two-handed changes? Should SE buff dual-wielders stats bonuses to be in line with two-handers? Are players getting too strong compared to the mobs they are fighting? What would you do to rebalance the situation? Leave a comment and tell us what you think!

Morning in Vana'diel: Melee-brained.

Morning in Vana'diel is your daily dose of FFXI and all things Vana'diel. Give us your thoughts on the interesting topics of the day! Today, it's time to look playing other peoples jobs.

Some jobs fit into rather obvious roles. DD, Tank, Support, Healing. Most of my jobs since I have started playing this game have been melee DD's, and that is how I learned to play. I did level NIN and do some tanking with it, but that has been phased out as PLD has been buffed more and more. Our PLDs get the job done better than I could anyway. The problem with starting out playing as a melee and leveling so many melee jobs is that I have developed what I call "melee-brain". Melee-brain is what I call the set of habits and muscle memory that most melee players develop over time. For example, quick targeting and attack button mashing, running right after the tank or puller to be ready to engage on the mob as fast as possible, constant TP monitoring, and general WS macro button mashing. These work well for melee because they want to be on target as fast as possible and they want to be doing as much damage as possible whenever possible. Even my macros are melee-brained; Provoke, shadows, TP, buffs and WS macros are all in the same place on all of my melee jobs so that I can play all of them generally the same.

Being melee-brained is a good thing when you are playing a melee job, but when you start playing other kinds of jobs, like mages, RNG or support it can become a small to very large problem. Button mashing isn't necessarily a bad thing when playing WHM for cures, but it can be bad if you are using {stnpc} and actually need to take the time to select the right target. Most of the time I don't go melee-brained if I am well focused, but there are times for everyone when they aren't paying full attention or they are getting tired, when that muscle memory kicks in and you find that you are following the tank to fight that next mob in Limbus and you realize that you are surrounded by the melee and you BRD is yelling at you and telling you that you are not going to get Ballad because you are retarded (yes, this happened to me last night). The worst is when you run in to buff your party without considering the mob that you are fighting or the AoE damage or debuff that you are about to take.

Have you ever gone totally melee-brained? Or have you had the opposite problem and been far too cautious because you are used to playing a mage jobs? What are your bad in-game habits? How do you deal with them? Does your BRD yell at you for being retarded? Leave a comment and tell us what you think!

<a href="http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff151/ringthreetheicp/BLM_75.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff151/ringthreetheicp/BLM_75.png" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 233px; height: 300px;" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Morning in Vana'diel</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> is your daily dose of FFXI and all things Vana'diel. Give us your thoughts on the interesting topics of the day! Today, it's time to look playing other peoples jobs.</span><br /><br />Some jobs fit into rather obvious roles. DD, Tank, Support, Healing. Most of my jobs since I have started playing this game have been melee DD's, and that is how I learned to play. I did level NIN and do some tanking with it, but that has been phased out as PLD has been buffed more and more. Our PLDs get the job done better than I could anyway. The problem with starting out playing as a melee and leveling so many melee jobs is that I have developed what I call "melee-brain". Melee-brain is what I call the set of habits and muscle memory that most melee players develop over time. For example, quick targeting and attack button mashing, running right after the tank or puller to be ready to engage on the mob as fast as possible, constant TP monitoring, and general WS macro button mashing. These work well for melee because they want to be on target as fast as possible and they want to be doing as much damage as possible whenever possible. Even my macros are melee-brained; Provoke, shadows, TP, buffs and WS macros are all in the same place on all of my melee jobs so that I can play all of them generally the same.<br /><br />Being melee-brained is a good thing when you are playing a melee job, but when you start playing other kinds of jobs, like mages, RNG or support it can become a small to very large problem. Button mashing isn't necessarily a bad thing when playing WHM for cures, but it can be bad if you are using {stnpc} and actually need to take the time to select the right target. Most of the time I don't go melee-brained if I am well focused, but there are times for everyone when they aren't paying full attention or they are getting tired, when that muscle memory kicks in and you find that you are following the tank to fight that next mob in Limbus and you realize that you are surrounded by the melee and you BRD is yelling at you and telling you that you are not going to get Ballad because you are retarded (yes, this happened to me last night). The worst is when you run in to buff your party without considering the mob that you are fighting or the AoE damage or debuff that you are about to take. <br /><br />Have you ever gone totally melee-brained? Or have you had the opposite problem and been far too cautious because you are used to playing a mage jobs? What are your bad in-game habits? How do you deal with them? Does your BRD yell at you for being retarded? Leave a comment and tell us what you think!