Cool Thoughts 2

I like to write so I am writing. I hope this helps someone.

Friday, April 04, 2008

What's hard?

BLM:75 WHM:75 SMN:47 THF:75 WAR:62 RNG:44

This is my WAR in 2005 before I had a linkshell and knew that GSD was B+ weapon. I think I have enjoyed leveling my WAR most of all really. It is surprisingly fun to play and timing ws for sc is fun also. I really need to get my WAR up to 75 one day. I am reticent to believe I leveled my DRK cuz now I really wish I was closer to my NIN 37 but NIN is not even opened.

Still, just like THF, the best sub for WAR is not /NIN even though it is useful for many events. Most people think it makes taking hate from the tank ok. But taking hate from the tank is NOT ok even with /NIN so... my tongue to all you /NINers.

It's my belief that the best sub for WAR is /THF, especially if you are using a two-handed weapon because that extra guaranteed critical hit makes for a big bonus to TP if you use it that way. It also adds to overall damage for the round. Still, as Xellith keeps reminding me, a WAR without GAX is gimp, so I keep trudging along doing skill up to get my GAX up. But I don't believe using a B+ weapon is all that bad and, with Sushi, I get TP just as fast as the other DDs imo.

But leveling WAR is hard and waiting for a pt takes forever and usually I have to make the pts if I'm gonna go. Then, I have to put up with the usual "where's you /NIN?" banter. I think that's why I like JPs most is that even though they don't usually join gimp pts, once they are there, they are quiet.

In the picture, the boots I use made that clanking sound of someone in Plate-mail and it was also true of the Iron Musketeer's gear I had and for a little guy running around in Jeuno with platemail, I loved it. But sadly, the Warrior's AF feet gear doesn't make that sound and since it improves "Double-Attack" rate, there is no chance of using something else that would make the clanking sound I was so used to. I hope they update that in an update one day and bring back the platemail sound to platemail.


I sort of believe that /SAM would be a neat sub to level for WAR also and /DRK sounds interesting too. WAR is that one DD that with the right merits at 75 could use almost any sub and still beat the pants off of any level 74 DD.
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Well work is much more stable and life at the bar is boring so I guess I better go start some trouble. I need to re-install the game on my regular computer though and I am so slow at getting things I need done that I am playing on my old computer for now with tremendous lag to boot. Still, I like the idea of having a backup computer. Like so many things that have jarred me in my life, I like to be able to fall back on something simpler. I even have a spare car just for that purpose but I lent it to my little brother and he is driving it into the ground so I better get used to my one car for now I guess. It needs repairs.

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I have 3 sets of equipment I use for my BLM. The first set is the "Resting MP" set. This includes the Errant body and legs, Arborist Nails, Antivenom Earring, Hierarch Belt, and Dark Staff which all give +MP while resting and is also not a bad gear to switch to if you have pulled too much hate(shame on you). Immediately after resting, I usually cast Stoneskin and Blink cuz after I switch out the belt I am gonna lose 48 mp and might as well use it up on these spells first. I will usually cast Baraera too since I hear that it helps Blink work better. Stoneskin works better with more MND so that's another reason to use it here.

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The second set is my Magic Accuracy Gear. You know what I mean? If you don't know then you must have just bought Weskit and your Uggalepih Pendant and are wondering WOW I got these Igquira Manillas for CHEAP and I am totally gonna own those mobs with my +18 MAB. Well I hope you brought MP for that, imo. MAB gear has it's uses and I might set up an equipment macro for that once I get my Pendant but for now I think it's at the bottom rank of useful gear. I use Demon's Cloak, Druid's Slops, Sorceror's Sabots, Diabolos Earring, Magnetic Earring, Penitent's Rope and Aquillo's Staff. To improve this gear up I need the Merciful Cape and Shadow Trews but that's a long way off to get that and btw "where's you linkshell HOHITO?" It wouldn't be bad to get that killer item from AV for the magic accuracy in the ranged slot and maybe an Omega Ring for its Macc. and -enmity. I am also gonna start saving for the level 30 earring which gives +3 elemental skill but that is a long way off. I would also like to get the Relic Staff. People say that it gives hidden effect of +10 MAB but who knows. Stormbringer is said to draw the VERY SOULS out of the people it slays so ... what's the difference if you ain't never gonna be able to tell. Even though I thought about saving for the relic GSD, I think that that staff is a must have for any KING of any world that has any business calling himself KING.
The third gear I use is for Sleeping and doing dark deeds like Aspir and Drain and Stun. It consists of Wizard's Coat(which I need to upgrade to +1 and then I can maybe get rid of Errant gear since pants don't help +MP while resting), Sorceror's Petasos, Wizard's Tonbon, Abyssal earring, Anrin Obi, and Dark Staff. I usually don't have too much trouble with sleeps since the body and hat give +enfeebling and the other parts of the body give bonuses to Dark Skill which help the spells' potency. I still would like to be able to use the Dark Torque to maybe up the gear a bit but I am out of money since I bought the Penitent's Rope and have really used up all my equipment in the process. Even the Magician's Earring that I thought was such a novelty and cost me 800k back in the day, I have sold it for 100k and the price is even lower now. But my WHM is top notch for what he does. I NEVER get hate and if someone dies while I am WHM, it's cuz they are pissing me off by pulling hate when they ain't supposed to. People like that stay in yellow hp in my pts.

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Actually I have become a lot less hot-tempered in last couple of months or years. I feel like I have had my ass kicked but I don't know who did it or even who to be mad at. One thing I do know is that I am not crazy or wrong to be the way I am so... whatever.

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Ok back to BLM, I always target my refresher in Dynamis. All it takes, if you ever played WHM, is to hit that little F1 button and hit auto-lock(* key) and poof you are near refresher and he doesn't have to come looking for you like you are at the top of his list of things to do. Refreshers tend to be sleepers in Dynamis btw. After you are near the refresher, keep stoneskin up and look for the statues. As /WHM you are slowbie BLM but that doesn't mean you can't be useful. As the statues do their march you can usually find one statues almost dead and a second one walking around with full MP. What your role is as part of the BLM group is to dampen the hits on the one BLM that has hate. The best way to do this is to Stun and then throw out a tier III spell. If you feel brave, like I usually do after all of this time doing this since 06, you can throw an AM spell on a statue and get ready to run. This is why it's so important to have Stoneskin, cuz if the mages are out of MP, and /RDM usually are, then you are gonna be running around for a while. If you are in Xarcabard, then Eyes are top priority cuz they don't move slow and they are just pounding the hapless BLM that forgot he was part of a group, usually me. For fun, I usually like to use the Assist macro to target the mobs that the melees are working on and if we have enough /RDM then using BLM with the melees is very useful if you are good at it and have done it a while. Your first experience with it however is gonna be Freeze II and mobs comes over and you start getting pummeled and 50 look at you like you are suicidal or just trying to ruin their day cuz they are all running around engaged on mob you pulled hate on. Not good. Leaders tend to not wanna raise you quite so quickly when you mess with them like this, even if you aren't intentionally "messing with" them. Just don't be stupid. I now have this down to where I only nuke on the PLDs and THFs and then only after they have hit Invincible or Perfect Dodge, so this makes speeds up the killing a great deal. I will sometimes help with MNK and RNG type mobs and stun them after they are at 50%. This gives the WHMs a chance to catch up on the tremendous dmg that these two jobs' two hours can do to the main tanks. I use one macro with Cure III on it. Your refresher is usually ever vigilant for mobs waking up and can't heal themselves so in return for keeping their MP up, you might get a refresh or a haste you didn't expect. Sleepers tend to go down alot and as I know well, not many vokers watch mobs and with BLMs watching their own butts and disregarding the RDMs altogether, refreshers are usually taking a lot of hits. Again stoneskin gives you and other people more time to cure you and is like having Master Chief at full armor slots. They really screwed the game when they took armor slots out of HALO but that's my opinion. I played HALO ad nauseum and even was able to finish it in Nightmare mode but Halo 2, I didn't finish the whole game even on regular. How does it end btw? HALO 3? Haven't bought it, not gonna. Shadowrun ftw. Of course this has nothing to do with the fact that I fell in love with my old girlfriend playing HALO on Cooperative. Nope. Nothing.

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Also keep your mouth shut; nothing falls apart so quickly in Dynamis as do pulls of groups of mobs at the same time as soon as someone starts joking about their last HNMLS run or something. If you gotta say it keep it short. 60 people are listening and they would like to talk and shut you up but then there would be no time for Dynamis while I told you off and everyone got pissy. As a matter of fact it's rather arrogant for someone to talk like they know stuff and people in Dynamis are walking around with Relic weapons and Sky gear next to you like they don't have nothing to say. You should be free to joke and all but just don't start defending your point or something.
Also, MP management is key, you don't wanna be down without HP when they move to the next set of mobs that you have to THUNDAGA @ 1200. If you are at max HP then ok throw out your AM II and Tier IV spells but after you get low on MP you can still be effective by using Drain and Aspir and using Stun. Try to imagine one BLM running around with an eye on his tail and the rest of the BLMs resting for MP. One stun can save his life. It's better to be up with few MP than to be out and resting for 60% of the time. What I mean is if most BLMs are resting then choose to rest later when they are up. Blizzard III and IV are surprisingly efficient and very low on MP cost. With refresh going, you can do a great deal of dmg just waiting for those timers to come up.

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I use Grammary Cape. If I would I would use more Magic Defense Bonus but this cape if far better than the Blue Cape I was using for added MP and to resist area of effect dmg(aoe) which btw is weak to FIRE and THUNDER! Who knew! Barfira notwithdstanding!

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Well Im tired and I am late for the bar so for the past two hours I guess I have covered this month's events. I do plan to hook up with a girl one of these days I just have to not work at night and be more competitive or whatever. I usually win darts and stuff like that though and it's for my arrogance that my mouth is not so charming. To win you have to be mean but to charm you have to be great and not great in the face of others. I guess that's hard. Pride not arrogance, how?