Final Fantasy XI Then...

[Rep]

2/3 on the Stray Mary Club Trial, and now on the Arcana Staff, with around 90 kills left. If anyone available for lightsday later, fancy tearing up Ro'Maeve? Only 2 trials left after that one for Staff, and the final shouldn't take long.

[Rep]

All Synthesized during a full moon, which is rumoured to have a negative effect on HQ.

[Rep]

Got a few questions before starting to level RDM again. On Colbri (lesser excluded), it's a good idea not to use any debuffs at all right? And if there's a NIN tank (any mob) don't debuff either?

Have pretty much everything i'll need upto 75 now, just waiting for an Enf. Earring to appear.

[Daragon]

Colibri (lesser excluded of course) reflect all magic, so yeah I wouldn't recommend it.

[C']

If your NIN is enfeebling then it would be a waste of MP for you to use yours (especially as unless your INT/MND build is incredible, a NIN's Kurayami: Ni (blind) and Hojo: Ni (slow) will be more potent).

However there's a lot of NIN out there who won't actually use anything except Utsusemi. These guys will suck ("tools are expensive lol") so you may as well debuff for them to make your EXP less painful.

[Rep]

Is the difference in NIN and RDM really that staggering? (At least in the 60's) Every current slot is a good as it can get, except for the +3 earring.

Which factors play into Ninjutsu debuffs? So for example an average geared, level Sync NIN would still land more potent debuffs?

[C']

Yes, because they are essentially a higher tier of Blind and Slow. From what has been tested, a NIN is unable to boost the potency of their enfeebling spells, with ninjutsu skill only affecting the accuracy of landing the spell (i.e. if Kurayami: Ni lands it will always afflict the mob with accuracy-30 and the rate of Slow on Hojo will always be the same).

However, whilst the potency of the mage versions can be boosted by the appropriate stats (i.e. Slow can be improved by stacking MND) the amount of the stat needed to "beat" the ninjutsu is so high that I don't think I've ever seen it happen. When it comes to high level mobs at end game though there is no comparison. Even when I cast in (I think) 302 Ninjutsu skill, they hardly ever land on mobs in sky and stuff of that level.

Once RDM gets their improved merit spells (i.e. Slow II) that changes (although from what I remember Blind II never overwrites Kurayami: Ni and vice versa).

Remember that skill gear won't be improving the effect of the spell in question, but purely the spell accuracy of it landing.

We can test it later if you like. I can cast my spells on a mob, then in your full enfeebling gear set, cast the equivalent spell in your arsenal. If yours overwrites mine that will mean the potency on your spell is greater and you should therefore cast your debuffs in party.

[Rep]

Good stuff thanks, I didn't know any of that (well apart from your Sky resists )
RDM is certainly an odd job to play at times, but then like you said getting a NIN that debuffs is a task in itself.

[Rep]

Which VNM's do people need now? Anyone want to try some tonight? Just reading that Urd can be low-manned.

[C']

They can all be low-manned. I've said this before on LS but was either ignored or people didn't seem to believe me.

The tier IV dragon has a recorded kill by 7 people (and one of them was a THF only there for Treasure Hunter).

Anyway, I need Jyeshtha.

[Rep]

Nice, we should give some a try later. On the plus side i've gotten so many mats from doing various trials, i've enough Remdies and Icarus Wings to give a whole party for ASA now.

[C']

Oh I should probably note that I wasn't suggesting we're only a couple of people away from doing the dragon. The low manning was probably completed by people with much better gear and more experience than us. But I certainly think we could look at low manning tier IIs for magian trials.

Obviously the more people we get back on the shell, the better our chances.

[InvisibleKid]

Hey guys, just a post to gauge interest.. just wondering it anyone fancies helping me out sometimes? I'm seriously low level - but Level Sync might make a change in some ways for you?

Working my way through Bastok missions - I'm only just rank 3 at the moment.

[Rep]

Hey guys, just a post to gauge interest.. just wondering it anyone fancies helping me out sometimes? I'm seriously low level - but Level Sync might make a change in some ways for you?

Working my way through Bastok missions - I'm only just rank 3 at the moment.

Which server are you on mate? I think Tobal might have asked in the past, but not sure.

[InvisibleKid]

I'm on Bismarck... I think.. (What's Seraph called now? lol)