Be All you can be...(Warning Long....)

Be All you can be...(Warning Long....)

Warning I am in a long and ranty mood today.....

I love the fact that FFXI is a Massive world that is filled with many people and many different ideas, but that is also what I hate about it.

I hate it because it breeds the foul stench of elitism that infects many of those it comes across. Once a small few get an idea in there head they force that idea onto any and all they come across. They feel that if everyone does not do it there way they ought not to be playing at all.

These are also those people the promote the vile idea of "Pimp or Gimp" when it comes to equipment used, but alas, that is the least of my concerns. If idiots want to waste there momeny on getting everything that is consider "Uber" that is there own dumb assed fault.

Job Abuse
EVERY Job in this game has it's strenghs and weaknesses. Those who choose to play those jobs must take the time to learn the nuances of those jobs and to compensate for the shortcomings that they may have. However when one falls into the clutch of the elitest they often sell themselves short.

There are alot of jobs that suffer from that.

Ninja:
I love my Ninja, she is awesome tank and a great person to hang out with, but the whole NIN Tanking thing is about the most overrated BS that has shot down the pipe. The belief that NINs are the best tanks in the game is petuated by lazy mages and elitest who want to pimp any job /WHM for Main Heal.

I am not saying that NINs can't tank, but for fucks sake people NINs have some much more to offer in a party that is overlooked because they just want them to tank.

NINs are on of the best Melee DoT players in the game. The short delay on Katanas, Subtle Blow and Dual Weild enhancements allow the NIN to hit fast and to hit constant. With combined with even average ATK and ACC gear it the DoT rating gets higer. Katana Based Weapon skills do divine damage on there own or can be combine with other weapons for fablous skillchains for a nice damage spike.

This can be further heightend by breaking the subjob rule for NINs, drop the tacky WAR ORNY opinion that most NINs and players have and you can increase there effectivness in party tenfold.

NIN/THF: /THF is popular for a reason, thou my option of SATA is it is a tad overrated it definatly has it's place. Low Delay Katanas and Good ACC allow the NIN to build TP at a rather Rapid Rate. Combining even a low level skill such as Blade:Retsu with Sneak Attack, Trick Attack or Both can add an even more signifigant Damage spike. Now, this will never happen since it takes away that precious ability to provoke thus alas, the party may need to get an actual Tank like, oh, I don't know... a Paladin....

NIN/RDM: It is a odd on, but is allows a NIN to make better use of the Ninjitsu that they have. Added INT allows for the Elemental Ninjitsu to hit harder and more effectivly. It will also boost the NINs ability to use the Ninjitsu enfeebles. At higher levels /RDM would give the NIN so added buffs allowing them to be able to use there shadows more effectivly. This also adds the Fast Cast job trait cutting down the cast time for Ninjitsu

I am not excluding NIN/WAR since it is usefull, but alas also pretty lackluster, the biggest advantage that you get is provoke, which is only usefull if you are tanking. Can a NIN be a good tank, yes, and if there is not a PLD out there they will do a fine job, but remember there is alot more the NIN can do.


Red Mage....
Okay...this is one is a hotbed of elitest BS and abuse on a regular basis. I will make this point for a Party layout the subjobs for a RDM are limited. I would say that /WHM or /BLM since it will provide the RDM with the best advantages to use all their skills to the fullest. Job combos such and RDM/NIN, RDM/WAR and RDM/DRK are situational and should only be used in a party setup if it is needed for the specfics of the party. With that said the RDM's roll is party is one of many hats.

Melee RDM:
I am getting this one out of the way first since it is the on that almost everyone bitches about and frankly, bite me. The Red Mage is one of the few jobs in the game that can fill nearly every position in party. The top priority being enfeebling of course. Any RDM should start out with getting the Debuffs out. Properly setup macros can allow a RDM to be engaged on the mob and still keep up buffing, curing and debuffing. A well balanced RDM will have Sword or Dagger skill leveled (Dagger is not the best in most setups due to the low damage that it has) and have enhancing magic leveled up(does not have to be capped even thou it helps) so that they can use mob targeted en-spells to add extra damage to the weapon. Now the main argurment against this is that the low damage they have will only feeds the mobs TP and does not really help at all. Um... No. As long as the player has taken the time to level skills and has proper weapons there damage with will be on par with the rest of the single-handed weapons users in party. There are execptions to this rule, but that is where the RDM shines when things dip in the melee facet of things they have the ability to move more full attack in other areas.

Back Line RDM
Post Level 30 and ESPECIALLY post level 41 this is where most RDMs get stuck, I feel that this a disservice to what the RDM is truly capable of, but it has its place in the world. If there is not WHM avail a RDM can main heal once they get Cure III and with /WHM the bonus -ana spells and higher Enhancing Magic do help the RDM do this. Back Line RDM is also good for certain contional battles. I find that when you are A. The only person with Cure or B. Surrounded by Higher levels who can "Solo" the mobs that you are fighting it is easier to just keep the buffs up than worry about meleeing. This is even more true if you have mostly mage gear since battles such as AF3 mobs you will need a more dedicated Melee Set.

The Other Side of the Coin....

Okay everyone listen up!
1. If your job can do it you will be called upon to do it at one point in time.
This is directed at a few DD ORNY SMNs I know who feel that *gasp* being asked to Main Heal a Party is beneath them and will NEVER do it even when partying with a group of close friends. Um... Boot to the Head... If ANY non-Whm can main heal a party it is a SMN, more for the MP than anything else. RDM have a tad advantage since they do get Cure IV, but any WHM knows that Cure IV is used so little in party that it is really neither here nor there. A SMN even is crappy gear has close to double to MP of even a WHM, post level 25 they have Auto-Refresh so as long as they do not have an avatar out they have a 1MP/tic Refresh. I know that playing main heal sucks, been there done that, but the reason you have a sub-job is to use those advantages for the aide your PT. Also, as much as it sucks and may be alittle elitest after a certain point SMNs are wanted more for there buffs than actual DD. I personally have no issue with SMNs letting there pets Melee, but I do get pissed when we have no WHM, a SMN is in PT with over 75% MP and has failed to cast even a Cure, let alone Cure II or III even once in SEVEN FIGHTS!!!!

2. Just because you can do it, does not always mean you should do it...
I touched on this one earlier, but I would like to expand a bit. To start, I do not include Missions, End-Game, BCNMs or any other NON EXP Party in this since the very nature of them sometimes requires odd combos for it to work. There are also certain combos that work well in EXP parties but only till certain levels. However I will never invite a MAGE/NIN for a EXP Party. My top pet peeve with this would be RDM/NIN since for EXP parties it holds no benifit. I mean, all you really get is shadows and even a MELEE FRONT LINE RDM will not have need for shadows in party. Some will argue that it will be Dual Wield, but Dual Wield I with Swords will put such a high delay on the weapon that it is truly a waste of time. Also, for EXP Parties a RDM needs MP, long chains and IT++ mobs make keeping some enfeebles up a bitch, and well, Crabs and Beetles are a sucker for Dispel every 2 minutes, so having the most MP you can get from /WHM or /BLM or even at the worst /SMN will be the most benifical to your PT. Please by all means you can still melee, but IMO /NIN in EXP PT only serves to try to get yourself out of being all a RDM can be.
When I hear SMN/NIN, WHM/NIN or BLM/NIN I pray that they are soloing and for SMN I have only seen it work once and that was for a 50% reduction to spell interuption rate for the Mini-Battles. If I hear this in an EXP I tend to want to run headlong off the nearest cliff.

DRK/NIN -- um... part of me want to say: Just No, but alas what form or Rage Fuel RDM would I be if I left it at just that. Now let me say again, that I do not play DRK, so if there is a justable reason other than shadows please advise, but the problem is just that, as my favorite DRK would say "DRK/NIN is just LOL..." Dual Wield? Why, since Scythe or GS is your best weapon choice. Shadows? Um... Drain, that is all I can say. You are going to get hit, just deal with it, and use your abilites to your advantage. Please use a subjob that you can benifit from.

Okay kiddies, todays rant is over. I could go on and on, but I will spare you the nastier words.