DRK Post Update (8/27)

[Aeni]

Now things have just become lively in the game. I'm quite excited. I quit playing my DRK mostly because I abhor being forced to /NIN and dual wield in order to parse out gewd damage. I was always - ALWAYS - a big fan of subbing WAR and going to town with meat dishes and a nice, sexy, 2-hander (GSword, GAxe and Scythe were my favorite toys)

So, looks like SE finally decides to throw all 2-hand users a bone (long overdue, the meat has long dried and the flavor gone out) and adjusted many things.

The changes to Cross-Reaper also got me jumping up and down. If they could make it consistent and less random (like it always was in my own experience) then it might have a chance to pull ahead of Guillotine in my list of favored Scythe WS.

Anyone else excited about the changes? I just ... maybe ... you know ... will go back to playing my DRK a bit more than my other toon (RDM) ... well ... maybe.

[Malacite]

I can tell you right now I creamed my pants when I tried out the updates on my SAM.

My WS damage with Yukki/Gekko/Kasha with Soboro on EP Colibri has jumped up by 200-250 points on average. This update ROCKS!

[Armando]

Speaking of SAM, according to BG, Yuki/Gekko/Kasha now have 2.5 fTP at 100. WTF.

I'm also pretty happy to see DRK and DRG shining all of a sudden. Though the DEX thing still had me going like "wtf?" But oh well. I'm sure in a week we'll know if the changes are permanent.

[Celeal]

I am also very excited and sad with the update at this moment. I was LFG as a WAR/SAM and just got a /tell for party invite (15 min before this post) .... request me to /nin and dual axe.... { I'm sorry, but I have to pass. }
I guess i am nutz to turn down the invite... but come on, the party leader was DRK/WAR when he send the invite....
Well, i will form my own party on this weekend, just to see how Great Axe improved.

[Aeni]

Armando, this probably isn't the thread to post it, but I am on my DRK atm

So far, there's been some interesting observation on my part.

I'm doing some "testing" on mobs in Eastern Altepa Desert (near outpost, i'm just lazy to run)

With Berserk on I'm noticing that my "per swing" dmg remains the same, no matter if a crit happens or not (It doesn't even differ by more than 0-3 points between every swing). However, Berserk off, the dmg varies widely, as how it used to be on a per hit basis.

Example:

Hitting a Manticore with Berserk on, I hit it for 309, 304, 306, 306, 306. There was a crit there too (One of the 306 dmg)

Berserk came off and the next few hits were like 232, 277, 216. As you can see, it is wide ranging.

I don't have any good gear to really do testing, because my stuffs been cannibalized for my RDM. 434 Attack at level 72, with WAR sub and no buffs (no food, JA on, no songs, etc)

I suppose with a STR gear set, one can keep their damage over time consistent per swing, but I do not know how it is off Incredibly Tough monsters.

I tried out a fully buffed out Guillotine on a Dhalmel but I should've tried that on the Manti instead ... poor sod dropped after the 3rd hit (4th didn't count apparently) but I managed a 1,500 without that 4th hit.

>_> Gonna go try fooling around with Spiral Hell and Cross Reaper and then Ground Strike and other stuff WSs.

[Armando]

When your Attack is capped, your PDIF (the number that multiplies your DMG + fSTR) is always 3.0. Well, for two-handers at least. For one-handers, it's always 2.0 now (whereas before it would vary between 1.6 and 2.4 for all non-ranged weapons.) So yeah, with Berserk up you're capping your Attack.

Celeal: Sorry to hear you got such a stupid party leader, but I'm behind your decision all the way. People really need to get the hint. Seriously, what the hell, half the things on FFXI just got turned upside down and two-handers teeter dangerously close to broken and someone still has the audacity to say "dual axes plz?"

[Aeni]

Armando ... Cross Reaper sucks (Or I'm missing something here)

Souleater
Berserk
Last Resort
Warcry
Absorb-STR
300% TP

Did Cross Reaper on the Manticore right away (after engaging him - I only used Absorb-STR as the first "hit")

545 damage. W ... T ... F.

So, the changes they made to Cross Reaper ... was a nerf?!@?


Using the same buffs I got a 1923 Guillotine ... go figure >_>


(sans 300% TP for Guillotine .. obviously)




SECOND CROSS REAPER: 1667 ... sigh.

So, Cross Reaper still has that nasty tendancy to ... miss on a swing. Ewwww.

[Armando]

That's funny, all the DRKs on Allakhazam were celebrating the fact that their Cross Reapers actually do good damage now. Maybe the miss was a fluke?

[Aeni]

That's funny, all the DRKs on Allakhazam were celebrating the fact that their Cross Reapers actually do good damage now. Maybe the miss was a fluke?

Apparently it was a miss, but it's very strange because on the 2nd attempt, the dmg is well over 1,500 ... yet on the first attempt I only got 500sh dmg.

Not sure which missed ... first swing or second. But to think the difference between either is a whopping 200% doesn't bode well with me....

[Armando]

Should've been the first hit, as it now has a juicy 2.5 fTP multiplier. All subsequent hits have a fixed 1.0 fTP. You can tell with your TP gain anyways.

[Aeni]

Should've been the first hit, as it now has a juicy 2.5 fTP multiplier. All subsequent hits have a fixed 1.0 fTP. You can tell with your TP gain anyways.

I find ironic that I actually missed on the first hit. Off a Too Weak to Even Bother monster. Remember the post (several up) in which I indicated I sold most of my gear? That was my STR/Attack set. I actually have accuracy gear on. -_-;

Seriously ... a real pain.

[Armando]

Eh, stuff happens. Even with capped Accuracy only 90% of your Cross Reapers will land both hits. It's just how it works. SAMs have the same problem with Jinpu/Enpi, DRGs with Double Thrust, WARs with Sturmwind, etc. But I bet when you get a Double Double Attack you'll remember it ;o

[Aeni]

Eh, stuff happens. Even with capped Accuracy only 90% of your Cross Reapers will land both hits. But I bet when you get a Double Double Attack you'll remember it ;o

Ehh ... I use /WAR when and whenever possible so that double attacks are expected Call me spoilt ... I think it was fun seeing my SAM swing twice on mobs (albeit, for very, very different reasons)

The fun and magic with (double attack) kind of wore off a long time ago ; ; ... But maybe (triple attack) on the other hand o.o

[Armando]

I've have Double Attack for a long time and I still giggle like a schoolgirl every time I see my WS get 2 more hits than it should >_>

[Aaramis]

Only a young DRK here, but I've noticed some wonderful improvements with regular damage, as well as WS damage too. Loving it.

As far as crits go, at 50, I still see a noticeable difference in damage when a crit lands, but a 75 SAM friend noticed the same as above - his crits weren't doing anything more than a regular hit. So perhaps you're reaching the ATK or STR cap ceiling now?
Unsure about that.

In other news, ABS-STR before a WS is godly; and Spike Necklace just became healthy competition to Chivalrous Chain.

I find myself not needing to macro out too much gear these days, as some items (Spike Necklace, Hume RSE gloves) now provide both ACC and ATK.

How many of you had had to completely re-do their templates?