Skillchains. Can you make them better?

[Drogen_Shomuro]

Personally, I loved skillchains; they're one of FFXI's most unique gameplay aspects. Skillchains promote teamwork and encourage players to use a variety of jobs when forming teams. Unfortunately, Skillchains at higher levels become less and less effective (i.e. constantly being resisted to near-nothing.) Additionally, because enemies in merit point PTs are usually so weak, it isn't worth bothering to use a skillchain because the enemy dies so quickly.

Can we expect to see some change to the skillchain system/balance to bring back this unique and fun style of play?

[Maju]

They should raise the maximum exp for L70-75 to 500 exp. That way you can go for ITs and gain 400-500 exp per mob instead doing the regular TP burn against Ts and VTs for 80-100 a pop.

[Neomage]

I would also love the 500 a pop idea. Personally, I prefer chaining low monsters, but BLMs never get invited to meleeburn and manaburns are no where as good as their reputation. If we went back to fighting IT monsters, or at least the option, BLM might be invited to standar pts, something I'm all in favor for.

[Mog]

I stabbed you in the back, so that would make ME the murder suspect.

[Shep]

i'd never bring Malag to another normal pt again. just too boring as a mage in one of those.

but to be on topic, i'd like to see some new skillchains and also have them be less resistant.

but thats just me.....

[kuu]

Emm.... how are level 3 skillchains weak?

lvl 3 can do upto 150% closer damage, and the only way to fight some HNM is to MB them with skillchains.

Though the reason people stop SCing in TP pts is because VT's def is so low = (you can do full+ damage on DoT)

While I do wish they expand the skillchain system, it's not weak.

They're not giving us lvl4 dang it! Tenzen needs to eat his own medicine

Maybe Skillchains can be expanded to JA bursts though there are very few offensive JAs.

[Legal Fish]

Level 3 SCs need to never resist and should always be at its full effect on VT-IT monsters with no elemental strength. And very high level monsters weak to Skillchains would be needed.

[Drive]

I would also love the 500 a pop idea. Personally, I prefer chaining low monsters, but BLMs never get invited to meleeburn and manaburns are no where as good as their reputation. If we went back to fighting IT monsters, or at least the option, BLM might be invited to standar pts, something I'm all in favor for.

I sorta have to agree with you. I don't get lack of party invites obivously but I believe standard parties were so much more fun then the burn and cannons of nowadays. I loved casting as many songs on people as I can while doing a little speacialized songs inbetween(etude's for big spell or sneak attack). These cannons and manaburns just threw all my fun out the window.

[Karinya]

Personally, I loved skillchains; they're one of FFXI's most unique gameplay aspects. Skillchains promote teamwork and encourage players to use a variety of jobs when forming teams. Unfortunately, Skillchains at higher levels become less and less effective (i.e. constantly being resisted to near-nothing.) Additionally, because enemies in merit point PTs are usually so weak, it isn't worth bothering to use a skillchain because the enemy dies so quickly.

Can we expect to see some change to the skillchain system/balance to bring back this unique and fun style of play?

I just have to ask, was the irony of the juxtaposition between your post and your sig intentional? Or did you shoot yourself in the foot by saying skillchains are useless while your own sig shows you doing 1600 skillchain damage - to an NM?

High level skillchains aren't resisted much in my experience, unless you're doing darkness on bones or something stupid like that. Skillchains become much MORE effective after 65.

The problem with T enemies is real, but skillchains are only one of the side effects of the real problem: weak monsters being worth more exp/hr than challenging monsters. That needs to be reversed before any other balance problems are addressed, because a lot of other balance problems are only there *because* everyone is fighting Ts. Skillchains and magic bursts work just fine on ITs, as you would know if you had ever merited in someplace like Lufaise or Uleguerand before TAU came out. Nobody wants to merit in those places now because they can kill imps that can't fight back every 30 seconds and get 100+ exp each, but once the exp disparity is fixed... it's actually a lot more fun to fight monsters that fight back. And good team tactics are an asset.

[Wind Adept]

If you were to adjust the reward for fighting lower-level monsters, then the few jobs that solo would have even less of a reason to; you can say that "this is a party game, blah blah blah" but... I think that what needs to be adjusted is the rewards of fighting IT mobs, not the toughs - in some way, both options should become viable.

[Drogen_Shomuro]

I just have to ask, was the irony of the juxtaposition between your post and your sig intentional? Or did you shoot yourself in the foot by saying skillchains are useless while your own sig shows you doing 1600 skillchain damage - to an NM?

High level skillchains aren't resisted much in my experience, unless you're doing darkness on bones or something stupid like that. Skillchains become much MORE effective after 65.

That NM is a Bastok Mission 6-1 NM that's probably level 60 or so. When fighting IT's, level 3 SCs usually get resisted to at least half. If I could do that all the time, I wouldn't be posting this. Regardless, my stance is that I love skillchains, and I'd like to see them used more.

The problem with T enemies is real, but skillchains are only one of the side effects of the real problem: weak monsters being worth more exp/hr than challenging monsters. That needs to be reversed before any other balance problems are addressed, because a lot of other balance problems are only there *because* everyone is fighting Ts. Skillchains and magic bursts work just fine on ITs, as you would know if you had ever merited in someplace like Lufaise or Uleguerand before TAU came out. Nobody wants to merit in those places now because they can kill imps that can't fight back every 30 seconds and get 100+ exp each, but once the exp disparity is fixed... it's actually a lot more fun to fight monsters that fight back. And good team tactics are an asset.

I fully acknowledge that fighting T's is part of the problem. But at 75, there's few places that have IT mobs to fight. Even Lufaise and Uleguerand mobs are barely IT. It would be nice if we had more of those big, juicy, 300 exp mobs.