Mikalian
10-06-2006, 02:13 PM
Issue: There is a perceived deficiency in the capabilities of PLD/WAR as a tank when compared to NIN/WAR tanks. Not only do PLD/WAR tanks take damage they also lack significantly in the ability to deal damage to monster opponents, where NIN/WAR tanks can avoid nearly all damage through the use of shadows, while at the same time wearing equipment that allows them to become potent damage dealers.
Proposal: Increase damage dealing capabilities through use of the shield. This change would allow PLD to become more competitive with NIN tanks by balancing the damage capabilities of the two primary tank classes while still maintaining distinct stylistic differences.
Suggestion: Create a line of PLD only spells similar in effect to RDM Enspells except PLD spells would imbue their shield with elemental properties which would deal damage to opponents when the shield blocks. The damage from these spells would be calculated based on a combination of damage blocked by the shield, Enhancing Magic skill vs. Enhancing Magic level cap, and Shield skill vs. Shield skill level cap. Damage returned to opponents would be unresisted unless the opponent has an innate resistance to the elemental effect of the given spell. Considering that currently PLDs only Enhancing spells are not affected by Enhancing Magic skill this would encourage PLD players to take the time to increase their skill.
Spell Progression:
PLD40 Earth Shield
PLD45 Ice Shield
PLD50 Water Shield
PLD55 Fire Shield
PLD60 Wind Shield
PLD65 Thunder Shield
PLD70 Light Shield
PLD75 Dark Shield
Spell damage calculations:
DR = Damage Reflected
DB = Damage blocked
CES= Current Enhancing Magic Skill
ESC= Enhancing Magic level cap
CSS= Current Shield Skill
SSC= Shield skill level cap
(DB*.80){[(CES/ESC)/2]+[(CSS/SSC)/2]} = DR
Example: Level: PLD68/WAR34
DB = 100
ESC= 197
CES= 110
SSC= 241
CSS= 239
(100*.80){[(110/197)/2]+[(239/241)/2]} = 62
(100*.80){[.56/2]+[.99/2]} = 62
(100*.80){.28+.49} = 62
(100*.80)*.77 = 62
80 * .77 = 62
(Please keep in mind that my use of .80 as a base for damage blocked/reflected represents what I think would be a realistic maximum)
MP cost: 30
Duration: 2 minutes
Recast: 1 minute
How to obtain the Scrolls: I have several options I'm thinking of right now so I'm going to lay them out and let you guys help me decide what to submit along with the proposal.
Option #1: Rare drop from Elementals of the appropriate type roughly 5 levels higher than the level of the spell to be gained.
Option #2: Rare drop from PLD type monsters roughly 5-10 levels above the level of the spell to be gained.
Option #3: Guaranteed drop from wandering NM elementals of the appropriate type.
Option #4: Rare reward from BCNM's of appropriate levels unless there is a PLD in the party doing the BCNM then it would be a common (but not guaranteed) reward.
Option #5: Quested item with the quest only being started and completed by a PLD of the appropriate level (or higher) with no NM fight.
Option #6: Quested item with a fight versus a forced spawn NM Elemental of appropriate type and strength to require an entire party of characters of the level of the spell to be gained to defeat.
Option #7: Any combination of some or all of the above options.
My personal favorite is a combination of #5 and #6 with a story about how during the Crystal War a great Tarutaru Black Mage watched Paladins fall by the hundreds defending their weaker counterparts from the wrath of the beastmen and monsters without being able to significantly damage the beastmen and the monsters in turn. After the war the great Black Mage went into seclusion and began researching ways to correct this problem, but unfortunately he was unable to complete this work before he died. However, his apprentice has taken up his work and needs the players help to complete it. The player character must go to the far ends of Vana’diel and return with certain items, some obtained from fighting monsters either forced spawn or roaming, and others obtained through more conventional means (Auction House, crafted, gardened, NPC bought etc.). Upon completion of the quest the player character would be given the appropriate scroll and told to come back later as the apprentice must “… continue their research if they are ever going to figure outaru all these scribble-wibbles”. Save the spell “Dark Shield” and the quest for it for level 75 Paladins and make the requirements for completion extremely difficult. After all Paladins are warriors and defenders of Light so the ability to use the powers of their enemies against them must be restricted to only those of the purest faith and truest devotion to avoid corruption. Also after completing all eight quests the player would receive a new title such as “Bearer of the Eight Fold Shield” or some such.
Conclusions: As you can see this idea would not overpower PLD/WAR but would allow them to compete with NIN/WAR in damage dealing capabilities while maintaining their unique tanking style. Also these changes would be in line with recent changes Square Enix has implemented to the PLD job (Shield Mastery building TP) to allow PLD to deal more damage.
Proposal: Increase damage dealing capabilities through use of the shield. This change would allow PLD to become more competitive with NIN tanks by balancing the damage capabilities of the two primary tank classes while still maintaining distinct stylistic differences.
Suggestion: Create a line of PLD only spells similar in effect to RDM Enspells except PLD spells would imbue their shield with elemental properties which would deal damage to opponents when the shield blocks. The damage from these spells would be calculated based on a combination of damage blocked by the shield, Enhancing Magic skill vs. Enhancing Magic level cap, and Shield skill vs. Shield skill level cap. Damage returned to opponents would be unresisted unless the opponent has an innate resistance to the elemental effect of the given spell. Considering that currently PLDs only Enhancing spells are not affected by Enhancing Magic skill this would encourage PLD players to take the time to increase their skill.
Spell Progression:
PLD40 Earth Shield
PLD45 Ice Shield
PLD50 Water Shield
PLD55 Fire Shield
PLD60 Wind Shield
PLD65 Thunder Shield
PLD70 Light Shield
PLD75 Dark Shield
Spell damage calculations:
DR = Damage Reflected
DB = Damage blocked
CES= Current Enhancing Magic Skill
ESC= Enhancing Magic level cap
CSS= Current Shield Skill
SSC= Shield skill level cap
(DB*.80){[(CES/ESC)/2]+[(CSS/SSC)/2]} = DR
Example: Level: PLD68/WAR34
DB = 100
ESC= 197
CES= 110
SSC= 241
CSS= 239
(100*.80){[(110/197)/2]+[(239/241)/2]} = 62
(100*.80){[.56/2]+[.99/2]} = 62
(100*.80){.28+.49} = 62
(100*.80)*.77 = 62
80 * .77 = 62
(Please keep in mind that my use of .80 as a base for damage blocked/reflected represents what I think would be a realistic maximum)
MP cost: 30
Duration: 2 minutes
Recast: 1 minute
How to obtain the Scrolls: I have several options I'm thinking of right now so I'm going to lay them out and let you guys help me decide what to submit along with the proposal.
Option #1: Rare drop from Elementals of the appropriate type roughly 5 levels higher than the level of the spell to be gained.
Option #2: Rare drop from PLD type monsters roughly 5-10 levels above the level of the spell to be gained.
Option #3: Guaranteed drop from wandering NM elementals of the appropriate type.
Option #4: Rare reward from BCNM's of appropriate levels unless there is a PLD in the party doing the BCNM then it would be a common (but not guaranteed) reward.
Option #5: Quested item with the quest only being started and completed by a PLD of the appropriate level (or higher) with no NM fight.
Option #6: Quested item with a fight versus a forced spawn NM Elemental of appropriate type and strength to require an entire party of characters of the level of the spell to be gained to defeat.
Option #7: Any combination of some or all of the above options.
My personal favorite is a combination of #5 and #6 with a story about how during the Crystal War a great Tarutaru Black Mage watched Paladins fall by the hundreds defending their weaker counterparts from the wrath of the beastmen and monsters without being able to significantly damage the beastmen and the monsters in turn. After the war the great Black Mage went into seclusion and began researching ways to correct this problem, but unfortunately he was unable to complete this work before he died. However, his apprentice has taken up his work and needs the players help to complete it. The player character must go to the far ends of Vana’diel and return with certain items, some obtained from fighting monsters either forced spawn or roaming, and others obtained through more conventional means (Auction House, crafted, gardened, NPC bought etc.). Upon completion of the quest the player character would be given the appropriate scroll and told to come back later as the apprentice must “… continue their research if they are ever going to figure outaru all these scribble-wibbles”. Save the spell “Dark Shield” and the quest for it for level 75 Paladins and make the requirements for completion extremely difficult. After all Paladins are warriors and defenders of Light so the ability to use the powers of their enemies against them must be restricted to only those of the purest faith and truest devotion to avoid corruption. Also after completing all eight quests the player would receive a new title such as “Bearer of the Eight Fold Shield” or some such.
Conclusions: As you can see this idea would not overpower PLD/WAR but would allow them to compete with NIN/WAR in damage dealing capabilities while maintaining their unique tanking style. Also these changes would be in line with recent changes Square Enix has implemented to the PLD job (Shield Mastery building TP) to allow PLD to deal more damage.