[LadyKiKi]

DNC/BST is WOOOLALALLALALALAALA (in terms of survivability)

As for the subjob BST fact, a newly levelled BST friend of mine hit 37 the other day and followed me into sky to do what I was doing, DRK/BST (he's main DRK) refused to believe the fact about the charming thing.

Nearly the same CHR gear as me missing a headpiece. He failed. Hard.

[Wise Donkey]

LadyKiki, you make me want to level BST every time you mention how well /BST works. Must... finish... THF to 75...

[LadyKiKi]

I don't tell people to do /BST but I will fully support them if they do. It's an alternative, that's all and I'm just in a way letting people know that "yes, this works too if you're out of options". It's only possible to do it this way if you enjoy BST, hence you gotta try out the main job first before liking it as a subjob.

And for PUP soloing, I fully intend to do PUP/BST just for fun.
Keyword: fun

I'll try out the usual PUP methods of soloing but if I don't like it I'll switch. Just got this twitchy funny feel of ending up at 75 with nothing more but a severely underequipped and undercapped automaton. (yes the whole purpose is to play the job the wrong way)

(when I finished NIN my Ninjitsu was about level 140~, roughly the equivalent of what a Level 50 NIN should be at). It's nearly capped now as I've been working on it.

[Nuriko]

I had fun at level 24 as DRK/BST in LS chat. I asked if soloing EM-T mobs was a good idea as DRK24, and received a fairly emphatic no. In the meantime, I was using FoV to chain the darn things some of the time...

[Neverslip]

Originally Posted by Susurrus

the success of charm depends on the level of BST so you'd have to have a 75 BST to do this anyway

Originally Posted by Sabaron

It's not a belief, it's a confirmed fact.

Thank you... I believe I knew this once but had spaced it. Guess BST is going on the back burner for me then... maybe get it to 30 for BCNM tho eventually.

[Susurrus]

Originally Posted by Neverslip

Thank you... I believe I knew this once but had spaced it. Guess BST is going on the back burner for me then... maybe get it to 30 for BCNM tho eventually.

Why? BST is so awesome.

[aegina]

Originally Posted by Susurrus

Why? BST is so awesome.

I agree

Once you get BST levelled, this entire game changes! I like to party, but it's soooo cool not ever being FORCED to!

[Esoa]

Originally Posted by Sabaron

I really don't think that's an appropriate response. Nuriko's comment is rather to the point, but it is a sound one. FFXI is primarily a team or group play environment, not a soloing one. While there are soloing opportunities available, it's really not the focus of the game. Nuriko's suggestion that you try WoW is appropriate since it is much more solo-focused than FFXI. Besides that, why would you pay to play a Massively Multiplayer Game all by yourself?

People in FFXI solo because there's only so long you can stomach standing around LFP or trying to form parties on your own. If you make a BST, or PUP, or DNC, or BLM, or even DRG it's unlikely that parties are going to be knocking at your door begging you to come play with them. So asking which one solo's best is highly relevant.

The answer is BLM for leveling (goblin pets) and DRG for all-around butt-kicking solo skills. Especially with colibri being weak to piercing, DRG have it ezmode when it comes to solo xp and meriting. Heck, they are even the most desireable of all the "solo" jobs when it comes to PTing.

PUP has something to offer, but wandering around beating on monsters while your pet heals you...that's done by DRG much much more effectively. I'd say PUP's strongpoint is its DD versatility (magic or physical) rather than its solo ability. Sadly, this tends to be a game of specialization rather than versatility.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Originally Posted by Esoa

People in FFXI solo because there's only so long you can stomach standing around LFP or trying to form parties on your own. If you make a BST, or PUP, or DNC, or BLM, or even DRG it's unlikely that parties are going to be knocking at your door begging you to come play with them. So asking which one solo's best is highly relevant.

The answer is BLM for leveling (goblin pets) and DRG for all-around butt-kicking solo skills. Especially with colibri being weak to piercing, DRG have it ezmode when it comes to solo xp and meriting. Heck, they are even the most desireable of all the "solo" jobs when it comes to PTing.

BLM has to depend on EXP from mobs that likely won't fight back too well. This can lead to several really slow and dry levels along with slow skillups - levels you're better off looking for PT or building one. The difficulty in BLM invites comes from this community's inability to understand that high level tactics do not work at low level.

DRG is much more accepted as a melee these days, so soloing has actually become less neccessary save for it having to compete for the melee slot. Also, DRG solo has always had a wide margin of error, especially the criteria for Healing Breath pre-AF helm and the fact that criteria changes depending on your subjob.

PUP has something to offer, but wandering around beating on monsters while your pet heals you...that's done by DRG much much more effectively. I'd say PUP's strongpoint is its DD versatility (magic or physical) rather than its solo ability. Sadly, this tends to be a game of specialization rather than versatility.

Once the Healer frame is obtained, PUP is a vastly superior healer. DRG on the other hand depends on a really wide margin of error, even larger than what BST has to face. Neither pet scales cures down, though. DRG's wyvern is the more MP efficient healer and can do status cures, but its dependant on the DRG's MP and weaponskills to do so.

Also I'll point out that a PUP's Automation has peircing ability on the Sharpshot frame.

[ospeff]

EH, once you get around 54 you get PTs fast on a dragoon. If someone is making a PT to fight birds they'll be looking for DRGs. For meriting at 75 as well, only competition is SAMs that can throw big 100tp WS with Hagun, and obviously you have no other job competition for DRG pts.

[Neverslip]

Originally Posted by Susurrus

Why? BST is so awesome

Beastmaster is very cool... I enjoyed it up to the Lvl 10. But solo'n after taking Dancer to 75 has lost its allure for me at the moment. I'm enjoying the comraderie of being in a party. At least the parties that work properly.

I'm actually starting to Lvl Dragoon (16 as of last night). I'm really enjoying it. Very good to hear that Dragoon will be a quick LFG and has pretty good solo'n potential should I get back into the "loner" phase.

[xiozen]

Originally Posted by Esoa

People in FFXI solo because there's only so long you can stomach standing around LFP or trying to form parties on your own. If you make a BST, or PUP, or DNC, or BLM, or even DRG it's unlikely that parties are going to be knocking at your door begging you to come play with them. So asking which one solo's best is highly relevant.

The answer is BLM for leveling (goblin pets) and DRG for all-around butt-kicking solo skills. Especially with colibri being weak to piercing, DRG have it ezmode when it comes to solo xp and meriting. Heck, they are even the most desireable of all the "solo" jobs when it comes to PTing.

PUP has something to offer, but wandering around beating on monsters while your pet heals you...that's done by DRG much much more effectively. I'd say PUP's strongpoint is its DD versatility (magic or physical) rather than its solo ability. Sadly, this tends to be a game of specialization rather than versatility.

Good info...however, I think PUP's ability to "wander around beating on monsters while your pet heals you..." is done more effectively than DRG... at least at level 75...

Now I may be incorrect to assume so please correct me if I'm wrong... but in order for the DRG's wyvern to cure hitpoints and/or cure status effects the DRG must sub a specific sub job?... PUP is not limited to this /sub job requirement... we can sub anything we want, and have our automaton cure hitpoints and status ailments. Also, as far as MP efficiency is concerned... again, assuming the PUP is properly equipped with attachments, the Automaton (by steady use of Convert and Economizer) will never run out of MP (EVER!)... this is not including an emergency D-A-D incase it's needed to replenish MP. Again, since I'm not a DRG, I'm not certain as to what the wyvern can do to mitigate any damage it might take... I know an Automaton, w/ property attachments can evoke stoneskin, or blink/shadows, or flash, or increase it's EVA in order to avoid damage...

So again, perhaps I'm missin' the boat with regards to how DRG can be "much, much more effective" at the soloing / healing from pet technique that is being employed by both jobs... one last note, is the damage--at 75, a Puppetmaster can solo Light... (this is not including the dmg from Stringing Pummel) but from Dragon Kick.

Can a DRG solo a skillchain with itself? I know SAM can...

Thx for the feedback.