A bunch of questions about the class

[Yorak]

I'm trying to decide what class / race to be while I'm waiting on a server pass. The three that look the most appealing to me are Dark Knight, Black Mage, and Dragoon. So I'm trying to find out the benefits and downsides to each, how they comapre with each other, and their roles and desirability in the later stages of the game.

1.) How does overall Dark Knight damage stack up against melee damage? How does weapon delay stack up against spell casting times? How about special techniques vs. spell casting times?

2.) How well do the Dark Knight's vampiric abilities work? Can you drain enough HP from your enemies to keep yourself fairly healed if you gain aggro?

3.) How about the DK's black magic? How often do you find yourself using it?

4.) How do Dark Knights compare with Dragoons?

5.) How desirable are DK's at higher levels?

6.) Do DK's solo at all? Are they any good at it?

7.) What would you say is the best thing about Dark Knights?

8.) What would you say is the worst thing about Dark Knights?

[Awntawn]

Re: A bunch of questions about the class

1.) How does overall Dark Knight damage stack up against melee damage? How does weapon delay stack up against spell casting times? How about special techniques vs. spell casting times?

Second highest damaging attacking class in the game.

2.) How well do the Dark Knight's vampiric abilities work? Can you drain enough HP from your enemies to keep yourself fairly healed if you gain aggro?

Drain is DRK's best spell, period. It also MB's very well. Only works once a minute, in PT it won't save you if you try to tank, but it's 200+ HP of damage to the enemy and healing to you for just 20 MP, which is real useful.

3.) How about the DK's black magic? How often do you find yourself using it?

Only drain/aspil and absorbs, the attack magic is a waste of MP

4.) How do Dark Knights compare with Dragoons?

DRK does more damage, has higher def, and has magic. There's really no point in being DRG unless you like holding spears, wearing purple batman suits, and jumping.

5.) How desirable are DK's at higher levels?

For PT, not very, due to compatability with THF. However, for fighting boss monsters and HNM's, DRK is the most ideal after attacking class. (PLD is for tank, THF is for hate secure and drop rates, DRK is for damage, nothing else really fits into the equation that well, except sometimes WAR for shield break, but MM for)

6.) Do DK's solo at all? Are they any good at it?

Level 1-12 everyone solos. After that, no.

7.) What would you say is the best thing about Dark Knights?

Damage and badassness. Darkness (Soul Eater)

8.) What would you say is the worst thing about Dark Knights?

RNG will pwn your damage always (too much damage becomes a liability in HNM), and you feel really useless until level 60 (you are, actually). Darkness (Soul Eater) (it's a blessing and a curse at the same time)

[Yorak]

Two questions...

1.) What's HNM?

2.) You said that at higher levels, DK's aren't as desireable in parties "due to compatability with THF." Could you please explain?

[Badrock]

Originally posted by Yorak
2.) You said that at higher levels, DK's aren't as desireable in parties "due to compatability with THF." Could you please explain?

The best Weapon for DRK is the Scythe. The THF is the Job who can use Styles that do a lot of damage. unfortunately, the Style for Scythe, that doese most damage "Guillotine" will not Combe with the best Style of a thief.


Badrock

[Aldo]

1.) What's HNM?
Hard Notorious Monsters: monsters that outclass other NMs in difficulty and drop the most valueable items in the game. You have to very high level and very organized in order to fight these monsters.

2.) You said that at higher levels, DK's aren't as desireable in parties "due to compatability with THF." Could you please explain?

For parties focusing on a Renkei (Weapon Skill chain) involving a THF, their most powerful weapon skill (Dancing Edge) does not connect with DRKs most powerful weapon skill (Guillotine). This is only at lv60+

[Awntawn]

Not just "most powerful," the one WS we have that DOES connect with dancing edge sucks like shit. It does less damage than a normal swing and it misses more than fucking sidewinder.

[Aldo]

It was actually pretty powerful at Lv49, with enough dex it will never miss, but it sure feels weak when a PLD forces you to use it at lv60s This is why I don't accept invites from them anymore lol

[icel0rd]

OMFG, I'm sooooooo glad that I came here to read up on this. I was confused about all of the weapon choices, and there didnt seem to be any obvious reason to choose 1 weapon over another in the game. They make you think that it is ok for you to take any weapon that says that your class can use in the shops. Little did us newbies know.... sheesh

Anyway, all I kept seeing was guillotine this and guillotine that. It is a scythe specific weapon skill. Dark Knights SEEM to have a 2h sword as a viable weapon choice. Does it combine any better with other classes weapon skills? Since I didn't know any better about weapon choices, and I didn't know much about skill chains, and what combines with what, I invested in a claymore, which is 2h sword skill. It seemed like a reasonable alternative after I did the math taking damage output and delay into account. Scythe was number 1, 2h sword was a close number 2. Close enough that I figured that the difference was negligible.

So, is 2h sword a better choice for a Dark Knight and skill chains later on? OR is the real problem that people have adopted the Everquest mentality here and adopted 1 way of doing everything (Thief + whatever for that skill chain move).

I really can't see the big picture here....

Ok, well, the number 2 weapon is the 2h sword for DRK. How compatible is that with

[SAVAGE]

EDIT:if you read this forget it : /:spin:

[Aldo]

Becuase iwth the new patch, say your TP was at 300%, you can switch from Scythe to Greatsword and use the TP then switch back, because you dont loose your TP while switching weapons.

Have you been drinking today?

[TeH-Magus]

umm Savage u sure about that?

last time i checked wen u switch weps ur TP drops to 0%

[SAVAGE]

LOL sorry you guys are right, i read it wrong, maybe i was drinkin*thinks* dont remeber : / But anyway ill quote it exact from teh square site.

TP will no longer be reset when changing weapons in the "Ammo" slot.

Thats what it said i read it wrong oops, *thinks again* you know after rereading my post i sound angry, maybe i was drinking:confused:

[icel0rd]

Originally posted by icel0rd
OMFG, I'm sooooooo glad that I came here to read up on this. I was confused about all of the weapon choices, and there didnt seem to be any obvious reason to choose 1 weapon over another in the game. They make you think that it is ok for you to take any weapon that says that your class can use in the shops. Little did us newbies know.... sheesh

Anyway, all I kept seeing was guillotine this and guillotine that. It is a scythe specific weapon skill. Dark Knights SEEM to have a 2h sword as a viable weapon choice. Does it combine any better with other classes weapon skills? Since I didn't know any better about weapon choices, and I didn't know much about skill chains, and what combines with what, I invested in a claymore, which is 2h sword skill. It seemed like a reasonable alternative after I did the math taking damage output and delay into account. Scythe was number 1, 2h sword was a close number 2. Close enough that I figured that the difference was negligible.

So, is 2h sword a better choice for a Dark Knight and skill chains later on? OR is the real problem that people have adopted the Everquest mentality here and adopted 1 way of doing everything (Thief + whatever for that skill chain move).

I really can't see the big picture here....

Ok, well, the number 2 weapon is the 2h sword for DRK. How compatible is that with

Can someone answer this question...... I needed to know if using a 2h sword made a Dark Knight more group friendly with the skill chaining. It seems like everyone is so guillotine-centric with the scythe that I never hear about any Dark Knights considering a 2h sword, which is the second best weapon for them by a small margin. Would it make a Dark Knight more group friendly because of skill chaining is a 2h sword was used??


Thanks

[Aldo]

I don't think so, atleast not at higher levels. The best 2hand sword skill is Sickle Moon, and its only 2hits. It doesn't give back nearly as much TP as other weapons, and in addition it is not very powerful. Scythe is an A+ weapon, not even every job has an A+ weapon. For example, THFs are only A in dagger, RNGs are A- in bows and poor NINs are B in 1hand katana. 2hand sword may be used at lower levels, but I have never been asked and it has never been suggested that anyone level 2hand sword.....................atleast not yet XD