Hotshot Wrote:This guide has some big hate against strafe. Level 98 before even adding 1 point? It's only 36% damage below double shot, and way more awesome-looking, plus its damage is more consistent due to using 4 arrows instead of 2. Even if it's weaker, it looks awesome, and is fun to play with. After spending like 50-60 levels with double shot, why would you want to spend 30 more? Most people read guides as they would a bible, and take everything at face value, so they will actually wait until 98 to add a point for fear of 'messing their build up'. You should at least mention that one might want to put a point into strafe early on because it's not much worse than double shot (better if you like regularity), and spices the class up a nice bit. Also, I never played up to a ranger, but wouldn't it be smarter to leave thrust at 1 and max strafe? Strafe still has occasional use in 4th job from what I've heard (you can't jumpshoot hurricane), and there are just so many endgame items that add speed that it's hard not to max out, even if you get only 3 speed from thrust. In any case, nobody should ever benefit from having +30 speed in skill form in these modern times.

JoeTang Wrote:I'm sorry. Should my build be aimed to get 1 in every skill first then so it spices pomegranate up too? You don't spend 50 to 60 levels with Double Shot because no one should use Double Shot while training. If they want to use Double Shot, it's to DPS at a boss, and that is the exact opposite reason of why they would want level 1 Strafe.

Hotshot Wrote:Maybe I'm underestimating the changes in training maps, but last time I checked iron arrow/arrow bomb does not kill everything evenly leaving 0 stragglers. If you finish a mob and there's one monster a bit ahead, or maybe a single spawn behind you, it's generally a good idea to go ahead and shoot it with a single-target attack. Strafe is only slightly weaker than double shot, and is more consistent in its damage, making it better for cleanup purposes. 1 skillpoint will not break a sniper or ranger build by any means, nor will a small reduction in a type of skill you don't really use that often since there is NO boss you need to dps at by level 90. I don't know if you look at snipers/rangers from some sort of 'text adventure game' point of view, but waiting until level 98, 28 levels into 3rd job, before adding a single point into strafe is simply not in the spirit of the game or the class. This isn't a dayjob, why would anyone want to deprive themselves of a bit of cheap and useful flash? I just think you should mention it as an option in your explanation following your build, that's all.

darksyte Wrote:just some food for thought, before resets were given out and i had my 1 point in strafe i was able to consistently and easily pin most bosses in the dojo up until about frank. after the reset ive been using double shot and the delay between attacks is giving the bosses more of a chance to break the pin where strafe was a tighter stream of arrows and also felt a lot faster. seeing how at level 84 i still get an easy 14% per 10 minute solo run its something to consider.

Dusk Wrote:Why would a "for fun" skill be mentioned in a guide? Level 1 Strafe is not as good as Double Shot with maxed Enhanced Basics.

Quote:If people want to put a single skill point into Strafe, then they can do it. I'm not going to tell them to though because it's stupid.

thinbear Wrote:did they chenged the damage? Lv 1 strafe out damage max DS with fundemental:
[INDENT]Lv 1 Strafe: (122% *1.35 *.45 + 122%*.55) *4 shots = 564.86%
Max DS /w fund: (200% *1.35 *.45 + 200% *.55) *2shots = 463.00%[/INDENT]

JoeTang Wrote:Level 1 Strafe does 94% damage per arrow, not 122%. If this were post-Restructuring, I would change everything, but it's not. There is absolutely no need to add Strafe. If you need level 1 Strafe because the animation change motivates you to play more, then clearly following a guide is not in your best interest.

SixtySevenFrogs Wrote:So now that Blizzard can crit it is probably better to just max it anyway. I'm now confused on whether or not to skip pierce early on and just use blizzard as my range mob attack and focus on the other damage boosting skills first for fourth job.

IcyGreenTea Wrote:Ok, I just finished my exams so I don't want to read a whole wall of texts, but what happens to people who don't want Final Attack no matter what?
I am stuck here because I was dumb enough to do the reset before I knew better... so far my understanding is that in order to add 2nd job skills you need to use up the SP for the 1st job skills and so on.
My sniper is lv 82, so I did the maths and there should be 36 SP for 3rd job skills, I have added SP in everything else except FA, therefore Im left with 57 SP, and I am unable to add SP to any 3rd job skills.
Now, I have been FA-less all my archer life and I was perfectly happy without FA, and since I have skimmed some posts, turned out nothing changed about it, I seriously don't want it.
Yet by the looks of it, I am being forced to max it before I can add SP into my 3rd job skills, or else I am stuck running around with no 3rd job skills.
Can someone give me an answer here? Do I just have to max it even with the cons of FA which was why some people skipped it in the first place?

JoeTang Wrote:Final Attack
Final Attack at max activates 40% of the time. It does not delay any of your actions by any amount, but the arrow shot from Final Attack does come out at a delayed time from when it was activated. The arrow also provides its own bending to hit targets higher or lower, and does not overkill unless you lag. Final Attack not only benefits Arrow Blow, Double Shot, and your mob skill, it affects Strafe in third and Hurricane, Pierce, and Ultimate Strafe in fourth job as well so it will always benefit your character as opposed to pre-Big Bang where it was almost always a detriment.