2010-05-27, 12:49 PM
@casting speed calculations: That's exactly the issue I have with the skill. If we're looking at end-game, 4th Job single-target DPS (because let's face it, just because it hits 6 mobs doesn't mean it does that kind of combined damage when attacking ONE boss), these various hits need to occur just as fast as the same number of hits in terms of base attack power as other Magician skills.
Ex.: Total combined power of Final and FA in 4th Job = 990. LOLFPs Paralyze = 240, and Evan's Blaze = 330. For Battlemages to be stronger in terms of single target DPS than those two classes, they need to pull this combo off faster than 4.125 Paralyze casts, and faster than 3 Blaze casts. Paul, you mentioned the aspects of Auras and the fact that Battlemages have ungodly party buffs. But the fact of the matter is that they're party buffs, and if we're looking at end-game DPS comparisons that are unique and individual among the classes, only class-specific passive boosts matter (as, again, party skills can affect everyone). In this case Evan may have an even better advantage due to passive crit and MageZerk, so the end result is that Battlemage hit powers need to be higher to compete.
Not to mention that, throughout all of this, the more time it takes you to get to the actual damage you can deal when killing mobs, the easier it is to get KS'd. The point of this game since 4th Jobs were released is to deal the most damage the fastest, relative to the mob's HP, and if it's taking a Battlemage 2.5 seconds to kill something it takes a LOLFP .8 seconds to kill, there's a con to the class.
Ex.: Total combined power of Final and FA in 4th Job = 990. LOLFPs Paralyze = 240, and Evan's Blaze = 330. For Battlemages to be stronger in terms of single target DPS than those two classes, they need to pull this combo off faster than 4.125 Paralyze casts, and faster than 3 Blaze casts. Paul, you mentioned the aspects of Auras and the fact that Battlemages have ungodly party buffs. But the fact of the matter is that they're party buffs, and if we're looking at end-game DPS comparisons that are unique and individual among the classes, only class-specific passive boosts matter (as, again, party skills can affect everyone). In this case Evan may have an even better advantage due to passive crit and MageZerk, so the end result is that Battlemage hit powers need to be higher to compete.
Not to mention that, throughout all of this, the more time it takes you to get to the actual damage you can deal when killing mobs, the easier it is to get KS'd. The point of this game since 4th Jobs were released is to deal the most damage the fastest, relative to the mob's HP, and if it's taking a Battlemage 2.5 seconds to kill something it takes a LOLFP .8 seconds to kill, there's a con to the class.