Reopening Tactical Processor Debate & Discovery

[Gaea]

This thing has came out when Puppetmaster was added to Pulling the Strings. I spent a little over 4,000,000g on it and now it's worth about 3,000g partly due to the fact nobody ever uses it because information on it is still a mystery. I equipped it a lot at first but didn't really notice anything.

Both the NA and JP communities haven't found anything definitive because different people have difficulty replicating each others' results. So, the objective here will be to distinguish replicable variances between an Automaton equipped or unequipped with a Tactical Processor.

Disproved Theories
1) Reduces cast time. This has been disproved by others but I've also done my best to make sure there was nothing that could possibly be considered a decrease in recast. My method involved using the Soulsoother. I would get enfeebled shortly after she'd already cast a spell and I'd have to wait the full recast duration to have the bad status removed such as Poison or Silence. I used Windower's Timestamp to track this.

2) Reduces JA recast. Also disproved and easily replicated. There is no way to circumvent the recast time of Job Abilities granted by Automaton Attachments.

Theories with mixed replication results
1) Reduces the time between an Automaton getting 100% TP and the time it decides to WS (assuming no other influences such as Inhibitor)

2) Enhances the precognition-effect of having a bad status removed the moment it is received provided the puppet isn't currently waiting for a recast timer.

3) Enhances the precognition effect of Shield Bash to stun TP moves.

4) Enhances the precognition effect of Economizer & Mana Converter.

5) Appears to use Job Abilities more often.


My first test to yield discernible results I believe can be replicated
I've been farming sea to complete my Obi set now that I have enough space for this junk with the new Mog Satchel. Needless to say I needed enough organs for half a dozen Obis and I'm almost done, so I've spent a lot of time messing around with this attachment.

Automaton behavior with Eraser and without Tactical Processor. (Including Optic Fiber)

This attachment has a 30 second recast and one of the things I've noticed when fighting Phuabos (sea sharks), is my automaton's willingness to ignore bad status effects. She'd have Light Maneuver, but she'd still prefer to Silena me after Voiceless Storm even if she had to wait a few seconds for the recast. With Spine Lash, she'd rather wait for Viruna rather than using Eraser then, as well. She would ignore Aerial Collision all together.

However, she is not a fan of having a bad status on herself. If I allowed her to get hit with Voiceless Storm, she'd immediately erase. it. If she were hit with Diaga from an Aern, that had to go too. If she was hit with Impact Stream, this was immediately removed from her, yet 30 seconds later she'd ignore me. Sometimes she'd do it, and it seemed to tied to my health. When I was at health low enough to trigger a cure, she'd use Eraser. She'd ignore Dia the same way, and most of the time Dia would wear off naturally, even if several minutes had gone by since her last Erase. As long as I wasn't in danger, it wasn't a priority.

In this example, I've taken two screenshots to show that I had a Light Maneuver up, and then I expand the log. Aerial Collision was readied at 16:05:03 and happened at 16:05:07 (giving me the DEFENSE DOWN status), yet 31 seconds later, my puppet has yet to expend the Light Maneuver and Erase it. Instead, it used Paralyze. Without Tactical Processor, it has no reason to priority the decision of removing the debuff.

Spoiler: show

http://www.bluegartr.com/forum/attac...1&d=1241401234http://www.bluegartr.com/forum/attac...1&d=1241401234

Going down further, you'll see at 16:05:42, it uses Flashbulb, showing that it clearly has a Light maneuver up and 35 seconds have passed since I received the Defense down of Aerial Collison.

Spoiler: show

http://www.bluegartr.com/forum/attac...1&d=1241401799

Finally, here's it dying at 16:58. This is 55 seconds after Aerial collision was readied and 51 seconds since I received the "Defense Down" status. At no time, did my Puppetmaster consider making the decision to use Eraser.

Spoiler: show

http://www.bluegartr.com/forum/attac...1&d=1241402200

This kind of stuff absolutely will not happen with Tactical Processor on. Your puppet will burn Light Maneuvers the very instant it has the opportunity to remove a bad status effect. I hope you that others are able to replicate this obvious difference in Automaton behavior with Tactical Processor equipped so we can move forward with tests that involve other JA based attachments.


Automaton behavior with Eraser and with Tactical Processor.(Including Optic Fiber)

One of the most interesting things is I got these results without using Ice Maneuvers, so I'm not sure how much more this attachment can be enhanced and what other attachments it can affect. I equipped Optic Fiber in both of these tests, so this attachment may have also been triggered by that. I'm merely offering what I believe is a replicable solution to the mystery behind it's function.

Apparently, this combination seems to change the dynamics on how much your Automaton is willing to fuck around. I'd strongly suggest macroing in AF hands and Buffoon's Collar for testing this, because you *WILL* Overload if you don't. I've even manage to overload a couple times with it, and Overload is just something I don't fucking do.

When fighting Sharks and Aerns, my Automaton would religiously Erase EVERY 30 seconds if there was stuff to erase. Herself first, and when that was done, she'd start working on me. She'd still cast -na spells in between, but if Light Maneuver up and Eraser was on, she'd use it. If the recast was up and I got hit with Spine Lash or Aerial Collision, she'd Erase me so fast, I'd not even see the icon pop in my status bar, but I'd see the removal of it in my log.

At no time could I replicate my *WITHOUT TACTICAL PROCESSOR* results where she'd wait to remove or ignore bad statuses with the Eraser recast ready. She wouldn't wait until Silena was up for Voiceless Storm. She wouldn't wait for Poisona to be up when a Goldfish would poison me. At no time did she allow Eraser's recast to go beyond the 30 second recast if there was a bad status to be eaten.

Conclusion
It's very possible that these "precognition" effects are real. The automaton may sometimes seem to behave like this regardless, but the more it's doing at once, the more likely it is to ignore other attachments without Tactical Processor.

If this can be replicated and proven to be true, perhaps we could put ourselves on the right track to discerning it's properties with other JA based attachments.


Replicating My Results (I Suggest Phuabos as PUP/NIN)
Eraser is the most noticeable and replicable differences for me, and I'm hoping that others have similar results. I'd like to point out that I had Ninja as my Support Job and it was very rare that I'd ever take a hit. Moves that would wipe shadows would sometimes have me take a hit immediately afterwards. Plasma Charge would sometimes stun me long enough to take a hit. Because of this, my HP was almost always capped.

I believe that if your support job is Dancer or something similar your Automaton might be more likely to Erase you if your taking a beating. So consider fighting monsters that can enfeeble you without damaging you, or use Ninja as a Support Job and keep shadows up.

My equipment was pretty basic. Full Usukane Set with Animator +1, Swift Belt, Brutal Earring, Boxer's Mantle, Gem Sainti, and macros for Soil Gorget during Stringing Pummel, and Pup. Dastanas +1 with Buffoon's Collar +1 during. Maneuvers.

The important difference to replicate is whether or not your bad status is ignored until a spell can remove it or if it is immediately erased. If you are in very good health, your puppet should ignore things like Defense Down, Dia, Poison, Plague, etc until it can either remove them with a -na spell or until they wear off naturally, unless you have the Tactical Processor equipped, in which case they should be removed immediately.

[Maxxthepenguin]

inb4 "this is not advanced": Just because you don't care about the information doesn't make it "Standard". This is a topic that has stumped both the NA & JP communities since it was released.

That doesn't mean it's advanced.

[Gaea]

I would really like serious input from people who know what they are doing. Advanced, in my opinion, might get the best results or, quite possibly, the only results. BG has a reputation of "discovery" and I'm sure there are people that are interested in maintaining that.

[Gaea]

I actually have screenshots supporting my results. I was using Tactical Processor at the time, which we know will go off every 30 seconds, so that's not what I wanted to prove.

I wanted to prove that my Automaton will ignore bad status if there is no immediate danger to the master, as long as the Automaton itself doesn't have any bad status.

I have a great Screenshot of my Automaton not using Eraser, though it is equipped (WITHOUT Tactical Processor), for several minutes, and then I got hit with "Auroral Wind" by an Aern. This silenced me, but didn't drop my HP to a dangerous level. Instead of immediately removing the Silence off me as it would with Tactical Processor equipped, my Automaton waited 15 seconds (TIMESTAMPED) for Silena's recast to be up, and used that instead.

So, I can offer some pretty convincing proof that this indeed is affecting the automaton's decision between waiting or activating a job ability even when the circumstances allow for it. I'll post shortly. It's at 1680x1050 so I have to shrink it a little.

[Gaea]

I have two more series of screenshots of me replicating this wih Voiceless Storm and Aerial Collison. Both instances the Eraser attachment hadn't been used for several minutes and I do have a Light Maneuver up. It ignored Defense Down completely and continued to do other things such as "Paralyze" and Flashbulb throughout the remainder of the fight. It ignored Silence for 20 seconds even though I was tanking with no shadows and my HP was in the yellow. Light Maneuver is clearly up, it hadn't used Eraser for several minutes, and it may have discerned my threat level based on the monster's HP being at 1%. (I turned around so I wouldn't kill it after Voiceless Storm to time how long it took to Eraser or Silena.) In this example, it seemed to exhibit behavior similar to how it will prioritize a Nuke over a Cure if it believe it can finish off the monster.

I did however notice I'm unable to replicate this 100% of the time with anything that acts as a DoT such as Poison or Choke. In both cases, my Automaton used Eraser immediately, however, it would Poisona instead of the recast timer was up.

[Demosthenes11]

uh, information about the game that has yet to be solved and has a lot sample size of tests = not advanced? Judge the post not the person. this is a pretty legit topic and everyone knows the topic would be lost to oblivion in the standard board. settle down sharks jesus.

[Ratatapa]

I don't have proofs to backup because i havn't touch pup mage in year.

But as i recall i was always getting erased as soon as something poped up even silena.

one time i got into red HP and got silenced lik2sec after my pet did cure V then erased my Silence (i dont have tact procc)

Like i said might be coincidence, but would be fun if more people tested that, even if i don't like poof, gl in your tests

[isladar]

Removed off-topic posts. Refer to Sono's sticky if you have any questions.


[edit]: If you want to report something, it looks a lot better if you don't proceed to play hardball back with whomever you've reported.

[Xetzu]

tl;dr lolPUP belongs in Standard!

[Meian]

Great info so far. At first I thought everyone agreed, for the time being, it affected when it decided to WS which could still be true if it does this with Eraser. If what you say is true that it didn't work 100% of the time it may just be an increased chance with maneuvers.

I hope to hear more info soon (I'd love to test if I wasn't finishing a sub for a diff job but can try later).

Edit: Oh yea, post those screenies too if you can

[isladar]

That doesn't mean it's advanced.

On consideration, Kuno and I agree.

[Gaea]

Ok, here's a great series of screenshots proving it will ignore a debuff with Eraser, without Tactical Processor. Check the OP to see the screenshots. I don't know how to thumbnail the screenshots within the posts. If a mod could do that, please do. I have a 22" widescreen display and I play FFXI at 1680x1050.

[Meian]

Ok, here's a great series of screenshots proving it will ignore a debuff with Eraser, without Tactical Processor. Check the OP to see the screenshots. I don't know how to thumbnail the screenshots within the posts. If a mod could do that, please do. I have a 22" widescreen display and I play FFXI at 1680x1050.

I reduce size through imageshack usually to "messageboard" size.

[Gaea]

I was afraid to actually reduce the image's true size and make the text unreadable.

[evilpaul]

I got tired of scrolling back and forth side to side, did anyone figure out what Tact. Proc. actually does yet?

[JigglyJam]

Eraser is affected by your distance from the automaton. It won't use eraser on you if you're too far away.

I learned this while soloing taurii for Fomor Codex's. I didn't want to take eraser off but I also didn't want to constantly throw up light manuevers. I just deployed and moved the mob so that the automaton was at max casting distance.

Just something that may screw with your testing.

EDIT: And it definitely looks like your out of range in the screenshots. Spell casting has a greater range.

[Gaea]

Eraser is affected by your distance from the automaton. It won't use eraser on you if you're too far away.

I learned this while soloing taurii for Fomor Codex's. I didn't want to take eraser off but I also didn't want to constantly throw up light manuevers. I just deployed and moved the mob so that the automaton was at max casting distance.

Just something that may screw with your testing.

Hmm I still got erased even with pulling puppet outside of voiceless storm distance like i usually do. But now you have me trying to replicate this Eraser distance.

[Max™]

Put the images in [ spoiler][ /spoiler] tags, and keep up the testing.

Pup always interested me because of how utterly different it plays from other jobs, not likely to level it, but it's neat seeing the behaviors and shit worked out.

[Gaea]

Put the images in [ spoiler][ /spoiler] tags, and keep up the testing.

Pup always interested me because of how utterly different it plays from other jobs, not likely to level it, but it's neat seeing the behaviors and shit worked out.

I still have several obis to farm so I'm trying different things and we'll see. Something's gotta give. I'm looking for easier definitive proof of a behavioral change.

[Seanr]

I need to go pick up a TP and try it out for myself.. BTW...

My equipment was pretty basic. Full Usukane Set with Animator +1, Swift Belt, Brutal Earring, Boxer's Mantle, Gem Sainti, and macros for Soil Gorget during Stringing Pummel, and Pup. Dastanas +1 with Buffoon's Collar +1 during. Maneuvers.

This is Basic O.o? ... I need help gettin my Basic gear >_>