BLM questions

[Sylvrdragon]

I'd say that T1 is worth casting at the start. I did some manual parsing on a dummy in Coerthas (not huge sample sizes, but enough for some napkin math), and it looks like a T1 with no crits is approximately equal to an AF2 Fire1 (which suggests that their damage formulas are the same since they equal out to the same potency as well). The thing is, at 251 PIE, your first rotation can only handle 4 Fire1s since your initial F3 is full cost. You'll have more than enough MP to spare for a T1 though. Below are some MP totals for standard rotations.

251 PIE MP pool = 3728

5 Fire from a cold start:

F3[532] + F1w/AF3[638] (X5) + B3[79] + T1 [212] = 4013 (I think you would need something like 283 PIE for this much Mana on BLM, unless PIE scales differently as you get more)

4 Fire from cold start:

532 + 638 (X4) + 79 + 212 = 3375

4 Fire w/T1 from cold start:

212 + 638 (X4) + 79 + 212 = 3587

5 Fire Rotation starting from UI3 (just for reference):

133 + 638 (X5) + 79 + 212 = 3614

So yeah, there doesn't seem to be much reason NOT to start with at least a T1 at the beginning of a fight. You don't give up anything MP wise, and it's an efficient enough spell to be worth the cast time IMO. You could actually spare enough MP to bump it up to a T2 if you wanted, and then it would be 25 potency MORE than an AF3 F1. T2 is a longer cast though, so it will delay your going into Fire Phase by an extra half second. If you decide to open with Swiftcast, however, then I would recommend it.

Edit: Had T2 potency wrong. I forgot the extra tick, which puts it ABOVE an extra AF3 F1. Definitely worth IMO, since the duration is very likely to synch up with the length of your rotation anyway, and you probably won't waste a single tick. Probably worth even without Swiftcast.

[Azurewrath]

Are you taking into account how much faster you're getting rotations done by skipping the initial thunder? You're getting damage of a fire 1 out of it by casting thunder, but you're also seconds behind if you were to not cast, and in that situation youd be able to get into your next rotation quicker and cast more fires

Fire3+Firex4,Blizz3
vs
Thunder1/2+Fire3+Firex4+Blizz3

Very very often though for enmity reasons it's good to start with a thunder, either way i'll be parsing this too

[Sylvrdragon]

Since it's a one-time change to your rotation (per mob), it will depend on when the mob dies in your rotation as to whether it adds or subtracts Damage. For instance, if the mob dies after your Fire Phase before you cast B3, then it will be an addition of DPS since it will have replaced the B3 cast, which is less damage than T1. However, if the mob dies while you're 1-4 Fires into your rotation, then that Thunder will have replaced an AF3 F1, which would have done slightly more damage.

Basically, the T1 pushes your rotation back by 1 GCD. Whether it adds or subtracts depends on which spell it pushes off the end of the rotation as the mob dies.

In a standard 5-Fire rotation, excluding procs, you cast 8 spells. That's F3 > F1x5 > B3 > T1 (then either a Scathe, or you simply wait for your 2nd UI3 tick. Unsure whether I should count that as another "spell" in the rotation). Five of the eight spells in your rotation will deal 30 potency more than that T1, two of the spells deal 86 potency less, and the last one is equal (though you probably won't be recasting Thunder if the mob is about to die). Statistically, you're 62.5% likely to cut 30 potency-worth of damage off of your final rotation, and 25% likely to add 86 potency. Multiply the probability by the potency and you get -18.75, and +21.5 respectively. Add them together, and the net difference over time to adding T1 to the start of your first rotation is +2.75 potency.

It's actually lot more complicated than that in practice since I didn't count procs, or how many ticks into your final Thunder spell the mob dies, or whether you're using Scathe, or if you're switching mobs in the middle of your rotation rather than starting over (which you always should, if you have the option), or if you're moving or stalling out in your rotation due to fight mechanics, etc, but it should give you a rough idea of what to expect from actual parses.

Calculating for T2 is more tricky since it will push your rotation back by 1.2 GCDs instead of just 1 (disregarding Spell Speed). However, since it's 25 potency more than even a F1 from your rotation, and 141 Potency more than the F3 or B3, then it's probably even a better gain than the T1 even with the extra .2 GCD it adds (.5 seconds). If you add up the total potency of your rotation and divide it by the number of spells to get your average potency per GCD, and then divide it by 2.5, you'll get your average potency per second (of cast time). If it's less than ~98 then the T2 is definitely worth it. I'm gonna guess that it is.

[Xerlic]

Head: AF2
Chest: AF2
Gloves: AF2
Belt: Allagan
Legs: Allagan
Feet: Allagan/AF2
Neck: Allagan/Myth
Earring: Allagan
Braclets: Allagan
Rings: Allagan+Myth

Is this still true for BIS? I'm gonna be dinging 50 BLM in a day or two (<3 dungeon exp changes), so trying to map out my gear progression.

[Grey Jorildyn]

Replace Allagan ring with vortex and I would say yeah. Gives 445 accuracy that way, capped for Turn 5.

[Soul Side]

New BiS sets are listed here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/...TDVkM1E#gid=59

[OWS_Tonx]

I chose the af2 feet over allagan after the patch and I agree with Grey with the vortex ring, shits hot.

[Soul Side]

I chose the af2 feet over allagan after the patch and I agree with Grey with the vortex ring, shits hot.

Both feet have the same stats

[OWS_Tonx]

Pretty sure they changed the allagan, or at least that's what I read on the notes? I'm at work now so I can't really dig around too much to check.

[Raldo]

They were changed in 2.1, and then changed back in the Dec. 24th hotfix

The bonus attributes for the items below were changed in err, and have reverted to their original values.
[...]
　　o　Allagan Boots of Casting
　　　　INT+18　VIT+18　Critical Hit Rate+21　Accuracy+15

They are currently back to matching the AF2.

[OWS_Tonx]

Well that was a waste of points for me. Maybe I should read notes more often ):

[Ang]

What's the best AoE rotation post 2.1?

[Niiro]

What's the text command for jumping?

I realized it would be much easier to use FS procs if I just made a macro like...

/fire 3
/jump

so when FS procs and I've already started the next Fire cast I could just double tap that macro to get Fire 3 off.

I've always just used movement to interrupt casting because I play with a controller and in order to use jumping to cancel a cast I need to let go of L2/R2, press the jump button, hold L2/R2 again, and then press the spell I want to cast, all of which is much more time consuming and cumbersome than just flicking the analog stick.

[Seravi Edalborez]

I don't think you can make one for the general action of jumping since it shares the same name as the DRG action.

[Niiro]

figures -_-

There's text command for fucking EVERYTHING in this game except one of the few things I actually need one for.

[Niiro]

Well, I found a mid-way workaround.

/micon "fire iii"
/automove
/automove
/ac "fire iii" <t>

Double tapping that accomplishes what I've already been doing except I don't have to manually move, what's more is if I'm just casting Fire 3 without FS it will work too.

[chichicha]

This THM level 50 ability, what are you guys using for any situation ?!
I'm confused why I need to rush to member side? MPK them?!

[Elcura]

I use it to look badass in CT.

[Falisa]

I use it a lot. Make a mouseover macro for it to make it a lot more useful.

I generally use it when we need to move as a group to somewhere. I cast stuff until everyone is there, and then lazy teleport over and keep on casting.

[Sylvrdragon]

I use it a lot. Make a mouseover macro for it to make it a lot more useful.

I generally use it when we need to move as a group to somewhere. I cast stuff until everyone is there, and then lazy teleport over and keep on casting.

I wouldn't call that lazy. I'm guessing that's probably the point of the ability since BLM is the most movement restricted class. I just with they would make it instant and lower the CD a bit.