Circle Testing

[Fwahm]

I went out to test Arcane Circle after a single job point into it.

However, I'm getting values even lower than the pitiful amount stated in the job point description. With Arcane circle (without feet), I'm getting ~15.5-15.7% damage reduction, instead of the expected 16%. Even if it's calculated in 1024ths, the damage reduction is still too low.

It's not consistent with damage taken stat being additive with it, instead of the arcane circle damage taken portion, either.

[dasva]

Yeah that is even less than what you would expect if it was mulitiplicative... which is sad considering how lackluster it was to begin with. Can I ask how you tested and the numbers? Oh and what mob

[Fwahm]

I used Sinister Seidels in Abyssea-Grauberg. After taking off my ilevel armor so that I wouldn't get big resists, I compared the damage of specific non-day affiliated nukes, both with and without Arcane Circle. I used battlemod to only test level 99 Sinister Seidels, and made sure to erase Burn every time they applied it.

[Byrthnoth]

Could you maybe test it against 1000 needles to see if it's general Damage Taken -% instead of being Arcana specific?

[Fwahm]

I'll try it when I can log on later, but I really, really doubt it. Eventually 30% (or a bit lower) DT at 30/30 for 4:30 out of 5:00 for the whole party against every mob in the game would bring this upgrade from meh to holyshitwhatwasSEthinking.

[dasva]

I'll try it when I can log on later, but I really, really doubt it. Eventually 30% (or a bit lower) DT at 30/30 for 4:30 out of 5:00 for the whole party against every mob in the game would bring this upgrade from meh to holyshitwhatwasSEthinking.

Does the bonus work on party members too?

[Fwahm]

It has no effect on non-Arcana.

On another note, it occurred to me that the damage reduction might be a phalanx style 1 point of damage, instead of a 1% damage reduction. That would suck.

Does the bonus work on party members too?

I haven't tested, but I assumed that it did. Maybe not.

[dasva]

What were your numbers from the test? Well dmgs you took and if you had any dt/mdt or phalanx

[Fwahm]

I just went out for some more testing.

Level 87 Sinister Seidel
0% MDT, Arcane Circle without enhancement from boots, ignored spells that matched or were weak to day of the week

Spell : Without Arcane Circle : With Arcane Circle
Thunder IV : 293 : 248
Water IV : 210 : 177

It looks like each job point upgrade into Arcane Circle indeed reduces damage by 1, in a phalanx like effect.

I also asked a friend to come out to test Arcane Circle on party members, with same lack of MDT as first test.

Aero IV : 422 : 357
Thundaga III : 723 : 613

It seems that it does affect party members.