Letter from the Producer LIVE Part XXI

[Spider-Dan]

If Machinist doesn't get MP/TP regen skills they may as well not add it at all, they'd have to do enough damage to compete with BLM/SMN for party spots.

Surely you can imagine more ways to provide support to a party than just AoE MP/TP regen? HP regen, heal potency, damage taken down, determination up, crit rate up, targeted boosts (e.g. throwing Icarus Wings at people), etc.

In fact, if MAC has the exact same buffs as BRD, then bringing MAC+BRD it would be no different than bringing two BRDs now, which is to say that you should never do it.

It doesn't make sense to specifically make a support action cross-classable even tho it would have no use in any situation but that didn't stop them (see: Ruin, Skull Sunder, Savage Blade).

But those are the fake (off-rail) cross-class actions for those classes; you're not supposed to use them.

The real cross-class actions for ACN are Virus and E4E.
The real cross-class actions for MRD are Mercy Stroke and Bloodlust.
The real cross-class actions for GLA are Flash and Provoke.
The other actions are all fluff; they are not intended to be useful, and if someone found a way to MAKE them useful (e.g. DRG legit tanking with Skull Sunder), SE would quickly nerf them.

So if Goad isn't the real cross-class action for ROG, what is? Perfect Dodge? 60 potency Death Blossom? If they had made Mutilate cross-class instead of Goad, I'd agree with you, but Goad is a good enough ability that I don't think they would make it cross-classable and then waste it.

[Niiro]

Considering there will be no new classes added to the game I don't think they really cared about the cross-class skills offered by ROG because ROG itself is a relic of the class system (and I guess a lore relic as well since there's no THF).

Classes and cross-class skills are still in limbo now that we know they won't be doing away with classes with 3.0, but it's something they'll have to address eventually unless they plan on the current cross-class skills being the same forever.

Surely you can imagine more ways to provide support to a party than just AoE MP/TP regen? HP regen, heal potency, damage taken down, determination up, crit rate up, targeted boosts (e.g. throwing Icarus Wings at people), etc.

In fact, if MAC has the exact same buffs as BRD, then bringing MAC+BRD it would be no different than bringing two BRDs now, which is to say that you should never do it.

There is no replacement for Paeon, unless they change how TP works in a big way when you're out of TP you're out of TP.

Healing/damage/whatever buffs aren't going to change that.

Likewise when your healers are out of MP they're out of MP and you're going to die.

If Machinist can't fill the same role as BRD then BRD will be the only job to always, always have a guaranteed spot in any party because it is the only job that can recover group TP and MP.

If it can't then it's just going to fall into competition with BLM and SMN for ranged DPS, but I fully expect it will have similar support skills to BRD (they even described Machinist's capabilities as "very similar to BRD" or something when asked during the live letter).

[Lokus]

If they ever decide to do away with classes/cross class, they'll just make every TP based DPS learn Invigorate on their own, all tanks will learn Provoke etc. They most likely are just keeping it so players are forced to try out different jobs (and possibly branch off into them).

The need for a BRD might be decreased if all the jobs become a bit more self-sufficient with their resources. MNK is already going to be able to get another TP regen type of ability and they held off on adjusting SMN too much in 2.5(?) cause of "MP recovery stuff that will be added in Heavensward".

[Crizto]

Is there a recording of the live letter anywhere?

http://www.twitch.tv/finalfantasyxiv/v/5280683

[Kaisha]

Considering there will be no new classes added to the game I don't think they really cared about the cross-class skills offered by ROG because ROG itself is a relic of the class system (and I guess a lore relic as well since there's no THF).

They cared enough to make ROG cross-class only give Death Blossom/Goad to certain classes instead of all.

[Spider-Dan]

There is no replacement for Paeon, unless they change how TP works in a big way when you're out of TP you're out of TP.

Healing/damage/whatever buffs aren't going to change that.

Likewise when your healers are out of MP they're out of MP and you're going to die.

As someone else stated, MNK and BRD are already getting mechanisms to deal with TP starvation. But honestly, that doesn't even matter.

The only reason why it matters when DPS run out of TP is that they deal less damage, and the only reason healers run out of MP is by casting heals. So if MAC uses, say, a DET buff that increases damage enough that you can wait on your next Meditate cycle and still be ahead, or increases heals enough that C1/Physick are good enough for fulltime use, then the problem solves itself.

If Machinist can't fill the same role as BRD then BRD will be the only job to always, always have a guaranteed spot in any party because it is the only job that can recover group TP and MP.

That's just an incredibly short-sighted interpretation of the way support works. It's no different than saying that if COR doesn't have March, they can't substitute for BRD and they'll always be relegated to competing with DDs for party slots.

It's not at all difficult to imagine a version of MAC that can neither refresh TP nor MP, and yet simultaneously obsoletes BRD; the least imaginative path to such a result is an AoE DET+100% buff. You are vastly overestimating the number of fights in which TP/MP exhaustion is a real thing, as well as underestimating the ability of players to cope with managing TP/MP when their abilities are far more powerful. BRD is not the most important job in this game.

[Elcura]

The only reason why it matters when DPS run out of TP is that they deal less damage.

This is hilarious and obvious.

I know you're trying to say that same but different can work, but there really is no substitute for TP/MP. You can increase damage and you can increase speed, but neither is important if you run out of the thing you need to do most things.

There's a lot to consider, and while you could make MAC buffs different it's hard to say whether it'll be as practical or as effective as just straight MP/TP increase. MNK could easily still be TP starved due to skillspeed changes, TP costs and fight design, same with BRD.

Safe option dictates that MAC gets TP/MP regen, otherwise there's going to be a lot of changes to MAC.

[Niiro]

.....................I don't know how much a hypothetical DET buff would have to be to compensate for running out of TP, but it's not gonna be enough.

Also,

It's no different than saying that if COR doesn't have March, they can't substitute for BRD and they'll always be relegated to competing with DDs for party slots.

(an accurate representation of my reaction as I read and digested that sentence)

[Niiro]

Unrelated: I was setting up SMN hotbars for PvP earlier and it dawned on me that the new Tri-Disaster will most likely apply Bio II/Miasma/Bio all at once.

There was mention of a skill like that, and it's 3 debuffs, seems so obvious in retrospect <_>

[Spider-Dan]

.....................I don't know how much a hypothetical DET buff would have to be to compensate for running out of TP, but it's not gonna be enough.

What do you think groups without a BRD do? Or are you saying there is no such thing in this game?

And again, healers only run out of MP because they are casting big heals. Make the small heals stronger and they don't need to cast big heals as often, which reduces MP usage.

Just as another example: a buff that, say, reduces cooldown timers means you can meditate/shroud/aetherflow more often. If you seriously think that the ONLY way a support job can work is with MP/TP regen, you have a very poor imagination.

(an accurate representation of my reaction as I read and digested that sentence)

I figured your response would be something like that. I'm guessing you don't remember what the single most important support buff in a merit party was, or who had it. (here's a hint: it wasn't haste)

And before you start screaming about "exp parties don't count!!!!" or something similar: that's the point. BRD might be better in the (limited number of) fights where MP/TP starvation is a real problem. In other fights, MAC might be better. Not everything has to be exactly the same everywhere.

It's not at all difficult to think of new buffs that are good, without being exactly the same as the existing ones.

[Elcura]

I feel like we've talked about imagination vs balance (as well as any reason to exclude jobs), and what side XIV tends to side on.

[SamanosukeShiva]

can just have all-in-one buff, reduce TP/MP cost by 50% while active

[Sephiroth]

http://www.twitch.tv/finalfantasyxiv/v/5280683

Thanks. Was wanting to see the footage of the new field areas that weren't in the videos they released afterwards.

[Cutriss]

Unrelated: I was setting up SMN hotbars for PvP earlier and it dawned on me that the new Tri-Disaster will most likely apply Bio II/Miasma/Bio all at once.

There was mention of a skill like that, and it's 3 debuffs, seems so obvious in retrospect <_>

The official translation thread stated this directly FWIW.

[Xanthe]

The official translation thread stated this directly FWIW.

I'm curious if it will set them all to the same duration.

[Kelenae]

Unrelated: I was setting up SMN hotbars for PvP earlier and it dawned on me that the new Tri-Disaster will most likely apply Bio II/Miasma/Bio all at once.

There was mention of a skill like that, and it's 3 debuffs, seems so obvious in retrospect <_>

Yes, for one Aether charge.

[Niiro]

I'm guessing you don't remember what the single most important support buff in a merit party was

I'm guessing you don't remember that this isn't XI.

The official translation thread stated this directly FWIW.

Yea well........I thought of it without reading the official translation, so I still get to feel vaguely clever.

I'm curious if it will set them all to the same duration.

I'm wondering if it'll consume multiple aetherflow stacks as well, but more interesting is how the Dreadwyrm Trance thing will work.

The way they describe it sounds like it's meant to replace Ruin spam as SMN's non-DoT filler damage (even having it's own aether stacks and skills to spend them on). I'm wondering if Tri-Disaster DoT application and use of the stance is meant to be situational or just their new rotation (ie. consume aetherflow stacks to use Tri -> swap stance and DPS with that vs applying DoTs as normal and use Fester/Ruin).

While someone pointed out that everything regarding the new job skills seems to revolve around stances some of them seem more like glorified/extended cooldowns (DRG and BLM) while others seem more like at-will toggles (BRD and SMN).

Also I went back and watched the video of the new job actions and I noticed that during the BRD portion they used Barrage while having the turret stance on, since you can't AA with the stance on I'm wondering if it changes the effect of Barrage to something else.

[Seravi Edalborez]

I want to say that the "can't AA" thing is a mistranslation in the same way SMN and BLM "can't AA... while casting spells". For the purposes of the video they seem to have AA turned off for everyone so they don't clip into the attack animations. So they just popped Barrage for an arbitrary reason.

I mean, it could have a Minuet-specific effect but *shrug*.

If I was to make an educated guess based solely on "we want you to use DW trance for the latter 30 seconds of your 60s cycle, while Aetherflow is down", I'm going to assume that it actually prevents you from using Aetherflow and wipes your stacks for 30 seconds (and lasts 30 seconds).

[Taint]

Edit to add a note: WAR shines even more as MT on farm mode for DPS reasons.

PLD in Swordoath is the preferred MT for farm. Shield swipe = more DPS, shield blocks = more healer DPS and a good PLD can keep hate from even the most aggressive OT WAR.

PLD MT progression
WAR MT post progression
PLD MT Farm

[Niiro]

I don't think it's a mistranslation:

New song: The Wanderer’s Minuet
This is a song that is very unique as it can be used while the effects of other songs are up and it is also an action that kind of changes your stance. While under the effect of the Wanderer’s Minuet, you’ll be able to deal high amounts of damage by charging up your bow. However, casting times will be added to your actions and you won’t be able to use auto-attacks while under the effect of Wanderer’s Minuet, meaning that you won’t be able to attack while moving anymore. Different from other songs, the Wanderer’s Minuet will not consume MP.

They specifically mention that you won't be able to AA separately from skills having cast times because the intent is to not allow any damage while moving.

They may have just popped Barrage for it's own sake I guess but by and large when old skills are used in the video it's because they're displaying how they interact with new skills.