Equipment Attributes

[Shalafi]

Just wondering at what point you give up a primary attribute for secondary due to the secondary being greater?

i.e.
BLM giving up Elemental Skill for INT
Druid's Slops or Jet Seraweels
Elemental Earring or Phantom Earring +1

Or even MAB for Elemental or INT

Advanced answers (i.e. calculations, etc.) welcome.

[Isildur]

i dont know if you're asking specifically for BLM, but normally when you have a decent amount of "primary attribute" or w/e the hell you need, you just go with secondary shit to balance out your build....just work on other things whenever you feel that you've built up enough "primary" attribute points, sometimes going with secondary is better in cases that an equipment slot holds something like +15 ele skill over +2 INT....idk, i dont play BLM

[Suiram]

When you're weighing things like skill vs. damage it's the same as say a melee weighing accuracy vs. attack (I think). It's a balance and something that's difficult to quantify, but you want to miss (resist) a reasonably small amount and add damage otherwise. What qualifies as 'reasonable' depends on the circumstances and what you are fighting. For that matter, there are often other factors involved, such as MP and enmity, so it becomes difficult to say in general.

When you're weighing two different types of damage increase it varies depending on stuff like the gear you already have. Sometimes it's very clear-cut, like damage from sorcerer's gloves doing more damage on MB than Zenith Mitts(+1) doing more damage than Errant(Mahatma) Cuffs. But due to the nature of calculation, while MAB is generally better than an equivalent bonus in INT, MAB becomes less effective the more you have, while INT stays just as useful (for all practical purposes). When the end bonuses are comparably similar, like with say AF+1 hat vs. Yigit hat, it's going to vary by a couple points of damage depending on what you're fighting, what spells you're casting, how much MAB you already have, and whether or not the thing you're fighting takes a bonus or penalty from magic damage. In those cases you either have to determine the INT and any damage bonus/penalty from the mob you're fighting and do a calculation each time, or just go with what looks cooler (AF hat) and accept the fact that you might be losing 5-10 damage per spell.

[Toshiko]

Its a combination of knowing when you have enough skill to land without resists and which peice provides the best boost. For example RDM, Mahtma slops are better then Nashira seraweels 90% of the time for enfeebling. But then, Duelist Tights may be better for RDM Nuking because of the +10 elemental skill if you get resisted a lot. A lot of blm use druid's slops during the 60's becuase there isnt much for that slot for nuking. AF is good for drain/aspir, and if you went the INT route you really only have Magic Slacks til you can wear Errant/mahtma.

[Jeryhn]

Its a combination of knowing when you have enough skill to land without resists and which peice provides the best boost. For example RDM, Mahtma slops are better then Nashira seraweels 90% of the time for enfeebling.

For Slow and Paralyze? Yes.

Otherwise no.

[Shalafi]

Thank you to those that provided an answer to the question.

I am specifically looking for BLM at this time but figured a generalization would hlep for others as well as in my future.


You have spawned another question though:

When does MAB lose it's effectiveness?

[Jeryhn]

Thank you to those that provided an answer to the question.

I am specifically looking for BLM at this time but figured a generalization would hlep for others as well as in my future.


You have spawned another question though:

When does MAB lose it's effectiveness?

The point of my post was: "It depends on the spell you are casting."

From my understanding, INT will add a set amount of damage to a spell, while MAB will kinda add a percentage (+1 MAB isn't +1% magic damage, its slightly less, but that's another thread for another time).

Speaking in layman's terms, because of this, casting a higher tier spell, like Thunder IV, will benefit from stacking MAB more than INT because MAB will effect it more because Thunder IV itself has a higher base damage. Compare that to, say, Thunder II, which has lower base damage, and would probably see a better increase in damage through stacking INT rather than MAB.

MAB/INT vs. Elemental Skill is another matter entirely. As someone said above, it's attack vs. accuracy. Overall, accuracy should be your number one concern, because uber strong nukes aren't much if they're being constantly resisted. This will basically come down to the mobs you're casting the spell on to determine which is better.

All in all, it really comes down to the specifics of the spell you are casting.

[Martinius]

it's pretty much been summed up, but i figured i'd add a little insight i had. i've found that kings are generally not as resistant, and thus, a healthy mix of MAB and int work well, whereas things like sky and ouryuv2/bahav2, even fully merited, you'll have better results with elemental skill.

i did kirin last night, for example, and with 322(ish? dont know exact number off the top of my head) elemental skill, i had just as many aero IVs do 86 dmg as they did 900.

whereas in weskit/moldavite/zenith mitts/af1 head, i did 1k+ freeze2s on a regular basis to king behemoth.

also, i dont remember where, i know it was on KI, so take it with a grain of salt, someone did all the math that showed int for t4s, MAB for AM2s(was a discussion of turban vs. af1/af1+1 head). with apologies to vzx and aurik, etc, my eyes roll back in my skull not long after the numbers start, so im sorry i cant be more specific.

[Seditedi]

Its a combination of knowing when you have enough skill to land without resists and which peice provides the best boost. For example RDM, Mahtma slops are better then Nashira seraweels 90% of the time for enfeebling.

For Slow and Paralyze? Yes.

Otherwise no.

I'd have to argue against that.
Depending on what you are fighting and what spell you are casting INT/MND would definitely offer greater benefits. With BLM and RDM at 75 I notice a huge difference in the duration of spells such as Bind and Gravity.

With BLM I'm wearing max enfeebling skill just so I am able to land Bind and Grav, with RDM depending on what I'm fighting I'll usually use max INT gear even Errant body if I'm not getting resisted. The duration in the spell is much more likely to last longer, while BLM gravity can and usually does wear off in 30 seconds or less. Same goes for Bind, RDM will last longer and be much less likely to be broken by one nuke. Should only use as much skill/macc needed to land the spell then go for INT/MND boosts depending on what spell you are casting.

[Jeryhn]

Durations on enfeebling magic are random.

[Alexandor]

Durations on enfeebling magic are random.

Well RDM is just my 5th job so I won't argue too much, just judging by my own experience I saw at least an improvement with the Slow II duration when I got all the possible maxed MND gear while wearing a warl.tabard, casting with +48MND. I dunno how's with everyone else, but Slow II seems definately more stable than Para 2 is. I experienced many times where Para 2 even wore after like not close 30secish while Slow II seems to stick for at least 2-3min easily. So ya, I'm wondering myself a bit. Maybe it's just the spell "Para" which acts "random" lol <.<;

[Jeryhn]

Durations on enfeebling magic are random.

Well RDM is just my 5th job so I won't argue too much, just judging by my own experience I saw at least an improvement with the Slow II duration when I got all the possible maxed MND gear while wearing a warl.tabard, casting with +48MND. I dunno how's with everyone else, but Slow II seems definately more stable than Para 2 is. I experienced many times where Para 2 even wore after like not close 30secish while Slow II seems to stick for at least 2-3min easily. So ya, I'm wondering myself a bit. Maybe it's just the spell "Para" which acts "random" lol <.<;

Or maybe the duration range is specific to each spell. Kinda like how each spell has its own modifiers on its effects.

Ever notice how Bind or Gravity always wears off faster than Slow?

[Judai]

Durations on enfeebling magic are random.

Having solo'd prolly 100k xp on puddings I can tell you this seems incorrect for bind/gravity. They are pretty consistent on duration for me. Once in awhile, usually on a higher level pudding; meaning they have higher int/mnd, it wears faster. It does not seem random, I believe there is a resist rate on how long they last. I did not do any actual tests and time things but bind/grav almost always lasted the same amount of time. (based on my nuking patterns and what not)

I think it's just like Sleep resists, where a partial resist only lasts so long, I forget the exact amount of time for those.

and when has Sundi ever been someone to believe?

[Alexandor]

Well I barely bind stuff on RDM so I can't tell, on BLM it's pretty random. Grav lasts long tho, but mobs build their resistance with the time...

[Seditedi]

Just because it says random on a stupid Sage Sundi interview doesn't really prove anything to me. INT has definitely shown to increase consistency in duration, and I find it hard to believe its 100% random and is not affected by any outside stats such as INT etc.

[Alexandor]

Ya would be dumb somehow lol... means you can have shitty equip all the way, just need to have a decent enfeebling magic lvl. Casting Para 2 with gimp MND+ stats is a waste in my eyes anyway xD

[Shalafi]

Thank you to those that provided an answer to the question.

This is exactly what I was talking about, thanks for the derail...

[Jeryhn]

Just because it says random on a stupid Sage Sundi interview doesn't really prove anything to me. INT has definitely shown to increase consistency in duration, and I find it hard to believe its 100% random and is not affected by any outside stats such as INT etc.

Yes, because your eyeballing and lack of testing of testing on a subject overrides his word.

[Seditedi]

lol, maybe you should make your own opinions on a subject rather then reading everything on Sage Sundi's interviews as 100% accurate.

I know for a fact that my INT based enfeebles last longer when I am casting them in a heavy INT build. If I go full Enfeebling skill they will wear much quicker. Sage may be correct in stating that they are random, but they are definitely influenced by INT.

[Jeryhn]

Then prove it. You're a BLM, should be easy.

Seeing how everything else Sundi said in that interview concerning enfeebling magic we know and hold true, I find it hard to believe he'd go into the classic "lolwut" on only one aspect of it.