The "Should Tanks Blink" thread.

[ninjafox]

Honestly though, its not just tanks that blink on everything. With the exception of RNG, on a job like DRK, I'm blinking almost every 3 seconds doing something different. I don't think it should be so much of a focus on tanks since I think it spreads across all jobs with the exception of RNG really

[Callisto]

The difference is that historically mages and support weren't to worried about targeting their DRKs in an emergency.

[Vyerz]

I've never got this.. why do people idle in haste? I would be idling in Oshi gear until I had to do something

[Callisto]

Well not sure about before, but I idle in Haste/Acc now for Atonement TP.

[Hosom]

I idle in haste for the same reason as Calli, though... I'm not quite sure why some idle in Walmart Turban.

[Furionstormrage]

I idle in either full blown DD gear or full blown Shield gear, depends on the fight.
(Exceptions being Parade Gorget/Ethereal, few others, shits situational)

[[Cookies]]

I've never got this.. why do people idle in haste? I would be idling in Oshi gear until I had to do something

So you swing faster. Before it was Chivalry/Spirits Within, now it's Chivalry/Atonement.

[Callisto]

I idle in haste for the same reason as Calli, though... I'm not quite sure why some idle in Walmart Turban.

Sometimes for inventory reasons I don't want to bring my Askar hat along, and sometimes I don't want to ditch the HP/MP for a very minor boost in TP gain.

Usually as /NIN I idle in:

W.Turban/PCC/Hollow/Loq
Gallant(all I got Q_Q)/Askar/Ecphoria/Woodsman(acc rings situational, sometimes I don't have room)
Boxer's/Swift/Valor(again all I got)/Dusk

I have a macro that basically just toggles PCC/Parade as well. I have Hauby for body, though still not quite comfortable in using it for larger fights. Eventually I'd like to save for an Avalon. Edit: Yes I have 0 Homam, lol.

[Hosom]

I'm completely different >.>

IR Cause Bahamut is a drag queen/Ritter Gorget/Ethereal, situational/Loq

Valor because Dex is cool/Homam/Herc, sometimes other stuff, depends/Sattva because real men don't need Rajas Rings.

Resentment/Swift/Situational, but IR/Crimson most of the time cause Omega is a dirty whore/Homam

[Hosom]

Also wanted that sometimes I use my Fort Torque, situational as well >.>;

[Callisto]

Most of that isn't really doing anything compared to the extra hate that faster TP could be making. The enmity of IR Sallet is relatively irrelevant compared to the extra hate you could have via Atonement spam, and the MDB doesn't matter if you aren't being hit with magic damage. The same can be said for Ritter Gorget vs. PCC or Parade, you aren't really benefiting from it, if anything you could make it part of a Cure 3 swap for extra hate rather than idling in it. Resentment enmity+ can easily be swapped into spells/JA, and you can get a slight defensive boost by idling in Boxer's, or even a DD cape.

[Amok]

I think laziness and ignorance are the only two reasons why people (in general) don't gearswap. Though I'd LIKE for there to be less swapping of gear allowed for more thought out decisions on what to gear. DD's have no excuse not to gearswap. Tanks don't have one either IMHO because there's just too much to be gained with very little to lose. The only time I would personally not gearswap is if I forgot my gear, don't have any macros or time to make them, need mah inventory or if there's just nothing riding on the fight or if there's just no way you're going to lose. The ability to swap gear through macros is given, so not using it is like taking the stairs instead of the elevator, only (because it's FFXI) it's like taking the downward escalator instead of the one going the right direction and ruining everyone's escalator riding experience because of your own ignorance.

[willriker]

My veiw is a bit conservative. As main PLD i really dislike death as it either means that a pop item is lost or another LS gets claim on an enemy thats nigh impossible to claim anyhow. If there is even the slightest chance that me blinking out will cause the loss of a fight, i will not do it. So, i do not do it.

And, to be brutaly honest, I find hardly any difficulty keeping pace or out pacing my cotanks. To me it seems that is is unnecisary effort. Not only does it add in a reason for loss that is completely avoidable, but it also involves me carrying much more gear around.

With bringing more gear the chances of me being a knuckle head increases and i will inevitably forget something when there is a rush to get somewhere either to do being a bit late or to beat competition to the enemy.

I might be in the minority, but i find that people enjoy that i care just as much about thier pop items as if they were mine. And as such, i really try my best to make it the safest fight i can.

All that said, i have been in the habit of using joytoy on fafnir LOL. I should break myself of that habit but Atonement is just that sexy.

As for tanking macros, i swap rings/waist/back/neck/earrings. I find that macroing these items around is more than enough to keep hate unless you have a nuke crazy blm. And, I idle in things like Avalon Breastplate/Homam for the acc/haste/enmity to build atonement spam TP.

Every race i know of can make a Cure IV macro set without blinking out:
Macro1: take off HP gear and put on some - HP gear
Macro2: Cure IV, put on HP gear before Cure IV finish
Macro3: Back to idle gear

Every Race i know can equip Oh Crap Shield Gear set without blinking and still reach 300ish Shield without blinking.
Shield Torque
Knights/buckler earring
Boxers

Every race i know can pump on +16 Enmity for JA without blinking out. Which isnt too shabby when considering it is in addition to visibly gear.
Cerb Mantle
Warwolf
Herc ring
Saatva Ring (or something similar)
Hades +1 earring*2

Every race can equip +11 enmity for Flash without blinking or sacricficing Haste spots. Once again, in addition to what is in visible gear.
Same list as above but sanz the warwolf and one hades for an Loq. earring. Then again, If Loq wont reduce your recast timer, you can pop on another hades+1 for +13 enmity. But, that depends on your setup.

Not only do i think it opens an elemant to the battle which can lead to a loss, which shouldnt be there in the first place, I also believe that it is completely unecisary<sp?>. Add to all that, that most will forget a peice or two often and slap them selves in the forehead for being silly lol.

[Tsuko_Asura]

I probably would have agreed with the above before Atonement come around. The sheer amount of additional enmity available to you through Haste/Acc equipment(and sushi) and a Joyeuse these days is pretty amazing, but none of that equipment is ideal for every other action a tank is going to make.

[TacoTaru]

This might come off a bit more brash than intended, but if swapping gear is causing you to lose a battle, then someone is doing it wrong; sounds like the mages. <st> macros aren't unnecessary in the least and are extraordinarily more user friendly then having to let go of my keyboard type and F# or first target myself, then cycle to the person, then hit the macro. Both involves way that can get interrupted whereas the new targets they put in do not. Forgetting gear can happen yes, but it can just as easily happen even if you don't swap gear.

Like I said, I'm not trying to come off in anyway to transcend this into an argument, but I believe that thinking that swapping gear is exponentially increasing your chances of failing are flawed.

[Neosutra]

To address the willriker's points:

1. 300 shield skill is nothing on anything that matters. You will need every bit of shield skill you can get + merits to come close to the cap on block rate on harder things (and even then wont get it sometimes).

2. The amount of emnity a person would then have on emnity generating actions would depend on what a person idles in. The fact still remains a person could get 20 more by blinking, unless they idle in nothing but emnity.

You believe it is unneeeded for a tank to blink because you can keep hate fine w/o it. My question is: Why not do it better, if there is no down side to adding more emnity, more haste, and more shield skill when needed?

Also, assuming you still follow this mindset, what do you idle in?

[Antec]

I agree with the use of these new features and blinking, but is there any way to set up a cure macro to have both <stpt>/<stal> and still be able to cure ppl outside of your alliance? Like say Dynamis/Einherjar, or even just seeing some random person who needs a cure etc.

[Callisto]

1. 300 shield skill is nothing on anything that matters. You will need every bit of shield skill you can get + merits to come close to the cap on block rate on harder things (and even then wont get it sometimes).

I guess I would ask what you think is 'good' for this...I currently sit at 321, but for someone who isn't PLD main there aren't really a lot of good options to go further than that, i.e. trading my Abyssal for Knightly or blowing a shitload on Cursed Schaller -1.

[Neosutra]

321 is about as good as you can get w/o excess pld gear. Unless pld is your "everything must be perfect job", I dont see any reason to get kaiser or trade in for knightly. However, any dedicated pld should have Keonig head, shield torque, AF+1 feet, buckler earring, and boxers mantle (I use shadow over boxers unless /rdm) in their shield skill setup.

Im still doing personal tests on the effects of shield skill and block rate (by size), but it is taking me a lot longer than I expected. Currently it appears that there is a basic value for each mob you are fighting (their level + something else like acc/dex/skill) that is used to compare versus your shield skill (and possibly agility). Similar to hit rate %, anything above the equal margin provides you with +% block rate. Ill post the results of level based/skill based block rates when Im satisfied with my answers.

[Furionstormrage]

The argument could be made for situations with multiple alliances that we now have 200 macro palettes, one could easily set themselves up with one palette that has <stal> macros and one directly above or below it with the ability to cure out of alliance.

I utilize this to some degree by having my standard PLD/NIN palette, and directly above it is a palette dedicated to kiting. (ie, never changes out of WLegs)

With my highest mage job being RDM 43, I can't really speak for how many macro palettes a healer needs to have access to quickly, so if at least 3 palettes are required just to handle in-alliance healing/support, you can disregard my first statement, but if not it seems a very easy way to handle both alliance and out of alliance situations.