Random Question Thread V: But does it 6-hit

[Bakthi]

Where is a good Eronf Colibri camp? Anyone know the <pos> off hand?

Campsitarus-- The guide to FFXI xp camps! ^^: 38-41 East Ronfaure [S]

is pretty much accurate, but if 5 good parties tried to occupy all those camps at once, there would be overlap issues. When pulling, I take birds first during the day, especially at 36 to 37. Ladybugs are great at night, and die pretty quickly even during the day 39+. I prefer not to come to Ronfaure pre-37, and leave as soon as the party hits 42. The one exception was when we hit 42 right as night fell, and kept up a single chain until shortly after the next in-game morning, getting most of the way to 43.

[Rida]

I've searched forums and cant seem to find the answer to this question. So here goes, does anyone knoe the Stonskin cap for BRD? Does it follow the same rules as BLM etc giving a hard cap @ certain MND 114 (or what ever its is) is the cao actually obtainable seeing as BRD has gimp enhancing magic at best? Reason Im aasking as I can easily reach 130~~ MND but wondering if it was a waste as Im sacrificing MP taking me down to 200~ which I consider too low. Thx.

[kodos1]

It won't outperform it in terms of accuracy. At best, it'll be equal, and in most situations an Alkalurops will offer slightly less accuracy than an HQ staff.

HQ staves are understood to be +30 MAcc. According to testing done with INT, at dINT under 10, 1 point of INT = 1 MAcc. Above that, tested up to dINT 30 I think, it was 2 INT = 1 MAcc.

Far as we know, this applies to MND as well - not sure if it's had quite as extensive testing done, but it's a logical assumption.

Alkalurops will be either the same 30 MAcc as HQ staves, or 25 MAcc, depending on dMND. Purely for accuracy, it'll never be better, but it'll be potentially just as good, though more often slightly behind.

'course, the whole point of using it is to have that extra 10 MND that an elemental staff wouldn't have, and due to that I'd say an Alkalurops would win for Para/Slow builds on higher end targets. Obviously, if you don't need the accuracy, you can make a potent wand/shield build for a lot less gil.

I'll have to disagree with you about the "slightly behind" part of that. Isiolia have you checked out this: The unbearable triteness of preening: Describing "magic hit rate" symbolically
It's quite interesting and has a ton of mathy info about Alka vs Ele staves for enfeebles and elemental magic.

Personally I'm also interested to know if there are any hidden effects on Alka or Antares wand considering the mobs they drop from and drop rate for two such innocous looking weapons. I've been testing Antares wand for months and I do know i get quite a bit less major resists on nukes from Antares Wand/ Harpy Shield then I do on HQ staves on anything IT or higher.. albiet for about 30-50 less base dmg on tier 3's then HQ staff would give. Sadly, I'm far too lazy to do any scientific trials. Eyeballing it, I almost never get anything more then a 1/2 resist on damn near anything that's normally nukable and even that rarely. Going to start doing some sleep tests on dynamis plds with wand vs alka, I noticed a few job trait resists with Alka (sleep with max feeb/macc build and alka and dark grip, maxed merits, yada yada).

NOTE BEFORE SOMEONE FLAMES ME: This is only about RDM, I have no idea how any of this could or would apply to blm, I'm not a BLM. and for pure DMG on unresisted nukes I'm not debating HQ staves win every time. The above link also has some interesting idea on that too.. Something about Epeen screenshots of dmg vs DOT of % of resist/non resist on elemental magic(potency vs accuracy builds for HNM type stuff)... As always, "Shit is situational."

[ronin sparthos]

So someone asked this on alla, might as well ask it here:

Has anyone tested how high Bloody Bolts could drain in terms of HP on significant targets?

Does stacking INT (like MNDstacking for Holy Bolts) result in meaningful returns?

[Bakthi]

I've searched forums and cant seem to find the answer to this question. So here goes, does anyone knoe the Stonskin cap for BRD? Does it follow the same rules as BLM etc giving a hard cap @ certain MND 114 (or what ever its is) is the cao actually obtainable seeing as BRD has gimp enhancing magic at best? Reason Im aasking as I can easily reach 130~~ MND but wondering if it was a waste as Im sacrificing MP taking me down to 200~ which I consider too low. Thx.

The formula for Stoneskin does not change between jobs (aside from having Enhancing Magic tiers), and is listed on FFXIclopedia. With 105 Enhancing Magic, a BRD/WHM needs a total of 145 MND to get 350 HP (correct me if I'm wrong). I can hit it as a Mithra (64 + 81):

Pride Staff
Maat's Cap
Gnole Torque/Morgana's Choker
Mamool-ja Earring
Marduk's Jubbah
Marduk's Dastanas
Omega Ring
Aqua Ring
Aslan Cape
Penitent's Rope
Bard's Cannions
Suzaku's Sune-ate

So it's not exactly easy, but I could still get 4 more (2 grip, 2 earring), and 2 more out of Ring1, if I had lesser MND pieces in other slots. Or if I ever put myself through the torment of getting a Stoneskin Torque.

[Wolfknight]

Wooops I read novio...

2-3 mil then, last one I saw (a few weeks ago) was 3.75 (but that was never going to sell)

My bad

I've seen them for 1~2m here ussually though I haven't looked at bazaars in while.

[Isiolia]

I'll have to disagree with you about the "slightly behind" part of that. Isiolia have you checked out this: The unbearable triteness of preening: Describing "magic hit rate" symbolically
It's quite interesting and has a ton of mathy info about Alka vs Ele staves for enfeebles and elemental magic.

Yeah, what I stated was basically where the BG discussion back in the day wound up (which, in turn, is some of the testing/comments he posted regarding Alka). I double checked on that blog earlier too before posting.

His summary is that it's "comparable" to HQ staves, which I wouldn't argue. 25MAcc and 30MAcc aren't going to be -that- different. Barring a hidden effect, that's what the stats on it do.

[kodos1]

Yeah, what I stated was basically where the BG discussion back in the day wound up (which, in turn, is some of the testing/comments he posted regarding Alka). I double checked on that blog earlier too before posting.

His summary is that it's "comparable" to HQ staves, which I wouldn't argue. 25MAcc and 30MAcc aren't going to be -that- different. Barring a hidden effect, that's what the stats on it do.

Yeah it was just that minor point, your conclusion summed it up pretty good.

I have to hand it to guys like that that are willing to do all that work. He put a ton of work into it.
Now If I can just figure out what the hell is going on with antares wand..
Another odd note about that is for some really wierd reason I also get EXACTLY 4 more dmg then Aquilo's on the Puk in the jade sepulcher BC.. every single time and compared a couple hundred nukes over several months of runs.. and have no idea why. The puk seems to have M DMg reduction,every blizz 3 hits for in the 430s.. which seems like an odd number to begin with.. does it have native percentage magic reduction or something? Any Blms want to confirm that? Even though it's lol RDM nuke.. I should get some varience and in the case that it did, why would MAB 13 beat the 15% DMG of Aquilo's? It makes me shake my head.
As an example the last set we did we did 6 runs, I nuked 4 times per run, 2 HQ staff 2 wand/shield and EVERY single Nuke was the exact same damage 437 with wand, 433 with staff.. (lightningsday/lightsday). It also seems odd that in so many runs I would not have had at least one higher random resist. To me it points to it having a straight magic dmg taken % reduction instead of it having any MDB or high INT traits. If the numbers seem a bit low, I don't have morrigan, so I'm missing a few int/MAB compared to some rdms.

(I should have figured you'd seen that website, you've been RDM since the beginning of time too)
Actually 430s would be about right if it had a 25% magic dmg taken stat..

[kodos1]

Yeah it was just that minor point, your conclusion summed it up pretty good.

I have to hand it to guys like that that are willing to do all that work. He put a ton of work into it.
Now If I can just figure out what the hell is going on with antares wand..
Another odd note about that is for some really wierd reason I also get EXACTLY 4 more dmg then Aquilo's on the Puk in the jade sepulcher BC.. every single time and compared a couple hundred nukes over several months of runs.. and have no idea why. The puk seems to have M DMg reduction,every blizz 3 hits for in the 430s.. which seems like an odd number to begin with.. does it have native percentage magic reduction or something? Any Blms want to confirm that? Even though it's lol RDM nuke.. I should get some varience and in the case that it did, why would MAB 13 beat the 15% DMG of Aquilo's? It makes me shake my head.
As an example the last set we did we did 6 runs, I nuked 4 times per run, 2 HQ staff 2 wand/shield and EVERY single Nuke was the exact same damage 437 with wand, 433 with staff.. (lightningsday/lightsday). It also seems odd that in so many runs I would not have had at least one higher random resist. To me it points to it having a straight magic dmg taken % reduction instead of it having any MDB or high INT traits. If the numbers seem a bit low, I don't have morrigan, so I'm missing a few int/MAB compared to some rdms.

(I should have figured you'd seen that website, you've been RDM since the beginning of time too)
Actually 430s would be about right if it had a 25% magic dmg taken stat..

That was probably the most incoherent thing I've posted.. sorry all, was cooking dinner between sentences and I'll sum it up into a question:


Why is My Antares wand/ Harpy Shield doing exactly 4 more dmg then Aquilo's Staff every blizzard 3 to the phantom puk in the jade sepulcher ISNM?

Some of the obvious things assuming no hidden effects and no resists:
At some total point of MAB/INT 13 MAB becomes more effective assuming the monster has a % magic dmg reduction?
BLM would probably have a different point since BLM has much more MAB then RDM?
I know there's an answer out there some math wiz will know. I know it's also been said(in long mathy ways) that for mobs with no magic dmg taken bonus the HQ staves are clear winner.. even against the MAB of Dorje HQ staves came out ahead if I remember right too.
Now Dorje considering the mob I would think would have some hidden effect.. we'll probably figure it out in 2012 when everyone's migrated to XIV. Or not knowing SE.

[Suiram]

MAB+13 should never outdamage Aquilo's Staff unless you have some massive -MAB debuff on. That your wand/shield combo outdamages aquilos is strange, indeed.

[Wolfknight]

MAB+13 should never outdamage Aquilo's Staff unless you have some massive -MAB debuff on. That your wand/shield combo outdamages aquilos is strange, indeed.

if mob had native mdb trait wouldn't that act like a MAB down?

[kodos1]

MAB+13 should never outdamage Aquilo's Staff unless you have some massive -MAB debuff on. That your wand/shield combo outdamages aquilos is strange, indeed.

Tell me about it! It totally freaks me out and hurts my head to think about it.
I think I was telling you something about the wand's wierdness a couple weeks ago online too. You can borrow it some night and goof around with it on BLM if you want.

It certainly doesn't on the only test I could think to perfom, lv1 bees in gusta tier 1 Ice nukes /wand was I think 15-20ish lower then Staff thereabouts.

[kodos1]

Actually let me correct that, it never straight up does more then Aquilo's on most other normal mobs.. but I do get less resists with it, and I don't know why that is either. If I remember right Aquilo's is about 50 more dmg per typical tier 3..

[Suiram]

if mob had native mdb trait wouldn't that act like a MAB down?

No, it doesn't quite work that way. Even if the mob had a billion MDB, adding MAB should yield the same % increase. That % increase should necessarily be lower than Aquilo's bonus (not even counting the 5 INT) unless you are starting with negative MAB (which is only possible through a MAB down debuff).

It's like this. Aquilos bonus is always 15% (I say "always" here with some trepidation until the cause of Kodos's observation is ascertained).

Even if you are on a job with no native MAB trait and no MAB gear, the increase from adding MAB+13 is 13%--and so, less than the 15% from Aquilos. For a RDM with no MAB gear, it's about a 10.4% increase from MAB+13, and the % increase gets lower as you add more MAB from gear. The only thing that determines the % damage increase from MAB is prior MAB, while staff is fixed at 10/15%. So basically nothing in the magic damage formula alone could explain why this is happening.

Some ideas-
He could have a MAB debuff (doubtful since I don't think the mob there inflicts one, and in any case it would have to be fairly severe, MAB-14 total which for a RDM would have to be MAB-38 minimum to negate the job trait, too)

The "campaign:" bonus on shield could activate in that zone for some reason. If he had around 65 MAB total (24 from trait + 41 from gear) before weapon/shield, then MAB+25 would be a few points of damage more than the 15% from staff if the Campaign bonus worked. Maybe test in that fight using MAB+13 from different pieces if it's possible to do so without changing INT or lowering MAB in other slots.

The wand or shield could have some hidden bonus to that mob or puks generally. Maybe try using the same gear and nuking a regular puk with blizzard 3, with staff, with wand/shield, with no weapon, and see what the damage is.

[kodos1]

Yeah, what Suiram said about MDB.. I was wondering if the BC puk had more along the lines of Magic Damage Taken type bonus, and all his numbers are the same as what I always assumed to be true, which is why I'm so confused and actually willing to risk getting flamed when I've been quiet about it up till now. I'm going to look really dumb if blms don't get a partial resist on that BC but I haven't had anyone to ask that could remember. Just to confirm, any BLMs that do that BC regularly, do you usually get about 25% less dmg then usual on Ice nukes to the main puk? RDMs too I guess, any info would be helpful even if it muddies the water even further. I'll test it out on a regular puk tonight if i get a chance Suiram. Be even wierder if it was the shield.. I'll try with and without.
If you happen to ever do the BC send me a msg and I'll send you the wand/shield to try out just to compare it to BLM.

[Yugl]

ISNM Puk? I believe he takes full Ice damage (BLM I know likes to MB SAM's Darkness) and the pets take 3x DMG.

[Suiram]

ISNM Puk? I believe he takes full Ice damage (BLM I know likes to MB SAM's Darkness) and the pets take 3x DMG.

Yeah but same mob, same spell (ice in both cases), any bonus should apply equally. The only way I see that potentially being relevant is if for some reason that particular ice bonus that it takes is calculated in the "staff" portion of the magic damage formula. Which would be unique, if that turns out to be the case.

[kodos1]

I'm logging on about 11eastern, I'll post up the numbers on INT/MAB and Skill/MACC (not that the last two seem relevant, talking all "unresisted" as far as I can tell...same dmg within a point or two for 4 nukes per run for 54-60 runs, couple might have been only 2 or 3 before it died). I'll see if the usuals want to do a run too to try it w/ wo/ shield.

[kodos1]

Yeah but same mob, same spell (ice in both cases), any bonus should apply equally. The only way I see that potentially being relevant is if for some reason that particular ice bonus that it takes is calculated in the "staff" portion of the magic damage formula. Which would be unique, if that turns out to be the case.

I knew about the pets taking more dmg and couldn't find anything about the main puk listed, and puks should be WEAK to ice, which is one of the reasons why I found the 430ish dmg so strange.. couple hundred 1/4 resists in a row with no others just seemed .. impossible.

[Chisato]

Based on a 1360x768 widescreen LCD display, what do you feel would be the most effective resolution to run FFXI at? Both overlay and background.