Random Question Thread XV: This Is Not The Sticky You're Looking For

[shepardG]

Also, you can do bastion, to increase af3 drops. Gotta recover those EX07 martello cores. Watch the bastion spam, if 07 cores all get taken, af3 will be rare.

[Raen Ryong]

I notice a HUGE increase in frequency of blue boxes upon collecting Azure and would be willing to say with 99%+ certainty that the colour light definitely influences the "colour bias" of the spawning boxes, unless I misunderstood your point.

Random bit of info which may be coincidence: whenever we kill an NM, even not with a Ruby kill, our next few boxes tend to have a noticeably above average proportion of red boxes which soon return back to what I would expect. Unusual.

I'm also of the opinion that the boxes don't work as strict tiers, but rather probability. I've seen TEs from weak Azure light and such and feel it's a bell-type distribution (similar to a few blue/gryellow !! reports being outside of expected bounds perhaps? If their "probability graph" was bell-shaped too)...

Don't take any of this to heart; just speculation based on personal experience.

[arus2001]

Even before people started clinging to Ruby avoidance, I'd had plenty of groups where TEs weren't an issue with all lights built. Dumb luck? Maybe. Things work as some believe? I'm not sure. All I know is I hate the "EXP parties" in the newer areas that sit at chain cap forever because someone wants some boots they'll probably get outlotted on by the douche that changed their search comment after drop.

[ronin sparthos]

Even before people started clinging to Ruby avoidance, I'd had plenty of groups where TEs weren't an issue with all lights built. Dumb luck? Maybe. Things work as some believe? I'm not sure. All I know is I hate the "EXP parties" in the newer areas that sit at chain cap forever because someone wants some boots they'll probably get outlotted on by the douche that changed their search comment after drop.

I remember EXP parties on Bugards in Kons where all lights were capped and while I had some parties that still got some good TE rates but others had some pretty bad scenarios where red boxes would so overwhelm the drops that we'd end up just breaking even on time instead of progressing.

Really I see no reason in this age to cap Ruby unless your sole purpose is to cap EXP as soon as possible and get out of Abyssea. Even when you hit the 600~ cap on EXP, the damn boxes will continue to drop ruining chances at TEs/AF/key items etc. It can become very hard to overcome this especially if your killspeed was shit to begin with.

With Amber/Azure capped, you'll get TE, EXP boxes and eventually cap EXP (slow but eventually). If you have the prosperity abyssites, you'll get gold/silver boxes without hitting the higher drop tiers on ruby anyway. It's a great way to get Gold/Silver without touching Ruby kills.

@Random Question:

Is there a mob in Kons that doesn't drop Ruby? I was told Saplings but I never confirmed that on my own. It really makes Kons a bitch to farm because inevitably you'll build up too much Ruby.

Also, what's a strat on the NM Nightshade in Abyssea-Attohwa? Never fought it but is it anything like the Thew Bomblet mandy?

[Thorny]

My (relatively limitted) experience suggests that lights past the original 30 don't influence chest probability.. I start with 30 amber, 30 azure, 30 pearl in tahrongi then I open every amber light and no others. 6-8 hours later I don't see a noticable change to my box distribution, even though I'm usually at least 15 strong ambers above the others. As far as having problems with too many red boxes, honestly, kill faster.

[Massimo]

As I've been saying from the start, this^. I've been at 30 Azure and 200 Ruby, while still getting an even amount of both.

Also, related to this: Fucking Ebon, how does it work. Have had 12 amber and 69 Ebon but still stuck at getting little-to-no big chests and still a lot less gold boxes than the rest.

[shepardG]

As far as having problems with too many red boxes, honestly, kill faster.

God this.
When I can litterly take a single mob to 50ish% with a single WS on my 'decent dragoon' (by no means is it the best but It has some nice gear) and then the mob can chew up my thirdeye/seigan and kill me before the other 6-8 DD's can kill it, something is wrong, and it's not your lights.

(Not directed at anyone, just a general" fuck yes" on that point)

[Karbuncle]

God this.
When I can litterly take a single mob to 50ish% with a single WS on my 'decent dragoon' (by no means is it the best but It has some nice gear) and then the mob can chew up my thirdeye/seigan and kill me before the other 6-8 DD's can kill it, something is wrong, and it's not your lights.

(Not directed at anyone, just a general" fuck yes" on that point)

I agree, this is painfully apparent in the shittier parties.

I've found you can kill faster with 6 Good members than most Alliances can, and you cap exp quicker due to smaller part size.

Healer, BRD, COR, 3DD (or maybe a DNC), preferably a RDM healer to Cap Azure on Ephemeral Murex's. Its easy , Hell as you said, 1 good WS from an Atma'd DD who knows their job can drop some mobs ~50%.

[reaper1228]

@Random Question:

Is there a mob in Kons that doesn't drop Ruby? I was told Saplings but I never confirmed that on my own. It really makes Kons a bitch to farm because inevitably you'll build up too much Ruby.

I walked around testing a bunch of mobs in konschtat, and saplings were the only ones I found that didn't have ruby light.

I tried to find a mob in la theine that didn't have ruby and didn't have much luck, anyone know of a mob?

[Mercilessturtle]

Yeah, as long as you capped azure, you'll still be getting tons of blue boxes long after you stopped doing magic kills and are getting entirely ruby/pearl kills. XP alliances don't time out from too many red boxes, they time out from being 99% gimps, having no idea how to make parties ("lets put the only brd in the mage party!") and having half the people engage and afk (and the other half skip the engaging step). You'll be lucky if there is one actual real DD in an entire shout XP alliance.

[nitsuj]

What's the easiest/foolproof way to beat Maat as RDM?

[Deader2818]

With the amount of acc we have now in abyssea, would it be wise to drop Usu body for Askar body as long as I can keep my 5 hit?

[rog]

What's the easiest/foolproof way to beat Maat as RDM?

Run in, sleep, dispel x2, buff, nuke, sleep, nuke, sleep, nuke, sleep, nuke, sleep.

[Snick]

What's the easiest/foolproof way to beat Maat as RDM?

Obviously melee.

[rog]

Obviously melee.

This works great if you have sword capped, but not elemental/enfeebling, and can't land nukes/sleep. Otherwise it's much harder.

[Karbuncle]

What's the easiest/foolproof way to beat Maat as RDM?

Actually its funny, when i was getting my Maats cap the one fight i feared the most was RDM after hearing the horror stories, but with Capped Enfeebling/elemental and borrowed HQ Staves from my friend, the fight was hilariously simple.

I Ran up > Sleep II > Dispel'd him twice > Full buffed, (Can't remember if bind/gravity stick on him TBH its been soo long ) either way after that i got full MP > Chainspell > Nuke > nuke > Nuke > Nuke was dead.

It was seriously one of the easiest fights i had done, not 1 nuke resisted, just need a good set.

[Deader2818]

Actually its funny, when i was getting my Maats cap the one fight i feared the most was RDM after hearing the horror stories, but with Capped Enfeebling/elemental and borrowed HQ Staves from my friend, the fight was hilariously simple.

I Ran up > Sleep II > Dispel'd him twice > Full buffed, (Can't remember if bind/gravity stick on him TBH its been soo long ) either way after that i got full MP > Chainspell > Nuke > nuke > Nuke > Nuke was dead.

It was seriously one of the easiest fights i had done, not 1 nuke resisted, just need a good set.

Thats nice but how does that answer my question?

[Karbuncle]

Thats nice but how does that answer my question?

Whoops

Can't answer yours lemme fix that.

Edit: There! Fixed.

You're posts were close together and I'm half-sizing my window atm cause im waiting for Fire Weather to start up in Ifrit's Cauldron =(

[Kirschy]

What's the easiest/foolproof way to beat Maat as RDM?

I did Maat at 66 RDM a couple of months ago. I had capped enfeebling, but no AF1 and no enfeeble merits. Only resisted Sleep once. Just used some quick AH gear and whatever I already had from BLM like HQ Staves. Was one of the easier fights imo. Like other people said just make sure he's dispelled and kite/nuke. Sleep him if he gets close/need time to med/whatever. Just be ready with your sleep if he resists your first one~ Can bring Vile Elixir/Vile Elixir+1 as backup.

[Cream Soda]

Vanatunes/Polutils ID for Abyssea musik?

also, quickest way for lv 3 fame in vunk?