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Velaena · **02-26-2015, 10:05 AM**

Hi all!
Having returned to the game in January I opted to start fresh and create a new character. Then I was once again forced to take a hiatus from the game. Thanks to all of that I'm not very far in (am just about to face Titan).Â

That being said, I'm playing as a bard. A good class don't get me wrong, but it's becoming very repetitive and boring so I want to change it up. I prefer to play ranged classes so I though a DoM would suit me. I'm just having a hard time deciding which, and whether or not I should just suck it up and continue with my bard.Â

My questions are probably ones that have been here a thousand times before but here goes.Â

How do the job classes (SMN, SCH, BLM) play at higher levels?
How is healing on a console? I've heard it can be easier because of the D-pad, but also slower? Will it make a huge difference?
How are queue times for healers now?Â
How could I RP as any of the aforementioned classes?Â

White Mage is pretty out of the question for now. I would probably level it eventually, it's just I can't really RP with it and such.

SessionZero · **02-26-2015, 10:21 AM**

I think between SMN and BLM it comes down to play preference. BLM is a nuke-all-the-things burst DPS while SMN is a sustained DPS throw-dots-down-and-let-your-pet-wreck-things type. So really between those two it comes down to whether you want to 'splodey or be lazy. I prefer SMN just because I like pet classes, but I've heard for Coil, statics don't really like having a SMN because compared to the other ranged DPS classes it's kinda the bottom rung of the ladder, but then again I don't Coil with my SMN so *shrug*.

Don't play on console so can't help you there.

Queue times for tanks and healers are always short and sweet. As a main PLD, I've never had a problem with queue times, same on WHM.

As far as RPing them goes, there's some debate on RPing certain jobs. Overall, the answer will always boil down to play what you want, but from what I've gleaned trawling these forums, BLM and SCH are harder to pass off in RP because BLMs are illegal (some debate on the interpretation of the lore on this one) and SCH fairies are bound to the SCH Soul Stones, of which there is a finite number, meaning there can only be a finite number of legitimate Nymian SCHs. My SMN is a SMN ICly, having studied ancient Allagan texts. Easy enough to claim to be a SMN in this game. But, like I said, you play how you want. No one can make you not RP something.

Warren Castille · **02-26-2015, 10:28 AM**

I don't know enough about how casters play to give you any meaningful information, but I can gloss over the tidbits I'm familiar with.

Black Mage has seemingly-infinite MP. They switch back and forth between fire spells to do big damage and ice spells to recover MP, then go back to fire, repeat until something falls over dead.

Summoner is a DoT/pet class. It's a lot of paying attention to icons, lots of micromanagement, lots of control. It's less effective than BLM on groups, but a good summoner's sustained damage causes things to melt, and melt quickly. It's also the only DPS class to receive access to Raise, making them a great back-up support if something goes horribly wrong.

Scholar is an accessible healing class that's helped greatly by the AI fairy that accompanies it. They focus on quick heals backed by shielding effects: A cure that "only" heals several hundred damage, but also gives the recipient a lasting shield equal to that cure. It's less burst-healing than White Mage until they receive a specific job ability but it's very capable.

Playing any of these with a controller is plenty possible, though it might take some macro writing in advance. Targeting party members is simple with a directional pad, but if you're in 8-man groups it can be cumbersome to tap so many times to select someone to heal.

Roleplay-wise, they're all reasonable to a point: Black Magic is outlawed almost everywhere, Summoner requires you to have obtained an ancient Allag soulstone (I believe, Summoners correct me on this if need be) and Scholars require having met one of the fae.

...Sort of. Scholar healing is basically just arcanima to the nth degree; I don't think it would be unreasonable to play a Scholar-type sans-fairy if they just took naturally to the Divine Geometry aspect of Arcanist.

Take everything I said with a shaker of salt until someone who knows the lore better than I do verifies this stuff, though.

Gegenji · **02-26-2015, 10:31 AM**

(02-26-2015, 10:05 AM)Velaena Wrote:
How do the job classes (SMN, SCH, BLM) play at higher levels?

How is healing on a console? I've heard it can be easier because of the D-pad, but also slower? Will it make a huge difference?

How are queue times for healers now?Â

How could I RP as any of the aforementioned classes?

I haven't played BLM beyond leveling it to 50 for the sake of completion, and SMN only hit 50 because it shares the same base class as SCH, but I'll answer what I can! ... Minus the console question since I run on PC. Someone else will have to help with that one.

BLM is a pretty damaging class, as one might expect. You spend it alternating between two... modes, I suppose, of increase fire and ice damage interspersed with maintained the Thunder DOT. I think the biggest thing to figure out is when to use Flare, since its casting cost is "ALL." Basic rule of thumb I've heard is to use it with as little MP remaining and then switch over to the Ice stance for the boosted MP regen.

SCH (and SMN, I'd figure) are all about maintaining DoTs on your enemies when you're DPSing. SMN actually has a move on... Garuda Egi, I think?... that extends the duration of the DoTs, and your pet is actually for combat so you can let them do their thing or micromanage for some increased DPS gain. SCH have their fairy, which you can also just let heal on its own or micromanage for increase HPS. I tend not to and usually do just fine.

Healer queues are second only to Tank queues, and tend to pop in 5-8 minutes if not immediately. In fact, I believe I heard mention that they're faster with the raid dungeons since each Full Party runs two healers and only one tank.

As for RP, I think only BLM would be difficult to RP since Black Magic is verboten in Eorzean culture due to it being the spark that lead to the War of the Magi. However, there's nothing keeping you from playing a Thaumaturge ICly while OOCly being a Black Mage.

SCH you have all the various Nymian ruins with which to obtain a Soul Crystal from, or perhaps just from intense study of what remains of Nymian scripture and the like (though I'm unsure as to the accessibility to the latter).

SMN... I think its in resurgence so you could just be one of the folks approached to take up the mantle, but I kinda just breezed through the SMN job quests and haven't really looked into the lore on it.

... Um... hope that helps? Blush

SessionZero · **02-26-2015, 10:36 AM**

(02-26-2015, 10:28 AM)Warren Castille Wrote: Summoner requires you to have obtained an ancient Allag soulstone (I believe, Summoners correct me on this if need be)

Nah, you just need to have attuned yourself somehow to the aetheric signature (essentially, I forget what they actually call it) of a primal, and then you can summon a smaller essence of that primal as an Egi, which is basically summoning a much, much, much weaker version of said primal.

Velaena · **02-26-2015, 11:13 AM**

(02-26-2015, 10:31 AM)Gegenji Wrote:
(02-26-2015, 10:05 AM)Velaena Wrote:
How do the job classes (SMN, SCH, BLM) play at higher levels?

How is healing on a console? I've heard it can be easier because of the D-pad, but also slower? Will it make a huge difference?

How are queue times for healers now?Â

How could I RP as any of the aforementioned classes?

I haven't played BLM beyond leveling it to 50 for the sake of completion, and SMN only hit 50 because it shares the same base class as SCH, but I'll answer what I can!

I wasn't aware that they levelled together? Though it makes sense since they both come from arcanist. Â If that's true could I level them both simultaneously while doing the Job quests for both?

Warren Castille · **02-26-2015, 11:14 AM**

(02-26-2015, 11:13 AM)Velaena Wrote: I wasn't aware that they levelled together? Though it makes sense since they both come from arcanist. Â If that's true could I level them both simultaneously while doing the Job quests for both?

Correct. CLASSES accumulate experience points. Jobs just use the class level with some bonuses.

Mae · **02-26-2015, 11:14 AM**

(02-26-2015, 10:05 AM)Velaena Wrote:
How is healing on a console? I've heard it can be easier because of the D-pad, but also slower? Will it make a huge difference?

How are queue times for healers now?Â

Console healing is considered 'slower' because you can't 'queue up' your next cast like you can on PC -- on PC, you have like 1/4-1/2 of a second before the global cooldown is over where you can hit your next cast and the system will accept the command and begin casting the same moment the global cooldown is over, whereas I understand on console you MUST wait for the global cooldown to finish before you can hit your next cast and the system will accept your next command. It's sort of the trade-off for the ease that's console/controller movements.

Basically:
PC: Â Cast spell --> global cooldown at .2 remaining, hit next spell --> global cooldown finishes, already casting next spell

Console: Cast spell --> global cooldown finishes --> hit next spell --> begin casting

As for queues, I don't endgame often (... almost ever...), but I know during the leveling grind your queue for dungeons is only limited to how often a tank queues. I think the longest I ever sat as a WHM was five minutes, because 'absolutely no tanks in queue, including Roulette'.

Flickering Ember · **02-26-2015, 11:18 AM**

What about bard bores you? Are the numbers not high/fast enough? Do you not like the animations? Is it the rotation? For me personally, rotation is most important. If it is for you too, you may want to stay away from BLM since it is pretty much just Fire spam AFAIK.

Gegenji · **02-26-2015, 11:19 AM**

(02-26-2015, 11:13 AM)Velaena Wrote:
(02-26-2015, 10:31 AM)Gegenji Wrote:
(02-26-2015, 10:05 AM)Velaena Wrote:
How do the job classes (SMN, SCH, BLM) play at higher levels?

How is healing on a console? I've heard it can be easier because of the D-pad, but also slower? Will it make a huge difference?

How are queue times for healers now?Â

How could I RP as any of the aforementioned classes?

I haven't played BLM beyond leveling it to 50 for the sake of completion, and SMN only hit 50 because it shares the same base class as SCH, but I'll answer what I can!
I wasn't aware that they levelled together? Though it makes sense since they both come from arcanist. Â If that's true could I level them both simultaneously while doing the Job quests for both?

Yup. The only downside is that they also share your extra point spread, so if you go all MIND, that's a few points you're missing in INT as SMN and vice versa. It's not a game-breaker (especially since the tomes to reset them are dirt cheap compared to what they used to be), but it's something to be aware of.

So, in a sense, you can level Arcanist, unlock the jobs and try out BOTH more or less at once if you want to try both sides of the fence on that one. Which in and of itself isn't a bad benefit!

You just need to make sure you have THM at 15 for SMN and CNJ at 15 for SCH. Thumbsup

Warren Castille · **02-26-2015, 11:31 AM**

(02-26-2015, 11:14 AM)Mae Wrote:
(02-26-2015, 10:05 AM)Velaena Wrote:
How is healing on a console? I've heard it can be easier because of the D-pad, but also slower? Will it make a huge difference?

How are queue times for healers now?Â

Console healing is considered 'slower' because you can't 'queue up' your next cast like you can on PC -- on PC, you have like 1/4-1/2 of a second before the global cooldown is over where you can hit your next cast and the system will accept the command and begin casting the same moment the global cooldown is over, whereas I understand on console you MUST wait for the global cooldown to finish before you can hit your next cast and the system will accept your next command. It's sort of the trade-off for the ease that's console/controller movements.

Basically:
PC: Â Cast spell --> global cooldown at .2 remaining, hit next spell --> global cooldown finishes, already casting next spell

Console: Cast spell --> global cooldown finishes --> hit next spell --> begin casting

As for queues, I don't endgame often (... almost ever...), but I know during the leveling grind your queue for dungeons is only limited to how often a tank queues. I think the longest I ever sat as a WHM was five minutes, because 'absolutely no tanks in queue, including Roulette'.

To my knowledge, it's targeting that specifically causes problems. The buffering issue you're talking about is only present when using macros. It wasn't present on the PS3, anyway.

A mouse/KB healer can click the nameplate in their party list, click heal, then retarget a boss. A controller healer has to use the dpad to select their tank manually, cast heal, then toggle back to whatever they were targeting before.

Think of it like this:

PC healer needs to heal Party Member 1. They click that nameplate and press a heal. While doing that, Party Member 5 took damage. They click that nameplate and press a heal. Then, Aero wears off of the boss. They click the boss (or PM 5's target) and press Aero.

click > button > click > button > click > button

In the same situation...

Party Member 1 takes damage. Controller healer presses down on the dpad once to select the player and presses a heal. Then they press down four more times to select Party Member 5. Then they press left/right on the dpad to retarget the boss.

dpad > button > down > down > down > down > button > right > right> right > button

PC takes one click/action. Controller takes exponentially more depending on who does what.

On that note, it is possible to set up custom filters for targeting that will allow you to break some of those button presses, but they take time to set up and become familiar with. Eventually it becomes muscle memory, but initially, it will take practice.

Velaena · **02-26-2015, 12:06 PM**

(02-26-2015, 11:18 AM)Flickering Ember Wrote: What about bard bores you? Are the numbers not high/fast enough? Do you not like the animations? Is it the rotation? For me personally, rotation is most important. If it is for you too, you may want to stay away from BLM since it is pretty much just Fire spam AFAIK.

Whilst I love the class itself, there just isn't any variety in it. Which can be true for almost all the classes. Most of it though is the queue times for the Duty Finder. I had to wait an hour to do a dungeon that was part of the main story (though I ended up chilling in the Gold Saucer for a while). I want to be able to go through content quickly so I can be up to date for the expansion, and since I'm not in an FC there are no static parties or anything.Â

What I like about the SMN and SCH is that they have an element of variety. SMN has the Egi's and SCH have their fairies.Â

As a side note, my Chocobo+Carbuncle is letting me blaze through stuff. I love that I can have two pets essentially.

Warren Castille · **02-26-2015, 12:15 PM**

(02-26-2015, 12:06 PM)Velaena Wrote:
(02-26-2015, 11:18 AM)Flickering Ember Wrote: What about bard bores you? Are the numbers not high/fast enough? Do you not like the animations? Is it the rotation? For me personally, rotation is most important. If it is for you too, you may want to stay away from BLM since it is pretty much just Fire spam AFAIK.
Whilst I love the class itself, there just isn't any variety in it. Which can be true for almost all the classes. Most of it though is the queue times for the Duty Finder. I had to wait an hour to do a dungeon that was part of the main story (though I ended up chilling in the Gold Saucer for a while). I want to be able to go through content quickly so I can be up to date for the expansion, and since I'm not in an FC there are no static parties or anything.Â

What I like about the SMN and SCH is that they have an element of variety. SMN has the Egi's and SCH have their fairies.Â

As a side note, my Chocobo+Carbuncle is letting me blaze through stuff. I love that I can have two pets essentially.

This was post-2.51? Depending on where you are in the story, it might be slow just because nobody is doing low roulettes given the big content patch just now.

Gegenji · **02-26-2015, 12:36 PM**

(02-26-2015, 12:06 PM)Velaena Wrote: As a side note, my Chocobo+Carbuncle is letting me blaze through stuff. I love that I can have two pets essentially.

That's actually one of my favorite parts of the ACN class. My have a DPS Chocobo, so with me tanking/DPSing and my fairy healing... I'm a three man team all by myself. I would think you could probably do the same in SMN, but you'd probably want to spec your burd for healin'.

Velaena · **02-26-2015, 12:41 PM**

(02-26-2015, 11:18 AM)Flickering Ember Wrote: What about bard bores you? Are the numbers not high/fast enough? Do you not like the animations? Is it the rotation? For me personally, rotation is most important. If it is for you too, you may want to stay away from BLM since it is pretty much just Fire spam AFAIK.

(02-26-2015, 12:15 PM)Warren Castille Wrote:
(02-26-2015, 12:06 PM)Velaena Wrote:
(02-26-2015, 11:18 AM)Flickering Ember Wrote: What about bard bores you? Are the numbers not high/fast enough? Do you not like the animations? Is it the rotation? For me personally, rotation is most important. If it is for you too, you may want to stay away from BLM since it is pretty much just Fire spam AFAIK.
Whilst I love the class itself, there just isn't any variety in it. Which can be true for almost all the classes. Most of it though is the queue times for the Duty Finder. I had to wait an hour to do a dungeon that was part of the main story (though I ended up chilling in the Gold Saucer for a while). I want to be able to go through content quickly so I can be up to date for the expansion, and since I'm not in an FC there are no static parties or anything.Â

What I like about the SMN and SCH is that they have an element of variety. SMN has the Egi's and SCH have their fairies.Â

As a side note, my Chocobo+Carbuncle is letting me blaze through stuff. I love that I can have two pets essentially.

This was post-2.51? Depending on where you are in the story, it might be slow just because nobody is doing low roulettes given the big content patch just now.

It was definitely pre-2.51! haha! I'm really not that far into the story yet. I haven't even battled Titan. Though my experience with queue times is that they're must faster during the day (GMT) than they are in the evening because of the time difference. Like, at 12 noon a queue might take me 15 mins, as opposed to an hour at about 10:00pm. It's just how things are right now, but I really want to be able to get through the content quicker.

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