[Alias_01]

"This means that players will now be able to participate in various battlefields, Assault missions, and Ballista..."

Hmmm. Do you guys think this will have a significant effect on Ballista?

[Furion]

75 gear in 30cap?

[pathwriter]

Depends on how it gets implemented, I think. Suppose you've got a Dark Knight with Apocalypse. Would the Catastrophe WS that is attached to it be removed? Obviously the DMG will be scaled down and probably the other effects, but having access to Catastrophe seems both really broken at level 30 but also pretty disappointing if you can't use it. Time will tell, but being able to pare down on extra sets of gear is never a bad thing.

[Skyrin]

With a little effort from the ballista community I believe this change can revive ballista. People can effortlessly participate in all caps and thus the freedom to just go to an active ballista match is greatly increased

[Angel of Enders]

I actually doubt it's gonna do anything to revive Ballista (not that I even play the game anymore to begin with). From what I've come to understand, only difference between a normal level cap and a level sync cap is you get to keep your armor on, however the stats are either reduced (DMG, DEF, HP, MP, Status Effects, Accuracy+, Attack+, Ranged Accuracy+, Ranged Attack+, Magic Accuracy+, and Magic Attack+) or downright negated (evasion, Enmity, enchantments and ability bonuses) . Which means in most cases, you'd be better off using the appropriately leveled gear anyway.

Upside maybe is that you don't have to worry about that Samurai coming without a weapon because he thought uncaps were happening when it was a 60 cap. However his Hagun ain't gonna do shit for your team unless it's uncapped.

I don't think not having the appropriate gear or lack of gear, although definitely a factor, is one of the big reasons why most people get turned off from Ballista since it used to have a better turnout server wide regardless before certain patches and expansions killed people's interest.

[Shinsei]

the stats that get toned down are still "scaled" with accordance to level. So even then, it's not all that bad

the only thing that stands out in 60cap is hauby+1, byrnie+1, (stat wise) most other shit arent that high in stats

[Aluvien]

No more freakin excuses to not join Ballista now, srsly.
I know for sure that the main excuse for people not joining was "meh I don't have capped gear", now you DON'T even need capped gear, so get yer asses to Jugner and let's fight! >:|

[Alias_01]

Even so, God equipment, notably Kabuto and Osode, will still have high stats, despite the attribute reduction because if the reduction formula is proportional to level, then Lv75 to Lv60 isn't that huge of a difference, as opposed to Lv75 to Lv10.

The option of using God gear for 60 cap will strengthen several jobs, primarily MNKs and RNGs because they'll be able to make best usage of these items.

[Cream Soda]

I actually doubt it's gonna do anything to revive Ballista (not that I even play the game anymore to begin with). From what I've come to understand, only difference between a normal level cap and a level sync cap is you get to keep your armor on, however the stats are either reduced (DMG, DEF, HP, MP, Status Effects, Accuracy+, Attack+, Ranged Accuracy+, Ranged Attack+, Magic Accuracy+, and Magic Attack+) or downright negated (evasion, Enmity, enchantments and ability bonuses) . Which means in most cases, you'd be better off using the appropriately leveled gear anyway.

Yea, pretty much by this, full AF+1 in 60 cap would be less effective than regular AF (at least in monk's case because you'll lose all the enhances on it)

[Redd7x7]

I doubt this will have an adverse effect on people participating. If anything, it should boost non-75 cap participation. There is really no excuse now about the gear issue since it is essentially the breaking for most people.

Does it honestly matter about gear stats being reduce/removed? Not one bit.

Participation is the most important thing in an age where Ballista is just about dead. I long for the days of 30 cap even if the reduced gear gives the bare minimum of only DEF with weapons being scaled level-wise for DMG. Those who are taking the game way too seriously can carry five different sets of gear for each Ballista cap if they want. The rest of us will just enjoy playing Ballista all day like in the past (/PipeDream ON). Anyone who has done lower cap Ballistas extensively knows that gear means next to nothing (though Soboro at Lv50 would be in its own class).

[pathwriter]

I'd be able to enjoy FFXI's PvP a lot more if I could use all the gear-swapping that is integral to the rest of FFXI. I find it obnoxious in a game like WoW where I can't change anything except my weapon on the fly (which ironically doesn't penalize you in that game), but since I can't change my pants mid-fight regardless of whether I'm fighting a monster or a player, it makes sense. Since FFXI centers around gear-swapping for all non-PvP content (read: 99.99999% of the game)... it's just irritating.

[Redd7x7]

We'll have to wait another four years before SE's programming team can fix the loss of target when gear is changed (something as simple as the Blinkmenot windower plug-in). Until then we just have try to make do. After a while though, gear swaps in Ballista don't seem to matter so much.

After even a longer time period, there becomes a certain strategic element involved to gearing for battle. While it's easy to have an optimal set of gear for TP gain, WS gear, nuking gear, enfeebling gear, etc., it's very difficult to find the right balance of gear to meet all circumstances. It's odd to think, I know, but I think not allowing gear swaps forces players to work with a limited amount of tools so that the person with the best gear isn't always rewarded. Instead, the person who makes the best of a limited amount of tools can get an edge. An example is SAM/RNG, where most people wrongly gear SAM/RNG to mimic a RNG with a potent form of Meditate. Few gear it right to the extent that GK WS can average 700-800 damage (on par with SAM/WAR) with Sidewinder's damage not far behind while still maintaining an extremely good hit rate. Getting the right set up usually frustrates most players, it took me quiet a while to actually figure out my optimal set up. On my server for instance, I am the only one who plays SAM/RNG and we have quiet a few SAM players.

Most importantly, Ballista should be based on skill, not who has the best and hottest gear -- just the way I like it.

[Auraeon]

I'd be able to enjoy FFXI's PvP a lot more if I could use all the gear-swapping that is integral to the rest of FFXI. I find it obnoxious in a game like WoW where I can't change anything except my weapon on the fly (which ironically doesn't penalize you in that game), but since I can't change my pants mid-fight regardless of whether I'm fighting a monster or a player, it makes sense. Since FFXI centers around gear-swapping for all non-PvP content (read: 99.99999% of the game)... it's just irritating.

I agree, but the thing is... Players lose their lock-on when their targeted player changes gear. Back when you were allowed to change gear in Ballista, people would just spam equipment swaps to basically stay invisible to people with slow connections or slow computers, and even if someone targeted that person, they're immediately lose the target on the next gear swap.

That was broken. It fixed a lot of the cheating that went on in PvP. Unfortunately people still like to run around you in circles so you can't WS or ranged attack them, because apparently they have to cheat to win.


*edit*
Redd beat me to it, kinda.

[Saxonian]

Just as a start, SE should let people change accessories freely, so you don't blink, but still have at least small room for situational gear.

[Mrs. Coejus]

That was broken. It fixed a lot of the cheating that went on in PvP. Unfortunately people still like to run around you in circles so you can't WS or ranged attack them, because apparently they have to cheat to win.

How exactly is that cheating? Unlike the gear swapping 'blink' trick, having to be at the right angle and distance from an enemy in order to WS was intended by SE. If anything, its lame to expect a person to stand there and let you WS them when they can 'dodge' you, buying more time for them to get TP.

[Cream Soda]

Its not cheating per se, but it is cheap. The fact is, not everyone has the same connection speed, so trying to constantly turn to face someone and your game lagging vs the server, it can be very difficult to WS someone because by the time you face them, they've turned on the server, but not on your screen yet.

[Aeonknight]

Just as a start, SE should let people change accessories freely, so you don't blink, but still have at least small room for situational gear.

I disagree. Part of the balance in gear selection for ballista (it's balanced in it's own way. shut up!) is that you have to choose between full offense, full defense, or a mix.

A BLM or RDM that could swap between all their offensive gear (including staves) for each spell but then swap to full defense the second an angry MNK looks their way would be unfair towards other jobs that don't have as big a boost in performance gained from gear swapping.

Or a PLD that just so happens to be carrying their magic dmg reduction gear, their defensive gear (shield+), and their offensive gear, would also become a hell of a lot stronger.


Although it would be fun to allow macro swapping to put each job at the peak of it's performance, it takes away the balancing effect (or nerfing effect if you wanna go that far) that the choice of offense or defense forces. Just my 2 cents.

edit: lol it's called magic dmg reduction.. not magic defense reduction

[Cream Soda]

Also, i'd be able to go full HP for 2k+ on mnk then when i drop down to 1.6k, swap to defense gear, ect.

[Saxonian]

I don't actually play Ballista that much, & neither do I have specific Ballista gear. I was just throwing out ideas, but what Aeon said, is right. ._.;

[Jormungand]

SE's walking a fine line with this. If they implemented it correctly nothing should go wrong, but the touch and go method they have with just throwing new content out and correcting it later gives room for concern.

They'll be no more no equipment excuses anymore though, plenty of reason to get out there and do some ballista...maybe get a touch of nostalgia while you're at it. Ahhh....sweet memories.