[sefaen]

I've returned to FFXI and started leveling a NIN/WAR. I stack evasion, but notice that even without my evasion gear on it seems like I still dodge just as often. I asked my linkshell and was told that it does not matter if I stack more evasion, because I can't go beyond the skill cap which I am at. I checked online, and most of the information I found was on forums like this one, and comments about items on Allakhazam. Every discussion about it seemed split on the issue.

Some said, as my linkshell did, that it was pointless. Others said that it did add to your evasion, but had diminishing returns. Then there are even more debates as to whether it's +Evasion Skill or +Evasion that can go beyond the cap. However, most of the information I found online was a little old, so hopefully by now there is a consensus on the matter.

So my question should be obvious. Can you go past the skill cap. Not just for evasion, but for any of the Combat Skills.

[treelo]

Yes, merit points and equipment will break the cap and continue giving you increased performance. As far as evasion goes, check here, just bring a calculator.

[TresDuendes]

inb4'd

[Subadai]

No matter how much evasion you pile on, whether evasion skill or otherwise, you simply will not evade very much fighting IT++ mobs while leveling up. Pile on acc and atk gear instead and your evasion while rise to 100% when the mob lies dead at your feet.

[Argettio]

Adding evasion has a minor effect on your evasion rate.

In the same way as adding accuracy has a minor effect on your hit rate.

Things like this can't be measure 'by eye', you need to parse and check your exact evade rate.

As for EXPing on NIN, then you probably need to be more aggressive, gearing for haste and acc and attack.

[Shamaya]

Yeah you're probably just fighting something where your evasion will be floored whether you have a little bit of evasion on or not (IT+, HNM). If you're fighting things in the EM-VT range and noticing nothing from stacking high amounts of evasion, that is strange. You will notice increases.

There is no such proven thing as your evade rate having a "cap" based on your evasion skill. This is all just old theory that people have been throwing around for years, but it's probably more likely the case that 1 evasion skill = 0.9 evasion past 200 skill, ie slightly worse than a single point of evasion--and nothing more.