[Final Fantasy XI] I don’t know what Square Enix’s plan is with doing this, but this appears to be an attempt to balance both Ninja and Ranger in the next update. The Ninja will now lose hate as they lose their blink shadows, and Ranger will now have its ranged attacks damage and accuracy vary with distance, also damage will be reduced when using ranged attacks against mobs of much higher level. The Ranger change makes sense, as they are very overpowered to begin with, and this brings ranged attacks in line with the way that melee damage is dealt. With Ninja, I am wondering if they are trying to reduce the use of Ninja as a tank. When Ninja was introduced as a class they were supposed to be a damage dealing class, but players started using their blink shadows to make the Ninja a tanking class. I am wondering how much the lose of hate will affect Ninja as a tanking class, if this is an attempt to kill them as a tanking class or to make paladin or even warrior or samurai as a viable tanking class.
We will see when the update is available.
Here is the information:
Changes to Utsusemi and Ranged Attacks
The next version update will make battle more strategic for players who use Utsusemi or ranged attacks.
*Changes to the ninjutsu “Utsusemi”
In the next update, the player’s enmity will decrease when a shadow image created by Utsusemi is absorbed by an attack.
*Changes to Ranged Attacks
Soon, the distance of the monster from the player will determine the damage and accuracy of ranged attacks. This determination will vary from weapon to weapon, as will the ideal distance for maximum damage. In addition, the higher the monster’s level is with regard to the player, the less damage will be dealt with a ranged attack. This system is similar to that of melee attacks, but the difference in damage will not be as great.
A score of new material and exciting new improvements awaits in the next version update in mid-July, so keep checking this site for details as the time approaches!
Appropriated from the FINAL FANTASY XI Development Team webpage.
Edit: Additional Thoughts:
After thinking about this for a little while I have come up with this:
Ninja - SE is attempting to make Ninja in line with Paladins when it comes to hate. Every time a character is hit buy a mob it loses a definite amount of hate, but before when a mob hit one of a ninja’s shadows the Ninja did not lose hate. This would advantage Ninjas over Paladins in maintaining hate just because of game programing. The effect will be that Ninjas will be required to use all of their ninjitsu to maintain hate on the mob. This will advantage good Ninja’s over those that just get Utsusemi and dont use any of the other Ninja spells. I am for anything that advantages good players over those that don’t take their job seriously.
Ranger - Based on the assumption that optimal ranged distance will be outside of melee distance, I believe that we will now see two kinds of rangers.
1) Damage Rangers. These will be rangers that will switch their sub to /WAR and will stay outside of melee range and will just fire off endless numbers of arrows doing alot of damage.
2) TP Rangers. These will be rangers that will keep /NIN are their sub and will stay in melee range and time attacks and arrow shots, then move out to optimal range and fire off their WS.
I think it is great for all players while still giving Rangers lot of options.
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