Elemental Weapon Skills Scaling Function Audit

[Butsuon]

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Elemental Weapon Skills Suck

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New Discoveries

After a little retail testing, the formula for elemental weapon skills does not appear include weapon damage.

Thus, the following formula provided by Motenten years ago is likely accurate

fLvl =
-- (PlayerLevel + 1) * 1.5 + 2
fILvl =
-- for iLvl weapons: (WeaponLevel - 99) * 2.45
-- otherwise 0
dStat = dInt or dAgi or whatever, per weaponskill; some do not have any dStat
mDmg = Magic Damage
WSC = WSC for weaponskill

Damage = (fLvl + fILvl + WSC) * fTP + dStat + mDmg

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Much of the function of magic weapon skills on LSB are operating under the assumption that "they're spells, so just code them like spells."

After doing a fair amount of googling and digging into forums, I can't find anything resembling genuine testing for elemental weapon skills. The most I can find is commetary about the Abyssea Lights system, but not anything conclusive about what works/doesn't work and to what effect. To my knowledge, the following questions remain unanswered:

1. dSTAT variable - dINT? What about Shining Strike/Seraph Strike, are they dMND? Leaden Salute is AGI v INT, that's weird right?

2. fSTR - If a WS doesn't have a STR WSC, does it still gain base damage from Strength? (Gust Slash, Blade: To, etc)
   2a) If it does have a STR WSC, does it also get a bonus from fSTR in addition?

3. ATK vs. M.ATK - We know they benefit from m.atk, but do they benefit from ATK or have any M.ATK bonuses?

4. Magic Accuracy - The first hit of physical WS have an accuracy bonus. Do elemental WS have a m.acc bonus?

5. Level Correction - If they do not gain a magic accuracy bonus (4), do they get level corrected like a normal spell? Do they "punch down" like physical attacks?

6. TP Return - They're spells, not attacks, right? How does Store TP function when hitting with an elemental WS?

7. Multi-attacks - Do double/triple/OAT weapons work?

7a) Dual Wielding - Do you get an offhand hit? Does it add offhand base damage to mainhand damage? Does DW do anything at all?

8. Magic Critical Hits - Do they benefit from Magic Crit 1, or both Magic Crit 1 and 2?

9. Misc Questions - Is there a level potency variable? Why do elemental weapon skills seem "better" in ilevel gear? Potency multipliers like Ebullience?

tl;dr - It's not IF they suck, it's WHY they suck.

If Winter sees this, maybe he has some old logs of elemental weapon skills he can add here for reference material.

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PROJECT TO-DO LIST - From easiest to hardest -

If you complete ANY of these, just post a comment and I'll update this for future testers.

1. TP Return on Elemental WS

Be a samurai, use an elemental WS, record your TP return --> Don't be a samurai, use an elemental WS, and record your TP return

2. fSTR Investigation for Non-STR WSC Weapon Skills(Daggers, Katanas, Marksmanship - Primal Rend [Axe], Herculean Slash [Great Sword])

• Use a non-ilevel weapon
• Choose a target you are NOT already fSTR capped against
• Choose a target that is ELEMENT RESISTANCE NEUTRAL (100%) and
• has NO BONUS M.DEF and MDT (Spiders for Wind)

Increase or decrease your strength significantly, use a weapon skill, record your attributes and damage on each use.

3. ATK vs. M.ATK

While keeping your attributes the same, gain large volumes of ATK (Berserk, Minuet, Red Curry Bun, etc) and M.ATK, use weapon skills, and record your results. NOTE: Food buffs like Red Curry Buns grant STR - reduce your STR to compensate.

4. Multi-attacks and Dual Wield

Be a WAR or job with high amounts of Double/Triple Attack --> use a single-hit, purely elemental WS like Gust Slash on a target that would survive the first hit. Check your multi-attack chance before recording.

Be NIN, sub /NIN, or have native dual wield --> use an elemental WS on a target that would survive the first hit.

5. Magic Accuracy

• Locate monsters that do not have level correction and are significantly higher level (e.g. 119+ monsters)
• Choose monsters with NEUTRAL (100%), CRITICAL WEAK (150%) and RESISTANT(50%) elemental resistance values ( https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1YBoveP-weMdidrirY-vPDzHyxbEI2ryECINlfCnFkLI/edit?usp=sharing -- Use the EEM/SDT table) NOTE:
• Choose a target of sufficient level that your expected resist rate is meaningful (25% or more of attempts will resist)
• Determine your approximate maximum hit damage against your current target (e.g. fully unresisted Gust Slash does 1000)
• Do not use trusts that apply debuffs such as Threnody, Ninjutsu, or Rayke
• Do not close skillchains (it is currently unknown if magical weapon skills are effected by the ERR Reduction for Magic Bursts)

EDIT - Still adding more to the to do list, be back later. If you finish one of these, leave a comment and I'll update this

[fabianoffxi]

4: their base macc comes purely from skill .
lets say corsair. marksmanship B skill = decent hitrate up to even Match after that they start to resist and allmost no way to increase hitrate apart from a few macc options ( +12 in toau era) .

does int increase ele ws macc ?

https://wiki.ffo.jp/html/21103.html#google_vignette

[Butsuon]

4: their base macc comes purely from skill . lets say corsair. marksmanship B skill = decent hitrate up to even Match after that they start to resist and allmost no way to increase hitrate apart from a few macc options ( +12 in toau era) .

does int increase ele ws macc ?

https://wiki.ffo.jp/html/21103.html#google_vignette

It's obvious that if your skill is low or your targets level is far above yours that your resist rate would be high. None of that commentary is evidence of what the skill's magic accuracy actually is or how it scales. For spells, a +100 magic accuracy bonus would still show you resists against very high level targets with level correction.

Forum posts and wiki articles, even on the generally more trustworthy JP wiki, that don't have context or direct evidence are not valuable.

Get on retail, hit stuff with an elemental WS of your choice, and log your results and the gear you use. Hit something that can actually resist you!

[Butsuon]

Still updating the OP with the TODO list. Some of these are very easy questions to answer, so if anyone does one real quick, send a comment and I'll update this ASAP.

[Butsuon]

https://www.bluegartr.com/threads/121610-Rehauled-Weapon-Skills-tier-lists?p=6145229&viewfull=1#post6145229

in 2014, Motenten tested Shining Strike and found a character-level scaler and an equipped ilevel scaler

[Butsuon]

Updated the OP. Based on retail testing, Motenten's formula from the above forum thread appears to be accurate.

Seraph blade with D1: 318
Seraph Blade with D44: 304

Repeated uses fall in line with this, meaning that on retail today your weapon damage is substituted with a character and/or ilevel formula for elemental weapon skills.