Shortcuts:
Shadower = shad
Assassinate = nate
Dark Sight = DS
Boomerang Step = BS
Meso Explosion = ME
Smoke screen = smoke
To preface this post, I think the improvement on BS for shads is big plus and make shads a viable cleaver/mobber. However, I think the lack of dps is still a big concern for shads entering into single target bossing. Below are a few suggestions that I think will make shads a more viable class when bossing.
1, (QoL improvement) Allow macros to be used with Dark Sight turned on.
2. (DPS improvement) Add additional 2-3 lines/hits for nate
Specifically, add 2-3 lines similar to the first 3 lines of nate, while keeping the final hit as is. Such that nate is 5-6 +1 hitting skill.
4. (slightly crazy utility improvement) Add damage buff onto smokescreen aside from invincibility to party members that are within the smokescreen
5. (Utility improvement) Allow smokescreen to cover party members within from seduce and debuffs
I hope suggestion 1 is accepted as it is just a QoL for shads (and NL/NW).
For suggestion 2 and 3, I think only one should be implemented, but I do prefer suggestion 2 more as it might be more well received by other players as there is no meso littering in boss maps.
Suggestion 4 is just sort of a fun idea to make party bossing more like a party.
Suggestion 5 can be considered as well.
Thank you for reading and let me know if you need further clarifications/ information.
-Jinstab (Shadower)
aka stabby
#shadpride
Shadower = shad
Assassinate = nate
Dark Sight = DS
Boomerang Step = BS
Meso Explosion = ME
Smoke screen = smoke
To preface this post, I think the improvement on BS for shads is big plus and make shads a viable cleaver/mobber. However, I think the lack of dps is still a big concern for shads entering into single target bossing. Below are a few suggestions that I think will make shads a more viable class when bossing.
1, (QoL improvement) Allow macros to be used with Dark Sight turned on.
For two reasons:
1. As nate charges up within dark sight, currently dark sight needs to be cancelled before being able to buff which makes charging nate a hassle
2. Attack skills on their own is supposed to cancel DS, but if the attack skill is in a macro, it is unable to perform the attack when DS is active. Shads are heavy users of macro to stack BS with other skills, so I think this improvement might be good.
2. (DPS improvement) Add additional 2-3 lines/hits for nate
Specifically, add 2-3 lines similar to the first 3 lines of nate, while keeping the final hit as is. Such that nate is 5-6 +1 hitting skill.
Currently nate might be a challenging bossing skill to use as it requires DS to be active, and the attack range is really short such that shads need to stand right in front of the boss to hit it with nate. As such, shads (while with meso guard and shifter) are at a higher risk of being hit by physical damage from boss while the damage output is (significantly) lower than the ranged counter parts. As such, I think that adding more damage output for nate can justify the risk for shads to be up close to the bosses while also make shad a more viable bosser on the server.
While I understand that adding additional lines on to a bossing skill might seem to be an over-powered improvement, but nate is unaffected by Sharp Eyes (other than final hit), which makes this improvement not too overpowered that it can overtake Night Lords as Single target DPSers.
3. (DPS Improvement alternative) Making ME scale with range as wellAn aspect of Chief Bandits is their Meso Explosion which allows them to boss despite the lack of damage from their skills. But this advantage ends around 4th job as the damage output is not significant enough to justify the littering of mesos (with pick pocket active) on the boss arena. Currently ME’s damage is a result of the mesos dropped* which is significant for 3rd job but not really in 4th job. I think to make sure ME is not OP at 3rd job or too weak at 4th job, I would suggest that ME’s damage should be a factor of mesos dropped and the range of the shad. As such this will allow ME’s damage to scale accordingly into 4th job as the higher range in 4th job allow higher ME damage making it viables till late game.
I think ME (and pick pocket) is a unique mechanic of Chief Bandits/shad which is kind of sad to see being completely unused as it does not contribute much to bossing.
*Technically ME’s damage calculation also depends on the number of mesos sack/stack on the floor, but a stack (with more mesos) deals more damage than a meso stack (less mesos). Therefore, I roughly generalised that ME is based on mesos
4. (slightly crazy utility improvement) Add damage buff onto smokescreen aside from invincibility to party members that are within the smokescreen
I do agree this might be a bit crazy of a suggestion, but I do think it does add a fun element to shad’s unique party utility – smoke screen. While smoke is useful for protecting team mates, when it comes to bossing, the smoke can either cover the melee in front of the boss or farther away to cover to ranged dps. And I do sometimes see ranged dps rather stay farther away (out of smoke) than to be within the smoke as auto-potions and high avoid/HP makes smoke not really useful for them. As such, I think if smoke adds a percentage damage (e.g., 10/20% - 50% damage) improvement, it will make all the party members want to be inside the smokes which makes it a more useful skill for the party. Additionally, this buff is only valid for the duration of the smoke and requires cooldown, so it does not make it too OP, but does allow a short period of burst dps which makes bossing slightly more interesting. It also allow players to put into consideration of how the shads should be placed in the party make up for expedition > 6 people.
5. (Utility improvement) Allow smokescreen to cover party members within from seduce and debuffs
this might be a more practical use of smoke as is actually useful for all party members and would encourage party members to run into smoke to avoid seduce/debuff. It also makes smoking a more skill-based usage instead as it requires some timing and hp awareness of bosses (HT/CHT) of mass seduce which can be countered by smoke.
I hope suggestion 1 is accepted as it is just a QoL for shads (and NL/NW).
For suggestion 2 and 3, I think only one should be implemented, but I do prefer suggestion 2 more as it might be more well received by other players as there is no meso littering in boss maps.
Suggestion 4 is just sort of a fun idea to make party bossing more like a party.
Suggestion 5 can be considered as well.
Thank you for reading and let me know if you need further clarifications/ information.
-Jinstab (Shadower)
aka stabby
#shadpride
Last edited:
