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A guide to be a thiefFollow

#1 Jan 16 2004 at 9:40 AM Rating: Good
Okay..i am posting this because there are only extremely rare amount of American Thief players in this game, and thief is such a wonderful and powerful MJ and SJ. however, in my opinion, thief is one of the most difficult job to master.

The strengh of Thief is depending on his Sneak+ Trick Attack, and the damage can be 20-30 times more powerful than his normal dagger/sword attack. ie: normal attack :15-20 but 1 successful Sneak + Trick can do 300+.And it's every 1 minute ^^
In addition, the most exciting part of Sneak + Trick attack is...you can combine a non elemental Weapon Skill with it. WOW. which means you can do 300+ damage and 150-300 additional damge in a successful skill chain. thats a total of 500 damage +. ie: Viper Bite. Fast Blade. ALL THESE NEED MACRO

I understand it is so simple to say, but to master it is very very difficult. the most important part is to have an excellent tank (galka war or any race pld) who can hold agro, and a smart secondary provoker.
this is the way how i do it: i am a thief/nin, cool double wield and utsusemi ichi is a must for a puller.
first i indicate the mob i am going to pull with my macro.
second. i trigger my Sneak + Trick with my macro.
third. see my boommerang miss 9/10 times and run to my camp.
fourth. THE SECONDARY TANK PROVOKE
fifth. SNEAK + TRICK BEHIND THE MAIN TANK
sixth. MAIN PROVOKE. run behind the 2ndary tank. (* key to unlock target and click "down" with third person view when the mob is facing your way, so you dont' waste your special.)
this way. the main tank will have the agro almost always.
also by the time your TP is around 100, the TP of the secondary tp is around 110-120 and Sneak+ Trick can be used again with your WS.
Believe me, a 300-400 dmg will be done, and 150-300 distortion will be done if you chain with power slash , double thrust etc.
the MB done by the black mages will be amazing, and the mob dies almost instantly.

This might be hard to handle in the begining. but you'll feel fun doing it after a couple times. good luck and dont' give up the game :D
if you have macro problems just msg me ~~~
iamblue
lv 52 thief/nin
unicorn


#2 Jan 16 2004 at 9:49 AM Rating: Excellent
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8,507 posts
In my experience, there's an awful lot of tanks out there who do not have any clue as to how even Sneak Attack works. I dread having to explain Trick Attack too. Granted...this is like preaching to the choir. Most people reading/posting these boards have a pretty good understanding of all the FFXI jobs and at least their primary functions.
#3 Jan 16 2004 at 10:08 AM Rating: Decent
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4,148 posts
I agree at least the people on this board care enough about their game to learn how to play more efficiently.

I just need some help setting up my macro's to stack sneak + ws and sneak + trick + ws ... it's lovely how much damage you can do as a lowly thief
#4 Jan 16 2004 at 10:14 AM Rating: Good
my macro:
ctl:1 /p Target>><t>ok???
ctl:2 /p Boommerang <t>
/shoot <t>
ctl:3:/p Sneak Attack <t>
/ja "Sneak Attack" <me>
/wait 2
/ja "Trick Attack" <me>
ctl:4 /p Viper Bite <t>
/ja "Sneak Attack" <me>
/wait 2
/ja "Trick Attack" <me>
/wait 1
/ws "Viper Bite" <t>
Ctl:0 /p #2 Viper Vite TP <tp>
ctl:9 /p Viper Bite <tp> Ready to start skill chain <call1>



Edited, Fri Jan 16 10:18:46 2004 by iamblue
#5 Jan 16 2004 at 10:32 AM Rating: Decent
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4,148 posts
Hey thank you ... i was trying /ja "Sneak Attack" <t> instead of <me>
#6 Jan 16 2004 at 10:34 AM Rating: Good
25 posts
Quote:
My macro:
 
CTRL1 /p Target >> <t> ok??? 
 
CTRL2 /p Boommerang <t> 
      /shoot <t> 
 
CTRL3 /p Sneak Attack <t> 
      /ja "Sneak Attack" <me> 
      /wait 2 
      /ja "Trick Attack" <me> 
 
CTRL4 /p Viper Bite <t> 
      /ja "Sneak Attack" <me> 
      /wait 2 
      /ja "Trick Attack" <me> 
      /wait 1 
      /ws "Viper Bite" <t> 
 
CTRL0 /p #2 Viper Vite TP <tp> 
 
CTRL9 /p Viper Bite <tp> Ready to start skill chain <call1>



Just tryin to make it easier for others to read, as I had a bit of a time trying to make it out quickly.

Anyway, I'm sure this will come in handy for me soon :).
#7 Jan 16 2004 at 10:40 AM Rating: Excellent
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8,507 posts
Here's one for the Under 30 crowd:

Alt 2:
/p Executing Sneak Attack + Fast Blade in 3 seconds <call14>
/wait 1
/ja "Sneak Attack" <me>
/wait 2
/ws "Fast Blade" <t>


Useful to remember that the only WS that stack with Sneak Attack/Trick Attack are Combo and FastBlade. That is until you reach 33 and get ViperBite.
#8 Jan 16 2004 at 10:41 AM Rating: Decent
by the way.....the crazies macro i have seen is a lv 50war/thief
rank 10 japanese.
his macro involves ARMOR CHANGING.
ie:
berserker>sneak attack>then he changes armor (for more attacking power) > weapon skill "shield break"

btw the macro of armor changing is /equip

i hope everyone will get used to the game and the chain skills.
in my link shell we have lv 75 drk/thief and his gears are over 8million gils....
he said, his character goes up 10 levels, he spends 1 whole month making the money to get all the necessary gears and spells.
after he gets his SJ, he maxs it out so his SJ is at half of his MJ. ^^ therefore guys.dont rush to level, it's like a high lv rdm without dispel~~~ or high lv whm without protectra III.



Edited, Fri Jan 16 10:47:29 2004 by iamblue

Edited, Fri Jan 16 10:51:04 2004 by iamblue
#9 Jan 16 2004 at 2:38 PM Rating: Decent
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1,031 posts
As a thief I've noticed that sometimes my WS doesn't pull off with SA, e.g. I use my macro but I do a normal attack before my WS and lose all the extra damage. Any reasons? My macro is set up like the one mentioned earlier for an under-30 thief.
#10 Jan 16 2004 at 2:55 PM Rating: Good
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8,507 posts
SA only stacks with certain WS's. Until level 33, you have to either use FastBlade or Combo, which means you'll be either going hand-to-hand, or swinging a sword.

The method I've seen most often, and one that I use myself:
Carry a sword and a dagger..2 reasons:
1.)Use your sword to combo FastBlade + SA
2.)Use your dagger once you've maxed your sword skill for that level to keep your dagger skill up. (Pretty important if you want to have Viper Bite at 33)
#11 Jan 16 2004 at 3:35 PM Rating: Decent
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411 posts
Ahhh... a thread I can relate too. I do notice people just DONT UNDERSTAND trick attack (especially the combo).

lotsa people understand sneak, but im sick of those retards who run around in circles in battle. Running around like a moron costs a lot of loss for damage.

as for those macros, i have all the same ones, but just /wait 1 inbetween each ability.

In some cram-packed place (ie - crawlers nest/qufim), I notice a slight lag sometimes, and change the first wait to /wait 2

Had quite a few incidents where it just skips sneak, trick or viper because of that.
#12 Jan 16 2004 at 3:54 PM Rating: Excellent
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8,507 posts
I still wanna know when the tanks will learn that running around a mob...manually "dodging" so to speak, doesn't work. It doesn't do a thing for you in fact.

You've been luckier than I have with Sneak Attack. Missed 4 in a row last night because the WARs could neither stand still, nor stand close together. And forget about them throwing a provoke when I asked for one. Then they have the nerve to tell me I miss a lot. /disband

Ahh well...educate the world, maybe one day it will get better.
#13 Jan 16 2004 at 5:16 PM Rating: Decent
Thief's Knife
*****
15,054 posts
For immediate sneak + WS (I'm still 2 levels from trick attack)

/ja "Sneak Attack" <me>
/wait 1
(Whatever message you want)
/ws "Shadowstitch" <t>


For a skillchain macro add a /wait 2 to the beginning and hit it when the last guys WS goes off.


For doing a sneak + WS on a non agro mob

/a <t>
/wait 2
/ja "Sneak Attack" <me>
/wait 1
/ws "Shadowstitch" <t>

For this one just target the mob and get behind it, then hit the macro. This is great for soloing.

The /wait 1 is needed for the WS to work, otherwise it's too fast for the console and it gets ignored. Whenever you have a macro that doesn't work try placing a wait between commands, that usually fixes it.

Quote:
SA only stacks with certain WS's. Until level 33, you have to either use FastBlade or Combo, which means you'll be either going hand-to-hand, or swinging a sword.


It also stacks with Wasp Sting and Shadowstitch. At lvl 24 get a Tiger Stole (attack + 5) and at lvl 25 get a Federation Knife (Accuracy +2 Attack +5) this combined with a pair of Balance Rings (DEX +2 x2 rings) Leaping Boots or Winged Boots (DEX +3 AGI +3) and Emperor's Hairpin (DEX +3 AGI +3 Evasion +10 hp -15) and you'll be doing damage that makes WAR jelous.

BTW. The Emperor's Hairpin is pretty much the only headwear you're going to need till lvl 60 or so, so while 300,000 gil seems obscenely expensive, it's really not when you consider how long it lasts. An alternative is to group with a few other lvl 28-30 players and go hunt the Valkurm Emperor till everyone has a hairpin.


Edited, Fri Jan 16 17:27:18 2004 by Lobivopis
____________________________
Final Fantasy XI 12-14-11 Update wrote:
Adjust the resolution of menus.
The main screen resolution for "FINAL FANTASY XI" is dependent on the "Overlay Graphics Resolution" setting.
If the Overlay Graphics Resolution is set higher than the Menu Resolution, menus will be automatically resized.


I thought of it first:

http://ffxi.allakhazam.com/forum.html?forum=10&mid=130073657654872218#20
#14 Jan 16 2004 at 8:56 PM Rating: Excellent
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8,507 posts
My bad. You're right, it does stack with WaspSting and Shadowstitch (As well as FlatBlade), but as these WS's are more status inflicting than damage inflicting; you're probably better off using FastBlade or Combo.

Then again. This is only my opinion.
#15 Jan 16 2004 at 10:23 PM Rating: Decent
Thief's Knife
*****
15,054 posts
Quote:
My bad. You're right, it does stack with WaspSting and Shadowstitch (As well as FlatBlade), but as these WS's are more status inflicting than damage inflicting; you're probably better off using FastBlade or Combo.


There isn't much of a damage difference from a sneaked Fast Blade vs a sneaked Shadowstitch unless the mob is specificly weak or strong vs thunder or dark. Other than that, you'll be doing more damage overall with a dagger than a sword (assuming you pick up the Decurion's Dagger at 20 and the Federation Knife at 25) than you will with the two THF swords in this lvl range (Small Sword and Mithran Simitar). Your sneaked WS may hit a bit harder with Fast Blade, but you'll be doing more melee damage with a dagger, and your standard sneaks will hit harder. Overall, you'll be doing more with the dagger than with the sword.

Forget H2H unless you have monk subbed, THF is slow with H2H and the damage it does when sneaked doesn't even begin to make up for the damage lost due to THF's H2H delay. In addition, MNK isn't a good sub for THF anyway, seeing as the main reason to sub MNK is for extra hp and THF isn't a tank. WAR (hit harder) or NIN (dex boost) are good subs for THF. THF doesn't need MNK's hp boost because at lvl 30+ he's going to be be transfering mega hate onto the tank with sneak + trick not soaking up hits.
____________________________
Final Fantasy XI 12-14-11 Update wrote:
Adjust the resolution of menus.
The main screen resolution for "FINAL FANTASY XI" is dependent on the "Overlay Graphics Resolution" setting.
If the Overlay Graphics Resolution is set higher than the Menu Resolution, menus will be automatically resized.


I thought of it first:

http://ffxi.allakhazam.com/forum.html?forum=10&mid=130073657654872218#20
#16 Jan 16 2004 at 11:29 PM Rating: Decent
Thanks Those macros will help with my theif
#17 Jan 21 2004 at 12:36 AM Rating: Decent
Thief's Knife
*****
15,054 posts
As to why there are few NA players with THF as their main job, it's quite simple really. Because as a THF you constantly get invited only because the group couldn't find a WAR, and when you get there you get told to STFU about sneak and trick attack. This really starts to come to a head by the mid 30's and it's usually around this time that most THF players finally give up in disgust and sub THF to NIN or some other class.

In other words, the reason there aren't more THF players is because of all the retards who don't care about tactics and stratagy and just want to hack away at the mob like morons. These are the same tards who refuse to learn skillchains and who make WHMs life a living hell. Supposedly it gets better by the time you reach the 40's, but so far I don't see it.

Edited, Wed Jan 21 00:37:04 2004 by Lobivopis
____________________________
Final Fantasy XI 12-14-11 Update wrote:
Adjust the resolution of menus.
The main screen resolution for "FINAL FANTASY XI" is dependent on the "Overlay Graphics Resolution" setting.
If the Overlay Graphics Resolution is set higher than the Menu Resolution, menus will be automatically resized.


I thought of it first:

http://ffxi.allakhazam.com/forum.html?forum=10&mid=130073657654872218#20
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