Source
r/FFRecordKeeper•
deepdrill

Advance v. Planet Protector

Discussion

My understanding is Advance increases damage output by 50% 150% (boost is 25%) and Aerith's Planet Protector is, essentially, a group boost 50% increase in damage output.

I feel that lately, as I use more spell blades and rely less on retaliate, Planet Protector feels like a bigger increase in damage overall (especially if it lasts longer than boost and advance).

I was wondering what the thoughts of the general community were on Aerith's new SB.

Posted Aug 21, 2015, 10:29 PM UTC · edited

123
Robotstove-17 points•

Advance is a 150% increase in atk, (up to 250% of original) on one target.

Planet Protector is a 50% increase in atk to all team members.

Boost is a 25% increase in atk

4
deepdrillOP•

I see. Thanks for the clarification.

So it seems that Planet protector makes boost worthless because in situations where PP is awesome, I'm using spellblades and abilities that hit the damage cap anyway and don't need boost.

Boost will be useful for advance-retaliate.

1
PeskyPomeranianGilgamesh•

exactly. double cutting an advancetaliater is 2 x ~6500 dmg, whereas spellblade with PP is just 9999 max.

1
Hylian-HighwindBartz•

One reason Advance is favored is because it can stack with Boost, which I don't think Planet Protector can, Has to do with the way the stat changes are programmed or something.

Advance is favored because it makes it easier to buff a single character for Retaliate. Planet Protector is easily better for a multiple attacker party.

3
codexcdmQ6xh - BLADES OF LIGHT!!!•

The general rule of thumb is that a single-stat buff/debuff to <stat> will override another buff/debuff also modifying that stat.

This proves limiting for buff stacking like Planet Protector, Song of Memories, Valor Minuet, and Boost, as they will all override one another... A work-around is to use abilities that modify multiple stats, as they won't override the single-stat modifiers. The prime example is, of course, Boost + Advance.

It proves useful when it comes to Poison/Sap/Regen, and the very few mobs that can debuff your party as well. If your team is hit with Poison/Sap, Regen will both clear the debuff, and apply Regen on top of it. If an enemy hits Regen, and is prone to either Poison/Sap, afflict them with the debuff and they lose their Regen.

1
Sir__Will•

I don't see why it would stack with one but not the other. PP and boost are in the same category and overwrite each other. It's the same buff just varying strength.

0
siderealmoments•

I don't like that it stacks with one and not the other, myself, but Advantaliate is in a different category than Boost because it affects multiple stats (+ATK, -DEF) while Planet Protector just affects one stat (+ATK).

It's the same reason why Gordon's Hidden Potential (+ATK, +RES, +MND, +MAG) stacks with Faith, while Vivi's Focus (+MAG) doesn't. Or why Refia's Martial Arts (+ATK, +ACC) stacks with Boost, and Luneth's Mark of the Warrior (+ATK) doesn't.

2
Sir__Will•

I was asking why he didn't think PP would stack with Advance while boost would because afaik they're the same effect just different strengths. Boost and Advance stack because boost is an attack boost while advance is an attack boost AND defense down which means they're coded into different variables and thus stack. PP is also a attack boost so I would think it would work the same way as boost.

0
siderealmoments•

Oops, please excuse me--totally misread your reply!

0
PallanthasClearly overthinking things...•

While technically Haste boosts DPS through time compression, since what we usually are looking at is Damage Per Action (due to medals), I generally think of Haste as damage mitigation through ending the battle sooner.

Due to its stackability and the way you will probably focus your entire party around it, there is very little point in comparing Advance (or, to be honest, Advantaliate) with PP. Advantaliate is about 1) Ability Slot Conservation, 2) Minimal Gear/Ability Hone Requirements, 3) DPS Maximization. If your gear/ability sets allow you to hit damage cap on multiple characters with PP, then PP works fine, and you don't need to rely on Advance. But, especially if you use Double Cut RM/Ability to increase the damage per action, very little can beat out Advantaliate.

1
Frostmage82Rinoa/Locke 9jgB•

They increase the attack stat by 150, 25 and 50% respectively. They increase damage output by much more than that though.

1
PeskyPomeranianGilgamesh•

i think planet protector isn't on the same level of lunatic high or boon that increase both DPS and protection, or on the same level as advance as a pure DPS boost through retaliate. PP would only be helpful if you know you will run out of abilities before a boss is dead, and in the case of spellblades, you will hardly ever run out of spellblades before a boss is dead.

-1
deepdrillOP•

In the recent DU, the FFIX dungeons do not need mitigation -- reflect coupled with breakdowns/paralyze/blind/silence allow me to go through runs without taking damage -- and many of the bosses are vulnerable to spellblade effects.

In any case, I'll grab 3-5 PPs off the spreadsheet to complement my 12 advance RWs.

1
PeskyPomeranianGilgamesh•

those bosses that are vulnerable to spellblade effects were taking 9999 with boost anyways because of the 3.6x modifier. Unless you have like 4 spellbladers and cant boost them all i really don't see the point.

0
deepdrillOP•

Yeah, but PP allowed me to not bring boost and applies the damage up to everyone in one casting.

Its nice not having to lug around boost to every fight and spend 2-3 rounds boosting.

1
PeskyPomeranianGilgamesh•

if you have aeris then using PP is nice, but i'd rather carry boost + lunatic/boon/SG than carry an extra attack + PP RW

1
thatguyp2Gilgamesh•

Haste is the weakest form of dps improvement unless you're already doing high damage, because it has no positive effect on the number of actions medals.

1
PeskyPomeranianGilgamesh•

sure, thats why i would only recommend it in EX++ fights when you have 3 medals to spare. But as far as ending battles fast to avoid damage taken medals lost, boon/lunatic is far superior to planet protector. And if you're not already doing high damage...planet protector isn't that much help either. That's when you rely on advance.

1
Lunacie•

Hastega has no affect on actions taken, which can be an issue on fights where medals can be really tight. Even without taking medals into account, its a 50% increase in output, which is less than Advance or Planet protector. Its only better in the case that you'd hit 9999 anyways.

That being said, Planet protector is kind of wasted with spell blades as well because it takes very little for them to hit 9999. Song of Memories and armor breakdown is enough.

Main application of the party attack buffs is I guess no elemental weakness bosses with a full physical party.

0
PeskyPomeranianGilgamesh•

it's only worse than planet protector if everybody in your party is doing heavy physical damage...which is never. Also avoids the damage cap penalty like you mentioned. And yea, your last point is correct...in which case, advantaliate is still way better.

1
Lunacie•

Sometimes I just take Valor Minuet II or Deprotectga if I think i can still master the boss since Advance is so difficult to get my hands on. Seriously, I think I friended like 20 of them and it takes me a dozen runs of Fabul Castle to get 1.

Lots of boons though. Doesn't really help against bosses with no elemental weakness.

1