As the title suggests, here we'll just scratch the surface of raid knowledge. Try to generalize things when replying to this thread. My suggestion would be that anyone who has resources for specific dungeons, raids, or trials can create their own thread in the "Raid Guides" forum about that individual dungeon, raid, or trial. Then we can continue discussions or ask questions from there.

Let us start by going over something that is a personal pet peeve to me: Dodging AoEs

In raiding, this one of the foundations of success. It is a cornerstone to your eventual progression through ANY part of FFXIV, and that is because most mobs (even ones that don't belong to raids) all have some AoE ability. When we talk about AoEs, we should define their forms of linear, cone, circular, and unavoidable. I'm pretty sure I don't need to explain those. What I should explain, is how to avoid getting hit by things.

This right here … took me a LONG time to figure out when I first leveled a class. I kept getting hit by stuff, but on the screen it looked like I was fine.

http://www.reddit.com/r/ffxiv/comments/1lktel/dodging_red_zones_mechanics/

If you'e uninterested in following the link, I'll shorten to one quote, "…whether or not you avoid it is based on where your character is when the cast finishes and not when the animation goes off."

This is a REVELATION into, like I said, one of the most BASIC things a person needs to know to raid well. Understanding what seems like such a simple thing enables us to explore a few options: How to maximize DPS while staying SAFE, how to properly position a mob after they are done casting, and how to maintain your own positioning when tenths of seconds are the measure of time you need to react.

Maximize DPS - When I am watching for AoEs, I watch for three things. I watch the mob's cast bar (yellow by it's name), to see which of the 4 shapes (named above) the AoE is, and the positioning of the AoE in relation to the space of the dungeon and myself. Rule of thumb here for DPS - ANY movement unless you're a BRD (I think, check me) will result in you losing out on DPS. While this may not seem like such a big deal in the short run of only 1 second, those seconds add up over a 90 minute raid or trial. What does that mean in relation to AoEs? For any AoE, you want to move out at the last possible second while still making sure you are out BEFORE the cast bar fills. So now we've taken care of why you watch the cast bar and NOT the cast animation. Basically, the animation is lying to your face!

Next, why do I look at the shapes? If the AoE is linear, then it is usually the easiest to dodge because USUALLY they are long vertically but thin horizontally. Just SIDE step out of it. If the AoE is conical, they are usually (there's that word again) as long wide as they are vertically. This means your optimal path of escape is NOT a SIDE step anymore. Now, your best shot is to walk diagonally toward and outside of the center of the mob. As with all of this information, it is a generalization. There are exceptions. Another tip for Conical AoEs is that if you KNOW your mob uses them, then you want to stand as close to the center (taking into account what class you are and which side you should be on) of the mob as possible while maintaining safety. This is because Conical AoEs originate from the mob's center … The closer you are to the center, the smaller the hoizontal area effected will be - thus easier to dodge. Next comes the hardest for me personally - Circular AoEs. Every Circular AoE I've had cast on me or have ever seen has always put the mob's target in the CENTER of the circle. This means there is an equal distance on all sides. That means that there is no quickest route out. Every route is the same distance. So what counts the most when dodging Circular AoEs is timing. If you're a caster DPS, do not … DO NOT finish your cast if you see a circle under your feet. GTFO of there ASAP! Same goes for the combo DPS classes. Don't try to get your last hit in because you feel some sense of shame if your combo breaks; Get out! Most Circular AoEs are a decent diameter, and the time it takes to avoid this specific AoE should not be underestimated in any party. (Yes, even pre-50 dungeons … they still hurt, buddy.) Lastly, Unavoidable AoEs are just that, unavoidable. Therefore, you don't need to do anything for them. As a DPS, keep DPSing and hope your healers got your back. That's all that can be expected of you.

^^^ –- To shorten: Max DPS by waiting until last possible moment to SAFELY exit AoEs. Unavoidables are easiest to deal with, Linear and Conical should not be giving you trrouble and you have room to breath/DPS longer than Circular. Circular is the hardest, and even as a Bard (who can use most abilities while moving) I still move immediately out of circles or risk getting clipped and wiping the raid.

Now with those two things I watch out of the way, this last one is simple. I watch for the relation of AoEs to me and the size of the dungeon. This is solely to deal with large scale AoEs designed in game to catch as many players not paying attention as possible … Think of all the dragon's breath cones and tail slashes. As a Bard, I am understandably in the back of every party. This means the horizontal is larger for me to deal with. In order to compensate, I am never standing in the direct backside of a mob. I am off to one side and behind. So what do I mean by relation? If a BLM, WHM, SCH, etc. is also standing in the back of the raid near me and THEY get targeted by one of these large scale AoEs, I'm likely to be standing next to them and thus still in their AoE. I must be aware of AoE relations to me so that I am not accidentally on the outer edge line of someone else's AoE and thus take damage when the cast bar finishes.

In the end, all that needs to be said is PAY ATTENTION and REACT APPROPRIATELY!





Note: So this took me a lot longer to type than I initially planned. Like I said, it's a pet peeve cause most of my personal parties in FCoB are wiping to just ONE person reacting a fraction of a second late and getting dead. If you notice, I stopped at only discussing how to maximize DPS. I will follow up if no one else does with explanations of the other two options available to you if you are properly dodging AoEs. Those were positioning the mob after AoE casts and positioning yourself. The former will have a bit of length to it, but the latter, you'll be pleased to know, should be very brief. With all of the above said, I apologize for such a lengthy post. Let it be known that I did not pull this from anyone else or any guides. This is all my personal logic and years of playing MMO experiences. If any person finds anything incorrect in this post, please, please let myself and the rest of the readers know. I will edit the post as necessary, and I am not above just deleting it altogether if there is too much wrong in it. I truly hope this helps all those looking to progress into endgame material.