New Bug: BLU Chain Affinity Breaks Skillchains

I just ran into this bug while attempting Bumba v25. We were able to reproduce it consistently on the new Macro Test training dummies. The magic burst window stays open but we can't extend the skillchain after BLU's step with Chain Affinity.

https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxi/threads/62715-Skillchains-cannot-be-extended-after-BLU-Chain-Affinity?p=666267#post666267

Awesome find! FFXI is as much fun to play as it is to debug! :D

What happens if you open the skillchain with a chain affinity spell? Can you proceed normally from there, or only chain with a single follow-up weaponskill, or not make a skillchain at all?

What if you open with a weaponskill as normal, then do the chain affinity spell, then follow up with a weaponskill with the same properties of the spell? Basically, is this the chain affinity spell ending the skillchain outright, or is it sort of not registering as a step at all despite triggering the skillchain effect?

Hope you don:t mind but I have translated your bug report into JPN and posted it on the JP forums as well.

https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxi/threads/62716-%E3%83%96%E3%83%AB%E3%83%BC%E3%83%81%E3%82%A7%E3%83%BC%E3%83%B3%E3%82%92%E4%BD%BF%E7%94%A8%E3%81%97%E3%81%A6%E3%81%84%E3%82%8B%E9%80%A3%E6%90%BA%E3%81%8C%E4%BB%96%E3%81%AEWS%E3%81%A7%E9%80%A3%E6%90%BA%E3%82%92%E5%BB%B6%E9%95%B7%E3%83%BB%E4%BC%B8%E3%81%B0%E3%81%99%E3%81%93%E3%81%A8%E3%81%AF%E3%81%A7%E3%81%8D%E3%81%BE%E3%81%9B%E3%82%93?p=666273#post666273

To be clear, you are saying that after a chain has been created with Chain Affinity and you close that with Expi that a subsequent ws will not extend the sc to create a new sc?

Ex: swift blade > heavy strike (fragmentation) > Expiacion (Distortion) > Evisceration (Darkness).

You're saying that the chaining process fails at Expiacion to Evisceration (Darkness)?

From JP forum:

This would be an example of a planned skillchain that used to work, but now would break at the usage of Expiacion in this order, assuming someone other than the BLU did it.

The discovery came from this skillchain:

Immanence Aero > Immanence Noctohelix (Gravitation) > Chain Affinity Barbed Crescent (Darkness) > Wildfire (Darkness)

This skillchain used to work, when tested this week the Wildfire no longer creates Darkness after the Barbed Crescent Darkness. A small note, in your Japanese forum post, you changed the Solo or Party note to say Solo or Party, when the English forum post states it is Party only. The behavior of a BLU being able to extend the skillchain after their Chain Affinity may be something we didn't test, but the important issue here is your example skillchain, and my example skillchain no longer working when a player other than the BLU attempts to extend it.

stone> aero >stone > aero > nocto > Quad. Continuum

keep the bumba v25 party rockin!

So, the precise “defect” being raised then is a ws or ability by another playerused after a chain is closed by the blue mage using chain affinity does not create/extend a skillchain?

my BLU 6 step worked last time i did vagary two weeks ago.
that's just screwdriver <-> sudden lunge repeated.
I wonder if it's a timing thing like with helix where the WS is being done too early, while the skillchains addon says it's good, actually you have to wait another second or two.
in my macro there's a 6s wait between casts with azure lore active.

No, I also cannot do a self skillchain of Requiescat > CA + Heavy Strike > Expiacion

Thanks. In the meantime we are switching to this skillchain to continue our Bumba progression:
(SCH) Fire > (SCH) Stone > (SCH) Fire > (SCH) Thunder > (COR) Wildfire > (BLU) Quadratic

It's not as convenient but it's ok.

Experiment with timings as Chimera said. A JP forum replying poster says they can extend the chain using the progression you listed

I will try myself when I have a moment.

It could be an issue with the English client but not JP client.

This is basically impossible. Gearswap vs. vanilla might be possible, though

FWIW we've done the bumba SC referenced above with a vanilla BLU and a gearswap BLU and it worked with both. Never extended it beyond the first darkness though. I think that window might be really small, since it's the 6th SC. Past a certain point, it becomes impractical to land SCs. I'm not sure exactly where that point is, but it is increasingly difficult

My memory is that each skillchain removes 1 second from the skillchain window.

First WS -> 3-10 seconds later -> Second WS -> Skillchain 1
Skillchain 1 -> 3-9 seconds later -> Third WS -> Skillchain 2
Skillchain 2 -> 3-8 seconds later -> Fourth WS -> Skillchain 3
Skillchain 3 -> 3-7 seconds later -> Fifth WS -> Skillchain 4
Skillchain 4 -> 3-6 seconds later -> Sixth WS -> Skillchain 5
Skillchain 5 -> 3-5 seconds later -> Seventh WS -> Skillchain 6
Skillchain 6 -> 3-4 seconds later -> Eighth WS -> Skillchain 7
Skillchain 7 should be the max?

Isn't there also a hard cap of 7 step (6 total skillchains)?

Ok after more testing I discovered that this bug only happens if someone else is on the target's hate list. This includes if you are solo and someone outside the party heals you.

No. You can basically skillchain forever. But after 7 the window is only 1 second long so it is difficult to maintain, especially with lag.

I am not seeing a change due to the hate list. However; it does seem the skillchain window (both opening and closing) has shifted to the right two seconds.
I believe the statement from Byrth above to be correct.
"First WS -> 3-10 seconds later -> Second WS -> Skillchain 1
Skillchain 1 -> 3-9 seconds later -> Third WS -> Skillchain 2
Skillchain 2 -> 3-8 seconds later -> Fourth WS -> Skillchain 3"

I performed several skillchains, moving the blue spell around.
First; Requiescat -> Chain Affinity, Heavy Strike -> Expiacion. My testing showed the following times;
First WS -> 3-10 seconds later -> Second WS -> Skillchain 1
Skillchain 1 -> 5-11 seconds later -> Third WS -> Skillchain 2

Next; Fast Blade -> Red lotus Blade -> CA, Barbed Crescent -> Red lotus blade I observed the following;
First WS -> 3-10 seconds later -> Second WS -> Skillchain 1
Skillchain 1 -> 3-9 seconds later -> Third WS -> Skillchain 2
Skillchain 2 -> 5-10 seconds later -> Fourth WS -> Skillchain 3

Last just to check I completed the skillchain listed above; Immanence Aero > Immanence Noctohelix (Gravitation) > Chain Affinity Barbed Crescent (Darkness) > Wildfire (Darkness) by adjusting what appeared to be the window opening on the skillchains addon and waiting 2 seconds.

so the bug is: blu CA delays next SC step by 2 seconds