I, Robot

I, Robot
I've noticed the lack of updates on our supposed PUP guides and after cycling through a few jobs I've come back to PUP yet again with more appreciation for what it can do. That said, I'll be sharing my experiences on how to be a successful PUP. The job allows for much room and flexibility in playstyle. This is not for a "watch me outparse all these jerks" mentality, unfortunately SE tends to take care of needed adjustments to PUP after most if not all other jobs. PUP, however, is a great soloer and a lot of fun. I'd appreciate some patience on this thread as it'll take some time to get the formatting down and it will be a work in progress as long as I'm online. Keep in mind that just like the stuff you learned in school, you'll have enough memorized to get by with after enough experience and may eventually look back at this in disgust and disdain. Much of this is elsewhere written more neatly and clearly so check it out elsewhere on this forum or as much as I despise it, wiki.ffxiclopedia.org. I may just delete the basics tab if I get enough complaints. A full list of attachments will likely never appear here, sorry folks. Also I have next to no knowledge of coding this in a fun and exciting manner so be prepared to be bored out of your minds.

Basics
I could tell you about the mechanics till the cows come home but it's really best if you get a basic understanding and explore on your own.

Maneuvers
This increases stat boosts by passive attachments with bonuses to damage reduction, accuracy, attack, etc, and activates certain latent effects of attachments like Auto-regen and Auto-refresh. It also allows equipped attachments that grant access to abilities activation upon appropriate circumstance. Some will be used immediately upon the recast ending like Flashbulb, and some will be used when necessary (when recast is up) like Eraser.
Overload and Burden
Some pilfered from here. Has pictures and stuff. Fun.
Each element has its own value of burden that decreases over time. Zoning and activating set this number at a static value as well, a rather high one until you get acceptable burden reduction gear. Every time you use a maneuver it adds a static amount to the number. The rate at which burden decreases is boosted by Heatsink, so be sure to use it at lower levels as well as higher ones depending on your attachments, see below. There is gear to increase the threshold of burden. This allows you to accrue more burden before risking an overload. Every maneuver that puts you over the burden threhold has a set chance on the likelihood of overload based on how far over the threshold the maneuver puts you. Overloading lowers movement speed of the automaton and gives it +50% slow. This is something you clearly want to avoid so be mindful of this at all times.

Skills
Your automaton gains spells (as mage) based on the magic skill level. All skills affect the automaton in the same manner as players.

Automaton AI
Good info for each especially in-depth AI on Automaton spellcast located here.
Your automaton is dumb. Really dumb. It's your job to tell it what to do so it's really only as smart as you make it. This means you may effectively be screwed beyond all hope. It has priorities based on maneuvers active and battle conditions. I've no experience with Harlequin beyond when I unlocked PUP so I'm not gonna bother giving advice on that, it's just a frame you're stuck with for a few levels unfortunately.

Sharpshot
Nothing special, shoots whenever the timer on its ranged atack is up.

Valoredge
He'll Shield Bash every time the target uses a spell or tp move and the timer is ready. It's not always in time as some abilities have instant activation.

**Note for mage frames**
Mage frames have two recast timers. First is the universal recast timer, the delay between the end of the last spell cast and the start of the next. This is fixed and is only affected by Heady Artifice giving Stormwaker Chainspell. Aside from a universal timer there is a timer for every type of magic which must pass again for use of another spell of the same type. Mana booster gives a fast cast effect which can make your automaton cast much more effectively in the long run. Will not cast on mobs with high enough magic evasion relative to their magic accuracy if Scanner is equipped. When fighting mobs like crabs that have MP but no spells, Stormwaker and Soulsoother will cast Silence without a Scanner equipped.

Stormwaker
This guy likes to buff you in order of: Protect > Stoneskin > Phalanx > Shell > Haste. After Phalanx is taken care of, with no mauevers up, this guy will buff the rest in between nukes and enfeebles. Like Spiritreaver if the enemy is low enough on HP it will attempt to finish it with the lowest nuke that would deal enough damage to finish it off, assuming the nuke went unresisted.

Spiritreaver
Will drain if HP is missing below a threshold, increases the % it starts using drain at with Damage gauge. It will also use Dread Spikes. Alternates between the two strongest nukes it has when the nuke timer is up but the recast for the strongest nuke itself is not. This head has access to Absorb-INT and will use it with a dark maeuver up. A dark maneuver up will also cause it to use Aspir and Aspir II. to keep its MP above a certain threshold, and when it gets too low it'll use these without a maneuver up. Keeping a dark maneuver up at too low a threshold (but the enemy isn't giving up enough MP so its MP doesn't refill) will keep it using Aspirs while putting nukes on the back burner, so an ice maneuver will prioritize nuking again.

Soulsoother
This is what you'll be using most often of mage heads. Access to Cure V/VI and -na spells. Buff priority is Protect > Shell > Haste. Light maneuvers allow it to cast healing on others, and water maneuver allows it to cast -na spells on others. Always use Damage Gauge, it even shortens the healing magic timer. Oddly has access to Bio and Bio II. Always heals whoever has more hate be it PUP or automaton first, followed by the other. Other party members come after. Will buff other party members if they are the target of the engaged mob. Regen will be cast on the target of the mob if it's DC or above.

When confused by what gear I refer to, see the equipment section below.

Skilling Up
Make sure you have all your heads (which means frames as well) by the time you are ready to do anything with PUP. Capped skills are incredibly helpful for getting things done and make sure to take a Percolator with you to do so.

Managing Burden
Before you have both Dispersal Mantle as well as Foire Dastanas +1, your JSE cape from Adoulin and AF 119 hands (109 works too if only for a macro), you'll likely need your Empyrean body +2, at least for a macro-in. Good luck activating and using a maneuver immediately otherwise. Even with cape/hands 119 I still find myself overloading maybe 1~5% of the time upon immediate use of a maneuver. Remember overloading is all chance beyond the threshold.

Street smarts
Be prepared for getting crap for being a PUP, people don't always look at the fun factor, or sometimes ignore utility when they choose to put down other jobs to make themselves feel more superior over others. You have the tools to knock out any Abyssean NM and finish something they probably can't without dualboxing, or at least with such a high rate of success so quickly. This job is what I use to get every other piece that doesn't come from Adoulin or ilvl battlefields for anything I'm working on.

Use stuff like Tactical Processor. Devs came and said it causes the auto to check the current situation more frequently but each time it did it added some burden, or something of the sort. I read it myself but can't find the link. If you use this feel free to use Heatsink to play it much safer.

When you are meleeing beside a melee frame keep in mind that the the use of maneuvers lowers your dps and can hurt you in the long run, especially the higher your damage output vs the auto's. It can be a good idea to use attachments that don't have abilities (maybe eraser if there are enfeebles to worry about). If you are a sparks PUP or still wearing Empyrean +2 with Eminent h2h or something similar then it might not hurt too badly.

Attachments like Tension Spring I/II that give a % boost to attack give the boost BEFORE the stats from the ilvl animator. This means you see minor increases relative to what you should be seeing. Every other attachment as far as I remember is a static boost so they function normally.

Anyone can get into a SKC20 party with capped skills and an eminent weapon (Alternator or above is a must-have!) as long as it's on normal. Difficult will require the pet/master food for acc and even then I'd recommend you only consider it if you have a Magneto or Divinator. I have personally used RNG auto in these with great success.

This thread is doomed to die, I'll get around to updating the sticky when I have the time. Things came up within 24h of my deciding to write this guide, sorry folks. :)

Deleted, I'll get around to adding this to the current sticky.

Guess what? Another placeholder. OCD much? Yes.

If you make a node and then put it in the first post you don't need any other.

yawn

~ Comment placeholder ~

Bleh movie.

Good enough if there's nothing better to watch. I've seen worse.

Concept was decent, but turned Bleh due to being a generic Will Smith movie

Seen it a few times on tv.

^Stick with real Asimov for that reason.

If you'd like to make a guide thread, it'd be wise to take Sehachan's advice on using nodes, this can be done in the Node section of your drop down member menu to the right and can be rendered in a post using the appropriate code:


It'd also be appreciated to stay on topic of the guide.

Guide to the movie ?
Cause I totally thought there was going to be a sequel of it by the topic name :(

Yeah so I didn't see the sticky was alive as when I started back up it was dead (see: before the necropost). I'll try to clean up the mess that's there when I have the time. I'll leave what I wrote already here but will add what I had planned about weapons and will optimize the listed gearsets to a reasonable level of attainability.