Not sure DPS

WHM being an MP-user, I'd suggest SMN or BLM.

I started as CNJ, but went BRD as my first DPS class. I am a NIN main, now, though.

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Originally Posted by Veji

I'm in the same boat. Got DRG to 51, and realized keeping the massive set of combos up, while avoiding boss mechanics seemed daunting. Got MCH to 51, and discovered that for the movement sacrafice, the DPS just didn't seem to be decent enough. Started working on BLM(36), but i can see where massive movement fights are really going to irritate me. I have to make a choice between MCH and DRG, and just stick with it, but i can't decide. I like the aesthetics of all three dps classes, but i've yet to find one that has that ideal dps payoff per skill or con. I'm seriously thinking of just sticking with MCH at this point, but idk...

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Not going to lie; in situations like that, I'd rather miss my positional and hit the mob normal than to NOT use the positional and risk losing my buff.

DRG is always a winner, and everybody loves seeing them in groups. MCH is fun, but it's much more work/upkeep than BRD for slightly more (or the same) damage as BRD.

Anyway, OP, play whatever your heart desires. I originally set out in XIV to be a MNK main, and it was my sixth job to 60...

Brd and MCH = low damage with high utility
SMN and MNK = death by a thousand cuts. MNKs have far more positionals to deal with but have almost no group support. SMN requires a bit of micromanagement and better support than BLM

DRG = Long setup with some nice burst. I find jumps to be some of the most fun abilities in the game. Added bonus they get the coolest gear...
BLM = Probably the simplest of all DPS. Lots of burst... especially in AoE.
NIN = Lots of utility but generally less damage than MNK or DRG. Less positional skills but Lag + Ninjitsu = bad

Need to play all of them a little to get a basic idea what they are like. If you really love being ranged then another ranged job wont be that much different. If you want to get a better understanding of fights but don't want to tank then melee would be best. To really know a fight you need to do it as range/heals and melee/tank.

DRG = Strict combo rotation and some positionals. Jump every 30 sec. Party dps buff.
NIN = Different length combos and lots of buffs and debuffs. Ninjutsu every 20 sec. Party support.
MNK = The most positionals and a flexible combo system where you have a choice of 2 or more skills for each step of the combo. A stacking buff that has to be kept up with combos. Suffers most from not being able to hit boss (I think?).

BRD, MCH = Priority rotations based on dot timers and procs. Party support.
BLM = Strict rotation based on timers, procs and mp usage. Suffers most from movement.
SMN = Priority rotation based on dot timers. Gains and uses Aetherflow and Aethertrail Attunement stacks. Pet control is required for optimal dps. Some party utility.

My favourite caster is SMN because of its mobility and easy basic "rotation". You just put dots on, use up Aetherflow to gain Aethertrail and use the correct filler cast in between. It's really easy to manage while dodging and allows you to focus on the fight. The most annoying parts are controlling the pet, swapping to adds if you don't have your instant-dots move available and losing Aethertrail when the boss goes invulnerable.

Out of melees I prefer MNK because of how flexible the combo system is compared to other melee. When boss adds come, you don't have to worry about being in the wrong combo. Swapping between single target and aoe is fluid. Their oGCD moves are straightforward aoes and they have something to do during boss invulnerability periods. The most annoying parts are trying to do positionals when the enemies are moving or their arse is in a puddle of fire, and losing their stacked buff (but unlike SMN it doesn't affect the rotation). You can recover from that fast every 3 minutes with a buff. I'm still leveling MNK but by looking at the skill list I can already tell it's my favourite melee.

If you don't want to level them all to try them out, I recommend at least searching their skill/spell list online and figuring out how the rotation works at level cap. Then discard the classes that have a mechanic you find really annoying and try out the rest.

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Originally Posted by Veji

I have to make a choice between MCH and DRG, and just stick with it, but i can't decide.

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It's important to note that the penalty for missing positionals with DRG is incredibly tiny. It used to be massive, but combos no longer break and effects still activate now, even when you miss it, so it's really not so bad. It's also literally two combos, not a massive set by any means.

H>IDC4>P>TTT4

Simple, rote, to the point. Pre-56, you're working with
H>IDC>P>TTT>TTT

But it's really not as bad as it seems? It's generally the HT>IDC>P>TTT part and mechanics will eat the rest of the HT timer so you just start over. :0

If you stop thinking about it as 8 buttons and start thinking of it as 2 combos, it becomes a lot easier to manage the chunks and understand how the Job functions and plays.

Maybe ill give DRG another go. Thanks Jack! I appreciate the advice.

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Originally Posted by JackFross

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Just going off some things I've seen from other posters, my exp with both is limited. Bard 51 and Mch 35 so I don't have a good comparison for their status endgame. About the only thing I have to say is that Ninja and Monk seem to diverge much earlier on...but that could also just be me.

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Originally Posted by Kazumac

Such sass Ish. But in all honesty it's a good point. I pretty much find any class before about 40 to be dull and mundane. Having played my wife's bard at 50, I enjoyed it. Leveling archer to 26 was like pulling teeth. MCH is quite fun but you have to like cool down micro management. I find it fun but it is not for everyone.

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you know it ;)