Originally Posted by
HaiHai
I wouldn't lump DRG in with MNK as being the highest dmg just because they are melee. While Monk does have the highest dmg on most fights, as they should, DRG normally does not outperform or are equal to BM or SMN on most fights with very few exceptions. Unless the DRG is more geared than or much higher skilled than the BM or SMN.
Even if it were the case that both melee outperform ranged dps on all encounters, you wold still see Ifrit EX groups who refuse to bring melee at all. That fight is the perfect example of how SE is currently making encounters. The fight is not only extremely dangerous for melee themselves, but having them puts an incredible amount of strain and higher competency of play from the entire group in order to accommodate them because of the mechanics of the fight.