Looking for a class with procs and without a set rotation! please help!

So I have been looking through classes and I am not sure which I should play. I like the theme of Dragoon but it has a set rotation and that would get old. I have always liked classes with procs and rotations that are adaptive based on RNG.

Likes -
Procs
RNG rotations
Flashy animations
Flashy armor

Dislikes -
Set rotations
Maintaining multiple buffs/debuffs
Most played classes

Which classes are closest too what I am looking for? I would love some help so I can jump right into the game! =D Thanks!

RDM comes to mind when it comes to a priority system rather than a "set rotation". Though it's one of the most played classes at the moment. I'm really enjoying the playstyle of the class.

Red Mage and machinist have procs on their main damage skills.
Bard has some procs too.

Gonna argue BLM, but, you might struggle finding a class that doesn't juggle buffs/debuffs to some degree. Kinda part of the complexity of most of the classes.

Brd and mch is probably your best bet, iam not sure about rdm because just like melee class it has boring rotation.

All melee class in this game (rdm included) has "follow the trail" rotation set

Rdm rotation is basically fill your gauge by switching between black magic and white magic until both gauge reach 80 then charge in do 1-2-3 melee combo, jump back and finisher, repeat until dead. There is nothing more thats pretty much what you will do with your rdm when you reach 70

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Hasrat

Gonna argue BLM, but, you might struggle finding a class that doesn't juggle buffs/debuffs to some degree. Kinda part of the complexity of most of the classes.

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Why BLM? Ive noticed most have a debuff/buff to juggle but I just dont want to micromanage buffs/debuffs non stop.

BRD is NOT what u want lol.

Dislikes -
Set rotations - every class has their own set rotation, so this is pretty much depend on you if u like brd rotation or not.
Maintaining multiple buffs/debuffs - bard has A LOT of utilities
Most played classes - bard is ONE of the most play class for dps class beside RDM/SAM"

MCH would be the best for you because

Likes -
Procs - lol this class is master of proc rng
RNG rotations - BIG check on this one
Flashy animations - not as flashy as MAGICAL class but still pretty flashy once u hit to higher level
Flashy armor - GLAMOUR is life.
Set rotations - same reason as brd
Maintaining multiple buffs/debuffs - compare to bard this class has less utility but more dmg wise
Most played classes - this class has the LEAST player base.

RDM fits your "rotational" and flashy desires well (very debonair job), but is very very popular being one of the new jobs right now.

BRD and MCH would probably be the next closest thing. MCH is the least popular, and I would argue has fewer things to keep track of than BRD, but doesn't have very flashy armor unless you come up with some wacky glams of your own. BRD has some fancy exclusive gearsets, and has probably more RNG than MCH. MCH main combo is proc-based, but its RNG factor is exaggerated by players given the frequency at which you can use ammo, especially in 4.0

Blm's "buffs" that you need to juggle with are not as bad as they used to be. The only 2 things that you have to remember is to fire 1 before AF3 drops off while casting Fire 4s until out of mp. Once out of mp remember to cast blizzard 3 to get UI3 and while in UI3 depending what's up (foul? Thundercloud proc? ) you use them on a set priority.

You would've loved 2.0 blm but with 3.0 blm moved from procs being the thing to look for into fire 4 as much as you can.

Bard juggles with the songs every 30 seconds but has quite some different types of procs. And at 70 they get a priority system for their straighter shot proc as there's 2 skills you can use that proc for then.

Can't say much about mch but they have a heat gauge to juggle not to go over board and over heat their gun unless you're going for a small burst of dps followed by a lower dps phase until gun has cooled off

Blm does have a set rotation though, which you said you don't want.
Brd uses a priority system where you constantly check which skill is best to use (at least in 3.x it used to didn't try in 4.0 yet) it doesn't really use procs (except one I can think of real quick), but also brings a lot of party utility. I believe you should check that out.
Other than that, Nin springs to mind, no procs either though. But fast gameplay, mobility and mudras add some flair to it. Still, keep in mind I speak from a 3.x standpoint as apart from my Blm I didn't get to check either of those classes yet.

RDM is exactly what you are looking for:

Likes -
Procs - RDM is based entirely around procs to generate its mana.
RNG rotations - your "rotation" is nonexistent, it's purely priority based and can be summed up as "cast the spell you have less mana for", since you rely on procs to generate bonus mana, this is effectively random.
Flashy animations - oh my, yes. we get Unlimited Blade Works as an oGCD, a flaming zorro sword slash, a red and blue crystal lotus that explodes, and backflips.
Flashy armor - little known fact about RDM: whilst WHM and BLM draw upon ambient aether, RDM spells are powered by pure FASHION.

Dislikes -
Set rotations - there isn't one (there is a single combo chain, but even that has a varying finisher).
Maintaining multiple buffs/debuffs - there aren't any. we have no DoTs, our only buff is a party damage boost to be used on CD, and our other buffs are to show our procs
Most played classes - unfortunately this is the case at the moment, RDM and SAM are the new shiny classes and will be VERY popular for a while, much like how you couldn't swing a miqote without hitting a MCH, AST, or DRK back in 3.0. it will likely cool off in a few weeks and everyone will return to their mains.

as a quick overview of the job's main gameplay:

Dualcast - when you cast a spell, your next one swiftcasted (yes this applies to Vercure and Verraise)

Jolt/Impact - use this to proc dualcast, every time you cast jolt, you will be able to use impact

Veraero/Verthunder - use these when you have dualcast (they are too long to cast normally), they generate mana better than jolt/impact and every cast has a 50% chance of proccing verstone and verfire respectively

Verstone/Verfire - use these to proc dualcast, they are faster than the other Ver spells and more damaging and better mana generation than jolt/impact

Mana - this is the main focus of your "rotation" you want to raise this as fast as possible, whilst keeping it balanced (-ish, I'll get to that later), if you let it get too unbalanced, you'll find it hard to rebalance it (the lower amount gets a penalty). the overriding goal for you in general is "cast the mana you have less of", so use white magic if you have less white mana, and black magic if you have less black mana

Corps-a-corps/Riposte/Zwerchau/Redoublement/Displacement - oh damn, did we just get french in here? yep. these are your melee (hey look, more french) skills. this is what you spend your mana on when you get over 80 of each, you grappling hook over, do your fancy fencing, then backflip away. you can still use these without your mana, but they hit like a soggy croissant.

Verholy/Verflare - remember that "(-ish, I'll get to that later)"? well this is later. after you've used Enchanted Redoublement and backflipped away like the debonair duelist you are, you unlock these. they are your strongest and most fancy looking spells. they generate mana and have a 20% chance to proc their respective Ver-proc. BUT, and this is a huge but (meaning I cannot lie), remember the rules of mana "always cast what you have less of", if you do, you will have a 100% chance to proc your Ver-proc. (this also means if you have perfectly balanced mana you don't get a bonus, keeping your mana sliightly unbalanced is where the skill comes in in this class)

Fleche/Contra-Sixte - oh hey more french. these are your oGCD moves. CS is an AoE. they are also VERY fancy looking.

Acceleration - RNG getting you down? really need to get a Ver-proc? this makes your next veraero/verthunder proc 100%

Manafication- this resets the CD on your grappling hook and backflip, and more importantly, doubles your mana. use it at 40ish, but be sure not to cap or get too balanced.

Embolden - this is your party buff, it makes you do more magic damage, and everyone else do more physical. because screw the other casters, you can do everything better anyway.

Scatter/Moulinet - your AoEs. they are surprisingly powerful, to the point where you want to use them when there are three or more enemies. spam scatter to 30 mana, then use enchanted moulinet to cleave the pack.

Vercure/Verraise - your heal and raise, the heal scales off int, which is nice (I've actually managed to heal a few bosses with this before I got verraise), and yes, they proc and benefit from dualcast. 2.5s raises are delicious.

Tether - Take this off your bar, you will NEVER use it. it's your Bind skill like Freeze and Tri-bind, and is just as useless (seriously, why is this not a role skill? they made ESUNA a role skill but not this? I mean-*post devolves into healer salt*)

one thing you'll have noticed: we have no MP regen. that is correct (and there is actually a lore reason for it: basically, after the war of the magi, WHM and BLM were too dangerous, so RDM use their own aether instead of drawing from external aether). make friends with another caster (like a BLM, those delicious MP batteries) and take Lucid Dreaming. (personally I'd have preferred if E-Redoublement, Displacement, or Verflare/Verholy had a refresh, but we don't, c'est la vie I suppose)

TL;DR? cast what you have less mana of. do your fancy french fencing when you get over 80 of each mana. don't get perfectly balanced. don't get too unbalanced. don't hardcast Veraero/Verthunder. Verraise OP. bribe your BLM to mana-shift you. dye all your gear Dalamund Red. and be FABULOUS.