Is it too late or is the damage done

[Rakashu]

every class, in every MMORPG is going to end up getting some stereotype attached to them, and no matter how much the class evolves, it simply won't change.

[RiverTams]

this thread makes me sad ;(

[Lollie]

I will admit it. I am one of those people that normally cannot stand dragoons. I'm not saying all of them, everywhere. I just honestly have never met a great one.

In addition, my main is healer, and it gets really old always having to raise them constantly. Plus, Frontlines made me hate them even more.

You probably never will meet a great drg unless you already know one. Once they find a home they generally don't leave it.

[Noshpan]

Much like Hunters in WoW, Dragoons will most likely never be free of their stigma. It's a difficult role to master (or at least become decent at) and it's easy for even the best Dragoons to have a moment of Derp. It also doesn't help that they are often the victims of conditions beyond their control. Okay, less so in the case of Huntards who don't bother making sure that Growl is turned off, and don't have Aspect of the Pack/Beast up.

Even I will use the "loldrg" remark, especially when I derp. Whenever I watch Crumps2 play FFIV, and Kain doesn't jump when he's supposed to (YOU HAD ONE JOB, KAIN! AND YOU BLEW IT!), I'll even use the term "loldrg". But it is in jest. I don't use it to mock other Dragoons... unless they do it first.

But there have been plenty of times where I, as a Dragoon, or have witnessed another Dragoon pull that last clutch when the tank goes down.

[FrejyaAthenes]

Anyone else notice that the title's a loaded question?

To be more on topic, while I'm of the belief that every class should have the potential to have good or bad players/performances, I will admit the "loldrg" attitude is pretty strong in my group...if not founded. A friend of mine once said "It may not be right, but some stereotypes exist for a reason."

[sarehptar]

My brother mains Dragoon so I like to make fun of him; however, I recently started leveling lancer myself and I feel like it's surprisingly difficult, so my props to the people who play it well.

I also think the stigma works the other way too--a good Dragoon is way more likely to be noticed than other DPS classes playing well. If you're in a PUG with a good Dragoon, expect at least one person to comment on it. I think the response to Dragoon just swings more to the extremes than for other classes--they're either getting made fun of or they're getting praised just for not sucking.

Even if Dragoon became the most OP class, I expect the loldrg joke would still persist. Game's got to have a butt monkey somewhere.

[Azper]

[Aylis]

Oh yeah. Plus, they are the most frequent offenders (IMO) who stand around in the cities spamming their annoying moves 400 times in a row.

I can't remember how many times I was minding my own business just crafting and had random Dragoons just coming up and spamming ring of thorns to the point I had to turn others effects off just to stop that stupid effect from ruining my crafting. The same from my experiences in DF, 8 out of 10 times the biggest jerk in the party was always the Dragoon.

[Darus]

Fail-goons are usually played by people that can't, or won't, time. I love their enormous number, because if I so much as sidestep a fireball, I get invited to a static. Being the 5% is nice since most don't expect you to actually be about to play. Also, I find dragoon to have the highest survival rate for myself. I can literally leap around the battlefield out of danger, I just see few players make use of the logistical advantages of the class. People only remember you for your 1% of screw ups though, instead of your 80% of being the last one standing.

[DarkLordCthulhu]

yea, but then theres that time u get Garuda HM for your trial roulette. And u see the DRG run across the vortex (circle aoe thingys). then boom! dude is sent flying accross the map into second vortex. that second vortex does the same. the third vortex then hurls his now lifeless body around the battefield once more. And u just cant help but select party chat to type "lolDRG"