Why is there a noticeable gap between Casters and Melees?

[Leonus]

For most content in the game, the moment ranged dps is equal to or better than melee dps, melee dps becomes a liability in comparison. They are then no longer needed for anything other than melee LB.

Though composition has changed since the beginning of ARR. It used to lean more towards 2 casters, brd and 1 melee. Now it's 2 melee, 1 caster and a brd.

It just happens to be the content available is melee friendly. Also, the people playing melee classes to their fullest are getting in as much uptime as possible every chance they get. Hopefully ranged dps don't ask for buffs, because as soon as content goes back to being less melee friendly, melee dps will be getting out shined and then start asking for buffs.

Then another viscious cycle will start and continue.

Edit: most melee players that I know tend to not like having more than 2 melee dps in a party. It starts to feel crowded around the boss. No one really cares hoe many casters are I a group most of the time. Or at least, not from what I have seen.

[Tex_Mex]

Hopefully ranged dps don't ask for buffs, because as soon as content goes back to being less melee friendly, melee dps will be getting out shined and then start asking for buffs.

Then another viscious cycle will start and continue.

Agreed, it is perfectly acceptable for melee DPS to do more damage than ranged; however, I do want SE to be careful about how melee friendly they make content. IMO, FCoB is very poorly designed because ALL of it is melee friendly. This is mainly because every fight tends to have high boss up time. Mix it up a little. It would be perfectly fine if 2 of the 4 fights were more friendly to ranged, so that some classes would not be getting left out consistently. *Cough SMN*