Combo Consolidation: How long before we see it in PVE?

[Shurrikhan]

Can't edit on mobile. Ninja and monk are bad examples of the consolidation idea because of the sort of branching choices they have with things. A better suggestion for consolidation would be something like drg.

Wheeling/Fang could stay separate buttons while the Chaos Thrust and Full Thrust combos could very easily be consolidated in to one button because those are always the same.

To me, Monk and Dragoon both are the only perfect candidates.

Monk has the same number of options at every level, making it perfectly fit 3 slots.

Dragoon has no branches, making each combo one slot and one slot only.

Given that Wheeling Thrust and Fang & Claw are identical save in their positions, they too could, and should, be part of the same single-slot combo line.

Fang & Claw and Wheeling Thrust are no different from Inner Beast and Fell Cleave or Bootshine and True Strike; they're buff- or "stance-" conditional. The two could as easily be turned into a single ability and have the exact same complexity.

[Fang and Claw] - 60 TP - 5 yalm range
Combo Action: Full Thrust; Chaos Thrust. Combo Potency: 200
On completion of Full Thrust or Chaos Thrust, either of the following buffs will activate:
Wheeling Fang: Deals an additional 90 potency if executed from behind.
Sharpened Claw: Deals and additional 90 potency if executed from the flank.

The animation adjusts between "Fang" (Wheeling Thrust) and "Claw" according to the triggered buff.

I suspect that literally the only reason this wasn't done was because they didn't know what else to fill DRG's bars with, to the point even that they were willing to provide an effective nerf in gaining the level 58 ability.

Again, if the skills were separately and simultaneously available, then by all means they should have separate bindings. But they aren't separate skills any more than Bootshine from the flank from Bootshine from behind; more so even than any given combo, which acts as a single decision for all its steps, they are the same skill.

You can't ignore Perfect Balance

Which is why I've mentioned how to make it work with a 3-slot system, in detail, just last page.

Perfect Balance
Cast: Instant. Recast: 180s
Form Shift becomes temporarily free of global cooldown, animation, and delay, and may be used during any other ability.
Duration: 10s

At that point, Form Shift is capable of cycling through the stances with no delay nor any cost to weaving other oGCDs. (Though we'll be losing at least three of those anyways.)

If you need a QoL buff atop that, make it 12s, but for a maximum of 5 weaponskills.

You CAN always just delete the ability you know. It's not set in stone that mnk must have Perfect Balance or the job can't exist. You could also turn it in to a different sort of DPS cooldown. Auto crit for ten seconds? +damage% for ten seconds? You get the idea.

While that's certain something along the lines of design rule #1 (anything, yes, ANYTHING can go), I'd be hard-pressed to enjoy Monk nearly as much without it.

I'd much rather see Perfect Balance's cooldown reduced or made somehow variable than gain any direct damage buff CD. The AoE spams, Demolish spreads, and quick openers are just too good, gameplay-wise. And it's the gameplay that jobs ought to first be designed around, imo.

[Khalithar]

Thinking a bit more on the consolidation I thought of a way that Nin could work with combo consolidation, but it would require just a bit of homogenization with drg. Using drg as the example, drg has two combos the Full Thrust combo (that I will refer to as the "damage combo") and the Chaos Thrust combo (that I will refer to as the "debuff combo").

To consolidate, they'd have to make Aeolian Edge the "damage combo" and then turn Shadow Fang -> Dancing Edge -> Armor Crush in to the "Debuff Combo" and then work from there. It would be similar to drg, but drg would still be the "fourth combo attack" melee job.

[Felis]

snip

You can't ignore Perfect Balance

[SenorPatty]

I don't want it cuz I like the feel of executing combos one after the other.

But you know, if its an option for people rather than forced in, then I'm fine with that. Live and let live.

[Khalithar]

You can't ignore Perfect Balance

You CAN always just delete the ability you know. It's not set in stone that mnk must have Perfect Balance or the job can't exist. You could also turn it in to a different sort of DPS cooldown. Auto crit for ten seconds? +damage% for ten seconds? You get the idea.

[Felis]

You CAN always just delete the ability you know. It's not set in stone that mnk must have Perfect Balance or the job can't exist. You could also turn it in to a different sort of DPS cooldown. Auto crit for ten seconds? +damage% for ten seconds? You get the idea.

So your solution is to nerf MNK?

[Khalithar]

So your solution is to nerf MNK?

So your belief is that if they got rid of Perfect Balance they wouldn't adjust the numbers so it's DPS is just as good or better than where it was at?

[YitharV2]

So your belief is that if they got rid of Perfect Balance they wouldn't adjust the numbers so it's DPS is just as good or better than where it was at?

They possibly could, but I'm not sure if I trust SE lol. ATM in the opener Perfect Balance is used with Form Shift to get GL3 ASAP.

[Khalithar]

They possibly could, but I'm not sure if I trust SE lol. ATM in the opener Perfect Balance is used with Form Shift to get GL3 ASAP.

Yes I know. My point however, is that just because the opener works now doesn't mean it needs to be set in stone, rotations/openers CAN be changed without destroying a Job if they delete certain abilities/cooldowns and adjust certain potencies/move certain abilities around in combos to compensate.

[alimdia]

You got your wish in pvp?