5.08 Patch - DPS still not balanced.

[Vendalwind]

this is one thing i allways find interesting, obviously it is like that right now, and actually has been since like forever, but realistically, why SHOULD double melee be encouraged ? i get why you should encourage at least one of every role, and while i personally think (for easier balancing in a diversity sense) they should just throw caster and physical ranged together at least for now thats obviously not the intent with the different role bonus and all, but...

Why, if square allready gives you incentive to have 1/1/1 should they actually encouraged people to fill the last slot with one of 3 classes (the remaining melee) while leaving 4 other classes (the remaining ranged/casters) to their own devices ? every statement about raidbuffs and utility and what not from them is basically "we want to move away from the meta" so why actively encourage that a minority of classes gets the majority of spots ?

Couple simple reasons.

1st fight design. Ranged physical can fill amy role, but the game definately began with 2 melee 2 ranged as the ideal comp, this is particularily evident when you look at diagrams from before release.

2nd was how the game was originally intended. (MNK, DRG, BRD BLM) SMN and NIN were released later.

3rd class role distribution. As time went on ranged split into 2 class roles, magical and physical. This was in part because thw ranged role was inflated, and in part because of the distinctive differences that developed post hw casting time wise.

4th again role distribution. Currently there is two tank slots:4 tanks, 2 healer slots:3 healers, 2 melee slots 4 melee. 1 rng phys: 3 ranged and 1rng caster: 3 casters.

This is in part why many people guess that the next big expansion will add another healer and maybe a new melee will follow later (side note my money is on a melee beastmaster hinted by ranjits combat style. Could be totally wrong tho). Currently melee needs the second spot more than either ranged by a small margin of class choice value options.

[Akiudo]

1st fight design. Ranged physical can fill amy role, but the game definately began with 2 melee 2 ranged as the ideal comp, this is particularily evident when you look at diagrams from before release.

2nd was how the game was originally intended. (MNK, DRG, BRD BLM) SMN and NIN were released later.

the game also originally intended for you to have one healer with strong shields but piss poor direct healing and one with basically no shielding options at all, that is the reason why ast originally was nothing but either a bad whitemage or a bad scholar, and what is still keeping them back as far as adding healers are concerned, "it was originally designed that way" is a non argument, monk was originally designed without any group buffs, Bard was originally designed being able to support others, fights 5 years ago being designed around having 1 of every of the original mustn't be an argument against change

3rd class role distribution. As time went on ranged split into 2 class roles, magical and physical. This was in part because thw ranged role was inflated, and in part because of the distinctive differences that developed post hw casting time wise.

i'm really not sure what the ranged role being inflated should have to do with that, gonna let the cast time argument stand as a reason for the distinction because arguing that wouldn't lead to a satisfoctry result i believe, but "we have to many "ranged/casters" compared to melee, lets split them up into seperate groups" solves exactly nothing ? having 2 groups of 3 competing for 1 spot each if anything is worse than having a big group of 6 competing for 2 spots as far as enabling different class compositions, which was squares goal time and time again when "the meta" got brought up.

4th again role distribution. Currently there is two tank slots:4 tanks, 2 healer slots:3 healers, 2 melee slots 4 melee. 1 rng phys: 3 ranged and 1rng caster: 3 casters.
This is in part why many people guess that the next big expansion will add another healer and maybe a new melee will follow later (side note my money is on a melee beastmaster hinted by ranjits combat style. Could be totally wrong tho). Currently melee needs the second spot more than either ranged by a small margin of class choice value options.

which if the 4th slot would be free and classes were equal would sort itself out by itself, you would allways want 1 melee for a)the 1% buff and b)the melee lb, the by far most universally usefull dps lb. yes, you might not need that in every fight but you also might not need a physical ranged to kite some shitty mechanic in every fight. IF the 3 options would be equally viable, with no extra push from square to "take class x" , all classes were perfectly balanced, 2 ranged were a given (1 physical+1caster, you yourself said they were their own groups, which is actually exactly why i think they should be one group, than you could balance around 2/2 and would "only" need to keep the numbers of classes equal"ish") you would take 1 melee for the 1%+lb at least (remember, classes are really really well balanced in this scenario so no reason not to take a "free 1%buff+at least the option to single target lb") so why cant the 4th slot sort itself out ? you scared all these bards are gonna take away your ninja slot with their "free movement" which they won't use on any mechanic as there are allready 2 ranged doing them ?