SE needs to be more creative when balancing party damage utility classes.

[Gruntler]

Final Fantasy "If it's not more dps it sucks" Fourteen.

Since everyone is expected to do dps 100% of the time, anything that doesn't equal more damage is bad. If you have a 10% damage buff and a 20% mitigation buff on the same timer, you'll get scolded for daring to not use the moar dps button.

That's true of most rpgs. Ultimately, everything in any kit has to either:

1) Solve a problem

or

2) Delay losing to a problem long enough to execute 1.

If the boss is the problem, then solutions to the problem will be necessary. Damage is the only solution to problems in this game; other rpgs with other solutions just have a different name for damage. Healing and defensive utility and even doing mechanics only exists to buy time to solve the problem--if you don't have to do it, it doesn't help you solve the problem.

[MerlinCross]

That's true of most rpgs. Ultimately, everything in any kit has to either:

1) Solve a problem

or

2) Delay losing to a problem long enough to execute 1.

If the boss is the problem, then solutions to the problem will be necessary. Damage is the only solution to problems in this game; other rpgs with other solutions just have a different name for damage. Healing and defensive utility and even doing mechanics only exists to buy time to solve the problem--if you don't have to do it, it doesn't help you solve the problem.

Then ax the roles. Ax support skills, ax tanks and healers, and ax roles. The only thing that matters is damage then make the game a hyper aggressive form of rocket tag. Anything else isn’t solving the problem fast enough. That’s the only solution right?

[Grimoire-M]

Then ax the roles. Ax support skills, ax tanks and healers, and ax roles. The only thing that matters is damage then make the game a hyper aggressive form of rocket tag. Anything else isn’t solving the problem fast enough. That’s the only solution right?

You’re missing the point. It’s on SE to create situations where support, mitigation, and healing matters. That it isn’t in the majority of content except by way of player error and in the places it does recovering from mistakes rarely is an option -IS- the problem.

[SaberMaxwell]

Then ax the roles. Ax support skills, ax tanks and healers, and ax roles. The only thing that matters is damage then make the game a hyper aggressive form of rocket tag. Anything else isn’t solving the problem fast enough. That’s the only solution right?

Tanks and healers fall into Section 2: Delay losing to a problem long enough to execute 1.

[MerlinCross]

You’re missing the point. It’s on SE to create situations where support, mitigation, and healing matters. That it isn’t in the majority of content except by way of player error and in the places it does recovering from mistakes rarely is an option -IS- the problem.

And yet any situation where that would matter is “solved” with the right rotation of CD or guides. Or complained about till removed or nerfed. Then we ask for more damage.

It’s on SE to create it but it’s also on us to give them feedback beside “Why do this when we can do X and do more damage”. But the community is always going to solve for “most damage” so change the game to reflect it.

Tanks and healers fall into Section 2: Delay losing to a problem long enough to execute 1.

No you don’t. You just need to make it where on DPS is tanks enough and give the rest enough healing in their kit to tough it out.

“But isn’t that a tank?” With barely any tank mechanics besides placement and hitting the “not due button” anyone could be a tank if given the CDs for it. So just give everybody 2-3 not die Buttons and about the same amount of healing. And revived have to go somewhere maybe.

[Vulcann]

Tanks and healers fall into Section 2: Delay losing to a problem long enough to execute 1.

actually you can axe all healers and all tanks except the paladin.

then give the paladin stronger heals and shields that generate agro and keep himself alive. i mean this is what the dumbing down the MMORPG genre is leading to.

[Seku]

They first need to make encounters that depend on other skills than damage. Everything that they put out is made with the same thing in mind. Which is putting the players in front of a fight that all they have to do is memorize the fight. If they added a boss that was more random with their skills, that would probably make jobs that have healing and other defensive utility valued a bit more. Designing things like Palace of the dead but with actual objectives instead of just killing monsters to activate the floor up would be cool too.

TLDR; The reason people value damage so much is because there is no content that requires anything else.

[SaberMaxwell]

No you don’t. You just need to make it where on DPS is tanks enough and give the rest enough healing in their kit to tough it out.

“But isn’t that a tank?” With barely any tank mechanics besides placement and hitting the “not due button” anyone could be a tank if given the CDs for it. So just give everybody 2-3 not die Buttons and about the same amount of healing. And revived have to go somewhere maybe.

Or... OR... hear me out... you don't need to do anything, and leave things as they are, because there are people who enjoy the gameplay as it is now. It's not the most complex system out there, but that doesn't mean the answer is to melt all roles down into one.

[deadman1204]

ummm...
1. Healing: at best it would be a waste. The ranged physical (RP) would be wasting potential dps to heal when the healer can do so (at the cost of less dps). The alternative is that fights are designed to over-stress healers, which then makes RP classes indispensable (even worse). As well, RP classes would either get upgrades to their healing/sheild abilities over their dps ones, or they'd be super overpowered and be able to replace a healer in an 8 man group (this is bad).
2. movement speed: RP already have perfect mobility, they never need to stand still to do damage. If all classes suddenly could move and do damage, RP would just be MORE angry that their major bonus is now "farmed out" to other dps.

I think smart people will have no issues playing a lower dps class with high adps. You simply have to accept your NEVER gonna top the charts. If you can't handle that, there is always SMN

[MerlinCross]

Or... OR... hear me out... you don't need to do anything, and leave things as they are, because there are people who enjoy the gameplay as it is now. It's not the most complex system out there, but that doesn't mean the answer is to melt all roles down into one.

Oh I agree. I disliked Guild Wars 2 for that very reason.

But the community seems to push a “All damage or nothing” mentality. If something isn’t doing damage, why use it? Better to delete it to free up space. Heck I’m surprised we kept the graze skills on Ranged. Now it’s on Square to make skills that aren’t damage amps but the community will in turn scorne those or decry that such skills are so mandatory it makes the class an auto pick.

If damage is the only thing to care about, and the only thing the community will seem to care about; I would think it better to change the game to reflect that demand and expectation.

Now, I would drop the game. But I’d respect the game for wearing its colors on it’s sleeve rather than having this weird Trinity “But DPS is your actual job” that it seems to actually be.