Ranged DPS jobs - disappointing?

[Cetonis]

Bard is particularly weak at lower levels, and the reason for that is simply that SE doesn't give a damn about lower level balance. Most jobs are way stronger at lower levels now than they were back when 50 was the level cap, while Bard is only slightly stronger at best (may actually be weaker come to think of it), just as a collateral effect of what skills SE has targeted for buffs, nerfs and reworks over the years.

The ranged dps do less than other roles on purpose, as if they were just-as-good then static groups would always aim to take 2 ranged, 1 caster and 1 melee, because all other things being equal you'd just take the most mobile option for that fourth slot. A situation where groups either take a second melee or caster, and aim to avoid 2 ranged, is preferable. There's a lot of griping about whether or not ranged really need to be held as far down as they are, but the core logic of making them behind a bit is sound.

Crabby vets like me are also mad about the gutting of the flexibility / complexity of ranged jobs relative to 4.x Bard, and then you have the people who think pushing wild demands for Bard to be split into two jobs is constructive, so there's a lot of complain-about-ranged going on here and elsewhere, while the devs have either been silent or tone-deaf about ranged for pretty much the entire lifespan of the game.

[Akiudo]

The ranged dps do less than other roles on purpose, as if they were just-as-good then static groups would always aim to take 2 ranged, 1 caster and 1 melee, because all other things being equal you'd just take the most mobile option for that fourth slot. A situation where groups either take a second melee or caster, and aim to avoid 2 ranged, is preferable.

let me ask the question:"why in fact would statics prefer more mobile options in such a case ?" the obvious answer is "because mobility has value" of course, but how big is this value, and latching on to that, why is it preferable to have a situation where statics want to avoid a second physical ranged but are willing to take a second caster? (or for that matter, why would a situation where 2 melees would be a clear given be preferable even though going by class distribution that would mean melee classes would be clearly overrepresented)?


lets for a moment ignore that "all things being equal" isn't even realistic outside of damage, there are also factors like 2 out of 3 casters offering a rezz for example or if push comes to shove even things like melee having slightly higher armor/life values which in fact does sometimes lets a melee survive a mechanic that would have killed a physical ranged if failed and really go there, everything is equal, physical ranged are simply the most mobile/least restricted.

Of course in this situation there now is value in this free movement, that does however not answer why its preferable for them to be so weak as so no one would ever want 2 of them.

If anything, if less damage really has to be the tradeoff for being less glued to the boss (and if we are going there than really, all 3 casters are failing that test miserably, we got 2 out of 3 casters in the top dps spot and the third caster is on par with the weaker melees while offering outstanding support as far as this game goes) than this "less damage" should be weighted in equall to the value "free" movement offers, if your choice is to take a more mobile class but do 300-400 group dps less that may be a trade off, and a group may actually think about it if they want the extra dps potential OR the safety net against mechanics a more mobile class can offer. that would be something that penalises the value of free movement in a way giving a fair choice.

the way its handled right now its like (lets for once act like casters weren't overperforming all around) if you look at redmage, come to the conclusion the value its rezz+heal potential for clutch situations compared to blackmages "nothing" is 500 dps and than intentionally balance it 1500 dps below blackmage as to make sure that literally everyone will prefer the blackmage.