Shadowbringers Melee DPS Role: Complaints, Feedback, and Suggestions

[ForteNightshade]

First of all, your math lacks a bit. Your example was about the loss of 2 GCD´s, which means 300 potency with 2 range attacks. Then you´re going to start your combo again, which means you get additional 290 potency if it´s unbuffed. This means you´ve done damage with 590 potency. Even IF you´re at Full Thrust with its 530 potency, it´s still more to use 2 range attacks, isn´t it?
Now we could go forward with FT until your combo ends, which means 530 + 370 + 370 potency at max. = 1270 potency.
On the other hand you could go those 2 ways: 150 + 150 + 290 + 350 + 530 = 1470 potency OR 150 + 150 + 290 + 320 + 330 = 1240 potency with the bonus to refresh your damage buff and DoT with 50 potency.

This is incorrect because you have to factor in the loss of a buffed Wheeling Thrust and Raiden Thrust since even with only two GCDs lost, you'll still lose out of them. Balance has already theory crafted it takes at least three GCDs before Piercing Talon becomes a gain over breaking combo. And even in such a scenario, your AoE is always better. This, in turn, makes Piercing Talon literally worthless. Likewise, Monk has a similar issue as SSS isn't enough of a gain if they have to spent lengthily periods of time off the boss.

It isn't just "some guide" but top tier players with 99-100 percentile parses and excel sims that document every possible damage output any job can do. This compared to you... claiming otherwise with no documented emphasise other than you feel it's better. I think I'll side with the people who document these calculations, no offense.

Second... i don´t dismiss my own argument. Those 2 GCD´s means nothing over the whole fight unless you wipe at 0,01%. You´re the one who has an issue with such RARE cases, not me. I gave you examples how to handle it, it´s up to you if you try or ignore them. The mechanic is playable.

Your argument boiled down to making Melee range attacks non-combo breaking would remove thought or gameplay from the jobs. You can't subsequently say "well, those GCDs don't matter anyway". Technically, you're correct. Hell, you could miss ten GCDs and easily clear Daddycred... but what thought or gameplay aspects are occurring when you're sitting in a corner doing nothing for two GCDs? You can't greed any further, thus you can't do anything without it being a loss. Making Piercing Talon not break your combo gives you a GCD to utilize. It doesn't make Melee "way more forgiving" because literally nothing changes in how your response to a mechanic you must disengage for. If you're going for optimization, you'll always prioritize your main combo over wasting a GCD on a lower potency ability. All this change does is let Piercing Talon actually be useful, since as of now, there is no reason to put it on your hotbar.

Uptime strats are irrelevant in this discussion because not only are their mechanics were you can't keep uptime, you also may not be in a group utilizing them. The whole purpose here is giving range melee attacks a purpose when they barely have one. Ninja's entire overhaul disproves everything you've said wrong because it's the only melee that can freely disengage and isn't usually punished at all for it. Not only is its gameplay not changed or make "easier" solely due to its Murdas, it always pulls ahead of Dragoon and Monk in fights with any sort of melee downtime. Why is that? Because it has multiple range attacks, one of which is part of its core kit.

Simply put, this idea that an ability like Piercing Talon not breaking your combo will suddenly make Dragoon more forgiving and easy, is ridiculous. You'll never prioritize it over maintaining your combo whenever possible. Therefore, it only serves the purpose of giving you something to do when there's downtime in a fight, be it forced or due to a poor PF strat.