The dev team did a fantastic job on the MNK rework. I love it.

[Joeymtl]

I think people are really underselling how difficult monk is to actually grasp and especially maximize. Monk's optimal rotation is not intuitive to learn with Demolish being every 3rd rotation and Twin Snakes every 2nd rotation, and the UI is not helpful in this regards. It's like playing Black Mage, but having to track your Astral Fire/Umbral Ice timer on the buff bar instead of your specialized UI. Enough repetition and eventually you remember the timings through sheer muscle memory, but until then, it's a really unfun endeavor. Add in positionals, delayed chakra gains depending on animation, and the inability to double weave on medium ping despite having multiple ogcds that you need to hit one after the other, and Monk becomes an unintuitive mess that turns people off, even if they want the general fantasy that pugilist offered.

I'm not a Monk main, the playstyle didn't suit my tastes and I really didn't care what they did to it for Endwalker. Removing positionals eased one of the pain points, but I still like Samurai and Black Mage more, Samurai because it has a more intuitive rotation that doesn't really bother with tracking your buff bar, and Black Mage because *all* of your focus is on the timer and how to get the most out of it through boss mechanics. However, I do like playing current Monk more as a casual and... well, that's probably what the designers were going for.

I main MNK since ARR and this is my sentiment 100%. I was really confused when people were talking about MNK being easier now that it has less positionals, while completely disregarding how much attention it takes to track the 2 blitz windows during a hard fight and how counter intuitive some of the sequences are in the braindead rotation, or remember a relatively complex flowchart for the optimal drift rotation. It's great if you just play casually and "do the things", but people generally want to get the most out of their job, even casuals.

[AziraSyuren]

I suppose people always think jobs are dumbed down when their low effort, low skill, and disproportionately rewarding optimizations are removed.

[IruruCece]

I suppose people always think jobs are dumbed down when their low effort, low skill, and disproportionately rewarding optimizations are removed.

Yes, the disproportionately rewarding optimizations that came from landing positionals on a regular basis lmao

[AziraSyuren]

Yes, the disproportionately rewarding optimizations that came from landing positionals on a regular basis lmao

I mean, yes, I could definitely argue that hitting your positionals consistently was disproportionately rewarding for how easy it was, especially considering how little you've actually needed to hit them over the years, what with True North and RoE.

Positionals have pretty much been a formality for years.

[IruruCece]

I mean, yes, I could definitely argue that hitting your positionals consistently was disproportionately rewarding for how easy it was, especially considering how little you've actually needed to hit them over the years, what with True North and RoE.

Positionals have pretty much been a formality for years.

Confused at how something you disregard as a formality, and was reduced to such to appease whiners that didn't want to be punished for not pressing A or D enough hit flank or rear weapon skills, is also disproportionately rewarding.

[Arrius]

I think people are really underselling how difficult monk is to actually grasp and especially maximize. Monk's optimal rotation is not intuitive to learn with Demolish being every 3rd rotation and Twin Snakes every 2nd rotation, and the UI is not helpful in this regards.

I got the same issue with it, as well.
Too many buttons you need to press in short time, along with needing to track Disciplined Fist and Demolish in a uneven rotation.

Instead, I opted using the classic rotation (DK-TwinS-SP/BS-TrueS-Demo, rinse and repeat) and mostly ignore the PB mechanic until I manage to get the job from 80 to 90.

It's just not fun.

[AziraSyuren]

Confused at how something you disregard as a formality, and was reduced to such to appease whiners that didn't want to be punished for not pressing A or D enough hit flank or rear weapon skills, is also disproportionately rewarding.

It's a formality because of how it was so easy that they might as well have not even been there.

Lo and behold.

[IruruCece]

It's a formality because of how it was so easy that they might as well have not even been there.

Lo and behold.

Damn, lets just remove bootshine, it's so easy they should just roll that damage into our auto attacks

If ease of use was actually a concern to the developers, bloodwhetting would not exist in any way, shape, or form, but here we are.

Or current SMN, the job that can effectively be played with a single button macro.

[DarkDredgen]

Agree with OP, I also think Monk feels great so far (not 90 yet)

And it's really nice to see more Monk's in game too, they were almost a rarity before in my experience.

And to echo others, it's tough to unlearn the old positional requirements for sure, still catch myself running around hitting all the old positionals! But I personally like having less positionals, just my preference. Some is good, but too many just becomes a pain more than anything imo.

[Sqwall]

Agree with OP, I also think Monk feels great so far (not 90 yet)

And it's really nice to see more Monk's in game too, they were almost a rarity before in my experience.

And to echo others, it's tough to unlearn the old positional requirements for sure, still catch myself running around hitting all the old positionals! But I personally like having less positionals, just my preference. Some is good, but too many just becomes a pain more than anything imo.

I agree with OP as well.

I even agree the amount of positionals currently on monk is just the right amount given how busy some of these fights are.

Hydalen was annoying week 1. I can only think what it would be like with 6 positionals with that fight being so mechanic heavy, and the boss seems to move quite a bit in the later half of the fight.

P1s would have been the worst as the gaolers flails, four fold chains, intemperance, gaoler flails on dart board, and forcing me to stand in a specific spot for a period of time chewing through my RoE or True North trying to hit 6 positionals. But I don't have to worry about that anymore, and just focus on the mechanics and get the clear.

Same for P2s, but luckily the dev's had the foresight to make that omni directional.....that fight would have been a horrible experience for MNK if it was positonal required. Just go ham on the boss as a monk does...and position myself for mechanics prematurely.

I haven't got very far in savage at this point as I only run for 4 hours a week with my static. But I do take my MNK in savage after we get our clears and prog for the week done...and it's SO much better not worrying about positionals and just having fun. Granted party finder is mixed bag, but i'm finally glad I can take monk into High End without a level of anxiety from those that run ACT judging me. I'm on PS5 and I have never cared about my "DPS number", and I have never had an issue clearing content that I care about.

Monk isn't dumbed down. It's just less restrictive now, and believe it or not....better for high end content all around. Mechanics can only get more crazy from here without the worry of alienating the postional heavy classes.