Why balance jobs to just high-end raids?

[Payotz]

I know It's wonderful.

Oh I agree! So true bestie!

[Heavenchild]

But it's truly a problem. At first MCH was so weak in raiding that it sometimes even got excluded in partyfinder and now they buffed it so much that MCH dominates in dps in most casual content.
If you take a look at the number in the group list (aggro list), then MCH is most of the time at the top. As a main MCH I could be happy but I am not. I would prefer a better balance.

[Payotz]

But it's truly a problem. At first MCH was so weak in raiding that it sometimes even got excluded in partyfinder and now they buffed it so much that MCH dominates in dps in most casual content.
If you take a look at the number in the group list (aggro list), then MCH is most of the time at the top. As a main MCH I could be happy but I am not. I would prefer a better balance.

The only real way for them to have perfect balance is to pretty much just have every job have the same buttons, have the same numbers, have the same uptime and have the same resources, downtime strategy, crit rate, crit swing and damage swing. That was kinda the point of Shadowbringers job design and onward. Any variance in gameplay would result in number differences, and that is considered not very cash money by the community.

I think they're doing a good job though. SAM being auto crit and losing their DH/SKS builds is a step going towards that. Melee losing their downtime as a result of raid bosses having very large hitboxes is a large step forward towards that goal too. Eventually every job will actually play the same across the spectrum, and not just amongst their roles. Just have patience. It'll get there.

Personally, I'm betting on crit being removed. Maybe Battle Litany will be changed to function the same as Arcane Circle. Or even just remove damage swings in general.

[Valkyrie_Lenneth]

There is no way to balance jobs around people who just don't push buttons.



Well there is, and that's trusts, but the people who should be using them probably aren't using them.

[TaleraRistain]

I admit, I always shake my head at the high end players complaining about the game being dumbed down, and then sure enough, most of them take the easiest possible route to clear the hardest content. It goes to show you that most people don't really want a challenge, they just want the reward.

Criterion pretty much already proved that. People screamed for years on these forums for hard 4-man content and swore up and down they just wanted a challenge and didn't even need rewards. Lo and behold, now they won't do it because it doesn't have rewards. I always respected the one or two who were like "Of course I'm not going to do it unless it also has a good reward" because at least they were honest about it.

[Nizzi]

The only real way for them to have perfect balance is to pretty much just have every job have the same buttons, have the same numbers, have the same uptime and have the same resources, downtime strategy, crit rate, crit swing and damage swing. That was kinda the point of Shadowbringers job design and onward. Any variance in gameplay would result in number differences, and that is considered not very cash money by the community.

I think they're doing a good job though. SAM being auto crit and losing their DH/SKS builds is a step going towards that. Melee losing their downtime as a result of raid bosses having very large hitboxes is a large step forward towards that goal too. Eventually every job will actually play the same across the spectrum, and not just amongst their roles. Just have patience. It'll get there.

Personally, I'm betting on crit being removed. Maybe Battle Litany will be changed to function the same as Arcane Circle. Or even just remove damage swings in general.

In the future I hope all DPS and Tank players can experience the sheer brilliance and joy that is the healer gameplay experience.

[Atelier-Bagur]

In the future I hope all DPS and Tank players can experience the sheer brilliance and joy that is the healer gameplay experience.

In the future, itll only be just one job. Freelancer.

[Kazhar]

Criterion pretty much already proved that. People screamed for years on these forums for hard 4-man content and swore up and down they just wanted a challenge and didn't even need rewards. Lo and behold, now they won't do it because it doesn't have rewards. I always respected the one or two who were like "Of course I'm not going to do it unless it also has a good reward" because at least they were honest about it.

This is just blatant double standards. Everyone does content for the rewards, not just high end players. Literally all content of the game would get instantly deserted without a goal or a carrot to do it again.
Fun only gets you so far.

Not only that but not everyone can just form a static of 4 players. Without a good reward structure, how can you possibly pug this content a week after most those who were interested already got their first and only clear?

[caffe_macchiato]

Wait, casual content requires effort? Since when?

[HyonaCookie]

Also no, raiders don't chase meta or external tools of whatever. Keep your lens off the world first racers.

This isn't just about world first racers. I spent some time lurking in a few places high-end raiders tend to congregate. One of the things mentioned in convos in these places were "sims" and "automarkers" that were recommended to people trying to prog Ultimates or do them through Party Finder. Someone even bemoaned about how "automarkers" are starting to be used for content that was previously cleared in PF without them. And people talk about party comps all the time. In another convo, someone asked about playing caster in TOP and was responded with "just don't play BLM."It might not be as outright, but high end raiders do metachase in order to clear content.