Let's talk about the upcoming DRG rework...

[CNitsah]

The only somewhat successful rework they have done recently has been monk in my opinion, in that it flows well, didn't retract from its complexity but rather brought back a lot of it (even if a different one than what it was before with greased lightning). Where it starts being ironic in my opinion is that Monk is still not played a lot. In the meantime, everybody plays SMN and DNC. See the pattern?

That's what makes me absolutely not confident for anymore reworks they could bring, because the ones that are horrible for me are the popular ones.

( I do not main DRG )

I don't know about SMN, but I would argue DNC is far more played because it's ranged, and it gives you far more mobility. Even bard, that has far more room for improvment than other ranged is more popular than melee that need to constantly being in the action. More than the simplification of dancer, I think this has to do with fact ranged allow more room for errors, and more global vision to read what's happening.

[Valence]

I don't know about SMN, but I would argue DNC is far more played because it's ranged, and it gives you far more mobility. Even bard, that has far more room for improvment than other ranged is more popular than melee that need to constantly being in the action. More than the simplification of dancer, I think this has to do with fact ranged allow more room for errors, and more global vision to read what's happening.

BRD is literally the least popular job right now (in challenging content). Even BLM is more.

[Keichi]

BRD is literally the least popular job right now (in challenging content). Even BLM is more.

Good, no plan how its looks in challenge. But from what i see, are Nin the most rarest class. Followed by monk.
Bard, Machinist, Dnc, Summoner are all much more common and nearly in every run i have.

The reason they are played is most likely, because they are ranged.
You dont habe to look for positionals. Can attack while moving and ftom every distance. You dont fall in traps of close combat aoe. Beeing range is simply more safe as by many meele classes.

About the 2 phases variation, would i miss the ground class. Dragoon main future are the jumps. Mean, they should first showing up with the class change. The dragon are the spell attacks, that the Drg can use.
The base class to the other hand is, where the normal spear attacks are coming. And they should be present to (practicly, what whe have yet).

I think, its better to not espect to much core changes by the drg. That could only lead to disapointment. Its very likely, that whe will simply have a change of the gauge. Similary to the monk.