Viper skill page is a complete mess.

[Amenara]

In my very little bit of playing this morning I have learned that I just need to press the highlighted skill and that green combo ender is flank and red is rear. I don't even try to understand what is going on because it feels like it is all over the place.

[LynxDubh]

In my very little bit of playing this morning I have learned that I just need to press the highlighted skill and that green combo ender is flank and red is rear. I don't even try to understand what is going on because it feels like it is all over the place.

*struggles in colorblind*

[tangentcat]

*struggles in colorblind*

I was really wondering how VPR would feel for people who are colorblind. On other jobs, I have a pattern to where I put flank vs rear buttons. We can't do that with VPR, so the color is the only quick way for me to know.

[ShaolinMike]

I was really wondering how VPR would feel for people who are colorblind. On other jobs, I have a pattern to where I put flank vs rear buttons. We can't do that with VPR, so the color is the only quick way for me to know.

MrHappy said he memorized what one of the flank/rear icons looked like and just hit the flashing one of the flank/rear pair, since they always show up together.

[Tufcat]

They were clearly going the Samurai route with one combo giving you haste and the other giving you a damage buff. Thing is the buttons light up arbitrarily and your combo will always end correctly as long as you press one of the two glowing buttons. That's not intuitive at all.

There is oversimplification and button bloat. Viper is leaning towards the former. Having two single target buttons and two aoe buttons that went through their 1-2-3 and ending with Death Rattle/Last Lash would have been the best way to go.

[Jag227]

"Hit the glowy button" is not an acceptable explanation to me. That's just not how my brain works. I need to know HOW skills relate together. On that note I will attempt to explain the Job:
I can only speak on the lvl80 rotation. For now, I will ignore the AoE rotation (which is quite simple) and focus on the basic single target rotation. The ST rotation is why this class feels so incomprehensible.

The Viper's gameplay is meant to relate to the Viper's signature 2 sword style. Viper essentially has a 1-2-3 combo split between 2 buttons. This is meant to serve as the Viper's Job identity. These 2 buttons are meant to alternate in sequence to constitute the single target rotation. You are meant to alternate between these two buttons in a 3 step process.

The 2 combo buttons begin as the skills named Steel Fangs and Dread Fangs. Both these skills (and their future morphs)have 3 steps in their combo progression: Step 1, Step 2, Step 3, Repeat. In Step 1, I will refer to these original 2 skills not by name but simply as (button)1 and (button)2. For sake of explanation don't worry about the names or effects of skills. For sake of simplicity, pretend that Dread Fangs (in Step 1) doesn't exist. We will always start Step 1 by casting Steel Fangs (Button 1). This leads us into Step 2. I call these skills in Step 2, x (button 1, previously Steel Fangs) and y (button 2, previously Dread Fangs). Your input in Step 2 will lead to a pair of unique finisher skills in Step 3. x will lead to Button 1 becoming, what I call, skill 1a and Button 2 becoming skill 2a. y will lead to Button 1 becoming skill 1b and Button 2 becoming skill 2b. 4 distinct finishers - 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b. The rotation is meant to alternate between those 4 finishers.

Step 1 1
|
Step 2 x | y
| |
Step 3 1a 2a | 1b 2b

To simplify - there are 4 combo finishers: 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b
The combo sequence to arrive at these finishers is as follows:
1a = 1 - x - 1 (Flanksting Strike)
1b = 1 - y - 1 (Hindsting Strike)
2a = 1 - x - 2 (Flanksbane Fang)
2b = 1 - y - 2 (Hindsbane Fang)

A pattern emerges. Step 1: repeated Button 1 input. Step 2: alternating 1/2 button inputs every round. Step 3: alternating button inputs every other round.

(CONTINUED IN REPLY TO THIS POST)

[Jag227]

(CONTINUED IN REPLY TO THIS POST)

Now that we understand the theory, we can simplify the rotation to simple 1 or 2 button inputs. This rotation properly rotates between the 4 finisher skills. Full rotation:
1 - 1 - 1
1 - 2 - 1
1 - 1 - 2
1 - 2 - 2
REPEAT

To prove this is correct, place the 2 combo buttons (Steel Fang on 1, Dread Fang on 2 on your bar and press them according to this order. You will see this is the correct sequence of the "hit the glowy buttons" theory.

Now, notice how we never once used the skill Dread Fang - button option 2 during Step 1. This skill applies a 10% Damage Taken debuff to an enemy for 20 seconds (a very important ST damage debuff!) However, adding this skill into our rotation complicates it to an unimaginable degree. This skill is the reason Viper appears so incomprehensible. Watch what happens when we account for this skill. Since the debuff lasts for 20 seconds, it must be applied every 3rd round of our rotation (for optimal setup and 100% uptime)."2" in Step 1 represents "Dread Fang" The full rotation becomes:

2 - 1 - 1
1 - 2 - 1
1 - 1 - 2
2 - 2 - 2
1 - 1 - 1
1 - 2 - 1
2 - 1 - 2
1 - 2 - 2
1 - 1 - 1
2 - 2 - 1
1 - 1 - 2
1 - 2 - 2
2 - 1 - 1 (here for illustration, not meant to be used before Round 1)
REPEAT

This is what happens when you account for Dread Fang and maintain the pattern of alternating Step 2 every round and Step 3 every other round. Notice how we don't arrive back at our first round (2 - 1 - 1) for so long. Dread Fang alone transforms a 4-round rotation into a 12-round rotation.

(EDIT: The following is incorrect and corrected by @Shurrikhan)
Now, the debuff provided by Dread Fang - Noxious Gash - can be provided by another skill available to Viper - Dreadwinder. This skill holds 2 charges and refills every 40 seconds. Since each charge applies a 20s debuff, and we have 2 charges, we can achieve 100% uptime on the Noxious Gash debuff simply by using Dreadwinder ASAP when it becomes available. Also, this skill starts a separate combo chain which is far more powerful than our basic weapon combo anyway, so this leads to maximum damage potential.

From this, I can only conclude that Dread Fang should never be used. It is a wasted skill and only exists as a necessary placeholder skill for the 3 potential future skills that it morphs into as part of this single-button combo system implemented in this Job design. With the conclusion that this skill should never be cast, the Job becomes a lot more comprehensible to me. (Of course, I am exaggerating when I say it should "never be used". It can have utility when used to reapply that debuff to a new target on short notice.)

[Jag227]

However, I find it impossible to track even the 4-round rotation. I cannot keep straight a rotation with such an alternating pattern. Step 2 alternates every round, and Step 3 alternates every other round. I forget which skill I just pressed all the time. In practice, this rotation feels impossible to keep track of, and almost forces you to play the "hit the glowy button" playstyle. It's far too complex otherwise. Especially when faced with complex boss mechanics. I would prefer to focus on the boss mechanics rather than be required to look at my skill bar constantly.

I would love to hear other's input on my thoughts. I'm happy to clarify, and explain other aspects of the Job as best I understand it, if needed. Perhaps 4 finishers is too much. For example, the AoE rotation is much more manageable with it's 2 finishers.

[PK_THUNER]

Yeah that sounds about right. You either have to memorize the 4 set of combos or 2 set and then reverse it for the next 2 set.