Picto makes the game less fun

[Supersnow845]

I think you just answered your own problem there, PCT has utility (though it’s a bit hard to call a self movement tool utility. Expedient would be better classed as utility in terms of movement buffs) but it’s really only competing against BLM who has no utility at all (comparison to aetherial shift is near pointless as healers occupy a different niche and WHM is not wanting for movement options at all

PCT’s utility is relatively on par with the “utility” melee and far behind the 5 actual “utility” DPS

Is it a bit strong that the strongest rDPS class also has “some” utility. Arguably yes, but that’s more a problem with PCT’s damage, not its utility being overpowered. Plus I genuinely think it’s stupid that utility bringing classes are never really allowed to be top DPS, it should be totally fine for them to compete with top DPS

PCT’s balance problems more centre on it just being better than BLM in every category, but it isn’t out of line with the melees

[Aco505]

PCT’s balance problems more centre on it just being better than BLM in every category, but it isn’t out of line with the melees

Leaving BLM and the other casters aside for a second, PCT is higher or topping rDPS, aDPS, nDPS and cDPS-wise than the majority of melees.

If it has high rDPS, it shouldn't be easily beating a melee like RPR, who is more selfish, in aDPS or being equal in nDPS yet it does at different percentiles and fights.

If it has high aDPS/nDPS, it shouldn't be above NIN/DRG, melees with lower personal damage but higher rDPS. PCT is usually the first job after the buffless ones in the aDPS charts and is somehow even above VPR and BLM in some high percentiles in M1S.

As for BLM, it still beats PCT in aDPS and nDPS, as it should. The main issue is perhaps the fact that BLM cannot abuse buffs as well as SAM or VPR so its aDPS is lower than it should.

We can argue that the difference is some hundreds of DPS and not that relevant but PCT is leading or very high in every single metric at several percentiles.

Things are more balanced now after the buffs but the job remains very strong regardless, and we haven't even seen its full potential due to the lack of downtime in this tier besides M4S.

It doesn't matter if PCT leads one or two metrics but leading several is a symptom that it is a bit out of line. Would we not think the same if VPR was topping all metrics as it was happening some weeks ago? PCT has been consistent in its strength throughout the expansion and now the latest Savage tier, with or without BiS.

However, I do agree that forcing motifs to have a target to be cast is not a solution. It'd break the job. Imagine having to hard cast motifs after a period of 30s downtime for 30~ seconds of uptime. The PCT would hardly be able to start doing anything before the next downtime phase began. Just moving damage from burst into filler so full uptime damage remains the same but downtime gains are toned down would be the best solution.