Setting sights on the future of physical ranged DPS

[Rithy255]

I'd kind of like more proc based Jobs in general (not just physical ranged), Healers could use some, casters, even certain tanks/melees could have some procs. I think it's good to even have one physranged that doesn't have proc based gameplay while two physical ranged heavily focus on it (I want things to actually feel different for each Job not just role type).

But what I do think physical ranged needs is more mechs where their mobility is actually needed (ranged mechs), more "utility in general" and higher damage then current... Give more reasons then "you bring the 1% buff" for physical ranged.

[Carighan]

I'd kind of like more proc based Jobs in general (not just physical ranged), Healers could use some, casters, even certain tanks/melees could have some procs. I think it's good to even have one physranged that doesn't have proc based gameplay while two physical ranged heavily focus on it (I want things to actually feel different for each Job not just role type).

Definitely, although I would say that while Dancer has procs, their procs aren't their central game mechanic. So in the archetypes of MMORPG combat flow design, they're not "proc based". They're "priority based", a combat flow where the central element is that you have 1++ resource that you "overproduce" and often at a semi-unreliable pace, so your goal is to bleed it off not overcapping the resource, while also finding time to fit everything else in. Dancer in fact has this twice, once with feathers and once with the energy. Very nice priority-based job, what with the cycling cooldowns, wanting to use them right as they come up, but also having to react to changes in resource and pre-plan for burst windows accordingly.

I'd definitely want more jobs that use the other combat flow designs though:

* Static rotation (<-- this is where everyone except Dancer is right now)
* Proc based
* Randomized
* Adaptive

My favorite two classes for randomized combat flow (which is not the same as being based on procs!) would be Machinist and Summoner:

* Summoner gets 2+ minor summons for each "slot" (red/yellow/green), and as you are in each major summon, a few seconds before it ends you can see which selection you got. Each color roughly has a function (say red is always slow casts) but they all function slightly different, so you have to react to the random loadout you got and work with that.
* Machinist similarly I would give a "reload" function. On reload, you have a certain ability to influence what kind of ammo you'll load in what order, but mostly its random. Each ability with the gun, no matter whether GCD or oGCD, uses one ammo but the 3-4 types of ammo produce different effects so you might not want to use a certain one with a specific ability, or want to. It's a bit of a match-this-up game, if that makes sense? Say you get the order of 8 bullets, and now you know your ability usage for ammo will be 4 1 1 2 2 3 1 4 or so. Any other one works, too, but matching each bullet produces optimal damage.

[Sylvain]

* Static rotation (<-- this is where everyone except Dancer is right now)

I'd Argue RDM and BRD to some extent are also part of the exception

[Carighan]

I'd Argue RDM and BRD to some extent are also part of the exception

Hrm... fair enough. Debatable. I'm used to thinking about it from an EverQuest perspective, and in the "old" design (granted, 6 combat roles and all back then) they'd be static-y, but I get what you mean. RDM is in fact a bit special, as they're like the inverse of a priority based design in their core mechanic, but due to the abundance of energy-generation tools and in particular the procs at higher levels, this rarely has a big gameplay effect. Balance of energy is never difficult or meaningfully complicated. If it were, it'd truly be a priority-job, having to maybe not use a skill you want to use because zomg damage, but it'd unbalance your energy if you did. It's close to a really cool design, yeah.