Concerns Regarding DPS Balance: Physical Ranged, Red Mage, and Summoner

[Lyth]

But where is the 'skill expression' for phys ranged players?

I don't know, to be honest, and it would be remiss of me to say. I'm not offering a 'skill-based' interpretation but rather a 'feasibility-based' one. Everyone, under the right circumstances, should be able to aim for the top spot. That may not always be simultaneously possible. A fight with a lot of forced melee downtime will favor ranged. A fight with a lot of forced targetless downtime will favor burst (and PCT). So you adjust DPS numbers appropriately. Melee should be tuned higher under target dummy conditions, such that ranged pull ahead when there's a lot of challenging melee downtime. Consistent DPS should be tuned higher under target dummy conditions, so that when you have fights with multiple intermissions, burst pull ahead. That way no job is always on top. When you ignore these design considerations, you end up with PCT being a hard lock on all fights.

You've had some discussions already about job design approaches to Physical Ranged (walking casts, ranged positionals, more procs), and there are probably opportunities for fight-based design approaches that involve kiting (T7S Raynauds) or distance-based baits. I encourage you to collectively decide what forms of skill expression you want to see going forward. I'm just reinforcing the fact that Physical Ranged should not be treated as an inferior tier of Ranged DPS compared to 'Damage Casters'.

Everyone is above MCH, and PCT is above everybody. I don't understand the point of that comment?

I'm saying that given PCT's overwhelming burst and the fact that it generates motifs without a target, PCT should be tuned to do less damage than BLM, MCH, RDM, and BRD on a target dummy. That way whenever you have fights with downtime, it will actually be more reasonably balanced. The devs can't be playing favorites like this. Hope that helps.

???

Ah yes. Melee should just stroll back to the boss after disconnects. Is that how you think melee is played, out of curiosity?