DPS at End Game

[ispano]

If you pull mobs off of tanks that are better geared at any time except the portions of fights which necessitate tank swaps... I would very much say you don't know what you're doing.

I'm saying I can, not that I neccesarily do. Only time I do it on purpose is if you have two tanks fighting over the boss and not putting it in the right spot, ie only really in CT. I take it and move it where it needs to go.

[Rochetm]

If you pull mobs off of tanks that are better geared at any time except the portions of fights which necessitate tank swaps... I would very much say you don't know what you're doing.

Didn't say I do... I said I can. If at any point I can pull off of a better geared tank they are failing.. BIG TIME.

And no captain awesome that really is all pld does. 3 hit combo + scorn + spirits... thats it. Flash/CDs when needed. That is all a pld needs to do and yet most cannot do even that. It also explains why warriors are so bad... they have far more buttons that have to push.

[Mikedizzy]

My main is a BARD and I love it and it is my highest ilv gear at 86. Very...very fun to play.
My secondary job is Dragoon and I love it also...it is nice to play melee DPS for a change and actually get to use LB.
My third job is White Mage and I also am loving healing and did this to be well rounded for my Free Company.
I will level PLD next so that I have every role in the game covered.
I say do it all and have fun with it all...being well rounded also makes you an overall better player.

[prymortal]

So far best class choice seems to be like this for all content
Do i lagg?

YES!: BLM/SUM/SCH/BRD

NO, Pft lagg is a myth: MNK/DRG

MAYBE, im not sure: WHM/PLD/WAR (because these classes will answer that quests with a definte yes or no very quickly.

[BlueMage]

What DPS class would you say is best to choose if I want to do consistent damage and at the same time enjoy?

Bard: Its wanted in all content. There is no "Bard unfriendly" fight. You can put out competitive damage consistently, from any range, and are free to move (dodge) while doing so. While against a test dummy Bard isn't the highest DPS, its still very good DPS, and in many fights most players of other jobs lose a lot of their potential DPS due to movement or fight mechanics whereas Bard is always putting out, which is the equalizer. You're also least likely to die, have one a kind utility that makes groups always want at least one bard, and have essentially no competition for loot except from other Bards. And its easy to learn fights on, because of its mobility, versatility, and demand.

[Mikedizzy]

Bard is my favorite even after the slight NERF....got to play it to understand it!

[Katiyana]

I'm not as well-off as some of these guys (only up to T2 in Coil)... but for my 3 or so months playing the game I have enjoyed my Dragoon the most
And while yes, we lose some DPS due to movement/mechanics, nothing I have done has been "impossible" nor does my FC refuse to include me in content when we try it out

[kukurumei]

I would say drg and mnk are equal at this point with some encounters better then one or another. Drg tend to be better over all for the newer content though.

They are both now far more powerful then range users by far. You can't beat a drg or mnk when there's something to hit.

Smn and blm are really hit or miss, they are in some cases even worse then a bad drg/mnk in the newer content. there's a reason for almost every class now, with exception of smn (because they still have some annoying issues), but smn can be really powerful in certain cases.

[JayCommon]

IMO, all DPS are fun and bring good qualities to the table if one knows how to use them correctly and maximize rotational effectiveness. I agree with the general consensus that you should just choose what you will be happy playing, however I do lean towards Bard (biased) for a definitive class.

You asked about consistent damage. I've heard answers claiming for the other DPS classes but I'm not sure if I agree. Unless we are defining 'consistent' differently, anyway. When I think 'consistent', I am thinking of fastest continual DPS. As much DPS without downtime, if you will. MNK and DRG's have very few skills that aren't used in their GCD. BRD's don't have many either....but the DOT's we (should) throw up on every enemy let our Instant proc to immediately recast. Combine that with Internal Release/Straighter Shot (because the proc is based off the DOT Critting) and Bloodletter actually instantly respawns quite frequently. I have literally done 5 GCD rotations with 5 Instant Bloodletter in a row. When things like that happen, NO DPS out-hates me.

That doesn't even mention Barrage, which makes your auto-attack triple. With all buffs going, that triple auto attack can Crit with every arrow and deal upwards of 1200 total damage. On an auto-attack!!! I haven't played casters yet, but I know melee can't even get close to that with an auto-attack. At least on DRG.

The only thing that might make MNK comparable is the fact that tripled stacked Greased Lightning should be in effect at all times during the battle, and that does add a considerable amount of dmg/atk speed to what they can do. The first time I played a MNK at lvl 40 I almost couldn't keep up with the GCD at first. And with all the positioning to get the most out of your moves, it's definitely fun but it also might not be the first thing you want to focus end game on. End game throws a lot of mechanics at you as a DPS and you have to avoid them all. I'm not aware of your skill level (not trying to say it's bad or anything) but keeping "dodge AOEs" as a high priority will be easier to forget when your focusing on positional damage and maximizing your DPS. As a BRD, you just make sure you run out of the red and keep on attacking

In regards to DRG, they absolutely do the best burst damage out of melee DPS, but are just so sloooow compared to MNK and BRD it lost it's appeal for me. The moves are cool, and the rotation for maximum DPS is SICK....but I get bored DPSing as a DRG because I'm used to the faster paced rotations of BRD and MNK.

But these are just my 2gils. Honestly, becoming efficient in them all is prob the way to go. You won't ever get left out of a party because you don't have the DPS they require

[Whiz]

@ the OP if you already have Brd,Drg,mnk to 50 you should already know which you like better. So just go with the one you enjoy the most, they are all viable dps and have a place in any set up.