Melee DPS not allowed anywhere, Thx SE.

[Nash20]

I agree with Florence, ranged dps...well I can't speak for SMN as I have no experience...but BRD and BLM you really can just bang your hand on the keyboard and put out OK damage. Why have DRG miss something and have their DPS drop like crazy or have a MNK run outta range to avoid a mechanic and possibly mess up a GL or positional.

[gadzi_h]

SE error was to make the ranged soo easy to play when you have a ton of stuff to keep track as melee for get the best dps of your class.

People forget so quickly that Bard doesn't just have to dps and avoid AoE. We have to keep our eyes on mana as well, and if we were lucky we would have some way of telling when to play Army Paeon. Sure we don't proc like a monk or need positioning to max DD but remember we played your class to 15 to become a bard, and it was an experience. Ranged DD can be played just as poorly as a bad monk or bad lancer. But remember we needed to take lancer to 32 to get blood for blood. Bards do understand what melee are going through. And to be honest in an 8 man there is no reason I shouldn't be seeing a lancer, monk, black mage along with me in every fight. At least then I might get to pop TP song and rotate through my stupid song rotation, watch my mana and the healers mana, avoid AoE, do less DD and get one shotted because we also have low HP. Currently, if people are doing this they are sacrificing very important DPS limit breaks, lowering LB meter charging, and making the fight longer. This is why I only run with my FC now. I just can't stand the requirements of other players. ilvl 74 for Ifrit Hard, only ranged this or that. People are just unreasonable and that we both agree on.

[mindful]

Just seems like players , now gave up and Just sandbox the set ups now. Since players not hearing any words or anything from square. Most of the melee the delay to dodge stuff not worth the time anymore. Even a low damage rng better, The range jobs destroy and better to just to have a range attack to dodge attacks.

[Duelle]

Party finder partys prefer ranged ? , suprise!...no. but dont blame SE because of that, blame the players.

SE shares part of the blame because their design choices precipitate how the playerbase behaves. One plays into the other.

[gadzi_h]

Heck here is an idea SE add a defence song for me so any damage taken by melee dps is reduced by X at the cost of my dps. Now that is something I could get onboard with. Make it only apply to them (melee dps). More reason to take them in, mitigates their damage, gives bard another critical support decision to make, recharge mana or mitigate damage. Tough choice, could make or break the run. Make it negate the benefits of other songs if there is a 2 bard stack. There are several possible solutions to increase involvement of all classes.

Edit: Mind you this was what RoD was doing before the nerf.

[Royze]

False assumptions: Melee DPS are inferior in damage output than ranged/caster DPS due to mechanics of fight.
Correction: Melee DPS have higher dmg output POTENTIAL than Ranged/caster DPS

True Situation: Melee Dps aren't favored in fights due to their increased exposure to damage, resulting in more curing requirements/upkeep, adjusted battle strategies; generally more stress on both healers and melee dps (they dodge more)

Suggestion:
1. Increase resilience of Melee DPS in taking dmg from aoe attacks, and only aoe attacks.
2. All damage from mobs targeting a single target to remain the same (if Melee dps steal hate and are the target of an attack, allow them to continue to take huge damage)

Why?
To make melee dps less of a liability while also not pushing them into tank status. Solve the situation without making tanks obsolete, as was the case in XI through the introduction of extensive damage mitigation gear and abilities.

Result:
Melee DPS and Ranged/Casters are on even ground. Melee can take more hits and as a result die less, require less curing, while their dmg output potential remains the same. Casters are not effected. Balance achieved.

Fears/Concerns noting SE's previous way of Balancing Jobs:

1. SE introduce requirements in fights that FORCE Parties to take at least 1 melee DPS, thus reducing the communities ability to take control of their own strategies.

2.SE increase melee DPS Damage output even more, resulting in BLM, SMN and BRD becoming obsolete and doomed to ridicule (much like XI 2008sh-2012) further resulting in "Zerg zerg zerg - kill it before it kills us" strategies.

3.SE boost Melee DPS survivablity with 1 blanket stroke, resulting in WAR and PLD being obsolete (much like XI 2008sh-2014)

4. SE nerf Casters/ranged dps - which results in the game population ditching the caster jobs all together.


Challenges:
SE will have to put some more thought and effort into making content. Building fight dynamics will take more time. Introducing new jobs will require more study and analysis.

My opinion:
They should be doing that anyways. This is their Golden goose that makes them as much as 250-400 Million $USD a year in Revenue.

Square Enix - you should really be in a position today to reach out to the community, get 50-1000 NA and JP FFXI & FFXIV and MMO players, and brainstorm with them, test stuff together and critique yourselves.

Most players would do this for free. You can reward them in so many ways, you already know they're fans.
I don't know why you haven't already done this. Its not like it would be hard or even require any additional resources.

[Havenchild]

I am lost to all the holler in this thread. Melee DPS when done correctly trumps ranged DPS by leaps and bounds. So we're complaining about mechanics that are unfriendly to melee instead of just learning the fight? They (melee) should face increased danger because they can do much more damage. I don't see the flaw here.

Some people then suggested that Ranged DPS also needs mechanics in place to force them to dodge more also. A completely ridiculous statement as that would just serve to lower the ranged dps overall essentially hurting pretty much everyone.

[Synthesis]

Mechanics in this game're pretty lame anyway. 3 steps there, 3 steps back, wait, again.. learn it all over. There is no need for skill, etc. You nee to memorize boss like a rhyme, no fun. + The "no" melee lol....

[Deculture]

Both my DRG and BLM are equally geared (with the DRG using an Allagan spear but lacks i90 neck/bracers) and the former is always more DPS outside of maybe one encounter (Garuda Ex is the only one that comes to mind since you potentially lose some DPS time due to moving out for WW).

Good melee destroys ranged when it comes to DPS. The OP is complaining about PFs filled with strangers that are wary of taking PUG melee because the large majority of them are just bad at the game and are unable to dodge a icecream truck going at 2mph if their life depended on it.

[SinisterJoint]

. So weaken the BRD while moving.

Yes, because clearly the answer is to nerf bards again.... *rolls eyes*