Is it too late or is the damage done

[Almalexia]

The Dragoon Stigma preexisted this game, in fact. It is one that's perpetrated from FFXI days

It's true, OP. You're looking at a decade old prejudice that won't be washed away by a patch or two. FFXI had numerous changes to DRG in particular and two-handers in general, but this only makes the good DRGs better while the bad DRGs stay bad.

And there sure are a lot of bad DRGs.