Help me choose a melee dps!!

[Tex_Mex]

So there are a few things to consider:

Single Target DPS:
MNK>NIN>DRG
MNK has a long build up time, but can produce massive numbers against single targets. NIN and DRG are very close in this category. NIN is just slightly higher in my opinion. All 3 are very capable of the hardest content in the game though.

AoE DPS:
DRG>NIN>MNK
Both NIN and DRG AoE is MILES ahead of MNK. MNK AoE is just awful, but it needs to be as a trade off for their incredible Single Target DPS.

Difficulty Level:
MNK>NIN>DRG
Lots of debate here, but most people tend to agree that NIN and DRG are significantly easier than MNK. DRG DPS is all about off GCD abilities and timing buffs correctly, as well as how to use your jumps without dying due to jump lock animations. NIN DPS is relatively simple as well, since they have the easiest rotation, but the class suffers from mudra lag currently, so if your connection is poor, this is not a great choice. MNK difficulty comes from all of the positional requirements. Though your rotation will not be penalized for screwing up your position, your DPS output will be. But don't let this scare you. With a little practice, most players can handle MNK.

Utility:
MNK>NIN>DRG
DRG utility is very poor. The only good thing they have is a piercing debuff, which will also boost damage done from BRD's, but that's pretty much it. NIN utility is significantly better, with access to a 10% raid wide DPS buff and the Goad ability. MNK utility is the winner here because of dragon kick. This is the only melee class intelligence debuff available in the game and it is extremely helpful for the end game content at this moment. They also provide a group wide healing buff which can be very helpful.

Levelling Efficiency:
NIN>DRG>MNK
Since you do not have a class to lvl 50 yet, you will spend a lot of time questing on your way there. One last thing to consider is solo effectiveness. NIN is a solo master due 3 main reasons: stealth, front loaded damage, few positional requirements. This class is a breeze to level with. DRG is the next best since they have very few positional requirements as well. MNK is the bottom of the barrell here (also the worst levelling dps class in the game) due to the fact that almost all of their attacks are positional based, and when soloing enemies they will always face you rendering your dps neutered. This factor does not matter for long, since when you get to 50 you will never have to worry about it again, but it is still something to consider.

So all in all, the melee classes are balanced decently well at the moment. All 3 melee classes are heavily used in the current end game content due to the normal party DPS composition being 2 melee, 1 bard, 1 magic user
I currently play DRG for my static and am having a great time with it. All 3 are viable so pick the one that seems the most interesting to you! daggers, fists, or spears!