Fixing Our Image

[FrejyaAthenes]

Let's face it, as DPS's we don't exactly inspire the greatest of confidence in the party. We're seen as lazy, impatient, inatentive and at times downright incompotent, amongst other things. Between the parser talks and the entitled DPS topic I'd say it's time for an image overhaul. Besides the obvious things like know the fights and pay attention to mechanics, what else do you think can be done to bring some esteem back to the role?

[ClaireAbigail]

If you know you're doing your job correctly, you shouldn't even be affected by those comments and threads. Keep your head up,keep on playing, improve yourself and learn to accept criticism. It applies to all job roles really not just dps. There's really nothing to do anyways about horrible dps, tanks or healers. You know the saying: "you can lead a horse to a water pond but you can't make it drink"

[Dervy]

I'll bring some controversy to the table, cause I like discussing topics with an open mind.

• The coolest jobs are all the DPS Jobs.
  
• The Jobs with the least responsibilities are DPS jobs (Excluding Bard)
  
• Casual/inexperienced/newer players will pick DPS jobs cause they're cooler
  
• Lazier players pick DPS jobs because they're Easy
  
• No one wants the burden of a tank role
  
• No one wants to be a Jesus/Jesusette and keep his/her party alive, too much responsibility
  
• Thus, there's a larger influx of players who are newer, casual, inexperienced, lazy, "play for fun" who are DPS than other Jobs. As a result, this brings down the overall quality of the DPS Jobs.
  
• Even in Raids, it's impossible for the average player to gauge the performance of the DPS, with the exception of a Death. Many players aren't like myself who uses a.... Pen and Notepad, writing down every hit a player does, in every instance. Thus, a lot of DPS think they're doing "Fine", until I pull out the numbers from my Notepad.
  
• Another thing, all of the better players usually play within their Statics/Linkshells/FCs (Personally, I rarely party finder content). This may be why it's harder to find good DPS/Tanks/Healers out in the open.

As a consequence of all of the mentioned statements, the overall image of us DPS Jobs seems "poor". Personally, I think it's fairly balanced and if you want a competitive edge, or wish to get things done, you're always better off playing with proven players or players who you know (via linkshells etc). This applies, no matter your Job.

[ClaireAbigail]

[*]Even in Raids, it's impossible for the average player to gauge the performance of the DPS, with the exception of a Death. Many players aren't like myself who uses a.... Pen and Notepad, writing down every hit a player does, in every instance. Thus, a lot of DPS think they're doing "Fine", until I pull out the numbers from my Notepad.

Wow you use a pen and a notepad? I just look at the battle log and do the math as it comes along! Please get up to my level :3

[ColdestHeaven]

If you like the role and enjoy knowing the full extent of the class you are using, dealing most damage while not hindering the party with unnecessary damage/death/aggro should only be natural. If the community still doesn't give a damn that I (as a DPS) contribute to quicker dungeon runs/meeting tight DPS checks, so be it. What we lacked till the very last patches was tight DPS checks - and FCoB provided decent challenges to that regard. Thing is, it's a "niche" content until it's nerfed - so people rarely experience DPS not doing their best unless they are downright AFK.

As for my experience in dungeons/24man raids, healers are generally more passive unless the rest of the party has a deathwish (aka swiftcast raise) and as a tank the only real pressure is choosing which cooldowns in which moments, but if you know the fight like the back of your hand you don't even need to be constantly aware. I actually heard my healers say that they'd find it harder to DPS efficiently than to heal, although I don't really believe that. And let's not even mention how hard is tanking in there.

So the only thing we can do on our part is do our job.

[Caraway]

• The Jobs with the least responsibilities are DPS jobs (Excluding Bard)
• Lazier players pick DPS jobs because they're Easy
• No one wants to be a Jesus/Jesusette and keep his/her party alive, too much responsibility
• Thus, there's a larger influx of players who are newer, casual, inexperienced, lazy, "play for fun" who are DPS than other Jobs. As a result, this brings down the overall quality of the DPS Jobs.

Just wanted to single this bit out because it's kinda funny... My fiance (we've been duo'ing MMOs together for years) decided to take a switch coming to FFXIV and play a DPS because, generally, they are the easier of the classes and have less responsibility. But very quickly playing this game found that a lot of an encounter's success rests on the DPS not sucking.

So I think for this game, the idea that DPS is the lazy, easy option isn't accurate.

Back to the topic at hand and to parrot the others here; just pay attention. That's the biggest thing. I know it's real easy to tunnel vision and just focus on damaging (I fall into that when DPSing now and then too) but this is a game where situational awareness is extremely important for everyone.

[StouterTaru]

The Jobs with the least responsibilities are DPS jobs (Excluding Bard)

Bard has 3 songs, and they only play 1 of them, 2 if it's a long fight. That's barely a step above smn/blm using eye for eye, virus, apocatastasis. And about on par with monk using mantra/dragon kick, or ninja using trick attack/goad. And it doesn't even come close to dragoon using their... uh, nvm.

[HexWeaver]

Let tanks and healers complete duties by themselves mwahaha

[AikoSachi]

Bard has 3 songs, and they only play 1 of them, 2 if it's a long fight. That's barely a step above smn/blm using eye for eye, virus, apocatastasis. And about on par with monk using mantra/dragon kick, or ninja using trick attack/goad. And it doesn't even come close to dragoon using their... uh, nvm.

As a brd in t13 consistently i use foe, mb, mantra, as well as manage certain mechanics, and if completely necessary i have also has to armys paeon before.

[StouterTaru]

As a brd in t13 consistently i use foe, mb, mantra, as well as manage certain mechanics, and if completely necessary i have also has to armys paeon before.

Everyone has to manage mechanics, brd has it easier than every other job so you can leave that part out. Mantra is 1-2 times a fight, songs are just paying attention and playing when needed. The harder the fight, the more useful the support skills are. That goes for all dps jobs (except drg). It still amounts to using one GCD or off GCD ability every minute or so.