The Melee DPS Paradigm and why DRG needs some attention

[Frowny]

The problem with slashing, as you said, is that it kept the same amount yet piercing got nerfed. Why does SAM have access to this "utility" which is more powerful on top of their disgusting numbers?

You also hit exactly what I've been harping: NIN's 1 big utility move is FAR better than anything we bring, yet they also pull higher numbers. I honestly don't think they looked at numbers at all as his "DRG greatly buffs party damage" can't compete with Trick Attack at all.

I don't mind being a semi-support as most of our skills buff us, but isn't it a bit strange how the 2 classes with much more utility (BRD/NIN) can usually do better?

[Nominous]

The problem with slashing, as you said, is that it kept the same amount yet piercing got nerfed. Why does SAM have access to this "utility" which is more powerful on top of their disgusting numbers?

Follow me here. Slashing is inherently more balanced than Piercing. Though they shouldn't exist at all, as there's better ways to encourage 'synergy', and it has such a tight hold on balancing party comps.

Slashing would not be balanced if it was only NIN, or only SAM or only WAR that brought it. However, 3 sources of Slashing exist, and each Job that has access is required to put it up for themselves. If you're forced to provide it for yourself, and you are, the only beneficiaries are those who can't naturally put it up. PLD, and DRK. Therefore, Slashing, at it's best, is only benefiting Tank damage, which is naturally lower. It's also never attributed to any one source of Slashing in a party, unless there is only one source in the party. I could see them taking it away from SAM, but if they do that, I could also see them upping their damage even more to compensate for having literally 0 sources of any benefit in a party.

Piercing, by comparison, buffs DPS (as opposed to Tanks). And since the beneficiaries (MCH/BRD/RDM) can't provide it, isn't a part of their rotation, AND can be stacked for further benefit (as we saw in Creator Savage), it escalates quickly. Disembowel has the potential to lock meta in a way no other skill in the game does. With Disembowel alone, you could argue at least 2 slots, if not 3, become easy 'best' choices. Any buff to it, is a buff to at least 2 slots in your party, 3 if it's too powerful. If it was at 10% right now, and we rounded out MCH at 4000 damage, double ranged would be roughly 700-800 rDPS benefit, not counting DRG's other utility. Any buff to the physical ranged also buffs DRG. It's too much. Which is why it shouldn't exist at all, OR should be given to one or both physical ranged.

[Ralen]

Just a few points:

LoTD isn't a significant amount of damage, this is currently the problem.

Also, stuff.

This is the entire problem. I worry that even if there are "fixes" in 4.05 all it's going to be are potency increases and making eyes not fall off of the gauge. That is NOT going to fix the issue. Simply ensuring that it's guaranteed that after over a minute you can get to a buff that gives you this one stupidly-designed AoE - An AoE that is currently ONLY reliably up in party content against a SINGLE TARGET - is not going to make the class any more fun to play, or put it level with any of the other melee dps.

LotD either needs to be able to be refreshed throughout the fight once it's up like BotD, or provide serious bonuses to other abilities...

...or BotD itself needs to be amended to match with the fraudulent video they put out pre-release, and only require two eyes to transition. :P

[caponesavage]

The OP pretty much sums up a lot of the issues quite well. TBH I been playing DRG since 2.0 as a main and though I did level it to 70 once SB hit I have since stopped playing it entirely and have moved onto other DD classes.