what happened to all the melee classes?

[SpeckledBurd]

Monks have their damage potential kneecapped in dungeons because they require at least 4 physical DPS in the party to get anything out of Brotherhood. In dungeons you're only guaranteed one tank and that's only going to give you 1-2 chakras. It just feels like crap to have my own output hamstrung because my ultimate skill is designed with a very specific party composition in mind. I'd much rather play something that actually can hit 100% of its capacity in a dungeon. Compound this with losing your stacks between packs of Mobs because Riddle of Earth requires you to get hit to work and the sheer number of tanks who like to stand around exactly long enough for them to fall off and it's just a massive hassle for less payoff than say, Samurai.

I'd assume Dragoon wasn't seeing much play in dungeons recently because the huge amount of ramp up time for Life of the Dragon caused it to lose them was irritating. With the recent changes I imagine it'll be seen more in 4-mans. Three-eyes to enter LotD is not just a good quality of life buff, it's also a substantial AOE buff.

[Crux]

Most melee is strong so a lot of people probably leveled them first.

[Thandronen]

As a DRG and MCH 70, I feel like it is a lot more relaxing to play ranged while doing content. There is still the occasional floor mechanic that you have to dodge as ranged but as a melee, it can feel extremely tiresome to have to constantly run from things hitting the floor every 10-15 seconds. DRG is still my main and I enjoy playing it but unless I am hard-pressed for a certain piece of gear, I'll be doing most content on my MCH.

[Exiled_Tonberry]

All the ranged are tremendously easier to play than melee, you don't have to deal with boss attacks that are almost always around him, and they do equal to or more damage than melee.
It's no surprise no one plays melee anymore tbh

[Aaramis]

People probably just got fed up of being shat on.

You make a mistake as a tank? No biggie. You'll probably still get 3 commendations.
As a healer? Woops - missed that heal by 0.0001 seconds.

Make a mistake as a dps, when you have to constantly dance around 139507135079 mechanics that are generally unfriendly for melee situations, and you get instantly voted for kick.
It's ridiculous.

[Subucnimorning]

People probably just got fed up of being shat on.

You make a mistake as a tank? No biggie. You'll probably still get 3 commendations.
As a healer? Woops - missed that heal by 0.0001 seconds.

Make a mistake as a dps, when you have to constantly dance around 139507135079 mechanics that are generally unfriendly for melee situations, and you get instantly voted for kick.
It's ridiculous.

This game isn't that unfriendly to melee? It is slightly easier as a range but it isn't that big of a difference...so I don't see this at all

[RenOkamiya]

This game isn't that unfriendly to melee? It is slightly easier as a range but it isn't that big of a difference...so I don't see this at all

Melee is not hard to play, but feels hard to play because most people who play range jobs don't give a fuck about, let's say, stacking mecanics or anything really in melee range.
Susano EX is one of the best example of this, with the raisen kaikyo aoe stacking for more room to move, or the "I have lightning mark but fuck it i'm casting everyone else need to move for me" type of beavior. I'm not saying every range do this, but I see this so much...
It's mostly about mutual respect than difficulty really.

[NintenPyjak64]

(specially with DRG and MNK)

Must be your data center, cause I see nothing but DRG and SAM. NIN are shockingly hard to find and MNKs... I'm sad to see so little of them. It's an incredibly fun job

[Subucnimorning]

Must be your data center, cause I see nothing but DRG and SAM. NIN are shockingly hard to find and MNKs... I'm sad to see so little of them. It's an incredibly fun job

It is odd but yeah NIN are really rare despite seeming to be a fun job to play and possibly is the most high in demand job in the game

[Heliantheae]

Bosses will just turn to look at scenery behind them or whatever at the most inopportune time. Oh man this NIN has TenChiJin lined up with Trick Attack and Triple and Critical Jutsu is almost off cool down. Wpuld be a shame if I turned to throw an easily avoidable and pointless AoE at the healer after Suiton goes off. Or maybe they'll mix it up and march to the center of the arena to do something.

Honestly I believe they did it to push True North or something. Tanks do there kind of holding bosses in place so we can hit them with our positionals and along comes a skill that lets us do that wherever we are and now the bosses turn all Willy nilly.