Quote Originally Posted by Reynhart View Post
It doesn't matter how it's done, it's still raid utility.
Then I repeat the question I had to Gunks to you: how much utility is too much, when DRG outdoes NIN in both raid and personal dps? Should dragoon be nerfed to the point it's almost as weak sans BRD/MCH as BRD/MCH is sans DRG?

Then the problem is not about piercing debuff, but about the native DPS of DRG vs other melee ones. If you have more utility, you shouldn't do more damage by yourself.
For example, if BRD or MCH had the piercing debuff, you'd still take a DRG over a NIN on personal DPS alone and end with the same meta.
First I assume "DRG over a MNK" or "DRG over a SAM", not "DRG over a NIN" since DRG+NIN is the meta.

Second, Dragoon as a whole is an issue. Its strong pDPS in addition to its insane rDPS lead it to pulling the whole physical meta together.
If BRD/MCH had the piercing buff, you'd be able to take a different melee, say, a SAM or a MNK, instead of DRG and not completely gimp one of your ranged DPS for damage.
If piercing were removed entirely, we'd more likely see MCH vanish from the meta before DRG would because DRG's crit buffs would still stack with BRD's passive crit and Chain from SCH, whereas all MCH offers is hypercharge every two minutes.