DNC Suggestions

[Roflcoptorz]

Agreed 100%. As i said, I havent done much research, it was just more of a feeling.

[Raikai]

So, since this apparenty is the DNC discussion thread, I have a couple of questions, hopefully someone with deeper understanding of the job's maximum potential can help:

1) I think this is a given, but I need to use Standard Step on Cooldown, right? Just double-checking.

2) For example, I'm into the 1-2 single target combo and I get a flourishing proc after 1... Should I use that proc immediately or should I finish the combo before getting back to use the flourisheds? (same question for the AoE version)

3) If in a 4 man I'm paired with another DNC, it seems intuitive to swap closed positions between us... But in practice is better do do so, or one of us should do it on the tank?

4) I'm sort of oblivious to other jobs, because all my XIV experience before SB was either NIN or WHM. What other jobs benefit more from the closed position crit bonus of Devilment?

5) The dancing steps separates themselves from Mudras because they always change the combination order, so muscle memory is not as reliable regarding that. I always find myself having to stare either at the gauge or at the hotbars to see what order proc'd, and this means taking my eyes off the center of the screen for a second or two. There's any suggestions of a good HUD location to place the step gauge without having to shove it right in the middle of the screen?

Lastly, just a vapid wish: that SE would in the future consider adding a "Performance" action for Dancers as well. Maybe something more interactive and dynamic that simply doing a specific /dance for example.

[HyoMinPark]

1) I think this is a given, but I need to use Standard Step on Cooldown, right? Just double-checking.

Yes. Standard Finish gives you a 1,000 potency attack (with only a 50% dropoff for AOE—not a staggered dropoff like old Holy—so each mob after the first is hit for 500 potency) for 2 successful steps. So you should always use it every 30 seconds for bigboi damage each time. Overwriting the buff isn’t that huge of a deal.

2) For example, I'm into the 1-2 single target combo and I get a flourishing proc after 1... Should I use that proc immediately or should I finish the combo before getting back to use the flourisheds? (same question for the AoE version)

Procs don’t break your combo, so you can use them as soon as you get them. So, for example, if you use Cascade and Reverse Cascade procs, you can hit Reverse Cascade immediately, and Fountain will still stay lit up for you to hit afterwards. Your procs give you chances to get Fourfold Feathers, so you want to make sure you always use them whenever possible.

3) If in a 4 man I'm paired with another DNC, it seems intuitive to swap closed positions between us... But in practice is better do do so, or one of us should do it on the tank?

Giving 10% to a DPS (because the buffs do stack) would be better than 5% to a tank, as DPS should naturally deal more damage thereby making more use out of the buff (and DNC AOE is monstrous—so imagine +10% flat damage in dungeons on top of AOE burst). But it would depend on if the DNC is also doing decent damage to know if this is worth it. I usually Closed Position My fellow DNC in 4-mans. If they don’t Closed Position me, then I may Closed Position the tank. (I have had some that just don’t use Closed Position at all, or give it to the healer of all people.)

4) I'm sort of oblivious to other jobs, because all my XIV experience before SB was either NIN or WHM. What other jobs benefit more from the closed position crit bonus of Devilment?

Any job will benefit from it usually. Typically, you want your dance partner to be the highest damage dealer, as the crit/d.hit bonus will be more effective on them than someone doing less damage.

Back in 4.0, this buff would have been the best friend of BRD—but they removed BRD’s reliance on critical hit this expansion. MNK may still have RNG based around crits for their chakras, so it could benefit them with building up their chakras.

5) The dancing steps separates themselves from Mudras because they always change the combination order, so muscle memory is not as reliable regarding that. I always find myself having to stare either at the gauge or at the hotbars to see what order proc'd, and this means taking my eyes off the center of the screen for a second or two. There's any suggestions of a good HUD location to place the step gauge without having to shove it right in the middle of the screen?

I placed my gauges near my character, so that I could keep an eye on her feet for AOE. Most of my HUD (crossbar, target bar, focus target, enhancement/enfeeblements, HP/MP) are at the bottom of my screen grouped together. The best advice I can give is to run content and attempt to readjust your gauges around where you find your eyes loitering the most. I’ve moved mine around several times attempting to find the best place for me to put it while also keeping track of mechanics.

[Hezzlocks]

Yes. Standard Finish gives you a 1,000 potency attack (with only a 50% dropoff for AOE—not a staggered dropoff like old Holy—so each mob after the first is hit for 500 potency) for 2 successful steps. So you should always use it every 30 seconds for bigboi damage each time. Overwriting the buff isn’t that huge of a deal.

Quick correction here, but both Standard and Technical Finish are actually a 75% drop off for subsequent targets. Meaning for Standard, it's 1000 for the first hit, 250 for everything else. It's still quite substantial, of course, and you should still be using Standard Step on cooldown even on a single target (it's equivalent to slightly less than 3 GCDs to pull off, so around about 333 potency per GCD average, which beats out every single one of the single target rotation skills except for Fountainfall, which is 350), but... yeah, it's not quite *that* op.

[HyoMinPark]

Quick correction here, but both Standard and Technical Finish are actually a 75% drop off for subsequent targets. Meaning for Standard, it's 1000 for the first hit, 250 for everything else. It's still quite substantial, of course, and you should still be using Standard Step on cooldown even on a single target (it's equivalent to slightly less than 3 GCDs to pull off, so around about 333 potency per GCD average, which beats out every single one of the single target rotation skills except for Fountainfall, which is 350), but... yeah, it's not quite *that* op.

bleh. This is why I don't post with no caffeine in me.

[Raikai]

Thanks, it was really helpful!

Just another thing... We have to spend our feathers quite often to weave in because they are practically the only source of oGDS... Yet even on lucky times I never seem to even get to the point where I have 3 or 4 charges.

The only reason I can see to save them is when you're about to get your Technical Step + Devilment buffs... Is that right?

[YanderePrincess]

Yeah. Unless I'm soloing, I generally save my feathers and only use a fan dance when I have 4 feathers so I won't waste any feather procs, then spend them all during Technical Step + Devilment to get the most out of the fan dances and the buffs.

[Raikai]

Yeah. Unless I'm soloing, I generally save my feathers and only use a fan dance when I have 4 feathers so I won't waste any feather procs, then spend them all during Technical Step + Devilment to get the most out of the fan dances and the buffs.

Ah, good point. I don't think the feathers have a fading timer, do they?
I'm going to try to work like that from now on... Ugh, now, the temptation to spend the 3 extra charges... D:

[YanderePrincess]

Yeah, the feathers don't go away, except on like death, job change, or spending them.

[Roflcoptorz]

Agreed with feathers. I generally keep them until I need a burst, then I dump them.