Dancer: Improvisation really needs a rework!

[Raikai]

We'd expect a level 80 skill to be a staple or a big exciting ability to use, but yet Improvisation is extremely underwhelming.

It's extremely situational. I've been playing just DNC ever since the expansion launched and could find just 1 moment where there's nothing going on for a long period of time (and yet people didn't stack for it)... If you use it otherwise, let's say, to get enough esprit for a TS burst, it's still bad because the esprit gain is so low if people are not together.

The only actual (and marginal) use for this ability that I can see, is after a big aoe, to help the healers to everyone off with the +10% increased healing. But hey, so much for a level 80 ability, right?

The only suggestions I can think right now is to add a damage component while the skill is being performed, so it could be worth to use outside of the (very rare) idling phases, or just fill the Esprit bar in a fixed, fast pace and allow Saber Dance to be cast while you're Improvising... Or heck, even rework the skill completely.

[Kemiko]

It honestly feels like the Meditation 60 ability SAM got or the GL one MNK got, except support centric as that's the DNC identity. I've been maining DNC since early access and agree finding moments to capitalize on the ability is difficult. It requires communication and coordination with your party to get the most out of it.

I'm fine with it being a capstone. DNC is a support DPS and you get Esprit and Saberdance just before it so I appreciate a hybrid support DPS skill, without inherently dealing dmg itself. If they buff it, I'd like a support buff personally. Maybe give it DR to everyone in it, making it more attractive to stand in, or reduce or nullify mp costs of allies in it. Actually the latter sounds downright op compared to maybe 10% DR.

[Kurando]

Perhaps give it treatment similar to AST's Collective Unconscious. By this I mean whilst the DNC is using Improv everyone gets the benefits of both things as they do now, however if they move after using it then everyone that was in range gets to keep the 10% increased healing for whatever duration of time.

I find the animation of it a little underwhelming though. All that arm flaying just feels like you are RPing an inflatable arm waving tube man...

[Daws]

It's my only major gripe with DNC. A level 80 ability that we barely ever use.

Perhaps give it treatment similar to AST's Collective Unconscious. By this I mean whilst the DNC is using Improv everyone gets the benefits of both things as they do now, however if they move after using it then everyone that was in range gets to keep the 10% increased healing for whatever duration of time.

I find the animation of it a little underwhelming though. All that arm flaying just feels like you are RPing an inflatable arm waving tube man...

That would be a meaningful change and I'd actually use the ability often then to help out healers.

[Raikai]

It honestly feels like the Meditation 60 ability SAM got or the GL one MNK got, except support centric as that's the DNC identity. I've been maining DNC since early access and agree finding moments to capitalize on the ability is difficult. It requires communication and coordination with your party to get the most out of it.

I'm fine with it being a capstone. DNC is a support DPS and you get Esprit and Saberdance just before it so I appreciate a hybrid support DPS skill, without inherently dealing dmg itself. If they buff it, I'd like a support buff personally. Maybe give it DR to everyone in it, making it more attractive to stand in, or reduce or nullify mp costs of allies in it. Actually the latter sounds downright op compared to maybe 10% DR.

Those are cool suggestions too! DR seems like a good thing. Maybe 10% DR together with the 10% healing. TBH any kind of buff at this point that would make the skill more useful would be a plus.

[Jukebox12]

You can always use when the boss goes away

[Nuclearducky]

I don't actually have too much of a problem with Improvisation, but having it as our level 80 capstone ability feels pretty bad. Either give it some additional functionality or put it somewhere else and give us something good at 80. Heck, our level 74 slot is open, isn't it?

[Allegor]

I find the animation of it a little underwhelming though. All that arm flaying just feels like you are RPing an inflatable arm waving tube man...

I keep teasing a friend about it. All the other dance moves are nice and fluid, the 80 DNC quest specially...and then there's Improvisation, aka HUURRRRRR!!

[Crushnight]

You can always use when the boss goes away

Which is fine for extremes but the raid has no downtime where it can be used. E1 you are locked in a stationary position, E2 & E4 have zero downtime, and E3 you have to dodge in the downtime so being stationary is not advised at all. Atm this skill is 100% useless in Eden raids woo o/

[KohakuTribal]

Which is fine for extremes but the raid has no downtime where it can be used. E1 you are locked in a stationary position, E2 & E4 have zero downtime, and E3 you have to dodge in the downtime so being stationary is not advised at all. Atm this skill is 100% useless in Eden raids woo o/

Yeah, exactly. It works for Primals well enough because they always have some sort of off-stage moment before the big attack. But normal mode Eden has no time for it, so I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess that the Savage mode will have none either. It's also not usable in most dungeons, pointless for Hunts and FATEs. Those bosses don't usually leave, there's no pauses to use it, and it has no benefit to popping it off for 1 second like Collective Unconscious either. It's a huge disappointment to have a capstone ability that's useful about 3% of the time.

I would enjoy Improvisation if it had these changes:
1) Allowed movement
2) Did some damage while it's up. Even if it's not that huge. Something to offset some of the DPS loss of using it during an encounter
3) To offset the above benefits (but also for fun), require Dance Steps through the whole "performance" to maintain the buff.
**4) I personally wouldn't care if they dropped the healing buff from it. I feel like the healers already have it covered with plenty to spare. Everyone gets overhealed in the stack 'n' soak times that we can use Improvisation anyway.

THAT would feel like a capstone ability to me. Something that's usable in any content AND feels like a culmination of the class's play and lore.