I'm not being ironic; I really enjoy the class. It's my favourite DPS. I just thought maybe I'd make a thread about it since there are already a lot of threads dealing with problems that the class has.

Disclaimer: I'm pretty casual. I don't normally do Savage / Extreme content, but I feel comfortable pulling my weight in easier content like regular dungeons and raids and such. I know that some of you out there are much better than me, and I acknowledge your skill, so you don't need to flex. :P

I know a lot of players lament the loss of some OGCDs, but for me personally, getting to go up to four stacks of Greased Lightning makes up for it. I just feel so godsdamned FAST that I don't really miss weaving in OGCDs. I know that Riddle of Fire slows things down, but it's only for a while. Most of the time I'm going fastfastfast and seeing so many numbers popping up :P. (And I must admit, I don't mind the riddle of fire slowdown as much as some others, since the bigger numbers during it are nice to see, and it adds a little texture to the pace of gameplay. Most of the time, you're on maximum speed anyway)

I started playing when Stormblood came out; I don't know how the Monk was before then, but the current version is pretty similar to the Stormblood version. And personally, I'm still having a blast playing Monk. The core gameplay of cycling through Dragon Kick, Bootshine, True Strike, Twin Snakes, Snap Punch, and Demolish is still really satisfying for me.

Between using those skills in the right order and from the right positions, as well as weaving in Riddle of Fire, Brotherhood, Elixir Field, True North, etc, when necessary, and playing around boss mechanics, I always feel really engaged.

Maybe Monk has real issues that show up in more difficult content. But for me personally, I feel like Monk is at just the right amount of difficulty. It's easy enough that I feel I don't have to be godlike in skill in order to be useful to the team, but it's still challenging enough that I feel engaged. And it's also hard enough that I still have lots to learn and practice if I want optimal performance and squeeze out even more DPS.

Thematically, HITTING stuff with punches and kicks feels so satisfying in a way that stabbing things with a lance or arrow doesn't do for me. I only wish that Monks had cooler-looking armour. The best looking armours are Eastern-themed, since I guess that's where the Monk theme comes from, but I do wish I had more variety.

Anyway, just a little Monk appreciation thread! I know that most Monk players are unhappy with the class, unfortunately :c. If you still enjoy playing Monk like me, why do you do so?