Future Dragoon Ability Ideas

[Krono]

Does anyone else recall all the Dragoons through-out Final Fantasy's history?

Just going to list a few of the more popular Dragoons from the series below.

Appearances such as:

Ricard Highwind - FFII

Kain Highwind - FFIV

Cid Highwind - FFVII

Ward Zabac - FFVIII

Freya Crescent - FFIX

Sir "Iron-tail" Fratley - FFIX

Kimahri - FFX

Llyud - FFXII: Revenant Wings

Oerba Yun Fang - FFXIII

Now as the title suggest, this thread is about the Dragoon job, and the evolution of it's abilities. Forgive me, as I know everyone has their own opinions, but I personally feel that which makes a Dragoon, a Dragoon, is it's spear/lance and their plethora of Jump-based skills paired with Lancet.

For those who are unfamiliar with Lancet, it's an iconic ability used to steal the enemy's HP/MP.

Every Dragoon in the series, named or otherwise revolves around the use of their polearm weaponry, and Jump skill sets. Almost all of the games also incorporate the Lancet ability, though with differing names in the later titles they still perform the same.

Can we hope to see more Jump skills make it into the game?

For example, Double Jump, a much stronger version of the original Jump. I could see the combo system working for this, performing jump successfully could allow you to combo Double Jump, with an increase to damage or a reduced recast time.

Jump skills in the previous games also prevented the Dragoon from taking damage while in the air, so perhaps we could see more utility-based Jump abilities as well. Elusive Jump has already made it's way into the game as a means to evade a short to mid-range attack and effectively drop your enmity a bit when executed.

I recall seeing a post where someone has mentioned Dread Spike being a useless ability, and I could agree. I also agree that Lancet would make a great replacement for it. Having a more controlled recovery spell, someone like the Pugilist's Second Wind, with a relatively short recast time and moderately better restorative effects in comparison to Dread Spike.

I would like to see them rework Power Surge as well, albeit it does give a nice boost to attack power, I hardly find myself using it as Life Surge trumps it 90% of the time I'm playing DRG. I recall Speed Surge II being more useful as it increased your auto-attack speed while still giving the health regen per hit. Perhaps we could see two beneficial effects on either Surge skill.

An attack power boost paired together with increased TP generation on Power Surge. A +10% damage reduction modifier (something small, yet helpful when taking constant damage like Aurum Vale) and health regen on Life Surge?

These are all just thoughts on how to better progress the class, but I believe the developers should focus more on the weapon-skills and putting the DRG in the middle of the fray, rather than implementing a pet, and making you rely on that instead. Through-out the series it's rare that a Dragoon would have a pet by it's side, yes it has happened but not enough to say a Wyvern, or any other form of pet, is the Dragoon's signature.

Looking at 2.0, they're planning to implement the basic, mash your space-bar and jump around recklessly feature. Which is a nice addition I suppose, but I find that's all the more reason to focus on the Dragoon's Jump skill-set and keep it unique so another player can't walk up to you and say, "Hey! I can jump too! See?!" while mashing his space-bar as mentioned above. Add more flashy effects like those Dragonfire Dive possesses, add more useful effects as well, so they aren't just for show.

There's so much more floating around in my head right now...but I really want to get back into the game and (Jump) on stuff before the servers go down for the transfers+patch. Please feel free to post your own thoughts and how you feel the Dragoon class should progress or evolve with the growth of FFXIV.

[Tyro]

Lancet is a great ability!

Super Jump and High Jump would be great too. One could be a Jumping ability that takes longer to land, but deals greater damage as well as reducing enmity a little bit, and the other one a could totally erase hate, while dealing decent damage.

I think Freya's skillset is the best of all DRGs in FF series. As a 2hr ability we could use her trance Jump which makes her be on the air for long time and keep hitting the mob with massive damage and avoiding harm.

DRGs have a lot of skills to use, pls SE give us more

[JusticeReborn]

I would love a Jump ability that has the Dragoon take a longer time in the air, but comes down on one enemy and then bounces to others, for when fighting multiples. Practical? Maybe. Hilarious to see? Yes.

[Masamune1004]

I would like to see them rework Power Surge as well, albeit it does give a nice boost to attack power, I hardly find myself using it as Life Surge trumps it 90% of the time I'm playing DRG.

You shouldn't be taking any damage as a DRG in a party that a WHM can't heal, thus making Life Surge useless. If you're pulling too much hate and getting attacked by the mobs, then hold back a bit or get some -enmity equipment or materia. Life Surge is really only useful solo, and Jobs are for party, so unless you play solo 90% of the time then Power Surge should be better.

[Krono]

You shouldn't be taking any damage as a DRG in a party that a WHM can't heal, thus making Life Surge useless. If you're pulling too much hate and getting attacked by the mobs, then hold back a bit or get some -enmity equipment or materia. Life Surge is really only useful solo, and Jobs are for party, so unless you play solo 90% of the time then Power Surge should be better.

Yes, Power Surge would be nice in a party with a competent healer. However, that's hardly the case with the way the classes/jobs are right now. THM/BLM burn is near set in stone in most minds as far as group content goes. The 90% of the time I'm playing DRG IS solo, and between Life Surge III and Second Wind, I can stay at 95%+ HP as I farm whatever it may be I'm farming, with absolutely NO downtime.

[Masamune1004]

Yes, Power Surge would be nice in a party with a competent healer. However, that's hardly the case with the way the classes/jobs are right now. THM/BLM burn is near set in stone in most minds as far as group content goes. The 90% of the time I'm playing DRG IS solo, and between Life Surge III and Second Wind, I can stay at 95%+ HP as I farm whatever it may be I'm farming, with absolutely NO downtime.

So we should reform an ability because people like to stack jobs? DRG does just fine in parties, and is a powerhouse DD with Power Surge III.

[Reinheart]

Jump ability that stays up in air longer to avoid some damage/ability like FFIV but when it comes down it stuns the mob + crit damage WS at same time it stuns the player while the mob is stunned (kind of like having the lance through mobs tail, or w/e keeping the mob/player in place)

High miss rate (still has the evasion from damage/ability for few seconds more so still good to use) but if it hits would be a sweet ability.

[Krono]

Jump ability that stays up in air longer to avoid some damage/ability like FFIV but when it comes down it stuns the mob + crit damage WS at same time it stuns the player while the mob is stunned (kind of like having the lance through mobs tail, or w/e keeping the mob/player in place)

High miss rate (still has the evasion from damage/ability for few seconds more so still good to use) but if it hits would be a sweet ability.

Sounds like an evasive control ability. Interesting idea. Would be cool to impale certain foes to the ground after landing a Jump attack and rendering both the user and the target immobile for a set amount of time. Might even tie into the whole limb crippling system that's already in place. I could also see it working like a channeled effect, that if hit during the stun timer, it's broken immediately.

Also just remembered the devs mentioning the implementation of cast bar frames for target's and party members. It'd be interesting to see how this idea could be used to interrupt certain skills/spells, to prevent a possible wipe or to gain an advantage over a boss for a short amount of time such as interrupting a heal/buff spell.

[Narctiss]

I wouldn't mind seeing some of the abilities from FF: Tactics Advanced used by the Dragoons, i.e. Fire Breath, Bolt Breath and Ice Breath.

That or more versions of Dragonfire Dive or an ability to switch DfD's elemental attribute.

[Krono]

I wouldn't mind seeing some of the abilities from FF: Tactics Advanced used by the Dragoons, i.e. Fire Breath, Bolt Breath and Ice Breath.

That or more versions of Dragonfire Dive or an ability to switch DfD's elemental attribute.

I had thought about this as well, though I wonder how it would work if we took the weapon enhancement idea from the MNK job, and imbue our lances with lightning/fire/ice elements. The thought behind it is to save us from adding too many animation lock abilities and round it out with more of a temporary elemental damage buff.

I haven't thought about it too hard, as I'm curious about 1.21a's release tonight.