Dragoon Feedback: No dopamine allowed?

[Throrface]

I would like to start with a statement: My point here is not to discuss the Dragoon's overall damage output compared to the other DPS jobs. If you'd like to make an argument based on the average damage output of various DPS jobs, please take it elsewhere.

What I do want to talk about is how Dragoon really doesn't have a damage button that feels good to push. What do I mean? What makes an ability feel good to push? I can explain.

• I want the ability to result in a spectacular visual effect.
• I don't mind if the ability takes some work to execute, such as accumulating some kind of resource to use it. This extra work required increases the good feeling of finally pushing it.
• I want the ability to deal a noticeable amount of damage.

So, DRG does deliver on two of those criteria. There certainly is visual spectacle and there definitely are resources you can work with to get to some of your DPS buttons. However, when it comes to noticeable damage? There is nothing.

I am working my ass off to execute Stardiver, which has 500 potency. My 3rd combo hit has 420. Stardiver isn't a massive hit, it's a hit that is about 22% more powerful than a combo button that I get to use very often. When I use Stardiver, the enemies don't take a noticeably bigger chunk of damage than when I use my other abilities.

The biggest sting came from the lvl 90 ability, though. Wyrmwind Thrust. I got an ENTIRELY NEW resource to accumulate, and all of that to execute an attack with 370 potency. Woo-hoo. Less than many of my other abilities. Frankly, it is stupid how little payoff there is to reaching 90 on DRG, especially when you compare it to the other melee DPS.

Every other melee DPS has an ability to deal a 1000 or 1200 potency attack at some point (not all of them come at lvl 90, but the important part is that they have them). Those attacks always deal noticeably more damage than the other actions those jobs have. For some reason Dragoons are stuck at 500.

I really don't like it. I'd prefer if Dragoons were able to execute a massively powerful hit every once in a while too. There certainly are visual effects that create the illusion of delivering massive hits.

[rewd]

Not every job has to play exactly the same. You don't get massive potency because you have many oGCDs and potency to spread out.

Reaper and Monk barely have anything to weave, so it makes sense that they have more impactful GCDs.

[Throrface]

Not every job has to play exactly the same. You don't get massive potency because you have many oGCDs and potency to spread out.

Reaper and Monk barely have anything to weave, so it makes sense that they have more impactful GCDs.

I'm not suggesting here that every dps job should play the same.

[rewd]

I'm not suggesting here that every dps job should play the same.

You indirectly are, don't worry. They could very well make Stardiver 1000p or even more, which would lead to other skills being weaker, which then leads to you coming back here complaining that Dragoon feels unrewarding and too much work for its payoff which then ultimately leads to the question "What's the purpose of all these weak OGCDs?" which then leads to...

[Throrface]

You indirectly are, don't worry. They could very well make Stardiver 1000p or even more, which would lead to other skills being weaker, which then leads to you coming back here complaining that Dragoon feels unrewarding and too much work for its payoff which then ultimately leads to the question "What's the purpose of all these weak OGCDs?" which then leads to...

I don't think your incorrect assumptions are a viable counterargument against what I'm saying here, but I see that you disagree, for reasons you won't or can't disclose.

[rewd]

I don't think your incorrect assumptions are a viable counterargument against what I'm saying here, but I see that you disagree, for reasons you won't or can't disclose.

You weirdly refuse to address what was said, so I'll pose you a question: why do you think DNC has a 1060p attack and BRD only has a 600p attack as their strongest skill?

[jadeblade]

I am working my ass off to execute Stardiver, which has 500 potency. My 3rd combo hit has 420. Stardiver isn't a massive hit, it's a hit that is about 22% more powerful than a combo button that I get to use very often. When I use Stardiver, the enemies don't take a noticeably bigger chunk of damage than when I use my other abilities..

Are you, are you my soul brother this is the exact reason I have quit DRG maining . I have switched to Reaper because as much I like the Dragoon jump. Working my ass off on top of jump lock to get Stardriver out and seeing that pitiful damage and having RPR out damage me with their 1,2,3 have enraged me. Leveling Repear so I can use my Dragoon gear till they fix our potency.

I love Dragoon animation and lore but my god they have screwed this with this expansion. Will be back to DRG when it become remotely comparable to monk and RPR.

[LeonKeyh]

I thought that this was going to be specifically talking about the removal of positional requirements for Raiden's Thrust. It was fun to be rewarded for hitting the positionals.

I somewhat agree with your overall problems though. I played through DRG to 90 as it's always been my "main." In addition to the points that you made, our "burst section" (i.e. Life of the Dragon) is somewhat.... unexciting. It feels like that should be akin to MCH's Hypercharge, or GNB's Gnashing Fang, etc, but instead it's just... "bleh".

Also, your point of Heaven's Thrust being close to our "big" attacks is made even worse when you consider the fact that most Heaven's Thrusts are done under Life Surge so most are guaranteed crits....

[ThorneDynasty]

I will never understand how people equate individual abilities' potencies with "fun". As long as it all works in relation so the rotation makes sense and the overall damage isn't weirdly off-balance with other jobs it's who cares.

[Throrface]

You weirdly refuse to address what was said, so I'll pose you a question: why do you think DNC has a 1060p attack and BRD only has a 600p attack as their strongest skill?

I don't care why. On both BRD and DNC the abilities you refer to stand out reasonably well from their other actions, so I'm totally fine with them. They feel like good, meaty hits.

I will never understand how people equate individual abilities' potencies with "fun". As long as it all works in relation so the rotation makes sense and the overall damage isn't weirdly off-balance with other jobs it's who cares.

I care, but it's alright if you don't.