SAM needs to be rolled back to 6.08, its identity is gone.

[Theodric_Thorne]

If button bloat is such a concern, an entirely optional toggle could be added under the accessibility settings to fold certain combo strings into a single button.

But these changes in 6.1 aren't going to make the job easier to play and more appealing, they're just going to drive people away from the job. Maybe even away from the game entirely. Many players get attached to a single combat job, much like they would in other MMOs where a single character cannot switch between multiple classes. "Just play another DPS" is not always a viable solution.

"Removing variance" by flattening potencies across the board has also resulted in the most powerful skills in SAM's arsenal being reduced to dealing roughly equivalent damage to its basic combos. I was under the impression that the entire point of SAM was to have a straightforward rotation, steadily building resources in its two job gauges and spending them in a spectacular spike of burst damage. Remember when the Kenki-per-Sen value of Hagakure was nerfed because Shinten spam was an unintended playstyle? Shinten spam is back now, so I don't know what problem you think you're solving with these changes.

Is that how you want the job to play? Are you setting us up for the removal of the whole Sen gauge in a future patch, so that the entire rotation is just reduced to filling the Kenki gauge and spending it all on Shinten or Kyuten spam? Is Iaijutsu considered too complicated because it splits into 3 different skills? What is the point of SAM right now, in your minds? What is it you want it to do?

Normally these would sound like asinine and outlandish questions to ask, but given how these changes were touted as improvements for the job, I can't help but wonder if any of it was actually tested by people who like SAM to begin with. It reads more like someone completely unfamiliar with the job is trying to turn it into something else. Whatever that job is, please add it in 7.0 rather than dismantling this one. We liked SAM the way it was.

[Roxus]

Completely agree with you. I've read all your posts and you are always on point. I don't think much of anything was tested in this patch, sadly. Even if they do test these jobs, it's clear they don't understand how the "feel" of the job impacts it greatly.

I just want to continue to touch on the variance part. These changes were supposed to be eventually rolled out for everyone, but only we got changed. I think it's time to hold off on new jobs and work on the battle system in its entirety if it's going to continue like this.

[SiriusBreeze]

Roll it back! Roll it back!

[Ceridwen]

Completely agree! I'm also beginning to feel bad for wishing for less button bloat, because this is NOT what I envisioned. (I liked the gnashing fang combo put into one - I'd rather like the RDM's melee into one, too.) But I don't want THIS. I'd rather have bloat than lose the identity and feel of the class.

[Theodric_Thorne]

Completely agree! I'm also beginning to feel bad for wishing for less button bloat, because this is NOT what I envisioned. (I liked the gnashing fang combo put into one - I'd rather like the RDM's melee into one, too.) But I don't want THIS. I'd rather have bloat than lose the identity and feel of the class.

Agreed. I have some fine-motor issues so frankly I really wish they would condense some individual combo strings onto one button each, because it would shave easily 4-6 keybinds off of just about any job I've tried and make them easier for me to play. But there's a world of difference between condensing some combos (entirely optionally, because I know players who would not like it if that change was forced on them) and completely dumbing down a job to make it something less than the sum of its parts.

[ShanaShirayuki]

Could not have put it better myself. You see this SE? Be prepared to see these types of threads of every day until it gets fix. What Theodric mentioned about players quitting is true; I'd imagine you do not want your bottom line to be affected by such asinine changes. Do not wait until 6.2 to fix them, fix them now before the new Ultimate releases.

[SleeeeeeepySleeeeeeep]

Could not have put it better myself. You see this SE? Be prepared to see these types of threads of every day until it gets fix. What Theodric mentioned about players quitting is true; I'd imagine you do not want your bottom line to be affected by such asinine changes. Do not wait until 6.2 to fix them, fix them now before the new Ultimate releases.

Yup. I'll be quitting.

I originally played SMN. They gutted it. Okay, I level up SAM. Now it's gutted too.

Tell me with a straight face I should go level up ANOTHER job which I may or may not like? Then what? Another patch and poof it's gone?

If they don't revert SAM changes, playing another game is far safer guarantee of satisfaction.

[Adeacia]

I've been playing my SAM a lot recently when I have time to play at all, and I haven't seen what the big deal is. Can you explain how not pressing a single key ruins the entire job? WITHOUT talking about how it "feels"

[ShimAoki]

Yup. I'll be quitting.

I originally played SMN. They gutted it. Okay, I level up SAM. Now it's gutted too.

Tell me with a straight face I should go level up ANOTHER job which I may or may not like? Then what? Another patch and poof it's gone?

If they don't revert SAM changes, playing another game is far safer guarantee of satisfaction.

I'll tell you with a straight face, don't play drg nin or sam as it's getting "reworks" in 6.2 potentially.

[YukiB]

I've been playing my SAM a lot recently when I have time to play at all, and I haven't seen what the big deal is. Can you explain how not pressing a single key ruins the entire job? WITHOUT talking about how it "feels"

How it feels is the only reason to play it, though?

But sure, I can.

It gave us something to do with kenki, previously the only gauge in the game that was something more than "dump at 50". Now we just dump at 25.

The animation flowed perfectly from the end of the last GCD into the sheathing animation of iaijutsu.

It made our big meaty attacks bigger and meatier. What we got in return, the guaranteed crits, not only hit for LESS than non-crits did before with Kaiten, but we lose the satisfaction of getting 60-100% more damage on top if we're lucky.

It reflects the class fantasy of the job, that of the patient master swordsman who waits for the perfect moment to strike. Imagine dragoon losing their jumps.