On the Tyranny of Burst Windows

[SeverianLyonesse]

I'm reposting this from another thread because I think I hit on a more fundamental issue to all of these job changes.

The problem we are running into is that cross-class, on-rails burst windows have been ruining job design. Everything is being pruned away in service of a 60/120 second script.

This design choice to lean into burst windows to me is SO WEIRD for a game that is increasingly obsessed with (a) casual appeal and (b) soloable content. With respect to both of these goals especially--but also with respect to just making a fun experience regardless of who or how the game is played--syncing up with 7 other players should not be more important than making the jobs fun to execute in themselves.

Imo, all party damage buffs should be removed--i.e., heavily minimize or eliminate "damage synergy." Then jobs would have much more flexibility in rotation design and job expression, and we could perhaps even see the return of cut abilities. I think only the buffs to party damage need to be removed--most other support abilities still work fairly well in encouraging both player agency and party movement coordination without encouraging syncing up burst windows.

By my count, a fix wouldn't involve much, just removing (or retooling to be player-only):

* DRG - Battle Litany
* MNK - Brotherhood
* NIN - Trick Attack/Mug
* DNC - Technical Finish
* RDM - Embolden
* RPR - Arcane Circle

And then a reworking of BRD and AST which frankly could both use it.

Syncing up precise rotations with 7 other players just doesn't make for very fun content. It has a high frustration rate and minimal payoff, and personally I get no thrill from burst window boosts. Certainly not as much as just having cool abilities that actually do things themselves without needing to be in another player's buff window.

I think if a change like this were made, it would substantially open up both job and encounter design and allow the game to actually be *reactive*, *enabling*, and *fun* again.