6.18 GNB Buffs

[Ixon]

Thanks, I guess? It's a bit weird to add potency to Burst Strike and Hypervelocity considering you only REALLY get to use it every 30sec with Draw and Junction. When you factor in your Gnashing Fang combo, Double Down, LB, time while guarding, time cc'd, and time running back to heal, you pretty much never actually finish a 1-2-3 combo to earn the Powder Barrel naturally and rely on the charge from DnJ. I'd rather instead of just buffing it's damage you would instead increase the Powder barrel timer from 10sec to 15sec or 20sec, as it is very easy to miss out on the short 10sec timer.

I am hoping this is just a "take this for now while we are actually working on fixing GNB in 6.2" sort of thing. As iterated time and time again, GNB's biggest issue is lack of consistency due to the jankness that is Draw and Junction. Fix that, and the job is fine. I still want the RDM Black/White approach to GNB DnJ by being able to swap between roles at the press of a button. Would be a lot better than just adding the ability to target self and allies, but at this point I would even take that.

[TimotheusReed]

I totally agree. I honestly would have expected some more signifant changes. Especially because people told me there are often big adjustments at the end of a season.

At least I now finally macro'd a junction key for every enemy, like you suggested.

But I still feel they need to change some stuff significantly for GNB.

[Petite]

I was hoping for changes to Draw and Conjunction. They could have turned it into MCH's "Carousel" where you'd have to cycle through all 3 abilities, making you role-switch and play differently throughout the match (burst better as a DPS, draw attention as a tank and cast a HoT on teammates in trouble as a healer).

My suggestions isn't perfect, but I think Draw and Cunjunction is the key to make GNB more interesting. Right now, all GNBs remain in DPS-Conjunction unless they're losing in Overtime.

[Gserpent]

I was hoping for changes to Draw and Conjunction. They could have turned it into MCH's "Carousel" where you'd have to cycle through all 3 abilities, making you role-switch and play differently throughout the match (burst better as a DPS, draw attention as a tank and cast a HoT on teammates in trouble as a healer).

My suggestions isn't perfect, but I think Draw and Cunjunction is the key to make GNB more interesting. Right now, all GNBs remain in DPS-Conjunction unless they're losing in Overtime.

Uh, what? GNB is most effective in tank, if it's an option. They were pretty well on par with PLD in being able to just pitch a tent on the point beforehand, and after the small nerf to Sheltron, they are probably now the tankiest tank. I'm fairly sure they do more damage than PLD as well, but it would probably be close. DPS GNB isn't terrible, but you should really just play MNK if you want to be a tanky melee that's hard to peel and can periodically nova someone into the dirt.

I guess we're all in the 6.2 waiting room, hoping that we get more than "monkey fixes" for a major patch instead of an intermediary patch. That seems to be when they're more likely to fiddle with systemic changes instead of "numbers changes," anyway. The bump to Hypervelocity is just kind of weird and random and doesn't seem to have any actual purpose in mind. Kind of like the 2 sec nerf to NIN's execution buff. Like, cool, okay. But why though?

[Petite]

Uh, what? GNB is most effective in tank, if it's an option.

"If it's an option"
>The fact your stance options depend on the enemy team's composition is pretty flawed design.

"GNB" is most effective in tank
>There shouldn't be a "best" Conjunction stance. If Nebula, for example, is better than the others 90% of the time, then what's the point of Draw and Conjunction's existence? Why not put Nebula in its place?.

My suggestion is meant to change Draw and Conjunction to make GNB more dynamic and versatile. This obviously requires all 3 stances to be equally useful and powerful in their own way or nobody would ever agree to my Draw and Conjunction "carrousel" idea.

It just feels weird SE's response to GNB was yet again more damage while people keep pointing to DaJ being half-baked.

[Gserpent]

I'm just going with the "SE doesn't like to do big changes outside of major patches" theory, but then again we had some rather substantial BLM changes in a hotfix...

I dunno, man. GNB has always felt a little half-baked in PvP. They had D&J, then they changed it/took it away, then they gave it back. A carousel is as good an answer as any. I do think it's just weird to clearly design the class around "select the role you need the most!" and then design it in such a way that some considerable portion of the time, you will likely be denied at least one of those "roles" entirely.