Raid buffs and combo actions should go.

[Azlith]

Some jobs such as BRD or DNC use procs as part of their identity and some jobs don't. I don't think all jobs should use procs and RNG because then you have a choice over what you want. Proc gameplay is fun sometimes but a lot of people like a strict but lengthy rotation like PLD has right now (for the short time that remains) but with lots of different things making it up.

Your logic with raid buffs could even apply to self damage buffs, because it forces a job like GNB to fit in all its firepower into No Mercy instead of spreading it out and even if you find this fun (which I do), ping and skill speed and skill issues come into how much you fit into it.

But if I were to ask myself "should they get rid of all damage buffs", it just makes me ask what will replace it? With jobs having had so much stripped away already and game mechanics such as piercing and slashing vulnerability having been removed, a lack of damage buffs would start to make the gameplay very simple and lackluster.

My arguement for raid buffs removal would extend to self % damage increase buffs as well yes. I think that abilities like no mercy riddle of fire raging strikes and potentially even trick attack are boring and should be reworked to provide something that enhances the gameplay in an active way. No mercy is actually a great example in my opinion because removing it entirely would change little to nothing about how you play the job. What would be a more "fun" version of no mercy 1. leave it as it is now as a %dmg buff or 2. change it to interact with the gunbreakers basic kit in a more interesting way like making your next few cartridge spenders cost no cartridge or maybe every weaponskill for a time/x number of gcds generates a cartridge or something else entirely? The cooldown could also be changed to be shorter or longer as well.

Lets take a look at monks riddle of fire as well. A simple change to make it more of an interesting button press could be to simply make it an enhanced version of perfect balance causing your next 9 "form" skill to generate both a beast chakra and a normal chakra.

Regardless of any individual jobs specific situation The idea is not to look at how the jobs would be as they are now minus raid buffs but rather to show how much more varied the design space can become when the developers are no longer limited in scope when it comes to job design. In the current stat of the game every job must be designed in such a way so as to have its most potent skills land inside of a specific timing window. Every melee job must have combo actions as the core of its rotation. These two things greatly limit the amount potential playstyles because every job in the game must conform to these rules.