Is PLD actually weaker than before?

[Mikey_R]

EDIT: I don't know the solution, though. Goring Blade is pointless button bloat at this point, and Fight or Flight and Requiescat should really be combined, and Requiescat not require being in melee still. And it is counterintuitive to need to drop 1-2 Atonements a minute to keep from drifting. On the one hand, that's a form of flexibility, I guess, but on the other hand, it isn't immediately obvious to new players that's what they should be doing.

Sorry, but I need to counter this every single time I see it.

You do NOT need to drop Atonements, or anything else for that matter. If you go the double Divine Holy Spirit in burst, or the priority for the filler GCDs in burst, you will do effectively the same damage overall, any difference being lost in natural damage RNG.