Having 50% of its cap time to be banked is... pretty darn bankable. That's the same as Ninja or Reaper's gauges, for instance, and far superior to the likes of Chakra. I wouldn't hate it being more, but by then you're looking at trying to fit every 3rd into LC, specifically, instead of it being primarily a rhythmic element; it'll have changed the feel and function of that ability (which thus far is our main basis for guessing what its "intent" was).
The timer is ultimately still just based on Gierskogul. So now your GSK's are 30s apart, exactly, instead of 30 - 31 seconds apart based on ping, reflex, and speed of button-mashing. No part of allowing DRG to see and therefore queue the GSK timer as soon as they've used up all LotD offers has to remove the NAS ICD.Moving the timer can have consequences when optimizing fights and doing double Life windows back to back, which is why it's probably best not to touch that.
Sorry if my derision as to that "opener tax" wasn't clear enough. I don't think it needs, deserves, or ought to have that penalty. For that reason, I prefer that the scales just come directly from the 5th GCD, rather than the "6th-kinda-turned-1st?" especially if RT and DF became direct upgrades.The job is already taxed enough in normal encounters by having no opener
Again, I'd be fine with either. I don't mind TT's and DS's animation, and so though I prefer RT and DF's, I wouldn't mind alternating between them.As it's a difference of 50 potency between TT and RT and is mostly an OCD thing of mine since I dislike TT's animation compared to RT's, they should just replace them. Everything works the same, it's just the buff of Draconian Fire granting the scale and not the weaponskills on their own.
I'd be fine with that, too (though I understand why re-adding garish visual clutter would have any impact on DS's being a good idea or not); I just like the idea of pulling a bit more draconic and strike-leader-esque themes out of DRG where convenient.Just remove the partner buff entirely and give the damage to the DRG. I'd personally prefer if the job was less supportive and BL is already one of the strongest buffs due to how much potential damage it can bring to specific compositions, but taking away the DS partner buff would also mean that you don't have to rely that much on having a specific melee to be buffed whereas BL is more equal in how much contribution anyone can provide in it.
That said, if the tether returned, I'd be happy to keep the ability as is.
(Thematically, if anything, I'd slightly rather have DS remain over BL, with more of a tag-team aspect, even if that does mean being slightly more dependent specifically on another DPS. That DRG's raidbuff aids even heals while Bard's and Monk's do not, moreover, has always felt weird.)