Let's talk about the upcoming DRG rework...

[ThorneDynasty]

Something that's also concerning is that the word "might" is used when it comes to changing jobs in 8.0. It may be that they'll leave it for 9.0 but I want to think they won't.

Well, the fact is DRG doesn't really need a rework, even if a massive overhaul of the overall design direction is needed - You could decouple the job from being a gog in the 2min meta machine just by removing/changing Battle Litany.

I'm more concerned over tanks and healers being neglected until 9.0 or beyond. DRG rework being a forgotten thought? Thank god. The preemptive feedback worked, good thing we didn't listen to the "just wait and see" and apologists.

[Aco505]

Since we now know the extent of the changes due to the media tour, I shall take this opportunity to further comment on the points outlined in a different feedback thread I wrote weeks ago:

1. Eye management being gone greatly reduces overall optimization and flexibility options for DRG.

Life of the Dragon has become more streamlined for casual players of the job but at the same time more rigid, as drifting due to player mistakes will incur greater DPS losses. The inherent GSK drift has been eliminated though, which is good.

Additionally, our gauge is pretty empty now compared to the other DPS jobs. Eyes should be returned to the gauge in some shape or form in the future.

2. LotD should last 30s so that we can keep some flexibility when it comes to burst in encounters with downtime.

With LotD becoming another personal 15% buff, GSK having a 60s cooldown and LotD lasting 20s is logical due to balance reasons.

Allowing the use of 3 NAS within 20s is a welcome change (particularly in level 70 content) yet also strange, as it basically turns LotD into an oGCD Enshroud but without the ability to end the state.

3. The DRG kit now feels disconnected. More actions just deal damage and have little synergy between them.

This remains true: only GSK, Life Surge and Wyrmwind Thrust are connected with other actions in some way.

Consider having Mirage Dive give a scale per use so that we can have some extra interaction in our kit. Additionally, increase the maximum amount of scales from 2 to 3 and keep WWT's cost the same while reducing its CD to 5 seconds.

This way, Mirage Dive will be less awkward after losing its key role in our rotation.

4. The reduction of positionals after simplifying the job's main gauge feels unnecessary.

I still think this is the case, especially since the filler phase is less involved now. Having the new 5th GCD Drakesbane getting positional status would help with this.

However, fitting True North (as well as Feint and Sprint) in 120s bursts might become a problem again whether we have 30% or 50% of our GCDs as positionals due to the high amount of weaving we will have to do and because DRG is the only melee job in the game that doesn't have extra GCDs in the rotation to move or delay positionals around.

One solution is giving either LotD or Battle Litany the True North effect that Dragon Sight had or to have Drakesbane alone become omnidirectional during our buffs. The aforementioned TN issue mentioned earlier would remain but at least we'd have some extra thinking to do between bursts.

5. Make Raiden Thrust and Draconian Fury full permanent upgrades to True Thrust and Doom Spike.

We still have True Thrust and Doom Spike at max level. Why not have the scales be granted by Drakesbane instead so that those two actions can be permanently upgraded past level 76 and 82?

6. Make Dragon Sight an upgrade to Lance Charge so that we keep the visual of the former.

Lance Charge's animation should be combined with the swirling dragon from Dragon Sight around the DRG so that we get to keep the cooler vfx and more thematic ability. It'd all remain exactly the same game play wise (i. e. a personal 60s buff).

7. Being able to use LotD in the opener is appreciated, but I think it's more detrimental to the job than good.

This point has not changed: consider revising this for 8.0 to recover and preserve job identity.

Not every job needs to have the exact same damage profiles or have access to every single resource from the start. Building up to our damage was an enjoyable element of the job, and not having LotD in the opener wasn't always an issue due to the existence of double, delayed or rushed LotD windows.

Additionally, one of the most fun things DRG could do was stack our gauges in duties were we could, such as Alliance raids, dungeons or the second part of the fourth floor of a Savage tier, whereas now the only thing we can accumulate beforehand are the scales.


Closing thoughts

In the end, most of the points I made in the OP are still true although several of the changes to DRG in Dawntrail are quite strange. Everything that was communicated did not happen and burst windows are still as packed as they were.

The third NAS in buffs is appreciated and our 1-minute bursts are strengthened but at the cost of an emptier filler and a lower potential for damage optimization due to having no gauge to stack or manage.

LotD became more streamlined but the job also lost any flexibility it had while becoming more rigid at the same time. It's all a bit contradictory.

All in all, I love the fact that it's still quite busy during burst because that's what I personally like but at the same time I wish we had more interaction in our kit besides actions just dealing damage when pressed. Mirage Dive should get something to account for the role it lost.

However, DRG has basically lost all of its optimization now and will feel quite similar regardless of the content played due to the lack of a gauge and the loss of options such as double, delayed or rushed LotD windows. This should be fixed in the future: jobs should have a low skill floor and a high skill ceiling to appeal to both casuals and veterans.

Hopefully, this feedback will be taken into account for 7.x and beyond.

[Keichi]

Mhh.
I like mostly the stuff whe saw now.
What i only hoped was, that the new jump was separated von stardiver. It looks weird, to make a big jump into the air, to land with high impact at the enemie. Only, to instantly jump again high into the air and make a even bigger impact.
I hoped, that it would be a free use and the exchange for spinshatter.

Asdide of that, came it unespected, that whe have a so busy opener.
It looks like for me, that they proudly announced a rework. Because they didnt knowed, how to evolve him anymore.
And had than probably the problem, that they doesnt found a solution or new way for the rework. And ended up with simply modifying, what whe allready had.

Where i agree is, that the drg needs a new gauge. It ist truly to empty now. And could maybe be inspiried by the monk or ninja for that.

[Noox-115]

The fact that Dragonfire dive is still 2min make me wanna vomit

[Aco505]

The fact that Dragonfire dive is still 2min make me wanna vomit

60 and 120s bursts are almost identical except for BL, DFD + RotD and an extra LS. If they had reduced DFD CD to 60s, we'd have very packed bursts every minute and drifting would be harsher for more casual players. The busy-ness would be great to me but they probably thought it was too much.

What does bother me though is that every single one of our oGCDs has falloff damage now, despite DRG being notorious for having none in ShB.

[Noox-115]

60 and 120s bursts are almost identical except for BL, DFD + RotD and an extra LS. If they had reduced DFD CD to 60s, we'd have very packed bursts every minute and drifting would be harsher for more casual players. The busy-ness would be great to me but they probably thought it was too much.

What does bother me though is that every single one of our oGCDs has falloff damage now, despite DRG being notorious for having none in ShB.

What really bother me is DRG overall utility bellow lv80. DRG was already slow on low levels you had Geirskogul on 30sec , Spine shatter on 60sec , dragonfire on 2min they are slow but now holy s- DRG will be horrible to play for those roulettes with have one less attack and Geirskogul CD increase can't wait to get q for Prea or any lv50 duty and do JUMP GCD,GCD,GCD,GCD,jump, GCD GCD GCD GCD jump for 10 minutes the biggest complain I had on DRG is that the mechanic of DRG only start to come at lv70 and is pretty much set at lv80 all of the rest for 80% of the game DRG has 0 flavor it's slow not flashy and without really strong attack

[Aco505]

What really bother me is DRG overall utility bellow lv80. DRG was already slow on low levels you had Geirskogul on 30sec , Spine shatter on 60sec , dragonfire on 2min they are slow but now holy s- DRG will be horrible to play for those roulettes with have one less attack and Geirskogul CD increase can't wait to get q for Prea or any lv50 duty and do JUMP GCD,GCD,GCD,GCD,jump, GCD GCD GCD GCD jump for 10 minutes the biggest complain I had on DRG is that the mechanic of DRG only start to come at lv70 and is pretty much set at lv80 all of the rest for 80% of the game DRG has 0 flavor it's slow not flashy and without really strong attack

The loss of SSD combined with the long GSK CD will be painful in level 50 and 60 duties, yeah. I mean, it's already quite awful even though I appreciate the jankiness because of the little change of pace compared to level 70 and above.

I'm surprised they didn't at least tweak the levels in which actions are learned for AoE.

Level 70 duties will be a bit better due to having 3 NAS though but the biggest loss is that not having an actual gauge until level 90 is terrible for the job. The oGCD focused play style only actually comes into play from level 80 and above.

I wish they had put some higher level stuff at lower levels such as at least the second Life Surge charge but I guess they'll look into this in 8.0 when they will inevitably do a level squish.

[HikariKurosawa]

I like the changes and don't really mind gsk being on a 60sec cooldown. DRG opener feels weak currently and now it will be much more enjoyable.

[Aco505]

One thing I forgot to mention is that Piercing Talon has not changed at all. With the increased potencies of DT, as well as PT's anti-synergy with our rotation due to how it delays Power Surge and the Chaotic Spring's DoT reapplication, our only ranged attack looks to be even weaker than it already was in EW.

[Ryskim]

It's not a rework. They literally disappointed everyone. The more we know about this expansion, the more disappointing it becomes in every aspect.