2 melee 2 ranged standard

[Ggwppino]

I agree with the fact that prange, over the years, has lost its importance. There should be something that makes a prange truly indispensable compared to other dps besides the fact that they facilitate plans and makes mechs strats thanks to their guaranteed mobility.
Previously, pranges allowed you to regenerate TP and mana and had very strong mitigations.
Didn't you bring a prange? you don't finish your rotation due to lack of mana or TP, oops. Didn't you bring a prange? prepare to die.

Now it's a: if you don't bring the prange you make 1% less global rdps. Clearly it's almost an insult.

[Ramiee]

I think the big question that current job design raises is what function Physical Ranged DPS provides. If Physical Ranged DPS is about 'uptime', then you might expect that in fights with challenging uptime considerations you would see Physical Ranged pull ahead of everyone else, yet fights that challenge uptime still work out in favor of PCT given its mobility. If Physical Ranged DPS is about 'utility', then both raise casters and damage casters have them beat there. If it wasn't for the fact that Physical Ranged provides a role party bonus, groups would probably replace the slot with an additional Magical Ranged by default.

In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if more midcore pickup groups start automatically bypassing the Physical Ranged slot in favor of double Magical Ranged later on in the tier.

Utility supposedly. Buffs as well.
Though really so many DPS have raidbuffs that it doesn't really matter, if only Phys range has raid buffs then maybe that would be their point.
We all know CBU3 is too scared to make them deal any real damage ever again after ARR.

[YjhemeiIzunia]

I don't see that standard changing anytime soon. I also see plenty of groups who don't care about meta comps. It's usually not an issue. If one group is rigid, just find a different group.

[Keichi]

I see no advangte with a fix of 2 meele, 2 ranger slots.
In random raids are mostly ranger classes very common. In addition would it increase the invite time, if the system has to wait specific for ranged dds (it take allready some time to find 2 healer and tanks).
And, i dont see, how fights mechanics can justify this splitt, without make one roles "useless".
Would they make hit boxes small again and would come a lot with close range aoe attacks, what force meele and tanks to run away, could they suffer the most (that is even the reason, why meele make the highest dmg, as much as i know).
And i can not image any mechanics, to slow down ranger than (except, if the Boss has buffs that make him immun again ranged attacks, like in first HW raid or Leviathan, but that even wouldnt work much, because, people would complain or they would need 2 targets, what would make this mechanic useless to).

The system whe have, give the player enough freedom. And at last i, never had situations, where Player wasnt allowed in a group, only, because they played ranged classes.

[Derio]

Most strats are designed around 2 melee 2 ranged. Many people get mad when you do 3 ranged because that means 1 ranged has to be a fake melee and most of the time in PF those ranged players mess it up everytime.

[Inosaska]

Each group handles situations differently so it really depends on the fight they're going into and how the group dynamic works for them.