Best DPS class in the game?

[xyaie]

Bard or atleast that's what most people say until we get nerfed in 2.1

/thread

From looking through this thread there doesn't appear to be a "most". Doesn't sound like much of a /thread

[sakraycore]

Bard without a doubt. Also easiest to play.

[NoctisUmbra]

Bard without a doubt. Also easiest to play.

Come now, don't contribute to the mass confusion. BRD never was top DPS, not even close lol. The reason so many people thought so (and some apparently continue to think so) is because it is incredibly easy to play compared to the rest, and puts on almost comparable DPS as well. The risk/reward balance is off, and thus it will get adjusted.

[Woodberry]

Come now, don't contribute to the mass confusion. BRD never was top DPS, not even close lol. The reason so many people thought so (and some apparently continue to think so) is because it is incredibly easy to play compared to the rest, and puts on almost comparable DPS as well. The risk/reward balance is off, and thus it will get adjusted.

That isn't exactly correct either. There is no less risk as bard than the other two ranged dps nor is it really easier to play.

[Jinfire]

That isn't exactly correct either. There is no less risk as bard than the other two ranged dps nor is it really easier to play.

Brd is far easier to play then smn, and blm still has to cast, so they loose dps when they have to move while brds do not.

Brds also have "better" aoe then smn. I use "" cause a well placed bane will do better or just as good as a brd. Brd is just easier to play

[NoctisUmbra]

That isn't exactly correct either. There is no less risk as bard than the other two ranged dps nor is it really easier to play.

No... it pretty much is entirely easier to play.

[Woodberry]

Brd is far easier to play then smn, and blm still has to cast, so they loose dps when they have to move while brds do not.

Brds also have "better" aoe then smn. I use "" cause a well placed bane will do better or just as good as a brd. Brd is just easier to play

SMNs having to micro manage pets makes them a bit tougher, but realistically all of the ranged are easy to play with BLM being the easiest. Melee just don't like BRDs because they believe their dps is too easy and they are taking their spots in groups. It isn't BRD dps that makes them great, it is the utility. They provide mana for healers, dps boost for casters, 10% damage taken reduction for tanks, and a ranged silence for everyone! I will admit having all that utility is too much.

[NoctisUmbra]

SMNs having to micro manage pets makes them a bit tougher, but realistically all of the ranged are easy to play with BLM being the easiest. Melee just don't like BRDs because they believe their dps is too easy and they are taking their spots in groups. It isn't BRD dps that makes them great, it is the utility. They provide mana for healers, dps boost for casters, 10% damage taken reduction for tanks, and a ranged silence for everyone! I will admit having all that utility is too much.

BLM and BRD are both easy. They are easier than SMN, for the reasons you pointed out.

BRD, however, is far easier than BLM. Set up 1 macro and all you ever have to really do 90% of the time is hit that 1 button and apply dots. Other than that you're just rotating your buffs.

You can mess up your rotation/mp management and/or buffs or get interrupted on BLM due to an AoE or having to move out of the way of something.

BRD can move freely and continue its pew-pew non stop. Also, there's really no risk of messing anything up on BRD as far as straight DPS goes. No buff that when not managed right results in a massive dps loss.

All of the above obviously under the assumption that you know what you're doing on either job and know the optimal rotations, etc.

[Sibe]

so BLM is better than SMN?

[pandabearcat]

I would say that for optimal dps, bard and BLM require extremely (to the point of completely impossible given lag) amazing reflexes.

The problem lies within the way the dps classes are designed.

Of the 5 classes designed, 2 have procs, and no rotation (essentially all filler abilities, 1 dot, etc), and 3 have set rotations with zero variance.

Of course fight mechanics dictate variance, and the unmerciful yoke of DoTs and Buff timers is what adds complexity to the classes.

Given a perfectly standstill, zero mechanic fight, it is easier to play SMN, MNK, DRG than it is to play BLM, BRD optimally.

I understand melee have complex rotations, I understand all that you have to remember, however this comes with experience and preparation. A prepared nonproc class will always do optimal dps - note optimal dps is not "perfect" paper dps, but it is that they are able to plan out and do 100% of their possible dps given the circumstances.

Now, I am willing to bet noone has ever done "perfect" dps with either BLM or BRD, simply because of the reaction times and lag involved.

The reason these classes are perceived as easy is because the difference between suboptimal and "perfect" dps is EXTREMELY small, and furthermore, both respond very well to nonoptimal play and nonoptimal situations.

And thus back to why, even though SMN, DRG, MNK rotations are supposedly "solved" games, aka, able to be planned arbitrarily number of steps in advance, they are more difficult. Because the difficulty lies in responding to nonoptimal events.

Thus we can rank them based on how hard they are punished for "messing up", or playing suboptimally.

And that is what they were getting at in the producer letter too.

They aren't nerfing bards because their damage was too high, but because it was too easy to not be affected by really anything, leaving their dps relatively high compared to similarly skilled players. I am not talking about the top 1% of raiders here.

They aren't buffing melee damage because it is too low, they're making it easier for melee to stay on target, and making it so they are not punished so much for being forced to be suboptimal.