Ex Mythic WoW Raider speculates upcoming FFXIV Dawntrail Dragoon rework and changes

[@JustRuss]

I hope some of you will consider joining me on my adventure! Streaming daily on Twitch! Catch all the action LIVE! www.twitch.tv/justruss VODs here: www.youtube.com/@justrussvods

[@99_Vit]

Yo! Thanks for checking out the vid man, this was a fun watch. I'm a big Russ fan, been lurking since you started your journey in XIV and it was a bit surreal seeing this pop up today. Appreciate you homie!

[@JustRuss]

Hey man! Thanks for uploading your thoughts, I REALLY enjoyed watching it! You did an amazing job explaining how the job works at a higher level. I think I understand the general playstyle now despite only being in the level 60 iteration for my Alexander raids haha. I also lurked in your stream last night and really enjoyed your vibes. Keep up the great content and I'll definitely make sure to say hi next time :D

[@99_Vit]

@@JustRuss I appreciate that! I'll be sure to say hi next time too. Cant wait to watch some a12s 👀

[@aiellamori]

I think it makes sense to me to just make Dragon Sight give you two eyes. It's right at the start of your opener, and you'll enter Life soon after. Also, it's called Dragon "Sight", it thematically fits as well

[@mralddragoon]

I've never had an issue with gap closers as damage; it's extra damage when there aren't a lot of in-and-out mechanics, and for fights that require more movement, I usually hold one for closing... which is honestly easy because at max level right now there are FOUR... also, you can use elusive jump as a no-damage gap closer if you've practiced it. Lastly, I find the multiple damage-dealing gap closers to be clutch in fights with multiple add groups, easily transitioning to the next dps target. And although it's not a great example, they were game-changing for me when I worked out how to blitzkrieg the golems in a solo-unsynched Nael Van Darnus without them combining. I am a bit anxious about a rework simply because I do really like the current balance. Surprised to hear anyone say they feel like dragoon is squishy (although I do seem to remember some nerf to hp either in SB or ShB)--but that's probably just personal experiences. The AOE thing is... awkward. I don't enjoy that 6 of the 8 aoe skills are line aoes, including all of the gcd ones. I live with it because it makes sense thematically for a lance. That problem could be somewhat mitigated though by either nixing the requirement for a target (which some people would hate when they accidentally trigger it for no damage) to make it position-based, or reworking the center and animation of the attacks so that the line aoe goes THROUGH the player instead of just IN FRONT of them (think: 3 big quick steps back for a windup followed by our usual over-the-top ridiculous thrusts and returning to center position). Neither idea is perfect, which is probably why I accept it the way it is. Maybe we just need some more of the aoe to be dragon energy based instead of the lance itself, allowing for circle pbaoe? Anyhow, keep up the great work on the vids, Russ! They help keep me connected to the game while I'm busy and waiting for the next expansion.

[@JustRuss]

Definitely think the line aoe would become immediately more tolerable if it just went directly forward from your character based on how your camera is facing, rather than drawing a line between your character and target to dictate the direction. Even better still if it didn’t require a target as you said. And furthermore if it extended a bit behind the hitbox of your character too. I think you kinda nailed it tbh haha

[@vavakxnonexus]

I really like that Dragoon only has the core combo on GCD - I've tried other melee jobs, and having to grind your combo to a hold so you can fit in an unrelated GCD really messes with me. I really enjoy how Dragoon has a sharp distinction between the highly consistent GCD combo and the chaotic get-it-all-in sequencing of oGCDs, so I'd be disappointed if it started getting more GCDs like other jobs.

[@Saieden]

With lance charge, it's really that makes you feel good when you get everything inside every 1min, it's a "HERE WE GOOOOOO!!!" button that you will really feel when you get to 70!

[@car-keys]

I hope dragoon keeps the same amount of ogcds. I like its place as the "always busy" class

[@syaojyn]

I kinda view dragoon in the same lens as monk. As they both have a fair amount of party utility. Dragoon should definitely have a personal mitigation ability, but giving them a party mit, would be cool, but it would be a lot of buffs for them

[@njdss4]

DRG should absolutely have each of its GCD combos condensed to one button. Button bloat is a real issue. I will continue to unashamedly use the plug-in that does this as it saves my hands from developing arthritis and RSIs.

[@vrim819]

I mean I think realistically this saves you exactly 2 spaces on your hotbar total. The combos have the same 1st, 4th, and 5th gcd (yes I know 4 and 5 are reversed in each combo) so you'd wind up having disembowel and chaos spring on one button, with vorpal thrust and heaven's thrust being on the other button. If you consolidate it into a single combo that always alternates you lose the ability to actually make decisions about which combo you want to use and taking away that ability to make decisions is what kills jobs for mid/hardcore players.

[@njdss4]

@@vrim819 The plugin I'm referring to condenses the disembowel combo to one button (true>disembowel>chaotic>wheeling>fang), and the vorpal thrust combo to a separate button (true>vorpal>heavens>fang>wheeling). It condenses 7 hotbar spaces into 2, and still forces me to choose the correct combo. It doesn't take away decision making, imo. It just saves my poor fingers and wrist.

[@65Reidlos]

I think positionals should just go. As he and most people say "they are easy" or negated. so why have them? all they do is give melee busy work in a era of bosses having huge target circles and very tight STAND HERE requirements. Makes it annoying and dangerous sometimes to get them. They also dont apply at all in any solo stuff so for that phase of your life your always doing less dmg. With Monk and such True north negates them anyway. I dunno, they just seem awkward.

[@thebetterman8027]

personally i see the many ogcds as part of the job 'identity' of dragoon a high rpm class by design never a moment (except the beginning ig) where your not doing much which is why (i think) stardiver has 620 potency which is lower (i think) then most other jobs big smack moves but instead of one big smack move you have alot of medium smack moves

[@syaojyn]

20:38 monk also encounters this issue too lol, where it's opener and 2 minute bursts, as well as 1 minutes, aren't as strong as they could be? Or require weird management to get better damage over time, depending on kill time and stuff. Idk how they will address this, but I do find it to be a form of skill expression

[@Anomander23]

I'd like to see Raven Thrust (Lev 76 skill) be a bit more rewarding. Sure it increases you 50 potency, but that could be enhanced a bit (maybe even make life surge automatic on hitting those positionals). As it is now, I macro'd life surge onto the tail end of Vorpal Thrust to assure a crit on Heaven's Thrust (which is 480 potency) each time it's available. It's an instant skill so the macro actually works and rarely if ever misses. AOE is weak early on, but you'll enjoy it in end game, Russ. I agree with a defensive mit is necessary. You end up living and dying by Blood bath in some scenarios.

[@syaojyn]

Having 2 charges at 40 seconds helps make it align with 120 second windows like sage and phlegma I think

[@kuronaialtani]

At the very least it feels like the job has nowhere left to go in its current state Just loop a pair of combos from buff and dot to damage back to buff and dot I don't see anything they could add to life or all the ogcds it has to rotate right now Seeing that new nidhogg uppercut, I just hope whatever the rework's plan is opens the door again, so to speak

[@philllewis8219]

I would so switch back to dragoon if I could stardive every 30 seconds

[@MM2_PLAYER7528]

I apologise ahead, but this Mythic WoW player has absolutely zero idea what he is talking about. He stated many times that he's like what level 60ish, which gives him some breathing room, but then he states many things are fine, without having any experience. DRG is in a horrid place right now, its flat out garbage, trash, sludge, and thats coming from a DRG main since legacy. Reaper is better in every way. And I hate Reaper. Definitely needs a real rework.

[@JustRuss]

As you mentioned yourself, I did a disclaimer about my experience at the start of the video. My input isn't supposed to be gospel. Just because you disagree with something, doesn't make you any more or less right. Besides it looks like they didn't make any sweeping changes in their announcement.

[@cressposting]

This is a lot of cope. WHen they say rework it changes entirely. I just hope its not like summoner.

[@xTunafishx]

It will be like summoner. but that's ok. Summoner has a great grounding framework and can expand into anything with upcoming expansions. The problem with Dragoon now isn't actually a problem. It's just the first job to feel 'complete'. They can't really add or do more to it. Bringing it down to a new basic so they can then go on to do anything with it is great.

[@aiellamori]

They called Ninja a rework when all they did really was put mudra on gcd

[@neobahumuth6]

@@aiellamori they also mentioned thinking of Ninja as a frame for DRG rework, granted making mudras GCDs instead of OGCD isn't exactly a small rework in the grand scheme of things

[@mataeri]

Just judging from the "buttons don't feel fun if all it does is make you do a flat amount more dmg" I think he would really enjoy Samurai, given it is selfish and not nearly as busy as drg etc. but samurai doesn't have such a thing, your burst is determined by your big CD's like usual and the dmg buff is passively integrated into the rotation as is in drg with disembowl. I don't think there is a single button on SAM that doesn't feel fun to use (well arugably maybe the one where you eat your stamps, but otherwise, don't see one). I mean even the basic "gauge gain" ability at lvl 90 changes something about your interaction where you unlock a new super big ability from it on top of what the gauge gives you in the first place.

[@mataeri]

Also in regards to line aoe's honestly the main part making them horrible to use on pulls, is the fact you have to target to aim your line, so it is easy to miss enemies in a mob just make them free use like all the other aoes (except casters and gravity lul) and then it would feel nicer to angle them etc. because you are not reliant on enemy positions changing or dying etc.