Lev 50+

[baddwin]

Hi got a question for the Dragoon in the 50+. Do you have a hard time getting group, for the last week getting group is a nightmare, there no whm available or Rdm to for my own group. I all i see are Renkei 1 group. Do it will calm after i pass 51-52, this getting very boring to farm all nite until you can find a group, whe you find one. About 20-30 group disband and you have die at least one and you have even less exp =(.

This a serious issue, well for me, i been playing EQ for 4 years, i never seen that kind of difficulty to group. If level 50+ are like that all the time for those that can't find a static group than FFX will start loosing alot of players. The lack of healer and possibility to solo at higher level is very bad. If ever someone asked me what class today, i will tell to choose a Whm/Rdm/bard as they almost never lack invitation. There to many Drg, Drk, Pld not counting the others melee class vs. the number of mage.

I just hope the Sony do something about it before the game start loosing alot of players.

[Carbon]

I've had an horrible time finding groups as DRG without a static party.

Let's put it this way. If they chose to do so, the other members of my static party can easily level without each other.

I can't. At least not without sitting in Jeuno for a looooooooong time anyways.

Sometimes I feel bad, because I so desperately need them, whereas they don't really need me.

I would give up DRG in a heartbeat if I didn't have a static PT. The frustration of looking for a pickup party as a DRG simply isn't worth it to me.

I agree there is a serious problem with attacker melee getting groups at high levels. Part of the problem is differentiation - you can replace a DRG with a DRK with a RNG with a SAM with a WAR with a MNK and not notice much difference (assuming all players are equal in terms of equipment and skill).

[Aetheran]

I've given up leveling DRG at 60. Impossible. I'm now happily leveling RDM in a linkshell static PT.

[baddwin]

I started Bard/Whm, i was to sick of waiting for group. To bad i will not try my AF2, it is still sitting in the bank =/

[Carbon]

I think it's a shame. Part of me wants to urge you to grind, maybe at least until you get full AF or something. However, I'd be lying through my teeth if I were to say you'd have an easy time finding groups.

In the time it took me to get from 57-60, a friend of mine went from Lv1 to Lv55 RDM.

[Weezingpipes]

I've made 98% of my parties 60-65 if that is any indication of difficulty in finding groups. DRG really pales in comparison to other jobs 60+, and by 65 it is downright depressing. At different stages I was sad with DRG for whatever reason, but got to points where it got better and felt like I was a good damage dealer. Post 60, all I am discovering is I'd be better in my groups if I was another job.

Penta Thrust had a hard time being good until around 55ish when I could afford enough accuracy gear to not whif most of the time. By then, it was ok. Even early 60's, it wasn't bad. Guillotine and Raging Rush still do more damage, but I partied with THF a lot so exp flowed decently. Somewhere in 63 or so, Penta Thrust started to be outright shit no matter if all hits landed or not, I mean who cares about 60% tp returns when half the time it does less than 200 damage. Skewer consistantly does more damage, and again, doesn't compared to warrior, drk or rng (well who compares to RNG really).

Anyway, 65 was especially sad, can finally do level 3 renkei with Wheeling Thrust. While its good, its easier to make Light chains than Darkness with 2 people, Wheeling Thrust does such pathetic damage, I fall even further behind warriors in damage output. I'd make a better fuidama partner with THF if I was a warrior because those first few hits, I'd take less damage, and do more damage on the initial WS. Since level 3 renkai is all good groups do, its particularly sad. Monks consistantly deal better damage than I do, even with shittier equipment they own me. Jumps still suck ass. Hell, I deal so little damage I don't even bother using High Jump as hate removal, just as an extra hit. Again, my equipment is far from bad or anything, the only things lacking is ultra expensive things like a Peacock Charm and Scorpion Harness.

Itemization for DRG is utter shit too. I literally have 3-4 upgrades maximum to look forward to between now and 75, and still have worse stats than a WAR or DRK. Both jobs get the Thick set to look forward to, the easily more affordable Hauberk or Haubergeon (either or, its basically the same item), more damaging weapons. High proficiency with 2 weapons, even Spinnish Slash isn't bad for DRK considering the long shitty road of the great sword. Also the only real viable upgrade to GK lance that is buyable is Colossal Lance at 70 (which is likely super overpriced no matter the server you are on). Cermet Lance is a laughable piece of shit, Narval isn't worth losing 7 accuracy unless you can make it up with the few accuracy items you can get, and Gae Bolg isn't realistic to attain until minimum level 70+, and need an alliance at that. Meanwhile both DRK and WAR have good buyable upgrades that are still better than the best DRG lance, same with MNK. It will only get worse over 70. While it isn't bad til 72-73ish (you have *some* options), the last 2 levels are chaining VT's and by 75 mostly all exping monsters go T. While chaining VT's isn't necessarily a bad thing, there really aren't many viable exping spots 72+, and I can already see on my server as more people get 70+, its going to create an unbearable bottleneck, since chaining VT's you need to pull/kill more than the usual 6 and repeat to compensate. Given undead is simply not an option for DRG (and by limited, I mean you have 3 spots basically to get 75 at), it realistically leaves 2 for a DRG to exp at.

I don't feel like a damage dealer any more. I used to at lower levels but it really does look downhill from here. I hear Impulse Drive is pretty decent, but again that is a long way from 65, assuming you can group with people who don't mind taking an inferiour damage job, and it still doesn't change the really really limited amount of exping areas.

I can see why there is 1 75 DRG on my server, and I don't see him online much any more. Often times I'm the only DRG on from 65-75, maximum usually 4-5, and now I'm certain why. The job has numerous problems. I shouldn't be using High Jump as a free hit/tp gain, I should HAVE to use it to help control my hate.

While I'm sure some may think this is a pointless amount of whining, you are just fooling yourselves if you think DRG is a good job at high levels. You need great equipment to be comparable to a mediocre at best equipped WAR, DRK, or MNK. That is simply idiotic. Really all the expansion jobs are fucked up. If you have a static willing to stick with you through the excessively painful levels, go ahead, otherwise you'll just spend hours making pick up groups that would be better if you were another job.

On the plus side, the wyvern tends to live a fair bit longer lately than he had pre 60. He still whifs a lot and hits for RDM damage, and contrary to what people say about the AF helm makes it always do the best breath depending on monsters elemental weakness, thats bullshit. Enjoy Hydro Breath on Steelshells for 37 damage or so, happens often enough that the claim is laughable. While I guess the helm makes it do the correct breath slightly more often than without it, its not enough to matter. Your wyvern is still braindead.

Seriously, just be another job. Level DRG when they fix the job, because it is broken. Warrior is great 60+, try that out.

[Talis]

if this is all true, my lifelong dream of becoming a DRG is now destroyed. . .

[Malefas]

WeezingPipes is right (Although he failed to mention that I appear on his search list from DRG 65-75, but I forgive him ) for the most part. I'm starting to feel really inferior. You know its bad when you can't even pull aggro while using regular attacks, and the only time you get aggro in exp PTs is when a THF tricks off of you with sneak combined.

I loved how coming into this game this job was tremendously exaggerated. "Just Penta-Spam, and you'll be owning in damage. Doing easily the best damage in the game!" . Am I the only one who knows that outside of farming giants or Orcs, Skewer > Penta? For example, when you are around levels 61-63, try using Penta Thrust on a Torama... what joke. One hit from Skewer will put you over the 100 damage range, while I have to hit like 3-4 times with Penta on the same mob for 110 or something ridiculuous like that.

At this level, I also feel that my WAR sub comes in handy when the PLD dies and the rest of the PT needs a moment to escape. Atleast the combination of my low defence and crappy damage per second allows me to lose hate to the WHM trying to keep me alive as I get hit 180+.

Polearm is a weak weapon, and it kills the DRG class. For example, most of the mobs in this game have some sort of piercing resisting armor. Nothing like making my class even weaker than it already has to be.

Wheeling Thrust as a WS is just pathetic, I can't believe they even let this one get off the drawing board. A DEF down WS? Sounds good? For 100 damage? Wooo, yay, now I have a useless Penta and a useless WS to start a NECESSARY level III renkai with, good stuff. Oh wait, its further hampered because its a fusion burst and only goes with, for hte most part, Dragon Kick and Shark Bite. Which doesn't really matter anyways, since I start the chains at level 64 with Skewer, THF does Dancing Edge, and PLD hits with Swift Blade (level 65), and they all do more damage, especially when Swift gets the darkness burst.

Well, atleast without SAM sub, I'm always the first to 100%. Too bad my WS' suck.

I dunno, looking back at all the time I've wasted on this job, bothers me to no end. There are no high level DRGs on our server, and now I see why. Hell, half the DRGs that are higher level than me sub WHM or just play around with the million other Full AF classes they have now.

In short? Damage class? Not really, we're more of damage moderators, who take the hate for THFs when they use Fuidama. Good stuff, I guess.

Oh yeah, a new AF set at levels 71-75 to look forward too! Hopefully it'll be just as useless as the one I'm wearing currently, maybe it'll be useless x2.

Was it just me or does SE think that Wyverns are quite the tide changers in battle?

[SkuLLy]

gah..

my gawd.. reading this thread depressed the hell out of me.. so much so that i started thinking about leveling up my WAR again.. or plain starting over as a BLM or RDM for my static party.

i really hope this class doesn't suck that bad past 60.. because i'm almost there. :\

[Weezingpipes]

Wheeling Thrust isn't DEF down, its just a hit that ignores defense, more tp = more defense ignored. Have you seen a 300% Wheeling Thrust on an exp mob? Pretty funny shit. Sadly it would be decent if it lowered defense, but no such luck ;(

Seriously be a WAR. They are ok pretty well at all levels, definately good 60+.

[SkuLLy]

gah, makes me sad as hell..

here's a quick question.. let's say you have a static party.. one with a paladin / dark knight / bard / white mage / theif.. what job do you think would best compliment that party?

[Carbon]

PLD
DRK
WHM
THF
BRD

I'd say get a BLM.

[SkuLLy]

ended up going with RDM/BLM.. and so the grind to 50 begins once more.. :x

adios dragoon.. see you when i need to farm or something.

[Carbon]

Do you think DRG will ever be fixed?

There's been Lv70+ or Lv75 JP DRGs for some time now. Heck, there's a few Lv70+ NA DRGs now.

Regardless of the job's problems, S-E could interpret the fact that some DRGs got that high as indicating "nothing's wrong".

[SkuLLy]

i'd hope they do.. RDM isn't all that bad really, actually a nice change from my DRG.. but damn i can't dominate on mobs anymore and it makes me sad.