I was originally going to to begin a series of suggestions under the name “The Problem” and start with bigger topics like Equipment, Power Creep, World Bosses, and new content, but I feel this takes priority now as I main a Dragoon.
Dragoon’s have always been a fairly difficult class to play. They relied on buffs and debuffs for their damage potential, even with skills like Dethrone, the overall damage came from using debuffs and skill rotations correctly to maximise output. This has always been difficult, Dragoon’s were never the top damage dealers because at their core, they used a difficult playstyle. If a rotation was interrupted, the debuff is wasted and the classes source of competitive damage goes with it. Dragoon’s were never overpowered, and had always been a fairly frustrating and difficult class to play. Horrible animations and hitboxes exist with almost every skill, and even Dethrone can become troublesome with it’s knockback and buggy desync.
As difficult as it was to play, Dragoon’s were rewarding. The choice of 1H or 2H, the options of the mobility of Cataphract, the Defence and Utility of Peltasta, a debuff heavy Hoplite, or the personal damage and CC of Swordsman, you could craft the build you wanted and have it suit your playstyle. Dragoon’s could be built for the role you wanted, they were popular, and they were fun. For the frustration of having to rely on constant buffs and debuffs, it was rewarding to execute a perfect rotation and do large amounts of damage and be a utility for team mates. It wasn’t perfect before when comparing it to its contemporaries, but it was in a good place.
What changed to make Dragoon’s move from a fun and rewarding build, to what can only be described as frustrating and weaker? It was a compounding of problems, while they were prevalent in the past, just adding Gae Bulg and reducing damage slightly was enough to convert the class from balanced to frustrating and weak. Dragoon’s were difficult, and while they relied on debuffs like Serpentine, it was manageable to maximise our DPS, and we were rewarded for the difficulty with good base damage. It was difficult, but when we did it right we remained competitive. So now by adding even more for us to manage, in this case Gae Bulg, we lose valuable time, open ourselves up to CC, easier to miss an already difficult rotation, and have to deal with an awful hitbox. To make the problem worse, we can’t just avoid Gae Bulg, it’s one of the few high damage skills we have, and the other skills were balanced around using its debuff making it mandatory to even get close to competitive DPS. What we ended up having is an even more difficult class to play, that does less damage, combine that with the already bad hitboxes and animations and you’re left with a frustrating class to play.
We can see what IMC’s intention was with the new balancing. Dragoon’s have lower skill factors than its contemporaries, but the damage potential is the same or higher when accounting for Dragoon’s debuffs. IMC was clearly trying to reward good skill rotation and usage with the high damage, the problem is to actually get the kind of skill rotation needed to be at competitive damage is impossible.
The solution isn’t radical, and it’s not to over buff Dragoons, it’s to simply balance them. The way to do it, is remove the overly frustrating mechanics that hold it back. The core of the problem is difficult gameplay, for barely competitive damage, and while Dragoon does offer utility in debuffs for party members, they have to severely reduce their own DPS in an attempt to properly land their attacks and rotations which just further decreases party DPS potential. This means, the way to fix them, is with making their rotation easier, hit boxes larger, and animations faster. Dragoon’s greatest weakness will still be difficulty in relying on debuffs, and the timing of it all, it will still be the same class, with what I’m proposing the style will be the same but the execution worthwhile. Some damage increase might be necessary, but that should be done after the other aspects are reworked if it is necessary.
Recommended Skill Rework:
Dragontooth:
- Slightly Wider Hitbox
- Removal of Charging time
Serpentine:
- Longer and Wider Hitbox
- Signficantly Faster Animation
- Reduction in SP
Gae Bulg:
- Faster Animation
- No Longer Picking up Spear Required
- Attack Lands Directly in Front
Dragon Soar:
- Longer and Slightly Wider Hitbox
- CC Toggleable (Needs to be fixed too)
Dethrone:
- Slightly Faster Animation
- Toggleable CC
- Trap Debuff Significantly Reduced (PVP Only)
The changes I propose would allow for quicker and easier rotations that Dragoon’s rely on. If even they prove to not be enough I recommend increasing damage for Serpentine, Dragontooth, and Dragon Soar, but it may be unnecessary. The idea here is to make the class flow well, combine debuffs, and execute rotations, this would aid in that play style and help to balance the problems we have. Dragoon’s aren’t horrifically bad, but they are frustrating to play, and they are the weaker option right now.
The Combat Update was an amazing showcase of IMC’s ability. There were huge improvements and most importantly it set the foundation for better balancing in the future. Unfortunately, Dragoon’s were not balanced correctly, encouraging IMC to make these changes quickly and effectively is our best option. I want to make it clear, IMC did good work, but there’s still improvement to be made.
At the GM Meetup I asked GM Papaya about Dragoon balance. Dragoon’s appear to have been overly nerfed and that they will most likely be rebalanced. My main concern now is speed of implementation and having it done correctly. IMC is very committed to balance though, so keeping up the pressure and staying positive should stay a priority.
@STAFF_Letitia @STAFF_Amy @STAFF_Ines @STAFF_Yuri @STAFF_Ethan @STAFF_Max
) => it will help the pitiful aoe damage on Dragoon while giving utility to a never used skill.