Dragoon Improvement topic #5632

[Bushido]

Okay, so the way this works is that you can choose to evolve your Wyvern into one of three forms. Simple. This will make you more valuble in a party, for whatever purpose you decide, yadda ya, I enjoy apples.

Aaand WE'RE OFF.

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Wyvern: The Baby form. Typical, you all know about this one.
- Attacks with you
- Accompanied Breath Attack on every WS
- Accompanied Heal/Status recovery on every spell casted when your HP is low

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THE EVOLUTIONS:


Drake: The canine form. Bigger dragon, no wings. Runs on all fours.
- Attacks with you (Stronger, slower attack than Wyvern's)
- Accompanied Breath Attack on every WS (Stronger attack than Wyvern's)
- Accompanied Heal/Status recovery on every spell casted when your HP is low (same as Wyvern's)
- "Guardian" - Dragon command. Your dragon will cover you on command, and stay covering you. Its defense will increase 50% and it will adopt a cool guard-like pose.


Naga: The serpent form. Winged, has snake-like body, with no arms or legs.
- Attacks with you (Weaker, faster attack than Wyvern's)
- Accompanied Breath randomly on attack (Weaker attack than Wyvern's)
- Accompanied Heal/Status recovery on every spell casted when HP is below 50% (Stronger Heal)
- "Lancet" - Dragon command. Steals HP/MP from target and mitigates to whoever you choose.
- No breath on WS


Dragonnaire: The fused form! Your character doesn't appear any different, except he/she now has "aura wings" to carry around.
- Auto-float, always
- Jump/HighJump power 3x
- SuperJump recharge time halved
- "Dragon Flare" - Dragon command. Use up a stack of 12 crystals to attack your enemy with a devastating "Breath Beam" of the crystal's element. Warning: This causes you to lose your wings, and is like 'dismissing' your dragon. Also, IT CREATES UNGODLY HATE. However, if you wait two hours before you do it, you can get your Dragonnaire form right back! In essence, it is the Dragoon's true 2hr. (those of you who've played Wild ARMs 2 can think of this like Ashley's Banisher attack)
- No dragon buddy!
- No breath on WS
- No more healing


SITTING ANIMATIONS:
Drake: Like a dog, just lays on all fours, its ear flicking now and then.
Naga: Now this is cool. ^^ Coils on the ground, with its head sticking up like a charmed snake. Tongue slips in and out, every now and then.
Dragonnaire: Aura wings just decrease to half size, and are... mini wings, as you sit!

[Kailea]

I like the idea, but you should make Dragonnaire the 2 hour, and summoning the pet a 1 hour ability. Also add a third evolved form that has wings.

[TheFerin]

Re: Dragoon Improvement topic #5632

Originally posted by Bushido
Its defense will increase 50% and it will adopt a cool guard-like pose.

Think of Bahamut from Final Fantasy X, standing there arms crossed, looking supremely badassed.

[Cali]

I just HAVE to ask, what does auto-float do..? O.o; I don't mean you have to tell me about its effect in the older FF, I am talking about what's its use in this FFXI...

Otherwise, yea, sound pretty cool.

[Kibagami]

It's so you don't fall down when running around in garliage citadel. :spin:

Anyways i really would like to have at least 1 pet comand on my wyvern. At least Hee/retreatl so when i run away it doesn't just stand there getting pound to death. (And no release doesn't count as a pet comand )

[Cali]

Lol Kiba, but what happen if my PT needs to drop down? XD

[Darkedge]

Or go down stairs

I would think Naga to be the worst, just because it attacks weaker than normal wyvern, but maybe the breaths would compensate for that.

Drake could be Nice, it could be like having a tank/3dd/3mage party.

[Balodoth]

I like THIS better

I agree that your wyvern should change. I doubt something like this will happen since it involves a complete renovation of the DRG job. I think something more down to earth would be a sub-job dependent change at level 60 or so. i.e. It takes on one of three shapes according to sub type and color specific to sub.

Melee subs would be a bigger version of the current wyvern. Purple for /WAR, Green for /THF, etc. Mage subs would be a small, winged leviathan type of wyvern. White for /WHM, Red for /RDM, Black for /BLM, etc. Multi-purpose subs would be wingless dragons as depicted in oriental cultures (the weiner dog of the wyverns). Gold for /NIN, silver for /PLD, bronze for /BRD, etc.

Then wyverns could get a subjob bonus at that level. For instance, /WHM wyverns would have a Heal Breathga ability under certain circumstances. /SAM wyverns would Meditate when you do and get a free 40% TP. /BRD would have a Refresh Breath under certain circumstances.

Of course, if anything gives DRG a bad name, it's their inability to damage bones significantly. That too could be remedied if S-E let wyverns cast heal breath on them. In fact, it would have to be limited to when the bones had 1/2 life like with party members to keep us from outdamaging anyone else in the party.

[Cali]

Keeping DRG weak against skeleton is a good thing, that set the difference between melee... MNK is exceptional in snapping bones, but bad in hitting puddings... DRG is perfect against bird(yes, pierce against flying monster), but bad against skeleton. 99% of the people ignore this by the way... only the good players would plan with the weapon effectiveness in calculation.

They need to make wyvern does more than just a flying lizard. Look at it this way.

MNK: bone snapper, fast multi-hit attacker
DRK: universal weapon that work on anything, lots of job abilities to increase attack massively
RNG: ranged attack master, only job with ranged WS.
DRG: .... jump job abilities that do no good, polearm that does the same damage as a DRK that hasn't used any JA, simular delay as DRK, wyvern that is only there for the show.

Making jump stronger would help, but no one think of DRG as a jumper. Reducing delay of polearm doesn't match the fact that polearm is heavy weaponry and should be slow. Wyvern SHOULD be of some use, as its the 2hrs of DRG... but currently, wyvern + polearm's damage is too low to be consider helpful in party.

I do like the idea how wyvern changes its look according to sub, and how it works more than it does now.

[Kibagami]

I think they should have focused DRG on the jumps not on the wyvern. Relic and AF armors are mostly to improve wyverns ablities. Relic body even gives your wyvern you sub jobs job traits. Never seen anyone with that piece so i don't know how useful that is.

I think DRG should work like DRG/SAM pre TP nerf worked. Not exactly be SAM that renkeis with everyone but more of a solo WS spam job. SE thought that DRG was taking away SAM's job because of the huge amounts of tp we gathered in so little time. But they forgot DRG isn't exactly renkei compatible with everyone like SAM is. Plus our WS aren't tooooo overwhelming. DRG/SAM could spam WS but they were weaker WS. They should oriented DRG as a WS spammer based on getting TP back from jumps. Armor like the barone pants and body pieces would be nice with +TP gain on jumps. Also gear with +jump ACC and +jump ATT. Lowering the delays of jump to 30 secs and high jump to 1:00 and super jump to 3:00. And it would work just like in the old days with DRG trhowing out 3 WS per fight that would equal that one big shot from a DRK/THF. So xp chians could let the DRG spam one mob...then on the next mob you could do SC with DRK.

And as of now Wyvern MB is just wrong cause we rarely close any SC. We should get the option to use the wyverns breath at will once they get 100% tp or something like that. And they really should make upgrade to the breaths. At 30 get Flame Breath II, Gust breath II, etc. And upgrade at 50 and 70 so that the breath actually counts for something. And so i can understand why i go trhu so much trouble to keep it alive.

Anyways i think SE knows we need a change. In every update they have made changes to the job to improve it. The problem is i think that SE really thinks the Wyvern is our salvation. Therefore they always improe the wyvern with thinks like Spirit link and breath MB. The only improvement the job itself has gotten is the change to the damage modifier on wheeling trhusth. Which still wasnt enough. Maybe the answer to all our problems is that lvl 75 lance gungnir (sp?) But hell that's pretty far to be a redeeming factor

[Balodoth]

Gungnir

Actually, the DRK Dynamis Scythe does more damage still. So that's not really the problem. The problem is that DRG is seen as a subpar DD. The question is why are they seen as subpar. The obvious answer is the standard leveling area progression works against them. Either S-E needs to make easier places to level that are DRG friendly, or make them more effective at current leveling hotspots. I can tell you right now, the first situation will not work. S-E will not make leveling easier than it is, at least not noticeably.

I agree that DRG should have been Jump focused instead of wyvern focused. But that isn't the case. S-E wants to make the wyvern an integral part of our job. This mean we need to keep pushing to get a longer lifespan on our wyvern. It also means that increases to our damage output will be primarily applied to them. In addition, to make us more deisrable to parties, we need to be a more defined member, with a specific role not easily duplicated.

S-E has already provided half a solution through the wyvern, and that is subjob versatility. We need to push them to make our subjob more important through how it affects our wyvern or allow us to do more with that subjob personally. Honestly, what melee job can get so much out of a mage job? What melee job gets what any other job would get from the sub AND possible magic bursts? What job can use NIN, BRD, DRK, or BLM to quickly heal themselves and party members? DRG has the ability to be completely unique. We just want S-E to recognize the opportunity and to take it. We want every subjob (except SMN or BST unless they allow two pets. . .) to make DRG a whole new job. Every other job has one or two set roles and use the subjob in order to compliments those roles. DRG has the ability to be flexible and compliment the subjob as much as the subjob is intended to compliment the main job.

As for bones, I partially agree that everyone deserves a chance to be "the best choice." I simply feel that no such situation should make a job "the worst choice" to the point it makes it hard for them to get a party. I simply feel that allowing the wyvern to use Heal Breath on bones, but only under certain criteria, could be used to make DRG an acceptable choice. I by no means want them to be the best or "uber." There are other mobs that DRG has a damage penalty to that would never be affected by this. It would only serve to make them more useful and allow others to see how they function with non-standard subjobs.

Also, I like the idea of breath upgrades. Heal Breath gets upgraded, why not elemental breaths? At the very least get a set of dual element breaths that match WS's. The wyvern wouldn't have to use it all the time, but have it more likely the higher its TP gets. It would also be better for MB too.

[Kibagami]

I mention gungnir mainly cause of 2 things. DEF down as an additional effect and a new WS. If DEF down happens with every hit just like with acid bolts then dam that weapon is gold. The new WS could be pretty good too. In terms of damage yeah it's second best....but atleast we dont have that huge scythe delay

Maybe they should just make DRG another soloer like BST. DRG/BRD with the wyvern as your one and only pet haha. I dunno i mainly would like just to see a noticeble improvement that would actually change the way we play the job. Not one of the changes has made me consider a new style. If SE is gonna focuse on the wyvern then make the wyvern something really special

[LadyPeorth]

My only beef with it is...Dragonnaire would never use its Dragon Flare attack. It's kinda like giving an Eagle Eye Shot, then de-equiping the best arrow and best bow for a slightly less useful one. Otherwise...I really like the changes suggested

[Tyrog]

i know this is just for fun(as it would be too big of a change) but for fun lets exlpore this....

im a sucker for cool graphics and physical changes(armor weapons) so i like the idea. but would these be one time choices(except Dragonnaire 2hr)? like if i go Attk wyvern(subing melee DD's) it evoles into "drake"that would be perminant right? that would be my playstyle, attk dmg oriented.

if i go offensive mage then the serpent Dragon would be my evolution right? more breaths less physical attk? and Whm more heals? but permanent?

i would luv to see some physical change to wyverns at least color(dont want to stress engine and bandwith)

only problems i see is puting more into the wyvern and less into the dragoon would gimp us if the wyvern dies. and making wyvern an ability would give it to every job that subs it(which as we know defines us to a point)

but giving wyverns a II breath is a good idea and can be done. and giving us a wyvern comand for breath(with proper TP) would be nice for MB (but migh complicate SC'ing)

Another idea is to change RNG acc trait from all physical attks to "Ranged Accuracy I, II &III" and give drg "Physical Accurracy I, II & III" and lets not forget the classic "make us more skillchain friendly".

[Kibagami]

I like the idea of the physical acc traits. Heck they could remove the first attk up trait since we getting that from our WAR subs anyways and give us the same progression as RNG with the job traits. That would be so good, at lvl 70 we would have +40 ACC on just job traits. Meaning we could use lots of +STR gear without suffering at all. Man with just that DRG coul probably be fixed for good lol.

So i guess i got my wish list complete now:

1.- Upgrades to breaths. (Fire breath II,III, etc)
2.- A comand to use wyverns TP at will after reaching 100%. To be able to MB even though we open SC. (Not exactly be able to choose element just make it a random factor until we get our AF helm...then make it 100% secure MB.)
3.- ACC UP job traits. Starting at lvl 10 and upgrading every 20 lvls. (10,30,50,70).

Now SE read my dam post and do it!!!!!! :p