Both of these jobs were much more, expressive, interesting, and fun in the previous expansion. Both would be improved by reverting (almost) all changes made, and using the previous design as the base moving forward.
However, there are a few exceptions:
Otherwise, return to EW. Monk should return to using a buff and dot timer to control its GCD flow, as it better rewarded game sense and made Burst phases and 2-target gameplay more interesting. Black Mage should return to random thunder and firestarter procs, as it allowed for smart ability sequencing that reacted to procs. Black Mage should regain its Fire/Ice phase timers, which pushed the player to use Paradox intelligently to not drop fire phase.
Continue reading...
However, there are a few exceptions:
- Overcapping chakra during Brotherhood is a great change and fixes the biggest problem with EW Monk.
- Black mage gaining mana on spell cast fixes jank around mana tick timings, but it should trigger on every spellcast, not just ice spells. A core part of the fun of EW Black Mage is finding ways to intelligently skip ice spells.
- Repositioning leylines + leyline charges are good compromises to make the job more comfortable, while not sacrificing much skill in positioning.
Otherwise, return to EW. Monk should return to using a buff and dot timer to control its GCD flow, as it better rewarded game sense and made Burst phases and 2-target gameplay more interesting. Black Mage should return to random thunder and firestarter procs, as it allowed for smart ability sequencing that reacted to procs. Black Mage should regain its Fire/Ice phase timers, which pushed the player to use Paradox intelligently to not drop fire phase.
Continue reading...