Yesterday, July 30, Final Fantasy XIV received its first big patch since the release of the Dawntrail expansion. While the introduction of the new Savage raids is a source of excitement for the community, the biggest point of contention is the long list of changes the Viper job has received in patch 7.05. As one of two new jobs introduced just a month ago alongside Dawntrail, the community is not thrilled with how quickly Square Enix has simplified the role. Some are going as far as to say Viper as we knew it as dead, the latest victim of a worrying trend for the MMO.
The biggest point of contention is the removal of Noxious Gnash from the Viper job. This was a debuff that triggered when using Dread Fangs and required certain actions to extend the debuff timer. The point of Noxious Gnash is that it gives you something to keep track of and reapply every so often. It is supposed to add a layer of complexity to the job by requiring you pay attention to a timer on top of doing your usual action rotation and avoiding area of effect (AoE) attacks during combat.
In a July 4 post on the Lodestone (the official FF14 blog) the developers mentioned they had âreceived feedback pertaining to the busyness of [Viperâs] skill rotation,â and would be looking into tweaking the job in patch 7.05. That came only two days after Dawntrailâs release. Some wondered if the changes would remove positionals (the need to attack enemies from a specific direction). Instead the removal of Noxious Gnash feels like a meaningless change, with the community pointing out that the timer wasnât all that difficult to keep track of, so it was an odd adjustment for Square Enix to make. Who is this change for? Players arenât sure, but theyâre definitely pissed off.
âŚwow, Rest in Peace Viper.
Born <Media Tour> â Died 7.05
You were a cool job. Now you aren't.
â Wesk (@WeskAlber) July 30, 2024
OK yeah after doing a few runs at it, knee jerk reaction is that Viper just lost a lot of feel that made it fun
No difference in opening GCD, no upkeep that matters, and buttons effectively lost their utility and turned into glorified resource building
Im severely disappointed
â Sam (@Kossuel) July 30, 2024
Reading the Viper changes⌠pic.twitter.com/0t96nOfy4t
â LunađŚđâWater Drinker (Derogatory) (@CheekyMonados) July 30, 2024
https://twitter.com/embed/status/1818284920504262826
https://twitter.com/embed/status/1818480139308580877
I'm pretty sure Viper is gonna end up turning into 3 buttons by the 3rd patch if people keep saying it's hard.
Viper was the most fun class I've played and they are already messing with it.#FFXIVâ Brachy (@BrachyZoid) July 30, 2024
I am sad about the ff14 viper changes. i really liked to maintain the debuff before double reawaken but that is gone now and the job is only auto play. another melee i liked that i wont play anymore. guess its ninja time
â Teisume (@teisume) July 31, 2024
I hate to be negative but Iâm really not feeling those Viper changes. Fun debuff with a unique 20s timer to upkeep?
Nah letâs make it a 60s buff so it may as well not exist in practice đ pic.twitter.com/ore56D5RLJ
â Rinon âŚď¸ (@rinonbanana) July 30, 2024
Just going to put words into the void but.
14 has a massive problem with job design in general and I donât understand how 8.0 is going to fix even a little bit of it.
Viper on release fundamentally had a decent gameplay loop and getting rid of noxious gash is odd.
â Day Moonlight (@Daymoonlightxiv) July 31, 2024
More upsetting than the changes to Viper is the worrying trend it represents in terms of Final Fantasy 14âs job designs. The Viper changes over-simplify a job that many were incredibly happy with, and these changes happened just a month after its debut. Itâs the fastest a job has received such a change but not the first time jobs have been oversimplifiedâthe healer jobs, especially the Astrologian, have suffered similar fates. With every job becoming simpler to execute it leaves those looking for a challenge no viable option, and with these recentViper changes, the issue is coming to a breaking point.
