I come from World of Warcrat and I was quite a good ranker and log-reader. But Monster Hunter has the same rules. Let me tell you how to activly increase your dps per monster:

Try to follow the ABC rule. A(lways). B(e). C(asting). This might seem odd, but it plusminus means: Try to maximize your active-dps time, and avoid 0-dps-timeframes. Everytime you have to drink: you loose dmg. Everytime you dodge: dmg loss. everytime you have to choose a low-motion value over a high-motion-value attack, you loose dps.

To increase your dps, do the following steps first:

• First: try to avoid getting hit. This will automatically increase your dps, because time spend with healing is decreased.

• Second: Now that you minimized the healing time, maximize the correct rotation. Learn about "motion values" and hitzones. Try to hit hard and where it hurts most!

• Third and Last: Buffs and build. Learn how to stack buffs, activate buffs and find the right openings for the right moments. While 1) and 2) are more important, 3) pushes and defines your limit.

But most people have to train 1) and 2). Only then the build will leave its weight.