Originally Posted by
Selzak
Steps for success when updating DRK:
1. Think realistically
Before you do anything, think about it in the actual context of the game. DRK has a lot of things that look good on paper but become superfluous and useless in application.
2. Let us use our toys
Look back at the Absorb-TP nerf. If it was too powerful, consider changing the recast or resist rate instead of just making it not worth the casting time or MP. A lot of the things that are supposed to set DRK apart amount to nothing more than novelties. For the longest time, Souleater and Last Resort (our two defining JA's) suffered this fate. THANK YOU for fixing that, now leave the JA's alone because we're fine and don't need any more superfluous things cluttering the list. Things like Drain (recast + formula), Drain II (recast), Absorb-TP (nerf into uselessness), Dread Spikes (hard duration- capping damage drained is fine, but the 1 minute duration no matter what is just annoying), Scarlet Delirium (no one is going to ever use this), Absorb-STAT spells (extremely out-dated and unnoticeable), and Elemental spells (absolutely useless in any realistic sense) have not been so lucky. The job is cluttered full of things that it has, but can't really do.
3. Define a role
DRK's identity for a long, long time was the Stun Knight. This was a legitimate role (albeit a somewhat weak one) that we would love to have back. Consider giving us a JA along the lines of Zeid's Abyssal Strike that stuns the enemy and does damage- it can be set to a 60 second recast with moderate damage (something like a melee attack, or less), no TP return, and an added Stun effect. In a tangled bunch of melee jobs fighting for supremecy, DRK doesn't need more melee damage if it's capable of something more. I sincerely hope that this is where DRK goes.
4. Realize the description
Absorb-Attri was a step in the right direction. The job needs more unique debilitating capabilities. The Absorb-STAT spells are a lost, dead art to DRK- consider giving them a considerable buff (or make the amount stolen go up and rate of decay go down scaling with level or something- finally capping at a set duration with no decay at level 99). DRK really needs something to set it apart here: consider giving DRK a currently unavailable, new way to hinder enemies. Something like Terror or Plague comes to mind; obviously balance would need to be taken into account, and it would require a bit of creativity to make it fit correctly...the point, though, is that DRK does need some kind of powerful debuff to bring to a PT that no other job can do better.
5. Be creative
En-Dark was a perfect add. Using magic to add to our damage in a unique way (it's unique in the context of melee jobs) is fantastic. No complaints whatsoever there, great job. Do more stuff like this. One thing that I posted a long time ago, and that I think most everyone is on board with, is the idea of giving DRK a 'Blood Weapon' trait that activates at a low rate and is susceptible to resists.
6. Open up the gates
Number 4 is, I think, by far the most important aspect to consider. However, the concept of the job seems to be that DRK can do melee damage and magic damage. To make this practical, DRK's nuking capabilities need a complete overhaul. DRK would do well to have one or two high-cost, quick-casting Darkness nukes. I don't think we need more than one to two of these, like Demi and Darkness or Darkness I and Darkness II...just two quick, practical spells for dark damage. Be creative with this stuff...the balance factor could be high resists instead of simply never letting us cast it. Require us to swap in a casting set if we want it to land fully on a regular basis. A big problem holding DRK's magic damage back, as everyone has been stating...forever, is the fact that whatever damage you do with a spell must include a subtraction of the damage you'd have done with your normal swings if you had not casted it. This, coupled with long recasts on spells like Drain and Drain II (which both deserve it for the damage/cost ratio...Drain II perhaps being a bit over-adjusted) make any damage DRK can do with its magic either impractical or inefficient. The Quick Magic trait, which would simply occasionally counteract the side-effects of this, would be perfect for DRK. Spells like Drain, Drain II, and Dread Spikes could become more than just a novelty with this trait.
7. Diversify
I love the idea of Greatsword being DRK's pure melee weapon and Scythe being the utility/hybrid tool of choice (with WS like Catastrophe, Entropy, and magic-based stuff that everyone hates). This is a very cool concept, and you might take it further by defining it with an early Job Trait that differentiates the two weapons. Solidify Greatsword as our pure melee, tough enemy weapon and Scythe as our utility, solo/small party oriented weapon.
Please just try to enjoy the job's concept for a moment and be creative with it...then realize it.