The State of Tanking in FFXI

[Motenten]

SCH merit strategems reduce enmity (SCH only), and Animus Minuo reduces enmity gain on a target.

Not quite. They reduce the rate at which enmity is accumulated. They do not actually reduce the enmity you currently have.

[Aeonk]

actually rdm/nin was almost used on everything, seen it at 75 on cerb, khim, nidhogg, basicly on almost everything

It worked for those fights, but it was far from efficient. a RDM/NIN wasn't going to die to fafnir and could hold hate, but it wasn't going to help kill it faster like Atonement PLD or DRK/NIN or NIN/DRK was.

[Bilonn]

This was actually talked about in the thread I referenced in the OP, and I'm inclined to agree with the consensus.

A trait that raises the enmity cap for PLD would be very useful, but it's would actually switch our issue to the opposite side, where it'd be too easy for PLD to tank, and it would nullify NIN, WAR, THF, etc. Personally, I'm not against the idea but there are more jobs besides PLD that can tank, even if just for short amounts of time.

Not necessarily, if done right.
First: make this an Ability, not a Trait. This keeps it from being permanent-say 1m30 per use, recast at 3m00.
Second: Give only a small increase to the cap. Say the cap is 1000, well, the ability gives you an enmity cap of 1050--just enough to hold more hate than anyone else.
Third: Make it have a hate drain. Enmity lowers at a double rate when enmity is over the standard 1000 cap.

There, I fixed this.

So, with this ability:
1: Use the ability.
2: Use another ability or spell to gain hate to get into the overcap level.
[Paladin now has the mob's sole attention]
3: Continue gaining hate quickly with more abilities. You're not going to keep that extra hate long. If you go too long before provoking, flourishing, subjob hate gain abilitying, flash, etc., or else your hate is going to be down below the normal cap of 1000 in 15-20 seconds, and then someone else is going to be the new target.

Make it give you a little room to work over the cap for a limited time, and make you have to work to keep it there. It doesn't give you 'free' max enmity, it doesn't let you go overcap and stay there. You have to skillfully use the ability and then utilize the benefit it gives you.

[Zagen]

Not necessarily, if done right.
First: make this an Ability, not a Trait. This keeps it from being permanent-say 1m30 per use, recast at 3m00.
Second: Give only a small increase to the cap. Say the cap is 1000, well, the ability gives you an enmity cap of 1050--just enough to hold more hate than anyone else.
Third: Make it have a hate drain. Enmity lowers at a double rate when enmity is over the standard 1000 cap.

There, I fixed this.

So, with this ability:
1: Use the ability.
2: Use another ability or spell to gain hate to get into the overcap level.
[Paladin now has the mob's sole attention]
3: Continue gaining hate quickly with more abilities. You're not going to keep that extra hate long. If you go too long before provoking, flourishing, subjob hate gain abilitying, flash, etc., or else your hate is going to be down below the normal cap of 1000 in 15-20 seconds, and then someone else is going to be the new target.

Make it give you a little room to work over the cap for a limited time, and make you have to work to keep it there. It doesn't give you 'free' max enmity, it doesn't let you go overcap and stay there. You have to skillfully use the ability and then utilize the benefit it gives you.

You're still missing the biggest issue: there is no need for a dedicated tank the way the game currently works.

[Bilonn]

You're still missing the biggest issue: there is no need for a dedicated tank the way the game currently works.

Didn't say it did. I said this would fix the enmity cap fix issue suggested. A trait like that would lock it so PLD would ALWAYS be able to hold more enmity, thus posing a problem. My route fixes this problem. It is only a small part of a bigger needed fix. But for many years, the first thing said is that a PLD can't hold hate away from others. Well, in a case where a PLD holding hate would work (and there are still situations it is useful for someone able to soak up the damage to tank), this would let them do so without breaking the game with a trait.

[Alhanelem]

Not quite. They reduce the rate at which enmity is accumulated. They do not actually reduce the enmity you currently have.

I understand that, and I didn't say they did those things. They need to be used in advance and kept applied. But reducing the rate at which you gain enmity does let you do more enmity-causing actions without maxing out, as long as you aren't already maxed.

A trait like that would lock it so PLD would ALWAYS be able to hold more enmity, thus posing a problem.

The trait wouldn't have to be PLD only, it could be given in lesser strength to NIN and RNF. Maybe merited on DNC to synergize with Fan Dance.

[Bilonn]

The trait wouldn't have to be PLD only, it could be given in lesser strength to NIN and RNF. Maybe merited on DNC to synergize with Fan Dance.

That is true, though the more jobs that receive such a trait, the more the issue comes back into play. Hate will be bouncing between too many people. Though this could then be addressed as I did before, but with a couple of changes. One, instead of having 1 ability, have 2--a 'strong' and a 'weak' version of the ability. Two, give these abilities to multiple jobs. Or even make an 'ability' for each job that does the same thing, just with slightly varied strengths or however it is determined to work best through testing. Sort of along the lines of Provoke and Animated Flourish.

[Motenten]

I understand that, and I didn't say they did those things.

It was implied based on what you quoted, which was itself in reply to SpankWustler's comment about lack of ways to actively reduce enmity.

[Yrusama]

XIV suffered with a similar problem a lot. PLD was great at holding hate on one monster and the DD would just have to cope with any AoE, but WAR was able to deal massive amounts of AoE damage itself. This made WAR the ideal tank for most situations, since 1.0's was more of a "group vs. group" combat system.

SE: make PLDs awesome again, or start releasing content where they shine!

[Hazankoh]

Although I agree with Motenten 110% I have my doubts the devs would want to implement something as logical as this, mostly because it's to much work. How bout making all enmity decay at a decent speed and give "tanks" a trait that slows decay. I know it's not as good and I might be missing downfalls, but it'd be a good first step.