WAR or DRK - Which Do You Enjoy Most?

Saying spirits within is a main mechanic of PLD is grasping at straws, PLD is just a tank without an interesting mechanic. Anything unique it does have is hardly used enough to make it a main gameplay focus and the way the game is balanced it's current toolkit could never be retooled to work as such. PLD doesn't have a mechanic and until it does it will be the boring tank.

I guess I'm boring, then. I rather like that the PLD play style lets me spend more time keeping tabs on the party and things going on around me rather than solely on hitting a long string of buttons in the right order. I'm still new, though, maybe this will change as I get more proficient with DRK and WAR.

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Originally Posted by Lyraele

I guess I'm boring, then. I rather like that the PLD play style lets me spend more time keeping tabs on the party and things going on around me rather than solely on hitting a long string of buttons in the right order. I'm still new, though, maybe this will change as I get more proficient with DRK and WAR.

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PLD does make a good job for a raid leader, since they can focus more on what the group as a whole is doing. I mained PLD for most of 2.x then swapped over to WAR during final coil and never looked back. It's also good for those new to tanking which is SE's obvious intention with it. Whether or not that should be the case is another can of worms.

I thoroughly enjoy WAR, but I find that it's very rare for me to get to use the job's full potential. Sure, I finish most dungeon bosses at 1500+ DPS, but those times when my healers dies halfway through a boss and I have to jump back into Defiance and do everything I can to survive that I really feel the adrenaline.

But then, I'm an ex-raider from the SCoB/FCoB days, so I guess I'm looking for thrills.

That said, DRK is really great as well. Obviously doesn't have the same self-healing as a WAR, but the short cooldowns and amount of buttons available for pressing at all times is really fun and engaging. Should probably play DRK more, now that I think about it.

As for PLD, I think it's too simple. I really think they should give it more shield-based skills with short CDs, and a shield-attack blunt resistance debuff. That'd go a long way to making the job a little more interesting and a little more viable for raids together with MNK.

Why not both? I personally play PLD and WAR both. I'm a very mediocre DRK and it doesn't really match my playstyle (have it at 60 though)
War uses Sophia weapon and PLD has 260 relic.

PLD for progression raiding (We already have a WAR in our static)
WAR for dailies and other easy things to speed it up. Nothing as satisfying as fellcleaving a boss for 11k and skipping half the mechanics

I prefer to play WAR, but that's mainly because I'm comfortable with it and I know its capabilities and there isn't much thought process to it. Muscle memory. But, I like DRK since it is flashy. Greatswords are...err... great.

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Originally Posted by VargasVermillion

Saying spirits within is a main mechanic of PLD is grasping at straws, PLD is just a tank without an interesting mechanic. Anything unique it does have is hardly used enough to make it a main gameplay focus and the way the game is balanced it's current toolkit could never be retooled to work as such. PLD doesn't have a mechanic and until it does it will be the boring tank.

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While PLD doesnt have a full on thematic mechanic, it IS a mechanic to the move that is unique to PLD.
So after it was mentioned, I actually liked the idea of making PLD have that theme even more.

But something for the OP to consider.

Out of all 3 tank, everyone can agree PLD is fundamentally the easiest over all.
Placing its DoT into its combo has given it enough "complexity" that its not really faceroll boring. (As you cant just apply it, when it wears off, like WAR and DRK can)

But if you'll notice, most people tend to enjoy what they are "good" at, but also want to be slightly "challenged" at what they are good at.
This balancing act is what usually determines what jobs people enjoy.
Something is TOO hard, it becomes work, and doesnt seem worth the effort to get better at it.
If its TOO easy, then you'll be day dreaming.

WAR focuses on pre planning, and DRK is about multi tasking.

If you are a person who likes to preplan stuff, chances are you will enjoy WAR.
And the opposite, if you enjoy multitasking, then you'll enjoy DRK.

It's also possible to like them for other reasons, minor things like, more DPS on WAR, more likely to be OT as WAR, just playing DRK reactionary, hitting things when they pop.

Over all, its heavily dependent on the person, as each person is better and worse at different things, so one person will claim DRK is easy, whiel claiming WAR is hard, or the other way around, that WAR is easy, and that DRK is hard. (While most agree DRK is easy, I personally find WAR easier, but Im one of those people who play a job solely for wielding a 2hand sword. Otherwise I would be on WAR or PLD with a 2hand sword, if it were possible)

& my answer to OP's question is: PLD, it was my 1st class plus gives me easyer time to react to stuff. I mean as much as I could figure out DRK (lv60) it feals to off for me & my WAR is still lv34 cause I can't stand 1 sound effect & thats what I need it at for Mercy stroke (its a pettty reason but it annoys me so much that any time I think about getting it to 60 I cringe so hard it never happens... which has been 4 times min since 3.0)

Incase u'r wondering "What sound effect?" its Skull Sunder the 2nd attack in Buchers Block combo, the high perceing ringing annoys me every time

I've actually been leveling WAR and DRK in alternation in PotD to mix things up a bit (started as a way to get some progress in those Jin's while getting Kinna for PLD). I realize that PotD isn't really a great way to evaluate gameplay in general, but based on that I seem to enjoy playing DRK more while if I'm being honest it seems it's easier to play WAR effectively. And being the boring person that I am, I still actually prefer playing PLD in most cases. I suspect that's because that's my 1st job (and still my only job at 60) and I feel like I have much better situational awareness and simply play it better than the other two tanks. I wouldn't mind at all if PLD added a couple of shield-based abilities, preferably off-GCD. I'm kinda looking forward to the promises of streamlining the ability count they've promised for 4.0.

I have both at 60.
For me, I enjoyed DRK more than WAR.

DRK story is one of the best out there. I enjoyed learning the job while leveling it.
Don't get me wrong I still enjoy WAR as well. But I enjoyed DRK so much to the point that I am considering a new main job.