Why don't they realise yet? Stat-based combat systems aren't fun!

[Vesperia]

Ahh! ^_^ I've never played that, but it sounds like a cool mechanic (tanking). In TERA, you have to actively block (as a lancer), but at the same time, you have to hold hate off your other party members so you can't just hold the shield down all day, you have to weave in attacks between blocking.

How did that game handle healing and damaging classes?

I never really played with a group in Mabinogi. I only ever duoed so I'm no expert on the game mechanics. But I think FFXIV doesnt need to go so far as to create the game around a CoD-style skillset like TERA. It just needs to not be so boring!

I would welcome a system like Blade&Soul where the ineraction with the character models (hit boxes) and the interaction with the environment are important factors just as much as "how strong one's stats are".