Please Do NOT Introduce Another Melee Tank

[JakzChurchill]

Of course there's gonna be other DPS classes ...but DPS is about to get Ninja aka the "coolest" class most people can seem to think of (I tots expect to see at least half of all DPS I know flock to that class) and guns are the only other weapon we know that's coming after that in some form .. and SE says we're getting new healing and tank classes. The last thing we need after Ninja is the introduction of yet an other DPS class before tanks and healers get classes and SE says that the Gun class will be something unexpected (I expect DPS when I hear gun ...).

Giving players a new tank class that can pull aggro from afar and use more long/ mid ranged/ CC skills to grab hate through the use of guns sounds far more interesting than what you seem to see it as imo.

Errrm it's been confirmed that there will be no new classes until the expansion (so at the same time as tank and healer) so i don't know what your on about. And tanks already have ranged attacks to pull aggro, all your doing is changing the animation, I'd rather a class utilize a weapon for a change in play style than flashier animations.

Honestly though a gun based tank in this universe is so down right stupid it actually aggravates me as an idea. A gun shield class would make sense though, but an out and out gun class tanking holds so little logic that I can't even begin to wonder how it even came about as an idea.

[Eclair_Xysha]

A thought did cross my mind a few weeks ago. Call me a nub if you will, I don't know much about FF. Kill me with a long text post if you must too so...

I know dark knights are dps classes... but wouldn't it be interesting if they could tank?

I'm really not interested with samurai really.

[Kahnak]

I'm thinking the gunpowder class will probably be Chemist, with Engineer as the job. You've got a Healer with some CC and Debuff abilities, along with some moderate DPS.

[Tigrress]

I suppose everyone arguing a magic tank or a tank that doesn't melee as being possible, never played FFXI. For some fights way back Ninja would tank with its back turned rotating agro abilities and ninjutsu to keep aggro. Then of course there was redmage tanking with a terra staff. Using high aggro magic spells and ninja shadows for increased damage mitigation, not to mention the stacking of -50% or more in damage reduction. The issue of different classes tanking in different ways is the lack of any real variety in armor and weapon stats. Sure you have minor changes here and there, but if there is a BiS for all things then your class can only do one thing. Or just increase titan aggro control and mitigation and you have a third tank right there.

[reivaxe]

Pulling aggro from afar already exists : It's called Provoke + Shield Lob/Tomahawk.

As I said earlier in this thread "more ranged aggro skills/ class". Provoke is a ranged skill ... with a ugly CD that makes it so that if who ever you're pulling aggro from effs up before you can run into the not-very-far range for a SL then you start playing tennis with the mob for a bit. Having the option to provoke and follow up with ranged aggro skills that have that range so that you don't have to compromise your positioning with other mobs you have would make a "more ranged class" of tank. Having longer reaching aggro AoE skills than Flash and SoC would make a tank more ranged. And of course a tank will have to be able to stand up to damage so mobs that do melee would ultimately get close which is why gun blades are a good concept.

[Reynhart]

I know dark knights are dps classes... but wouldn't it be interesting if they could tank?

I don't understand why so much people suggest that...

As I said earlier in this thread "more ranged aggro skills/ class". Provoke is a ranged skill ... with a ugly CD that makes it so that if whoever you're pulling aggro from effs up before you can run into the not-very-far range for a SL then you start playing tennis with the mob for a bit.

If whoever pulls aggro from you, you don't do your job well enough. And that doesn't change the fact that almost all mobs will come at close range very fast, it'd ask much effort to design a specific "long-ranged" job who would ultimately fight at close-range.
And what makes a tank is also how he sustains damage throughout fights. What would be the survival mechanic of your tank ?

[Kydi]

I could envisage SE adding in a skill based tank. By that I mean similar to the assassin/shadow in TOR. The concept is a lighter armoured tank who has less natural mitigation but uses cooldowns and attacks to build/keep stacks which increase their defence to the same level of as the other tanks. The trade off is that they're generally capable of doing the most damage of the tanking classes (and are more fun IMO).

It would be nice to have a Nero style gunblade using tank class who would focus on attacking quickly, maintaining stacks which would increase defence chances and having DPS type combos.

[Dyne_Fellpool]

A ranged tank will never be balanced with melee tanks. It will either be automatically better, or artificially worse in an attempt to balance its inherent advantage.

In either case, a ranged tank is a bad idea.

[Maduro]

They will never do a full on ranged tank because it would take DRG/MNK out of the fight. That being said you could still have a non-melee tank that uses a combo of ranged/magic that could diversify the tank class.

I don't know what to call it, but here is my basic idea for a mage tank:
They use aether to create a protective barrier between themselves and the attacking monster (which mitigates damage, not completely blocks it). Using an ability, the tank could then leave the protective barrier behind with the hate remaining on the barrier or "shadow". This would allow the tank to move into a ranged position to cast offensive spells/re-apply the barrier without being interrupted during casting. Once the "shadow" is broken or a new barrier is erected the shadow disappears and the mob takes off after the tank (or someone else if the tank has not generated enough enmity through their offensive spells). Thoughts?

[Reynhart]

Allow me to rephrase it :

They use aether to create a pet between themselves and the attacking monster (which redirects damage, not completely blocks it). Using a pet command, the tank could then leave the pet behind with the hate remaining on the pet. This would allow the tank to move into a ranged position to cast offensive dots/heal the pet without being interrupted during casting. Once the pet is killed or a new pet is summoned, the pet disappears and the mob takes off after the tank (or someone else if the tank has not generated enough enmity through their offensive spells). Thoughts?

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