Asking for a Mage Tank if DRK Fail to resolve the Lack of Tank.

[Lemuria]

Not suggesting it is a DRK DPS thread, just merely pointing out that it appears OP has low expectations for DRK as a tank which leads me to assume he would have assumed it to be a DPS, like it was used in FFXI. Anyone would assumed DRK to be a DPS tend to have one common factor...they played FFXI.

Or they've played any other FF game in the entire series... seriously, when was sacrificing HP for damage ever considered as a TANK technique?

On topic, no... I don't expect Dark Knight to fill the gaping hole in the tank conundrum. Nor do I even expect a huge glut of tanks when Heavenward is released. Let's not forget that they will be releasing multiple classes alongside Dark Knight, so I expect the balance to remain somewhat similar to the current status quo.

I've played Warrior and Paladin. Even I don't really enjoy tanking. I don't think I'm particularly good at the role, and nor do I like constantly being urged to grab every mob I find regardless of whether or not I'll survive the encounter. And then being blamed for it.

That being said though, I don't think a mage tank would have much better luck. It doesn't matter what the playstyle is if the role itself is what people are uninterested in.

[Amenian]

I'm sure it's already been pointed out, but I'm at work and can't read the entire thread to find it. All the classes in the world won't improve the situation with tanks. If people really want to increase the number of tanks out there, they need to change their attitude toward tanks. People automatically expect tanks to know all there is to know about an instance, even on their first time in there. People are also quick to bash on a tank's mistakes, oftentimes unfairly or without explanation of what the tank even did wrong. Given the choice between being everybody's whipping boy or just silently pew-pewing, what do you think most people will choose?

[Felis]

Why don't we actually let them add a new tank first before people start jumping to conclusions.

This is not how things works.
Or general forum would have many less threads.

[Aegis]

Thaumaturge used to be an awesome tank.

[Kelg]

People just like to e-peen dps, so the tank issue will never be solved.

[Deathscythe343]

A mage tank would need some incredible mitigation abilities.

[Felis]

Thaumaturge used to be an awesome tank.

awesome tank, awesome healer (i miss the cone aoe heal), awesome dps

like a RDM, but awesome

[jomoru]

There's a difference between having no effect whatsoever and making tanks the most played Role in game. Yes your point has validity, however the fact that Tanks and healers have the least options both conceptually and mechanically doesn't help the situation whatsoever. People have all sorts of irrational ties to classes, I mean how many people are consistantly requesting a "PURE DPS" bow class? A Tank class that feels different than the current set won't make tanks the most common role, but it might cut DPS cues down a couple minutes.

[Truefaith87]

awesome tank, awesome healer (i miss the cone aoe heal), awesome dps

like a RDM, but awesome

So an AWM, an Awesome Mage?

[Welsper59]

Lack of tanks is not an issue about how "fun" the role is, but the responsibility behind it. Tanks are generally your leaders. The group typically moves at the pace of these players. No one wants to lead a group, they're just more comfortable following... and subsequently complaining lol. If tanking did not involve the pace mentality and responsibility of preventing your target(s) from breaking off you, you'd probably see more people take up the role.

Tanking, to me, isn't very far from PvP. What I mean by that, is that in PvP, your targets will attack you, which for the most part isn't going to be an issue if you can be healed through it or you get other means of help to win. Likewise, with tanking, you're not going to have an issue if your group can keep you alive long enough to finish a fight. So if groups were designed to not necessarily have a "tank" role, but that people were to just be healed through damage while they DPS away, I don't think anyone would mind "tanking" fights. However, they would still mind the responsibility of being leader, which is pretty much expected of the tank role (as a default).