PLD is a very boring class compared to WAR.

[Edellis]

The problem with making the PLD more "engaging" and more "complex" is that it takes a very important variety out of the tanking role---the simple and straight-forward variety. Like how the BLM is the simple and straight-forward variety of ranged DPS, PLD is the same for tanking. And there's nothing wrong with it.

Please always remember, PLD is not a boring class. It is just that YOU find it boring because it doesn't fit the play style that you enjoy.

I actually agree with this unfortunately, and with Dark Knight coming along, i can't really argue it that much. Seeing as all the other classes do have mechanics, I guess PLD is set apart by its absence of mechanics. It's basically the old-school MMORPG style of a tank, where you just keep getting buttons to slow your HP decrease.

But to me it sounds like you enjoy doing more DPS then the midgating side of Tanking which is good since WAR will suit you but for me I'm tactical person and that's where PLD's really do shine if people know how to use them. It's more then just 1,2,3. 1 more example. Levi EX, PLD is so far the onyl class with a stun that last 6 seconds. Sawtooth anyone?

It's not really that I enjoy DPS more, it's just that Paladin doesn't even seem to address that side of gameplay in its design. Paladin is just a really straightforward class. Of course you still have a job to do, your mitigations are on CD and more difficult fights require you to manage them correctly, but outside of situations that DEMAND you to do this, there's really nothing for you to do but go Sword Oath and Halone combo things to death. Warrior on the other hand helps keep itself alive by dishing out damage, so you have alot more to manage, and even when the enemies aren't demanding you to fight for survival, you have the same tools you use to keep you alive to help blow away your enemies.

Since Paladin is 100% mitigation, that isn't really a thing -- if you're in no danger of death, you have no use for 85% of your kit. and that's really what i was addressing. Warrior just has a more dynamic design in that it incorporates DPS elements into its Tank elements.

DRG, WHM, and PLD don't really have "mechanics". DRG is straight DPS, it follows a rotation and pops CDs when they're available. The unique thing about DRG is it's Jumps, but they're not really anything you have to manage. WHM is a... healer, it generally just... has the ability to heal. It is a bit reliant on HoTs, and I guess if there was a bit more focus on that than there is now you could consider that the "mechanic", but for now I'd say it's similar to DRG. PLD has a basic threat combo combined with a debuff and defensive CDs - it has nothing beyond this.

The main problem with these 3 jobs is that they have no "flavor" in terms of actually playing them. Sure, DRGs are cool and the animations are cool. WHM is iconic and everybody loves that robe. PLD you've got like a million RPG fans who love sword and board. But when you play them they just feel like... babies first trip into tank/healer/dps town? Maybe that was the intention, that these 3 classes were meant to be stepping stones for people to branch out into other jobs. I dunno, it's just really strange to me that people enjoy the simple vanilla jobs when you've got jobs that can actually be engaging, complex, interesting, etc etc.

I actually deleted a similar breakdown from my other post where i mentioned that all the other classes that have mechanics. The class I would personally say is closest to PLD in terms of a lacking of mechanics was BRD, although it's not anywhere close to as severe as PLD because of how your abilities build on one another.

BRD is extremely straightforward, its songs are really situational, but even when they aren't, activating them really has no consequence to your rotation. But the thing is that while their gameplay doesn't really change much, the more you level the amount of skills you have to keep track of drastically increases. It's pretty much a numbers game with Bard, but keeping your damage flowing optimally is what they're all about, and that's actually not always as straightforward as it seems.

DRG has positional buffs and jumps. It's not that significant but again, the more you level Dragoon, the amount of abilities you can stack to prepare for a crazy burst combo keeps increasing. Admittedly, Dragoon is painfully boring to level 1-26, but unlike PLD I feel like there is enough reward in the following abilities to make the class more fun to play. Not to mention, the dangers of being a Melee DPS are present since they aren't tanks.

WHM actually does have a mechanic -- its MP bar, and honestly it's probably one of the strictest in the game. I really enjoyed leveling WHM because the class gives you alot of powerful things to work with (high potency heals, AoE HoT, Spell Speed buff, decent DoT and Attack spells, second best AoE ability in the game), but limits you with a simple resource, and you completely screw yourself (and your team) over if you use it wrong. With Black Mage you get the 10 second 0-DPS of shame if you screw over a flare rotation, but WHM there's no Umbral to save you, and no pet to lighten your load.

I feel like when shit gets rough for a White Mage, shit gets rough. You work your ass off. I'd call it the most demanding class in the game honestl