Ending the Parry debate once and for all

[Ceodore]

No ones saying you need extra str on tanks though, just that it's more helpful than parry and excess vit. If you want to go all VIT than go ahead, it's just that if you know how to mitigate damage than you don't need as much vit. Parry isn't even considered because it's never a deciding factor as to weather you live or die in any fight ever. I imagine SE at least expects tanks to optimize their damage rotations however, like any class in the game. Extra str would be optional though. (unless you are going for world firsts I guess.)

The way some people go about these arguments makes it sound like they have to str spec and all that. You don't really need to. Is it sub-optimal? Yes, but not needed for clearing content. Kinda like parry actually.

Precisely! STR accessories means you just clear that content that much quicker. An inflated HP pool doesn't help as much as more damage going out if your group is skilled enough.

[Zfz]

Precisely! STR accessories means you just clear that content that much quicker. An inflated HP pool doesn't help as much as more damage going out if your group is skilled enough.

If your group is skill enough, adding a few hundred dps doesn't help except "that much quicker". That's all.

1. STR helps you push phases and win fights that you otherwise would have failed; and
2. if your group is skilled enough you don't need the VIT anyway

But if your group is skilled enough, you don't need that few hundred dps anyway. If your group is good enough your few hundred dps as a tank is not needed, as much as that few thousand HP isn't needed as a tank.

If your group is good enough. If your group is good enough is the premise on any and all STR arguments. Yet they act as if even the best of best groups need your few hundred dps, while the truth is in a group that is good enough, your tank dps increase of 400dps doesn't make a significant difference.

Even bad PLD tanks can easily dish out 300dps, as 300 tank dps is "garbage" according to STR supporters. The difference between a bad PLD and a good WAR is less than 500dps. If your group is good enough, the 4 DPS together already gives you 4000~5000dps, while in a bad group with everyone at less than 500dps, the whole raid is doing 3000~4000dps.

VIT is always evaluated with a bad group. STR is always evaluated with a good group, hence VIT is useless as you fail more, STR is what gets you wins.

The truth is, besides the absolute top-end world-first competition, and the absolute low-end enrage raider, STR vs VIT doesn't make a difference. The 80% of the groups somewhere between the two extremes will be making mistakes and still winning fights, and both STR and VIT helps equally.

Don't mistake me as saying STR doesn't help. But it isn't always the necessity many people make it sound. Unless your group is having dps troubles clearing content, your STR wasn't the deciding factor making the win. Far from it. Only when you are hitting enrage and the fight is taking ages to complete, would your STR become the deciding factor.

[Launched]

If your group is skill enough, adding a few hundred dps doesn't help except "that much quicker". That's all.

More DPS always helps, it doesn't matter if it's progression or farm. Having enough to get 5 bennus instead of 6 at final coil made the fight so much easier. Getting 4 after a few weeks of drops made it even easier still. DPS lets you push phases and skip mechanics, it's easily worth the effort to maximize.