Don't you think the different between Def of Pld/War is so little compare to dps?

[Phoenicia]

Unfortunately this puts you in a weird situation where the MT is using SE > BB and the OT is using SE > BB > BB. As long as they're equal on gear and the WAR opens with Unchained + buffs vs saving the buffs, I think it's perfectly viable. Alternatively, the WAR MT can do the SE > BB > BB and the OT can do SE > BB for safety (that's what I used to do in 2.0 at least).

The problem with SE > BB > BB is not aggro, it is if you use Fell Cleave/Inner Beast/Fracture once, you drop Maim buff. This is where this "rotation" fails since the whole point of adding a third combo is to fully use the duration of Maim.

While I understand this sentiment (you want to be included in general), if PLD were the OT of choice and DRK were the MT of choice... where would WAR be? :P

The whole mentality of having a tank of choice is messed up, but it's a, let's use the FotM word, "hive mind" issue.

There should be no XT of choice. People should freely choose any combination of two of the three tanks based on what they bring (DPS, utility, mitigation).

The game currently succeeded at making any combination of two "work", but it hasn't in making any combination of two "desired".

List of good raw ideas.

First, in 2.x we had an issue of PLD being MT of choice and WAR relegated to OT though they were fully interchangeable with additional benefits. But that doesn't matter now.

While the ideas themselves sound like a good place to start, they are too raw to accept them as is. They need a lot of work otherwise it'll create more problems than it would fix.

I think each tank should have an area where it shines as a MT and an area where it shines as an OT. The problem is tanks are already homogenized and what little differences between them makes it hard to adjust them without making them more of the same.

In your Scenario DRK/PLD is the best combo for anything since dropping BRD/MCH for a third melee and another melee or caster instead of the healer will net you far more DPS than bringing a WAR/DRK or WAR/PLD. BRD/MCH are brought for their utility and if DRK fulfills that niche, you can drop them entirely (people already dropping MNK entirely when they have DRK). Add in PLD replacing the need of a second healer and you have 5 strong DPS (4 melee 1 caster? 3 melee 2 casters?).

I think that added utility shouldn't be "so strong" that it replaces the need of someone whose role has been that. PLD shouldn't replace a healer and DRK shouldn't replace MCH/BRD. Unless you make WAR a full fledged melee DPS to make up for the difference. But then we'll have people running 6 WARs and we go back to square one.

I think the adjustments should be more moderate. PLD has added defensive/healing utility (already does, but bit clunky) without replacing a healer. DRK needs added utility as it has none and some form of TP management. WAR is fine as is.

From there, it should come down to: "Which two tanks did I end up with? Okay, who is MT and who OT for maximum raid benefit?" instead of the: "Oh, we're at A4S, PLD please change to DRK, WAR put moar STR for moar DPS" that we have now.

That said, as long as we have different classes, there will always be a best and a worst, which is healthy from a balance perspective.