Savage Alexander and the Paladin Exodus

[Kyne_Lyons]

Imo this is just a symptom that basically all endgame content right now is designed as hard enrage dps checks - which is an entire problem in itself.

I don't think that hard enrage DPS checks are problematic personally. The game needs hard and fast rules by which it determines the minimum level of performance a group. I believe the problem comes from a fundamental contradiction with how the developers envision the job, and how the job actually performs. Quoted from the Letter from the Producer Live XXIII:

Paladin won’t be able to output that much DPS. Earlier I mentioned Hallowed Ground, but paladins specialize in defense, so their damage output is lower compared to the other tanks. These are all part of their job characteristics within the tank role, so warriors are able to output damage easier while acting as both main tank and off-tank.

The job is envisioned according to Yoshi-P as a defensive specialist, however the job does not play to this in A3S, and A4S. In A3S in order to make up the deficiencies in Paladin DPS you spend much of the fight tanking the boss in Sword Oath. Dark Knight can perform at a same or higher level while spending more time in Grit, giving the defensive edge to Dark Knight. If a Paladin does 650 DPS on A3S, a Dark Knight can do the same 650 while also taking less damage. In A4S, the same is also true. Paladin has to take more damage to do the same damage as a Dark Knight, and in addition to spending more time in Sword Oath taking 20% more damage, my shield provides me absolutely no relief as the fight is entirely Magical damage. Again, both the offensive and the defensive win in design is given to Dark Knight.

The way the job is envisioned and how it plays are fundamentally at odds with one another. This is a big, big problem and I hope the developers are listening.