Terrified...

[Syzygian]

more stuff

Just to cite one example of many from your posts, saying drk has mp issues is like saying blm has mp issues. All of your posts are basically trashing the job to the tune of it being a magic focused version of pld when it has nowhere near as many problems, and anyone who plays the job properly can tell you its abilities actually synergize quite well.

[fm_fenrir]

magic focused version of pld

This is pretty much what I tell people when they ask about DRK. DRK is what PLD should be tuned to look like when SE comes around for a balance pass on PLD.

Anyway, the very specific reason I didn't mention Savage content in my post way back on page 1 is because OP has never tanked before. PLD is perfectly fine at everything outside of cutting edge DPS check hell--er, I mean, Alex Savage. It's true that you'll sweat a little in Cutter's Cry because DPS are getting strong abilities in that range, while you're still using Sword Oath, but it's not as bad as people make it seem.

[Syzygian]

OP should play whatever they enjoy. Regardless of content the people that enjoy their job are typically more motivated to play said job correctly and/or to the best of their ability.

It's true that you'll sweat a little in Cutter's Cry because DPS are getting strong abilities in that range, while you're still using Sword Oath, but it's not as bad as people make it seem.

Very true, and its even easier if you rotate targets and use Fast Blade - Riot Blade - Flash - Repeat, which RiisWolf specifically advises against in an earlier post. Before getting Shield Oath this is the best way to hold AoE hate and allow your DPS to go ham and multidot, AoE, etc. instead of forcing say, a SMN, BLM, BRD, or DRG, all of which have some decent AoE at that point, to focus on one target. You won't be doing great DPS but your actual DPS will more than make up for it.

[Esp]

OP should play whatever they enjoy. Regardless of content the people that enjoy their job are typically more motivated to play said job correctly and/or to the best of their ability.

I agree with this 100%. Pick what you like. Regardless of whatever tanking role you choose, you are going to need Provoke at some point, so my own personal advice is why not start out at least with PLD, then once you have that ability, try ALL of the other tanks and see which one you would like best?

Each tanking role is different than the others, so I say once you have reached the final ability you can cross-class, switch out to another tank and try them out. xD

Worry about the Pros and Cons of each tanking class later on once you have gotten the hang of positioning, it's ability toolkits, and holding aggro. Also, ask around your FC, LS or even a few guides here on the forums for any advice you might need. Plus, don't let the DF baddies get to you, just do the best you can to the best of your ability, no one can ask for any more than that xD.

Good luck with whatever you choose, and for the most important part people forget now a days....

HAVE FUN!!

[RiisWolf]

Just to cite one example of many from your posts, saying drk has mp issues is like saying blm has mp issues. All of your posts are basically trashing the job to the tune of it being a magic focused version of pld when it has nowhere near as many problems, and anyone who plays the job properly can tell you its abilities actually synergize quite well.

It's not the same thing because black mage's umbral ice can be active in anytime you'd want. It has no cooldown. Saying DRK is as good as BLM when it comes to MP management is simply wrong. Umbral ice 3 fully restores MP WAY faster than spamming syphon strike with blood weapon out ever could without dark arts. Even Umbral Ice 1 is faster While dark arts is on then even MP regen is slowed to a complete crawl even if you had blood weapon. THAT'S assuming you were using your abilities at the same time. I'm not even going to touch on how long it takes blood price to fully regen your MP because it is entirely subject to how often you take damage. That means Dark Dance with Dark arts, Dark Passenger with Dark arts, pacifies, stuns, blinds, and monster wasting your time doing nothing will all impair blood price's effectiveness because no damage taken/evasion (Barrier are an exception)= no MP. That is not synergy because the result of such combos is self sabotage.

And you are just saying nothing that'll come to the OP's benefit because like everyone else with their job, they also have to know and work around their faults to succeed. Just pretend all the faults don't exist only because you can make it work. I can make it work all I want but that don't make the faults go away. Do you even know how skilled you are compared to him!? Pretending/ignoring them as a DRK results in going OOM before you know it and/or leads to you doing nothing decent. The job has faults and MP management is one of most serious of them.

[Syzygian]

It's not the same thing because black mage's umbral ice can be active in anytime you'd want. It has no cooldown. Saying DRK is as good as BLM when it comes to MP management is simply wrong. Umbral ice 3 fully restores MP WAY faster than spamming syphon strike with blood weapon out ever could without dark arts. Even Umbral Ice 1 is faster While dark arts is on then even MP regen is slowed to a complete crawl even if you had blood weapon. THAT'S assuming you were using your abilities at the same time. I'm not even going to touch on how long it takes blood price to fully regen your MP because it is entirely subject to how often you take damage. That means Dark Dance with Dark arts, Dark Passenger with Dark arts, pacifies, stuns, blinds, and monster wasting your time doing nothing will all impair blood price's effectiveness because no damage taken/evasion (Barrier are an exception)= no MP. That is not synergy because the result of such combos is self sabotage.

And you are just saying nothing that'll come to the OP's benefit because like everyone else with their job, they also have to know and work around their faults to succeed. Just pretend all the faults don't exist only because you can make it work. I can make it work all I want but that don't make the faults go away. Do you even know how skilled you are compared to him!? Pretending/ignoring them as a DRK results in going OOM before you know it and/or leads to you doing nothing decent. The job has faults and MP management is one of most serious of them.

When it comes to playing your job right, you overestimate how much of it is "skill", and underestimate how much of it is simple motivation and ability to comprehend the design of the job and how its abilities interact. Any remotely skilled DRK can maintain its MP indefinitely (just like a BLM), and currently the most brutal physical fights in the game such as A2S and A3S (the latter is more equal parts magic/physical) are as clearable on DRK as on PLD.

Stop being a pretentious "OMG WHY PLD" person - WAR/DRK players have to pay way more attention to what they are doing and are more complicated then a pld for a beginner

For the OP, this person sums it up well. PLD is a good training wheels job in the scope of leveling your first tank. But there's zero reason you have to get it to 60 if you start leveling it and decide you aren't hitting your skill cap/enjoying it. What I would do if I were you is get PLD to 34 so you can at least have all the cross class abilities and by then you should have a good grasp of the basics and whether or not you'd like to take up WAR or DRK instead. WAR and DRK, assuming you intend to level these jobs to 60 and actually play them in content, are considerably more difficult and involved, and have actual mechanics specific that are to the job that you will have to manage (Wrath/Abandon and Darkside/Dark Arts, respectively) alongside all the basics (holding hate, mitigating, dpsing) that PLD simply doesn't have. So that is something to consider.