What they mean by "change the damage calculations of tanks"?

[Marxam]

I highly doubt they would make vit a damage modifier. Imagine high hp and damage equivalent to if you stacked str? op much. I feel there are a few ways they can go about this.

1. STR currently is scaled at 1 but what they could do for tank is make it .9 so they inherently deal less damage but putting points into str is still not a complete waste.
2. Split the enmity generation to VIT in combination with the first suggestion so that tanks can strike a balance between VIT and STR instead of just stacking STR after hitting 16-17k hp in tank stance.
3. This is probably what I feel they will do. Change the algorithm for damage for tanks. Atm tanks and dps go off similar if not the same algorithm for doing damage. SE will keep the stat weights across the board but as they stated in the LL the will "modify the Damage calculations".

I don't think they will put diminishing returns as STR and VIT is always increasing and is a main stat in armor. I do wonder how they will handle raid wide dps with the "lowered" tank damage. Will it be the same high dps ceiling forcing more out of the tanks and healers exacerbating the current problem of tanks trying to push out more dps but now with the added problem of dealing less damage? If they are going to "lower" or "modify" tank damage they really need to seriously think this over as you will be creating more issues than solutions.

Personally I feel that if there were more tank busters per phase instead of per fight then tanks might have a reason to use VIT until they have it on farm.

[Syzygian]

I cant find an issue with them adjusting vit so that a 210 vit piece, for instance, provides the dps and ehp of pentamelds. Thats actually a statistical buff. =/

No one thinks you should have vit count for hp and damage at 100% of their current scaling if not for the fact that it would nerf tank dps by an utterly miniscule amount across the board which a lot of people are bullheadedly opposed to.

I.e. 50 vit in 3.2 could give the equivalent of what 35 vit+35str currently gives.

I will happily do 800-850 dps instead of 900 if it means we will be rid of the venom the tanking meta is drowning in revolving around primary stats and gear choices. There's also zero reason to assume raid dps requirements won't be adjusted to accomodate such changes, so i dont buy the argument that "oh if they nerf anyone's damage by 50dps we won't be able to clear!" Cmon now.

[Nektulos-Tuor]

I would make "Vitality" also give damage, but I would make Jewelry give less vitality.

For example, a piece that gives 35 strength gives only 15-20 vitality.

[Xenosan]

but I don't agree here at all. You forget about how arbitrary issues of DPS really are in balance. It's about ratios rather than absolute magnitudes.

I hate embellishing my worst-case scenario fear here, but the mention of ratios actually reinforces another reason why they'd have a bilateral nerf to tank DPS. The higher the DPS contribution of tanks, the greater the significance of the DPS imbalance between the 3 tank jobs (specifically that difference's relevance to the rest of the raid). If all tanks suffered the same DPS nerf via damage calculation, then their max DPS potential relative to each other remains the same, but the ratio does change for rest of the raid.

Hypothetical 50% DPS nerf:
WAR 900, PLD 700, Bard 1,000
Post scaling adjustment
WAR 450, PLD 350, Bard 1,000

The Ratio between WAR/PLD DPS is the same, but only half of what it was in relation to that Bard. When you cut down the DPS of all 3 tanks via the same means (damage calculation) you are subsequently cutting down the disparity between tank job DPS (in relation to the rest of the party) by that same amount. The difference is less significant to rest of the raid. Alternatively, increasing tank DPS unilaterally via damage calculation widens the gap further.

/Devil's Advocate.

[Gumbercules]

I interpreted it as the samething

That makes the most sense honestly. Making it based on both STR and VIT in some ration mix sounds messy, and no job in the game has such a damage formula. The current meta would be maintained without forcing one class to blow millions on accessories. Fending accessories would be something to be excited about again as well.

if they do this maybe parry could become some kind of primary tank stat too so we no longer ahve the "useless" secondary issue! =D

[Nektulos-Tuor]

I hate embellishing my worst-case scenario fear here, but the mention of ratios actually reinforces another reason why they'd nerf tank DPS. The higher the DPS contribution of tanks, the greater the significance of the DPS imbalance between the 3 tank jobs (specifically that difference's relevance to the rest of the raid). If all tanks suffered the same DPS nerf via damage calculation, then their max DPS potential relative to each other remains the same, but the ratio does change for rest of the raid.

Hypothetical 50% DPS nerf:
WAR 900, PLD 700, Bard 1,000
Post scaling adjustment
WAR 450, PLD 350, Bard 1,000

The Ratio between WAR/PLD DPS is the same, but only half of what it was in relation to that Bard. When you cut down the DPS of all 3 tanks via the same means (damage calculation) you are subsequently cutting down the disparity between tank job DPS (in relation to the rest of the party) by that same amount. The difference is less significant to rest of the raid. Alternatively, increasing tank DPS unilaterally via damage calculation widens the gap further.

/Devil's Advocate.

Luckily I have other games to play and spend money on when or if that happens. I hope people have fun with their Tank ques. I will be luling.

[Xenosan]

Well I knew those numbers would be taken too literally. It's just drastic relativity for demonstration.

But hey if it happens, we know why:

"SE PLD needz closer DPS to WAR!"

YoshiP: "Okay." *loads nerf gun *shoots pld first for lulz

[Syzygian]

Am i the only one that sees the irony in people threatening to ragequit the game if tank dps is nerfed by a function of it potentially not being optimal to be running around in full slaying gear anymore?

The hysteria ensuing from entertaining the idea of the devs literally halving tank dps (wholly unrealistic) only serves to add more and more bitter salt to a thread that is rapidly derailing. Lets try and stay realistic and stop catastrophizing as though your dps is a stained glass window to be imminently shattered.

[Cynric]

Am i the only one that sees the irony in people threatening to ragequit the game if tank dps is nerfed by a function of it potentially not being optimal to be running around in full slaying gear anymore?

I don't think people are going to quit the game, we'll just lose a giant chunk of tanks and gain a chunk of DPS. I for one would retire my Dark Knight as half of the reason I play a tank (and DRK more specifically) is because it has decent burst and good survivability in PvP. It's also a really fun way to tank trying to maximize my DPS, if they say.. Cut the DPS in half , there'd be no reason to play it in PvP, since it doesn't have the level of CC a PLD or War has. Not to mention killing someone 1v1 would be a pain and if they cap my DPS ... Well that's no fun. Then the only thing I contribute to a group is keeping hate and standing in front of the boss. Well I guess I could always watch TV during encounters like I did on PLD in 2.0

[karateorangutang]

I'll be interested to see how they implement the changes. This is probably one of the biggest possible changes in tanking to date.

All I wanna know is if I should be buying fending accessories or not.