Kinda laughed

[Isius]

I haven't played PLD in a while but I'm curious how else these changes alter the dynamics of the class.

The other thing that changes with this is single target enmity. So how does that alter the use of RoH, especially in fights with limited Physical Damage.

Things to consider:

Additional Royal Authority uses due to not needing to maintain Enmity with RoH (TP cost of RA vs RoH?)

- As a complete package how does that alter PLD performance?

I'll try to explain it, but I don't think I am the best at explaining things. But since some people are panicking about the changes still, and saying they are nerfs, I'll try. (Mostly towards the Shield Swipe changes)

Current 3.1 changes :

Shield Swipe - Is now an ability and does not trigger global cooldown.
Recast time has been adjusted to 15 seconds.
Potency has been reduced from 210 to 150.

Goring Blade - TP cost has been reduced from 60 to 50.

Shield Bash - TP cost has been reduced from 150 to 120.

How it changes Plds Performance:

Shield Swipe 3.1 Changes:

First off Shield Swipe is a move only good if Pld is tanking and taking hits. In 3.1 the move will be placed ogcd, and turns into a ability with a cd of 15secs, since it is on cd, and a ablility now. I am assuming it no longer has any tp cost of 40tp, so yay. Even with the attack potency going from 210 to 150 it is still free dmg, since it is ogcd, and you can weave it inbetween gcds. This skill is indeed rng, but with Sheltron you should be able to get 2 off per minute even if rng hates you. So it is extra of 300 potency up to a max of 600 of free dmg per minute. Also 3.1 changes said nothing about removing Shield Swipe's enmity generation now. So it will only increase Plds single taget enmity, so in short it's a increase to single target dmg, and enmity, and it is all FREE.

Now lets take this further with the increase dmg/enmity from Shield Swipe a Pld will not have to output as many Rage of Halone anymore, we'll have to see in 3.1 with testing, but this could lead to Pld able solely focused on using it's more damaging combos like Goring Blade, and Royal Authority. This leads to Pld able to do more damage in general. So Buffing Shield Swipe is a direct buff in dps for Pld from just moving Shield Swipe to a ogcd, and also a indirect dps increase allowing Pld to use it's more damaging combos more often, since you don't have to worry about aggro as much. But again this dmg increase is just a mt dps increase for Pld. Pld's ot dps is really not affected at all by this change, unless a Pld just tanks a add or something to get it's Shield Swipes procs for more dmg on a boss. A way for a cheeky Pld to increase it's dps as a ot I guess, but that will be rare. xD

As for Shield Swipes usefulness, it will be a very good with 3.1 changes, but still is a rng skill that relies on blocks. This could lead to bad rng scenarios, but still with Sheltron, I don't think it will be as bad. But yes magic can't be blocked, not allowing Shield Shield to proc, but atm magic dmg is mostly tank busters, or raid dmg atm. But if something wierd was introduced like mobs auto attacks being only magical based, and not physical, then this 3.1 buff to Shield Swipe would mean nothing.

Overall I think Shield Swipe is a great buff, and a bigger buff then most people are taking it credit for currently. But this skill will need testing when 3.1 comes out, and we'll see how good it really is in actual use.

Goring Blade 3.1 Changes:

I don't really have much to say about this one. It is still a buff but a very minor one imo, and doesn't really prevent Plds from hitting TP starvation any slower. You get like an extra 10tp per 9gcds. Idk seems minor to me, but might help out with tp if you are running out before "jump" points of a fight or running out on prolonged fights where you just beat on the boss for 8 minutes straight. It will help out a little. Like I know, I almost run out of tp as a Pld before the 1st jump in A1S, so it might help there for Pld players running out of tp faster then I do, just the buff seems minor to me, but it does help. But I could be wrong how much this tp change does help out...other people with more experience then me might know better. Idk

Shield Bash 3.1 Changes:

I think this one was needed badly for Pld, but I wish they buffed it more, but anyways SE is reducing it from 150tp to 120tp cost. This helps out a ton for Pld if you are in A3S or A4S if you are on stun duty in A3S for Slimes, and A4S for Steam. 150tp really chews hard into Plds tp badly, so it coming down to a 120tp cost helps out a lot in that area when you have to stun, and with the Goring Blade tp cost reduced it will just help out with Plds tp I guess for fights like A3S, and A4S to not reach tp starvation as fast.


As for you question, "As a complete package how does that alter PLD performance?" The Shield Swipe changes might allow Plds be able to mt bosses in Sword Oath without worrying about maintaining aggro, and never needing to use RoH combo once for aggro, making RoH a combo something you only want to use for the physical dmg down debuff. Pld dps could be higher when mting, then it's ot dps, while it has Sword Oath up with the 3.1 changes, and Pld will not get tp drained as much currently if you are a Pld having tp starvation issues.



***Personally I would still like to see Plds utilities buffed aswell***

[Reynhart]

As for you question, "As a complete package how does that alter PLD performance?" The Shield Swipe changes might allow Plds be able to mt bosses in Sword Oath without worrying about maintaining aggro

There's just a tiny bit of a problem.
To use Shield Swipe, you need to block. Something that was thrown out of the way with the huge focus on magic attacks.
We can imagine that next raids will give us more physical hits, which will instantly make PLD a much better tank...but largely cripple DRK...and would only be a fake balance between the three tanks.

DRK and PLD are only shining when content is specifically designed for them, which is a very deep issue.

As for increasing PLD damage output...ok, it's cool, but if they want each tank to be interesting, they have to put the emphasis on something else than surviving (Which all tanks can obviously do) or DPS (Where you'll probably always one above the other)

[Nektulos-Tuor]

There's just a tiny bit of a problem.
To use Shield Swipe, you need to block. Something that was thrown out of the way with the huge focus on magic attacks.
We can imagine that next raids will give us more physical hits, which will instantly make PLD a much better tank...but largely cripple DRK...and would only be a fake balance between the three tanks.

DRK and PLD are only shining when content is specifically designed for them, which is a very deep issue.

As for increasing PLD damage output...ok, it's cool, but if they want each tank to be interesting, they have to put the emphasis on something else than surviving (Which all tanks can obviously do) or DPS (Where you'll probably always one above the other)

Its not like monsters auto-attack or anything.

Honestly, having "Magical" and "Physical" tanks is just bad game design.

Dark Mind needs to be changed to straight non-autoattack damage reduction and paladin needs its stuff to work for everything.

[NFaelivrin]

Its not like monsters auto-attack or anything.

The Manipulator legit doesn't lol. There's no attacks from the main boss in A4S that can be blocked. None.

[Reynhart]

Its not like monsters auto-attack or anything.

The Manipulator would have a word with you.

Honestly, having "Magical" and "Physical" tanks is just bad game design.

On that, we totally agree.

Again, tanks should not be separated on what/how they can tank. They should each offer something else. And we already know that for WAR, it's MOAAR DEEPS !

[SpookyGhost]

The Manipulator would have a word with you.

The single, one boss that doesn't (unless you count Ramuh for some reason).

Meanwhile, all the adds do, and (surprisingly) it's possible to OT as PLD.

[Reynhart]

The single, one boss that doesn't (unless you count Ramuh for some reason).

Meanwhile, all the adds do, and (surprisingly) it's possible to OT as PLD.

You could count the last boss of The Vault or Aetherochemical facility. And consider we could see others in the future, to keep DRK where it stands now.

And it's not like the DPS on adds is tight...or like this will enforce bringing PLD as an OT over...any of the two other tanks.

Again, making tanks compete on DPS is a dead end.

[eagledorf]

The single, one boss that doesn't (unless you count Ramuh for some reason).

Meanwhile, all the adds do, and (surprisingly) it's possible to OT as PLD.

No, there are 4.

Manipulator. ADS. Ramuh. Ultima HM. Also Leviathan's head if you want to count that separately.

Without an exception it's a terrible design. Making a boss magic means you've taken away 11 different skills from the toolkit and reduced the involvement of the tank to minimal levels.

[Nektulos-Tuor]

The next bosses should have a buff called "Berserk" which raises auto attack speed by 200%, but does no spells! Its like anti-Dark Knight! Fits the current theme of content.

[Isius]

There's just a tiny bit of a problem.
To use Shield Swipe, you need to block. Something that was thrown out of the way with the huge focus on magic attacks.
We can imagine that next raids will give us more physical hits, which will instantly make PLD a much better tank...but largely cripple DRK...and would only be a fake balance between the three tanks.

DRK and PLD are only shining when content is specifically designed for them, which is a very deep issue.

As for increasing PLD damage output...ok, it's cool, but if they want each tank to be interesting, they have to put the emphasis on something else than surviving (Which all tanks can obviously do) or DPS (Where you'll probably always one above the other)

Well I am not SE that that made these design choices for the tanks. Personally, I think tank balance is a mess in this game. I just analyzed the 3.1 changes at the best of my ability on how it might work in actual game practice. I never said the tanks were balanced infact I have been arguing how unbalanced it is, but Pld is better then what we had before, does it change it's position much in the current raid meta, not really, but we are better off now. But these changes are welcomed, but no it's not at all everything I wanted, stuff like Clemancy, Stoneskin, Divine Veil, Spirits Within need to be changed still imo. I might be able to live without Oaths not being ogcd, or not interrupting combos if Shield Swipe does allow me to not worry about single target aggro at all while in Sword Oath. If not then stance dancing on Pld will just continue to be a dps loss everytime a Pld changes stances, let allow RoH spamming.

And I don't think Drk will be crippled in next raids. It can only be crippled if the physical dmg is very severe, but dmg on tanks is weak atm in this expansion. If Physical dmg is too severe for Drks then that only really proves how broken SE tank design is further, and how truely messed up it is overall. We shouldn't really be having FoTM tanks every other raid. But hey I am not a dev team that put myself into this type of hole. FFXIV Dev team did that part.

Edit: And really why didn't Pld get a dps aoe move, I was expecting one when HW came out, but nothing... :/