Is TP interesting as a mechanic?

[Shurrikhan]

Sorry to lead only with questions but:

You forgot to mention XI's TP system created a bias towards big damage classes and burst damage in general. That was yet another reason why people didn't like RDM melee or sub A-rank skill weapons: "you're feeding the mob TP".

Did all attacks in XI give a (near) equal amount of TP to the mob, regardless of the base or actual damage dealt, or have a set additional enmity per action, etc.? I've done XI raiding, but never where this was a concern, so I honestly have no idea as to the nuances of the XI system. I could have sworn the 1.x TP gains were based on damage, plus maybe a flat amount per hit.

PLD, WAR, DRG and DRK could work with TP being a resource you build and consume on stronger abilities. NIN, BRD, MCH (and RDM assuming it enters as a DPS) on the other hand would have TP working similarly to what we now have, as a pacing mechanism. The only issue I see with the former (outside of having to redesign WAR, PLD, DRG and DRK) is that this system clashes with combos unless we make the "main" combos free and anything outside of that cost TP.

Let me check if I'm understanding. In either case, the STR use of TP or the DEX use of TP would function as buildable resource spent to in some way empower your rotation? STR pulls this off by spending it to empower certain abilities, where as DEX spends it to attack more frequently, say by rushing a given GCD (most obvious use being the allowance of a "rapid string" every X buff/debuff windows, or so)?

I'm similarly stumped as to how the automatic consumption of (STR) TP should be done, or if it can even be automatic. Certain normal weaponskills might be a good choice, such as combo-enders or stack moves. Alternatively you could role it up into abilities like Life Surge, exchanging certain CDs for a more bankable means of effect. Not sure.

Moreover, there may be issues of Speed scaling for the STR consumption system, wherein if Speed only accelerates your rotation, it increases the actual but not the relative rate of TP gain and frequency of TP-consuming abilities, whereas Crit and Det would do both. In other words, Crit and Det would have an effect on the consumption and everything else, while Speed would only affect everything else. We already see this largely in how Speed works currently, or normally — seeing as it can only make up for a lack of individual skill enhancement (apart from to DoTs, wherein it is still weaker than Det or Crit) by having a higher output over a filler spam than the other two stats, and inversely drops in value on any class with a large per-execute range — but losing out on a whole new mechanic would be especially disappointing. This could easily be overcome (or even over-buffed) by giving TP gains only on direct damage, reducing the effect DoTs have on TP gain, or by giving a small bonus TP to every damaging skill. And it can be mitigated by just having the whole system give only infrequent usage (TP consumption).

I'm not sure if Speed in the DEX consumption system would cause the bonuses to be worth less or not. Would probably depend on how the costs for the pace adjustments are calculated... Totally up for grabs.