With the launch of Stormblood

[Ultimatecalibur]

Anyway I'm not against what you suggested, having all 3 tanks viable for either slot, I'm just saying that's a lot harder to balance, and a lot more things can (and probably will) go wrong. Since we don't get a new tank in 4.0 I guess that's the road SE is trying to follow, so let's just see how it goes.

Actually balancing 3 compositions now and adding a forth tank and balancing 3 new compositions later is easier than adding a forth tank now and then trying to balance 6 compositions.

[Belhi]

Actually balancing 3 compositions now and adding a forth tank and balancing 3 new compositions later is easier than adding a forth tank now and then trying to balance 6 compositions.

The only way your going to effectively balance all 3 tanks for both MT and OT positions is to effectively homogenise their strengths and weaknesses and effectively make the difference between them cosmetic. I don't think that is what most tanks actually want. A better bet would be to intentionally balance each role towards either MT or OT and make them noticeably worse at the other. The current meta isn't really diverse enough to allow for them to be equally good in each role and still have their own niche.

[Ultimatecalibur]

The only way your going to effectively balance all 3 tanks for both MT and OT positions is to effectively homogenise their strengths and weaknesses and effectively make the difference between them cosmetic. I don't think that is what most tanks actually want. A better bet would be to intentionally balance each role towards either MT or OT and make them noticeably worse at the other. The current meta isn't really diverse enough to allow for them to be equally good in each role and still have their own niche.

People who think balance requires homogenization really don't get what true balance nor true homogenization is. True homogenization is incredibly easy to balance (because all actions and all numbers are exactly the same), but balance does not require that all factors be the same only that the end results are close to equal. Homogeization would be all 3 tanks are reskinned Paladins, balance is all three tanks dealing the similar average damage and having similar levels of durability.

As long as Warriors manage "Origin" stacks, Dark Knights manage MP consumption and Paladins have their own individual playstyle, even if the end result is the same, they will not be homogenized. Are Black Mages and Summoners homogeneous even though they deal similar levels of damage? Do you expect Red Mage to be homogeneous with them? I suspect the answers to both questions are no.