Tank population drop after Stormblood?

[Jpec07]

Not really.

In Heavensward, they introduced new jobs in tanking and healing roles to try to get people to shift into those roles to play the Shiny New Thing (TM) (if I remember right, it was at about 20-20-60 for tank-heal-dd). What they found was that despite the new jobs being in the less desirable roles, it had zero impact on the ratios of players picking different roles. So what they're doing in Stormblood makes sense, bringing the availability of diversity in jobs more closely in line with actual player role selection ratios.

I don't think it will hurt the population. Maybe at first, since everyone is going to want to level RDM and SMR (SAM?), but I don't think it's going to stay that way in endgame. Tanks will still want to tank, DDs will still want the l33t d33pz, and healers will still wonder why they think they enjoy covering for everyone else's incompetence and cursing their fat-fingering of Cleric Stance.

[Zojha]

So what they're doing in Stormblood makes sense, bringing the availability of diversity in jobs more closely in line with actual player role selection ratios.

Alas, they're not adjusting the party slot ratio to match as well.

I agree that in the long run, there won't be too much change. But the start is gonna be a royal pain and I really hope PotD is going to stay a decent XP source.