RIP Dark Passenger. Not enough Dark Knight changes.

[Mahrze]

What's the problem?

Oh boy, where to start. DRK as a Tank is a great concept it's a class that can make use of the damage it receives and deals to do something. Sadly, it seems that the 4.0 changes collide with the original concept and now SE doesn't know what to do. The Blackblood gauge came in to make the original trifecta of resource management (which is what almost every DRK who played it seriously loved) to a resource management where we need to press more buttons than it's worth, yielding a varying mileage in results to both the offensive and defensive capabilities of DRK that in the end are nothing short of underwhelming.

Why's that a problem?

DRK was a mixed bag of offensive and mitigation resources in 3.0, you had base cool downs that were buffed by stacking skills like Shadow skin with (Dark Arts) Dark Mind for great Magic mitigation, but now our mitigation is basically nonexistent until we get to 70, to have a skill which we will undoubtedly gravitate to (The Blackest Night) only to find very diminishing returns) Our death cheating skill is too much of a gimmick to be worth the risk unless you have a good coordination with the healer. And our offensive capabilities were made a one trick pony.

What's the root cause?

Conflict in design. Skills that restrict and divide the job's potential by coupling skills and making them mutually exclusive, when the job’s strengths came from its high degree of adaptation.

What are some solutions and how can they address the core issues?

Problem #1: Grit/Darkside/Dark Arts/Blackblood: This I believe is the crux of the matter. Grit and Darkside now cancel each other with Grit only bringing 20% increased mitigation and enmity gain. Darkside has no maintenance penalty and it's power output is more than welcome. Dark arts is now being linked to more abilities that the cost of use , window of use and benefit is clunky and gimmicky. Blackblood, and MP by collateral, can reach overflow status so easily you're hard pressed on usage when blackblood only supports damage output.(And minimally)

Solution #1: Grit and Darkside become one button managing the DRKs duality of roles (Entering Grit changes the icon to Darkside, pressing Darkside changes the icon to Grit), however, Grit and Darkside function differently (and with this change, so will Dark Arts) and switching has a minimal MP cost (10% or whatever range you gain when you die for both modes)and becomes an OGCD Ability

Grit: Enmity and Mitigation remain the same. Damage output penalty negated (Since we already negate it by the Grit+Darkside Stack). Added effect is increased healing effect when below 70% HP by 10% and by 20% below 50% HP.

Darkside: Damage increase remains the same. Increases the MP cost of abilities by 15%(The darkarts replacement). Uses 5% of MP on weaponskills and 1% autoattacks to increase damage. (the old MP tick now only triggered when in combat) MP regeneration negated except by the usual skills.

Dark Arts replaced by "Hollow Glimmer", can only be used in Grit: Uses MP (10%) to boost defensive bonus of Grit to 30% for 15s. Increases Healing potency of incoming magic by 50% if used when under the effect of Living Dead. 60s cooldown.

Blackblood: Grants a 5% increase to offense or defense as long as 10> points are available in the gauge. Increase is limited to the stance.

Problem #2: Mitigation toolkit limited and has poor performance in contrast to other tanks.

Solution #2: Dark Mind and Shadow Wall gain adjustments to their potencies and coodldowns. Living Dead gets reworked.

Dark mind: 15% mitigation for all types. Cooldown and Duration remain the same. MP cost is 15%.

Shadow Wall: Cooldown goes down to 120s

Living dead is changed to Unholy Sacrifice. When HP reaches 1. DRK gains "Voice of Death" Status. If HP isn't healed to 50%. DRK dies. If healed aboce 50%, DRK gains 50 blackblood and a status "Death's Messenger" granting them 5s of inmmunity.

Problem #3: Damage output limited to burst phase with long cooldown time. Limited number of OGCDs to weave and a redundant gimmick to power up attacks.

Solution #3: Adjustment on Delirium, Quietus, TBN and Bloodspiller

Delirium: retains its current effect but only affecting blood weapon. Deliurum has a CD of 60s and costs 20% HP to activate.

Quietus and Bloodspiller: They become OGCD and Ignore targets DEF. Quietus potency 320. Bloodspiller 650. each use 30 blood

The Blackest Night: 10% of max HP shield for the party. for each broken shield, DRK gains 10 blood. Uses 50 blood. 120s CD

Dark Passanger: Renamed to Dark Wave. 480 potency line AOE, damage scale down similar to flare/holy, costs 50 blood. CD is 30s

How does the solution and adjustments fit into the bigger picture of the job and the role as a whole?

Job defines it's identity as a job that can take the punishment and deal it too. Having the chance to focus on one side or the other without the current crippling penalties and diminishing returns. Gains more ogcds to weave in when in DPS mode and gains mitigation to increase survival ability through the leveling curve and drastically reducing it depending on mostly one ability at end game.