Dark Knight under review: Feedback to the Developers and Community Team

[Arkfrost]

I agree with almost everything (especially that grit should not be GCD and cost no MP), except for one thing: the skill lock depending on stances.
You might dislike me for this, but I'm on the side of players that feels that a main tank should not be trying to push dps, but instead focus on holding aggro on the boss and mobs, mitigating party damage (tanks should get more tools for this like blackest night or divine veil), mitigating damage on himself, moving the boss around to specific spots and just staying alive, not going out of tank-stance while maintanking, while it's the offtanks job to do damage and maybe do a few mechanics (like the kiss mechanic in o6s), but mainly focus on dps and not on things like sustaining himself, since that's the healer's job (so no need for lifesteal on souleater out of grit) and not staying in tank stance.

Of course due to the high dps checks we have in endgame raids it's favourable and for some part even required that even the main tank should stay out of tank stance as much as possible, but I see this as an issue with the raid design, not with the tanks. DPS checks should be lowered the same time steps to enforce tanks in tank stance are made.

I think the skill restrictions on dark knight depending on his stance are a good first step to enforcing tanks tanking in tank stance and offtanks not using tankstance. To be honest, I was super happy, when I read the 4.0 patch notes back then and thought "Oooh boy! Dark Knights are now forced to tank in tank stance and OT out of it. Finally square enix is making people play like their role says!" and I really hope this will be extended to paladin as well, maybe by making it so PLD can only block at all, use passage of arms and bulwark when in shield oath while requiescat and holy spirit can only be used in sword oath.

I also truly believe, that with "job identity" square enix is meaning exactly what I am talking about: That a tank should tank in tank stance and not be aiming towards dps. I think there are still several flaws, like for example the new stat tenacity. A great idea imho would be that tenacity should be a situational stat, meaning, that it significantly increases mitigation while in tank stance while it significantly increases damage for tanks while in an offensive stance (blood weapon, sword oath, deliverance).