What is the General Consensus?

[Aana]

Data:
War>Pld>Drk

Forum 'concensus':
War>>Pld>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Drk

War does most DPS. Pld a smidge behind war. Drk a smidge behind pld. Each by a couple % in damage.

Pld/War mitigation kits are solid and jockey for 1st based on how much a war is in tank stance. Drk is behind by X amount in mitigation (depending on how its measured. Its an inexact science) but still has enough mitigation to be effective in all content.

Group support: Pld by miles>War (shake it off)> Drk TBN. While nice, are not nearly as important as the volume on official forums suggests.

Drk is behind by a bit in every category that matters, but only by relatively small amounts. It's entirely usable. Just not optimal. But anything that is even a fraction of a % suboptimal is always slammed as 'useless', 'unplayable', 'broken' and 100 other hyperbolic terms.

There is truth to much of the forum complaints. But the extreme loudness exaggerates them on every count.

[TouchandFeel]

Data:
War>Pld>Drk

Forum 'concensus':
War>>Pld>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Drk

While it is true that there is often a penchant for exaggeration, which is not at all confined to DRK players or discussion about that job with the pre-SiO change WAR discussions being a perfect example, however I don't feel that it is quite the way you paint it.

If I were to portray it in the same format as you, I would say a more accurate image would be as follows:

DPS
WAR>PLD>DRK

Mititgation
WAR=PLD>DRK

Utility
PLD>WAR>DRK

Overall
WAR=PLD>>>DRK

I feel this is more accurate because, as you said, DRK is behind in every category. It may arguably be by only a bit in each category, but that bit in every category adds up to a greater overall dearth in performance. Get enough grains of sand together and you have a desert.

As far as the "loudness" of complaints, many tried the more measured approach and all it lead to was being ignored by the devs and being drowned out by others complaining about other jobs much louder and then getting heard and addressed.
Can you really fault people that have been shown that being overly vocal and hyperbolic with complaints gets you what you want, for then doing just that to avoid being ignored or drowned out by others.
It may not be what I would personally prefer, but I certainly understand why many DRK feel they have to speak out this way to be heard.

[Aana]

While it is true that there is often a penchant for exaggeration, which is not at all confined to DRK players or discussion about that job with the pre-SiO change WAR discussions being a perfect example, however I don't feel that it is quite the way you paint it.

If I were to portray it in the same format as you, I would say a more accurate image would be as follows:

DPS
WAR>PLD>DRK

Mititgation
WAR=PLD>DRK

Utility
PLD>WAR>DRK

Overall
WAR=PLD>>>DRK

I feel this is more accurate because, as you said, DRK is behind in every category. It may arguably be by only a bit in each category, but that bit in every category adds up to a greater overall dearth in performance. Get enough grains of sand together and you have a desert.

As far as the "loudness" of complaints, many tried the more measured approach and all it lead to was being ignored by the devs and being drowned out by others complaining about other jobs much louder and then getting heard and addressed.
Can you really fault people that have been shown that being overly vocal and hyperbolic with complaints gets you what you want for then doing just that to avoid being ignored or drowned out by others.
It may not be what I would personally prefer, but I certainly understand why many DRK have to speak out this way to be heard.

My only comment is that yes drk is behind in all 3 categories, but DPS is the only category that matters in shaping the meta. Pld was also considered trash tier last expac even though it had awesome mitigation and utility out the wazoo. DPS is the only measure that actually shapes the meta and why I don't give drk a multiplier effect on being worse.

I didn't mean to imply the 'loudness' is an exclusive Drk trait. Wars have been loud. Plds have been loud. Blm has been loud. (insert job in FFXI) is loud. Zerg, Terran and Protoss have been loud. Every suboptimal thing ever in a game has cried out at the injustice of being 2% lower than the meta equivalent for as long as forums have existed.

Drk have legit issues. Just like every class that has ever spent time on the bottom of the meta dogpile. And just like all non-meta things that came before and after them, they are obscenely loud about it.

[kashi11]

I feel like I would be more okay, but still not okay, with being last in every category, if DRK a more useful toolkit and more interesting playstyle. Too many of our abilities are just flat out not useful. And we already have only 1 combo.

Don't forget DRK is also the weakest in sustaining enmity, they rely on other players for shirks and shadewalkers to stay ahead effectively depending on party comp and comparative ilvls.

[InfiniDragon]

Drk have legit issues. Just like every class that has ever spent time on the bottom of the meta dogpile. And just like all non-meta things that came before and after them, they are obscenely loud about it.

To be fair, DRK players tried constructive criticism at the start, and only started being the Tri-State Pop Off Champions when they saw how well it worked for WAR and BLM. The DRK players thought they were being ignored and started the loud hyperbole and memes to get the attention, just like the other non-meta jobs as you mentioned.