Are Dark Knights really that bad right now?

[Kabooa]

It really isn't all that different after you've learned to make up for the difference. The biggest hurdle is the swap on first embrace cast, but that's a simple thing when you've told your co-tank, "hey, i'm voking during the cast, so shirk me so I can take the hyper." I've never been with a static or a premade, I've always done O8S with pugs, and it's never been an issue when you take the time to communicate.

"It's not that different once you accept it's different."

:P

Though to be honest, it's just the paladin being the workhorse here. Dark/Paladin felt about as safe as it could get.

[whiskeybravo]

Though to be honest, it's just the paladin being the workhorse here. Dark/Paladin felt about as safe as it could get.

Workhorse is a strong word. It's just a 1-button macro :P

But I agree, one reason why I'm reluctant to ever don the sword and shield. Borderline cancer trying to use all those abilities with a controller. Certainly possible, one of my good PLD friends actually beat UCOB on PS4, which I gotta imagine is an incredibly small minority. He doesn't even use expanded crossbars, and I'm watching his stream like how tf..

[Lyth]

It's never really a question of "can you play DRK?" That's a tautology, and derails the discussion. Of course you can play DRK. There's nothing in the game physically preventing you from playing any job. Even the goal of "clearing content" is an incredibly low bar to set. At the end of Heavensward, a group cleared A12S with a DRK exclusively using Flash. Why? Because.

The question that you should be asking is "why aren't more people playing DRK?" It's definitely not a lore problem. Both the forums and reddit seem to be in universal agreement that DRK has the coolest job storyline. It's not a series lore issue either. I certainly didn't pick up FFXIV to wield an axe. As far as swords in Final Fantasy are concerned, go big or go home. So why the drop-off in players using DRK in raid content this expansion?

It's simple. People want to play the job that offers the most value for the least effort. Generally speaking, this is going to be a job with relatively high median dps (i.e. does well on average) and a small standard deviation (i.e. has little variation with skill). WAR, especially post patch 4.2, fits this description better than any other job in the game (that's why everyone keeps recommending it to new players as the way to go). These differences are always most pronounced for the average player, who has much more to gain to switching to a low skill high reward job. At the high-end, you can make pretty much anything work, although more skilled groups will prefer stronger comps.

I think part of the reluctance to change is because PLD and WAR play an important role in low level dungeon tanking. But I think if you want more tanks in this game, you have to give players more options to choose from, and keep them all on an equal footing.

[Deceptus]

The only "bad" aspect of DRK is Dark Arts Spam.

You have to effectively push more buttons to get the same (or a bit less) output of the other tanks.

[Hierro]

The only "bad" aspect of DRK is Dark Arts Spam.

[shao32]

I don't understand the logic from those who say "DRK is fine and they are perfect" or "they don't need anything stop complaing" actitude, viability never was problem since the game come up, even the less desirable jobs like PLD, AST and MCH on heavensward where able to clear anything and no one come to the forums and try to counter so heavily they feedback to be like they counterparts.

Someone come and ask "is true are really bad right now?" Our answers was DRK is not desirable bcs they are unable to offer the same as the other 2 and they are still bad in terms of balance in different ways, but some of the first comments was "it's just fine" so I can understand the necessity of claim DRK is viable and that stuff but it's a bit insulting claim DRK don't need help or they problems are just dark arts, by that logic WAR 4.0 was perfectly fine in a wonderful place so why they complain?

DRK lacks something unique to add to the party, PLD it's just a evolution of DRK (hah the irony) doing everything better, so if anyone want to try DRK they should know they can do it, but they will face some PF locking DRK out and this happen bcs DRK can't do this, this and this compared to the other and you will work more harder but we still giving to SE our feedback and our desires to make DRK be at the SAME level of the other 2, even more since they promise us a fair balance for the lack of a new tank this expansion.

[Sunako]

I think main problem is that pld is way too good ot and have too much support skills and warrior is too good mt while drk is fine by both roles, but not perfect either way. DRK can support mt by using TBN that make it better ot than warrior and enmity generation is better than pld that make it better mt than paladin. And one of the biggest thing drk lack is aoe damage mitigation tool that other tanks offer.

[Azerhan]

Mmh, for my part I'll say DRK is better now than it was at the launch of SB, but it still inferior than the DRK in HW.
Why ?
Because it's now the tank you use when you don't want to play WAR or PLD.
There is no advantage to playing it - except the gameplay, but it's only for you, I mean it's not because, like me, it's the tank you prefer playing because of it's gameplay, that it's a good point for the DRK.
Now, the difference in dps is really short, however, you can't support the other tank like a PLD will do, you can't support the team like a WAR will do, and you don't have a skill that can be used by your mate.

So well, the DRK isn't really good, it's just fine. Like having a RDM for prog or a SAM for your late weekly, when you just want to do it quick.

Personally, I think all 3 tanks are bad now, by that I mean they are too different from what they was at the beginning, and they all lack of identity, the DRK most of all.

Were is the tank that can be use like an AST, adaptating with the comp ? Where is the fun of playing a hard job ? I mean, a lot of players were complaining DRK was too much difficult in HW, SE changed it, and now, DRK is still the Tank the less played and more, those whom like it during HW are for most of them stop playing it.

Before all, before adjusting dps, before create a new tank, or before create a new heal, SE really needs to work on the 3 tanks we have now. I think they just don't understand Tanks in this game.

[Sunako]

you don't have a skill that can be used by your mate.

The Blackest Night

Creates a barrier around self that absorbs damage totaling 20% of your maximum HP, or around a party member that absorbs damage totaling 10% of your maximum HP.

Increases Blood Gauge by 50 when full 20% (10%) is absorbed.

[Garry]

The only "bad" aspect of DRK is Dark Arts Spam.

You have to effectively push more buttons to get the same (or a bit less) output of the other tanks.

Tell that to ninjas and bards who press lots of buttons and tend to be the bottum of the DPS totem pole. Dark arts usage is neither here nor there as far as i'm concerned, and honestly makes the play style interested when stack next to warrior or paladin that both build and boringly spend a single resource.