Should Dark Knight get a Rework?

[Soge01]

It's not actually an unrealistic running animation. It's just a bit odd in that it's a little too loose to be prepared to safely deflect despite taking on more burden to be in an almost-ready position.

(The more common mid-blade grip hold to be just ready enough to at least block --not parry-- just does not work with a sword with circumference greater than that --effectively-- of one's gauntlet's grip, while a resting rook / shoulder rest would leave you painfully exposed when wielding a heavy weapon.)

Moreover, at that point (shoulder rest) DRK would just overlap with GNB's combat idle position.

Buuuuuuuuuuuuuut, Gunbreaker's sprint animation is Samurai's normal running animation. If it was at least a toggle option to swtich the way your job carries their weapon, I'd feel far less awkward watching my thin armed Viera running with her giant sword.

But the way DRK holds its blade is for the sake of practicality use, is what your saying, right? Understandable the more I think about it. Though I still kind a wish we had more ways of our character holding their massive blade while standing and running. Especially since it makes a naturally slender character, like a female Viera, Miqo'te and Elezen to look kind of awkward. I tend to have my Viera wield the Odenta Kai sword partially for that reason. Looks far more practical looking while in the DRK's combat possession and running while playing as my Viera.

[Shurrikhan]

But the way DRK holds its blade is for the sake of practicality use, is what your saying, right? Understandable the more I think about it.

Pretty much. It's an ox guard relaxed nearly to the point of merging into a couple others, but it still requires only a mere tightening/straightening of the arms to safely defend oneself from there or move into a rising or lateral strike (while still being able to power a downward cut as quickly as from roof because with a lighter/realistic greatsword so much is rotational and with a buster-sword or other ridiculously heavy weapon, it's all in the momentum and vantage/extension point anyways), whereas a resting rook would only guard your head, and from only one side, while taking longer to transfer to any real guard or any strike outside of a zornhau (downward, at least somewhat diagonal).

Against beasts and the like it makes even more sense than it would against humanoids (against whom it's already the go-to), as you can plant against an incoming rush with that massive span of blade between you and it.

[BaconBits]

If we're talking stances, I kinda like Balthier and Basch's Greatsword stance and animations in 12.

This is actually Balthier's animation when he's walking around an enemy, but his neutral stance is actually similar to XIV's Dark Knight, except his feet aren't spread a country mile apart.

[Shurrikhan]

If we're talking stances, I kinda like Balthier and Basch's Greatsword stance and animations in 12.

I really like these too, both more so than using a lazy rook as a resting stance/point (resting the cross-guard on top curve of the pec / near shoulder) or resting the flat atop one's pauldron (especially since, unlike GNB blades, most greatswords are double-edged and therefore offer additional issues there... not that we're otherwise concerned about not wrecking our blades' edges).

(Granted, Balthier's stance looks a bit awkward from that angle, as he's sacrificing so much reach by tucking the left hand so near his lower right ribs and is keeping the point so skewed far right(?) instead of significantly crossing center [hard to tell, honestly, at that angle and in that flat lighting], but I'm assuming that's just a trick of the photo's timing?)

I guess I just feel like they're a bit less... edgy? They seem more Soldier/Templar/Ark Knight to me. (Admittedly, they overlap in the magically self-empowering, vaguely Jedi-like aspect, but... pretty opposite in vibe despite that.)

That said, I would love a Warden/Dervish/Watcher/Templar/(Witcher-like) Bastard sword class as a maiming dps -- ideally in such a way that it has multiple idle animations based on one's last action. (I know, I know; there are too many sword jobs as is for now, but... eventually.)

[BaconBits]

I really like these too, both more so than using a lazy rook as a resting stance/point (resting the cross-guard on top curve of the pec / near shoulder) or resting the flat atop one's pauldron (especially since, unlike GNB blades, most greatswords are double-edged and therefore offer additional issues there... not that we're otherwise concerned about not wrecking our blades' edges).

(Granted, Balthier's stance looks a bit awkward from that angle, as he's sacrificing so much reach by tucking the left hand so near his lower right ribs and is keeping the point so skewed far right(?) instead of significantly crossing center [hard to tell, honestly, at that angle and in that flat lighting], but I'm assuming that's just a trick of the photo's timing?)

I guess I just feel like they're a bit less... edgy? They seem more Soldier/Templar/Ark Knight to me. (Admittedly, they overlap in the magically self-empowering, vaguely Jedi-like aspect, but... pretty opposite in vibe despite that.)

That said, I would love a Warden/Dervish/Watcher/Templar/(Witcher-like) Bastard sword class as a maiming dps -- ideally in such a way that it has multiple idle animations based on one's last action. (I know, I know; there are too many sword jobs as is for now, but... eventually.)

If that ever comes to fruition I hope it's Rune Fencer.

[Soge01]

Pretty much. It's an ox guard relaxed nearly to the point of merging into a couple others, but it still requires only a mere tightening/straightening of the arms to safely defend oneself from there or move into a rising or lateral strike (while still being able to power a downward cut as quickly as from roof because with a lighter/realistic greatsword so much is rotational and with a buster-sword or other ridiculously heavy weapon, it's all in the momentum and vantage/extension point anyways), whereas a resting rook would only guard your head, and from only one side, while taking longer to transfer to any real guard or any strike outside of a zornhau (downward, at least somewhat diagonal).

Against beasts and the like it makes even more sense than it would against humanoids (against whom it's already the go-to), as you can plant against an incoming rush with that massive span of blade between you and it.

That's so cool! : D Man, I wish Sidurgu or Fray would have explained how the stance functioned in game like you just did. I've always felt awkward with the way the greatsword looked on my character, but this actually makes me feel more comfortable with the stance. Thank you for the lesson Shurrikhan! : D