Why is everyone anxious about a PLD Rework?

[Gserpent]

To be fair, Clemancy does see very good use in Ultimates. It's just so niche and not optimal given the nature of 14's design regardless because it's a strict DPS loss outside down time, and even down time it could still be DPS loss given MP cost. I would much rather it cost 50 Oath gauge and be an OGCD.

That would be perfectly fine with me, too - Sheltron is an independent 20 or 25 sec cooldown, Cover removed/no longer costs gauge, gauge is now used exclusively for either Clemency or Intervention, and both are instant oGCD skills. Move Clemency down the ability tree so that you get it early (seriously, like as early as 40ish) perhaps in a nerfed version, trait it to the stronger current version later, and I think you've got a stew going. Gives PLD some of that class identity at earlier levels, and when having that spot healing might actually be valuable. It also helps close the extreme tank durability gap they created by giving WAR nascent flash for Alexander raids (not that it *matters*, but I like consistency in design principles.)

Not everything has to be a meaningful DPS button. It's why every class is losing its identity and becoming the same as every other. Clemency is one of the main draws for me to paladin. If they're going to turn Clemency into another Equilibrium and remove Cover then I might as well just play Warrior because there's nothing special Paladin now brings.

I don't care that it costs a GCD if means I can use it to save someone or myself when a run is going bad, because (and I know this might be hard to believe for most of you out there) not every boss attempt or dungeon run goes perfectly 100% of the time. People make mistakes, and it's nice to have something to fall back on.

Paladin has its fair share of problems, but changing the class so it plays exactly like the other 3 tanks is not the solution.

That's what is going to happen, though, and acting like it will be otherwise is just copium.

And, yes, everything must be a meaningful DPS button - because DPS is literally the only thing in the game. Mitigation and healing are pretty much solved and are used automatically. It's very rare that healers need to actually GCD heal outside of week 1 prog/current ultimates, and tanks have absolutely zero control over the damage they take since there's no actual active mitigation taking place - it's just "I see spell cast, I hit button," basically.

You need to understand, if Clemency was so powerful that using it despite it being a DPS loss was actually a viable strategy, it would be *overpowered* and subject to being nerfed. All skills of that sort on tanks, the ability to heal or otherwise protect a buddy, are on cooldowns (either from job gauge costs or just cooldowns.) Clemency kind of is and kind of isn't due to operating off of MP, a stat that PLD otherwise basically does not use (you will always have mana for your spell cycle because PLD generates a massive amount of mana compared to how much it spends and the way the rotation works out.)

So the solution, instead, is to homogenize Clemency. Make it just like the other skills tanks have, an in exchange, it becomes a button *you can actually justify using as part of normal gameplay, in content that actually matters.* That's a huge improvement.

If you're worried about homogenization... buddy, where have you *been* for the past few years? "5.0 design" is all *about* homogenizing things, and Yoshida was very clear that they would be continuing to design the game along those lines. If you want unique classes with different gimmicks, you need to play a different game.