[Suggestion] The "Guard" skill.

[Reika]

I strongly disagree. The use of guard plays a lot in the tactical stamina management that's part of tanking, and should be kept as it is.
I feel it's an actual sizable improvement over tanking in other games.
We're already getting autoattack, how many automation do you want in this game? Autoprovoke comes next?

Manual guard increases the need of tanking awareness, makes the tank think more about the skills he uses, and turns tanking more into an active job than just being a meat shield that stands there blocking blows just for the fact that he's holding a shield in a hand.
It's one of the best combat mechanics of the game and should definitely not be removed just because some are lazy or can't administer their stamina correctly.

Ultimately:
Manual guard -> Based on skill
Auto guard -> Based on luck

Skill -> Good
Luck -> Bad

Actually I DONT want auto attack. I guess you never read all my posts in the auto attack related threads.

Manual guard isnt based entiredly on skill either. The shields blocking value will determine the rate you block with it. A shiled like bladed lanturn shield you have only 70 blocking, while a scutum you have 99 blocking. you could very well not block an attack while your guard is up. You raise your shield with a Vintage Kite Shield or a Scutum, you will pretty much block every single attack anyways. It is actually a waste of stamina to have to raise your shield when it should be in front of you already, have to stop to do that, and have to stop when the shield arm fails. I stand by my suggestion.

You could very well argue "Why is parry and evade automated, why aren't they like guard?" They are based on your evade and weapon parry + the various skills you can use to increase them. Why is guard different?
Why don't they they make a basic skill for Parry and Evade that takes stamina to use, stops you while you ready it, and only has a certain duration, and you 100% will not parry unless you use them? The other defensive skills are already automated.

Another thing I like to add to my suggestion, is make enemy special skills melee skills blockable and parryable, and physical damage ranged attacks. Right now they can only be evaded or miss (barely).