Dark Knight

[JinSanada]

Hello everyone! i couldn't read all the replies, but from what i saw, each of you got perfect point. Somehow Dark Knight meant to be DPS Class or Job, because Dark knight in history is strong person, First thing you throught when you see Dark knight " Omg... He's gonna Kill us all with one hit". even in movie, shows, games, etc...

I don't see that people, when they see a dark knight they go like " he got a heavy armor or aginatic shield." they always see that dark knight as Strong knight and fast ( sometimes ) .

[Thyrel]

The problem here is that they cannot keep adding DPS classes and leave out tanks, otherwise you're never going to find a tank in DF, so before they start plaguing the game with dps they should at least add 1 tank and 1 healer.
Or just make the DRK a tank

[Euphe]

To the OP. I noticed in the FF2 weapon skill listing DRKs have a higher proficiency with axes than swords. Maybe they could branch DRK off of MRD if this is the case? MRDs have threat building abilities however so this probably won't work out in the long run... What then would you say the class version of DRK would be? I think having a new class that is efficient with two-handed swords would be pretty cool. Maybe a "Berzerker" type class or something? When people speak of adding in new "jobs" those said jobs would have to be branched off of a base class or a new class would have to be implemented in order to make the system work correctly. I'm just curious to hear what your ideas are for DRK. As to your original posting's cotext. DRKs should never be tanks IMO. The heavy armor should just be a means to keep them from dieing if they pull aggro after sacrificing their HPs in order to deal devastating blows to opponents. Of course there will still be DRKs who will try to dawn tanking armor and try to tank...

[Mercurias]

I would like to see DKs as melee debuffers in Lancer/DRG weight armor, with acceptable DPS that can spike with HP sacrifice-based moves. Probably deal less damage than monk, but have skills or spells that would make enemies easier to take down. On parties where the debuffs won't be as useful, the could focus on the spike damage while they have healers to fuel their skills to keep them on an even keel with other DPS.

I like the idea of hp loss to fuel a skill because it has a risk component that will keep you from spamming those skills. I would also see where a WHM or SCH would go utterly crazy and hate DKs in teams, however, so maybe it could have its own HP restoration skill to keep the edge off the healers, if it can be done in a balanced way.

I would imagine a LOT of GCD skills involving the weapon with instants being hp fueled.

That's just me, though.

[Jandor]

It could be a job for Gladiator/Thaumaturge.

Level 30 job skill could be a stance that converts enmity generating skills into skills that create stacks of 'soul' (name could use work) that do damage over time to you but increase your attack power. Dropping the stance would drop all your stacks. The rest of the job skills could do interesting things with utilizing them, consuming them for big spike damage or self heal etc.
I'd also give the job a combo ability off of Riot blade that does decent damage but without the additional enmity of Halone so that they can keep up there attacks without creating more stacks. It'd be a balancing act to play, and very hard for the devs to balance but I think it could be a lot of fun.

[Bloodclaw]

The problem here is that they cannot keep adding DPS classes and leave out tanks, otherwise you're never going to find a tank in DF, so before they start plaguing the game with dps they should at least add 1 tank and 1 healer.
Or just make the DRK a tank

I totally think we need 2 new tanks and healers for each DPS added for a bit. I am leveling DPS and I see the problem. However, if you actually read the OP, this class has almost entirely been a DPS class when playable as the main PC. In one instance they were a Tank in X-2. They could make it a tank, I am not deluded enough to say its impossible, but it would be another odd-ball in its history. So we are left with what is needed, and what people who are actually FANS of the class want it to be. I honestly don't think people echoing the want and need for it to be a tank are actual fans of the class (which I could be wrong but confident in my opinion). Personally, I bought War of the Lions JUST because I got the play as a DRK in the game. In the end, I see the need personally, but as fan I hope not to end up with another summoner, a class shoe-horned to fix a need or role, rather than what it was supposed to be.
So I think people will have to look else where.

[Bloodclaw]

To the OP. I noticed in the FF2 weapon skill listing DRKs have a higher proficiency with axes than swords. Maybe they could branch DRK off of MRD if this is the case? MRDs have threat building abilities however so this probably won't work out in the long run... What then would you say the class version of DRK would be? I think having a new class that is efficient with two-handed swords would be pretty cool. Maybe a "Berzerker" type class or something? When people speak of adding in new "jobs" those said jobs would have to be branched off of a base class or a new class would have to be implemented in order to make the system work correctly. I'm just curious to hear what your ideas are for DRK. As to your original posting's cotext. DRKs should never be tanks IMO. The heavy armor should just be a means to keep them from dieing if they pull aggro after sacrificing their HPs in order to deal devastating blows to opponents. Of course there will still be DRKs who will try to dawn tanking armor and try to tank...

As it has been stated with the FF-IV fans, that these things of can be modified by a stance upping damage and removing enmity. Honestly I think all jobs will follow in the path that Scholar has, giving a different role to a class, so they will find a way. I hope it is Gladiator or some new class will be the base for dark knight, some how, because it would be cool to have a dark tank (My warrior) and a dark DPS to play. I don't think it is going to be Lancer on these same grounds as that would give them 2 DPS jobs that run on the same stat of strength. But the honest candidate I see is the marauder, unless the grant a 3rd cross-class skill option to each jobs.
I came up with the same idea of a two-handed class. As to the berserker, I think that maybe ether a tank or dps. If it is a dps, it will probably be a DPS from the marauder class, however I think that role was sort of taken by the current warrior if you follow the job's storyline.

[Saiken]

Coming from FFXI and maining DRK and having gotten all the best gear for it through lvl99 cap, I am also on the side of wanting it to be a DD class. I know I am probably biased, but as the OP has listed, DRK has been a DD class in most iterations of its incarnation.

Yes they sometimes wear heavy armor, but that doesn't mean they are meant to tank. FFXI is a great example of that. DRK wore heavy armor and still was very squishy, but a MNK in light armor was able to take hits far better than a DRK could(until Apocalypse then DRK/SAM was both tank and DD haha).

[chococo]

The problem here is that they cannot keep adding DPS classes and leave out tanks, otherwise you're never going to find a tank in DF, so before they start plaguing the game with dps they should at least add 1 tank and 1 healer.
Or just make the DRK a tank

Just a thought, it's not really about the ratio of tank jobs vs DPS jobs, but rather the ratio of players wanting to play tanks vs the players wanting to play DPS. Even if there's only say 2 DPS in the game, if I don't want to play tank, I'd pick one of the 2 DPS anyway. In essence, a DPS player will just choose the DPS that suits him/her the most out of the number of possible choices, be it 2, 3, or 100.

[Bloodclaw]

Just a thought, it's not really about the ratio of tank jobs vs DPS jobs, but rather the ratio of players wanting to play tanks vs the players wanting to play DPS. Even if there's only say 2 DPS in the game, if I don't want to play tank, I'd pick one of the 2 DPS anyway. In essence, a DPS player will just choose the DPS that suits him/her the most out of the number of possible choices, be it 2, 3, or 100.

You are correct, however the idea is to throw enough options out there so that it might draw more people in due to their themes. You have the Japanese tank: Sam, Dark tank: Warrior, Light Tank: Paladain, Magic Tank: ???, Dodge Tank: ???, etc...

Also another thing that might be a problem is ratio of classes. Perhaps having only 2 tanks and 4 damage dealers is a tad off. Too many people leveling their DPS classes and not enough leveling tanks.

With a need for tanks, having more options will help, but it should be class concepts that work as such and work how people expect them to, especially to keep things like the current summoner from happening again.