Intuitive Tanking.

[Shurrikhan]

Somewhat off topic, but along the lines of what I think of when I hear "intuitive tanking" -- greater use of geometry in fights, and those mechanics more manipulable, using the whole team potentially.

The only thing I'd really like to see is some way by which the tank's role could be less isolated and/or taken for granted. As much as I'd fear the idea of 'team effort' tanking in a DF, I can't help but want the thrill of a truly difficult and coordinated effort being needed to survive, at least in certain fights. Split-cleaves are one example of this. Damage-reduced cleaves are another, where as the cleave moves through from point A to B (e.g. right to left on a dullahan swing or whatnot), each player hit reduces its remaining damage to be dealt. Damage-for-interruption would be another, where burst damage, especially physical, could help to balk or stifle an enemy attack. At that point, everyone's taking, everyone has to deal with it, and the step to playing a real tank is no longer so huge. The only remaining step is to how to stay entertained without any real [dps] rotation. On that note, I do hope both PLD and WAR might get a bit more interesting rotations with time--wouldn't take much. Counter-attacks (where damage attacking in a certain direction partially assists damage to be done in the opposite direction, especially from that attack's intended target (who has dodged)) might also make tanking more interesting.

In terms of making tanks more desirable generally, one could always bring in some manner of functional weapon types, where the difference goes beyond merely which ability is used for your obligatory 10% damage bonus--e.g. piercing excels in creating bypasses through armor and sharp interruption; blunt can deal more interruption, esp. through armor, and increases bypass sizes; slashing damage has a small native cleave mechanic, etc.. Probably would only fit if the abilities themselves dealt damage according to each attack within the ability, i.e. 2 attacks in Dragon Kick, Maim, and Straight Shot, 3 in Chaos Thrust, a bunch in Demolish...

Edit: with the tanks being the only slashing types, the native cleave mechanic on slashing attacks might give them a bit more to work with than just Flash, Overpower, and Steel Cyclone on AoE pulls.