Another Tank Rework Thread

[Krr]

Probably the biggest crime of class and encounter design in this game is how so many classes end up with skills that are totally useless in group play thanks to the boss immunity system deciding that they can't be debuffed in any meaningful way that isn't "% damage reduction". It's proven that skill channels can be given 'no interruption' properties with how the Sahaugin caster adds are designed (can be stunned, but not while casting dreadstorm) to prevent players from breaking encounter scripts, and the DR and TP systems alone mean that infinite stunlocks (or slow-locks, or blind-locks, or bind-locks,) aren't possible.

Yet, I haven't seen a single space where Lethargy, Feint, Shield Swipe's pacify, Sleep, Freeze, etc etc etc has any practical use endgame, even though it's clear they're designed as offensive utility skills. Because, I guess, bosses need to be arbitrarily invincible to all of these useful things a class can do forever with no exception.

EDIT:

And about the "effects" - as a healer or OT I rarely see PLD using flash on single target. And this is mistake. 21 second of blind (when chain-flashed) is something worth mentioning. Even smaller number of PLDns re-apply the blind after some time (when immune fells off). Ask yourself how many times you were fighting the boss and didn't use a single flash?

What is the actual effects of Flash's Blind status? We're never told how much it reduces accuracy and I've never seen numbers on how it influences mob accuracy or what enemies' starting accuracy even *is* or even whether it affects various things like block/parry/dodge... That goes hand in hand with the problem of opacity of the class's game mechanics, IMO.

Also, there's a significant difference in forcing people to use their skills to maximum utility, and being able to tap a higher skill ceiling than what's expected of you to do more. The DPS role is a great example of this - staying alive and doing acceptable-ish damage as a DPS is fairly easy. Staying alive and doing the maximum possible damage with that life is a realm of constant player growth and understanding not only your class but how it interacts with each encounter you face above and beyond "don't die to the mechanic". And when they do - the fight becomes easier, you get more windows to breathe and more windows to focus on the boss, and the fight ends faster, creating less possibilities for error. PLD has a few of these - like the aforementioned Flash, and little tricks like maintank Oath juggling - but they feel extremely inconsequential or borderline 'exploits' given to you by having too much gear.

Tanks don't have this skill ceiling. Very frequently, you either use your cooldowns right and don't die, or you fail and do. Or worse, they're not necessary and their use feels inconsequential. You either perform the recipe for instant snap aggro or aggro recovery and the party is safe, or you don't and they die. Once you master this - it often feels like there's little else to go towards on a tank, other than understanding the latest Dance Dance Revolution pattern for the next fight.

[VargasVermillion]

The blind on flash would be most useful against groups of mobs anyway in the same way bulwark is better for mitigating damage against groups than single targets.