Not finding DRK squishy at all.

[Reynhart]

I've recently tried Turn 11 in a 7-man PT.
Both the other tank and me were DRK (lvl 56 for him and 53 for me)

As soon as the boss starts, we were literraly destroyed as each cleave hit us for around 4-5k. We felt really strange, having doone the fight several times, him as a WAR and me as a PLD. After numerous wipes, we left, took our old tank, and came back.
As a WAR, he was taking 4-5k with each cleave and I was more around 3-3.5k.

Strange that he should take the same damage as a WAR 50 than a DRK 56, and I should take less as a PLD 50 than a DRK 53.

So, we decided to do some test on normal mobs. We stayed in AoE for several minutres, comparing damage taken between a DRK 56 in Grit and a PLD 50 in Shield Oath (Weapons sheated, back turned, no parry or block).
It appears that the DRK took constantly more damage than the PLD...Something like 250 vs 300. In fact, even if I canceled Shield Oath, I still took less damage than the DRK.

Remember that he has 6 more level than me, a better Defense, magic Defense, Vitality and even Elemental resistance. He wxwas above me in everything.

First, we though that maybe Grit is bugged, so he canceled it...and took even more damage.

Ok, so if the skill works fine, maybe Defense is the problem. So, we removed all gear to bring our defense to 0...and we started to take both almost the same damage.

We plan to do some more testing to see if this first clue can be confirmed. If DRK's defence is bugged, it can explain why some people find the DRK very squishy for some content.

[RuneSevalle]

Ok, so if the skill works fine, maybe Defense is the problem. So, we removed all gear to bring our defense to 0...and we started to take both almost the same damage.

We plan to do some more testing to see if this first clue can be confirmed. If DRK's defence is bugged, it can explain why some people find the DRK very squishy for some content.

Please tell me you filed a bug report about this. This is a pretty important oversight if DRK is broken in such a way. Just compounds the issue of our CDs being pretty meh.

[Reynhart]

Please tell me you filed a bug report about this. This is a pretty important oversight if DRK is broken in such a way. Just compounds the issue of our CDs being pretty meh.

I'll do it after more tests.
A couple of hits is hardly enough evidence.

[BadRNG]

We plan to do some more testing to see if this first clue can be confirmed. If DRK's defence is bugged, it can explain why some people find the DRK very squishy for some content.

Have you tested any of this with a DRK and WAR/PLD of equal level in non-synced content? I ask because I have heard of other instances of people doing synced content and, despite(or perhaps because) being higher level, taking much more damage than normal. Similarly, try a DRK at 50 and the PLD at 53.

[Reynhart]

Have you tested any of this with a DRK and WAR/PLD of equal level in non-synced content? I ask because I have heard of other instances of people doing synced content and, despite(or perhaps because) being higher level, taking much more damage than normal. Similarly, try a DRK at 50 and the PLD at 53.

Equal level, not yet.
But we checked on overworld monsters, like peistes near Bluefog.

But it seems to us that an higher level, with more defense and elementral resist should always take less damage. I even removed my shield to prevent some invisible bonus that might apply.
But I'll do more test as soon as I can

[BadRNG]

Equal level, not yet.
But we checked on overworld monsters, like peistes near Bluefog.

But it seems to us that an higher level, with more defense and elementral resist should always take less damage. I even removed my shield to prevent some invisible bonus that might apply.
But I'll do more test as soon as I can

It makes the most sense for us if it did work like that, higher number = better effect, but it's not how the game really handles it. Stats scale differently depending on your level, it takes more of it to have the same effect. If it didn't work this way then eventually, after enough expansions/gear upgrades, we'd all be running around with 100% defense, crit, parry, etc.

It wouldn't hurt to test some more to be certain but I think that is what is happening here.

[Reynhart]

If it didn't work this way then eventually, after enough expansions/gear upgrades, we'd all be running around with 100% defense, crit, parry, etc.

As long as Defense, Crit, Parry, etc...are tied to the difference between stats, you could always stay in reasonable numbers. Yes, you'd have godlike stats if the mob if too low for you, but it's hardly relevent.
(In fact, in 1.xx, that was the case. As a PLD50, with a Rage Of Halone, I'd do around 500 damage on a lvl50. And around 4000 on a lvl40.)

I don't understand how, towards the same monster, having more defense makes you take more damage.