The Point of DRKness

[Jpec07]

So, I've seen a lot of people making an argument lately that I'm really trying to understand. They're saying that if PLD is buffed in 3.2 and its damage brought closer to par, that playing a DRK will suddenly have no point.

This baffles me.

In my opinion, DRK is a very well-designed job that has a very high skill threshold. Competence and mastery of the job and its mechanics are at a higher level than either of the other tanks, and can be incredibly rewarding. The gameplay is unique and fresh (doing more intensive MP management than healers), they have a strong niche as the anti-magic tank, and the aesthetic and class flavor is extremely consistent and well done.

All around, DRK is just a really fun job, and I have a hard time grasping why someone would give it up.

Does efficiency really trump gameplay in terms of something being enjoyable?

[Joe_Schmoe]

Does efficiency really trump gameplay in terms of something being enjoyable?

My theory, from past experience playing WoW, is that one has played all the classes so many times that you get burned out on all of them. Then it just becomes efficiency > fun after that.

As far as DRK goes, I've yet to play it. But if it's anything like death knights in WoW I'll probably like everything about them except the aesthetics (too much emo-goth for my taste), which kills it for me.

[deastr]

But if it's anything like death knights in WoW I'll probably like everything about them except the aesthetics (too much emo-goth for my taste), which kills it for me.

You don't necessarily have to be edgy



/offtopic

[MagiusNecros]

If content is physically heavy I'd go PLD...if it's more magical then DRK.

Only thing that baffles me is why they call it Dark Knight instead of Blackguard. The class just feels like a Dark version of Paladin that just specializes in MP management and mitigating magical damage as it's main gimmick.

[Lan_Mantear]

The class just feels like a Dark version of Paladin that just specializes in MP management and mitigating magical damage as it's main gimmick.

You can thank Cecil Harvey for that.

[MagiusNecros]

You can thank Cecil Harvey for that.

Nah I can thank the dev team for that. At least Cecil when he ran as a Dark Knight he stayed true to the formula. I don't understand how they could fuck up with past entries with Dark Knight such as Cecil's limited foray in IV, XI and even the recent FF Explorers. Even X-2 did it justice. Baffling.

You know what Class actually sacrifices HP? Black Mage. With Convert. Pfffft.

[IskarJarak]

Only thing that baffles me is why they call it Dark Knight instead of Blackguard. The class just feels like a Dark version of Paladin that just specializes in MP management and mitigating magical damage as it's main gimmick.

In the Japanese version Paladin is Knight, so... Dark Knight actually makes sense if you follow your own logic. :P

[Syzygian]

This entire notion that is being perpetuated that DRK is bad anywhere outside of Alex Savage is complete garbage as is the notion that if they buff PLD's damage (PLD is getting adjustments but I highly doubt this means a DPS boost up to DRK/WAR levels... it doesn't make any sense from a design perspective) DRK will be obsolete.

I've offered to go PLD for certain fights for my raid group, and they've all chanted "NO" at the top of their lungs. The fact is DRK proved itself as a tank in the most difficult tier of raids the dev team has put out to date, and they've come right out and said it'll never be that hard again for the foreseeable future. People like to say "oh well its only because blah blah all the fights are magical..." bullshit. A2S was almost 100% physical, A3S for all intents and purposes was 100% physical as well with the sole exception of drainage tethers.

I hope PLD gets some nice buffs too but its a far cry from rendering DRK obsolete. Its an entirely different tank with different utilities. If anything I would hope the pally buffs can make the DRK/PLD comp feasible.

[AlexiIvaniskavich]

This entire notion that is being perpetuated that DRK is bad anywhere outside of Alex Savage is complete garbage as is the notion that if they buff PLD's damage (PLD is getting adjustments but I highly doubt this means a DPS boost up to DRK/WAR levels... it doesn't make any sense from a design perspective) DRK will be obsolete.

I've offered to go PLD for certain fights for my raid group, and they've all chanted "NO" at the top of their lungs. The fact is DRK proved itself as a tank in the most difficult tier of raids the dev team has put out to date, and they've come right out and said it'll never be that hard again for the foreseeable future. People like to say "oh well its only because blah blah all the fights are magical..." bullshit. A2S was almost 100% physical, A3S for all intents and purposes was 100% physical as well with the sole exception of drainage tethers.

When we were first working on ThorEx, I rolled both DRK and PLD. I asked the healers which class they liked better for dealing with the damage. The answer was a resounding "meh". There wasn't really any difference in their eyes. I ended up staying as PLD on that fight for 2 reasons 1) I was rolling as DRK on almost all other Raid content, and 2) We PUG ThorEx more often, and I like to roll in there on the weakest class (based on damage output) because I do bring the damage, and it is a nice reminder that PLD's can do reasonable damage.

[MiniPrinny]

Only thing that baffles me is why they call it Dark Knight instead of Blackguard.

If you paid attention to the post-50 Job quests, we're better knights than the knights of Ishgard. We're pretty much the enforcers of the law, we go where the law enforcers dare not to enforce the law upon the law enforcers.