SAMURAI SHOWDOWN

[Ciri_Wolf]

They could easily have SAM a tank and make Red mage the rapier/sword users for the DPS who want it.

True. Or they could reverse it

[Shippuu]

True. Or they could reverse it

Sure, except one of these setups creates far less work than the other. Samurai as a tank means it can still share fending armor with the other tanks, and has a common damage type along with the other tanks. Red Mage, not so much.

[Alacran]

Many have often quoted interviews as to where Yoshida has claimed Samurai would better fit the DPS role, however as I personally have not been able to find the quote, it has always been somewhat suspect to myself (not saying it is non existent, I simply have not been able to verify). What information I have found is in the video link posted below, specifically 22:15 begins a break down of how each job is not only chosen by the Entire team, but also specifically mentions that out of Two possible Tank options both DRK and SAM were in essence already designed for the role.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpxsH2rBGuw

Because of the European themes DRK was chosen this time around. Concept art, skill use, model renders, all of the development resources that went into making the Other Tank option, (Samurai) are still there, time that need not be wasted shoehorning another job in to a Tank role when one has already been made.

I have to wonder how the culture that actually has the Samurai tied so intrinsically to it's history sees the job represented. Surely I see the European Knight, the Warrior who comes from all walks of life, from every region, and the Dark Knight of actual and fantastical history, as protectors. Why the sudden disbelief that a Samurai was somehow unable to stand in the vanguard with these mythical icons simply astounds me. I could be wrong but did Samurai not have a Bushido code similar to Chivalry that stressed Morals, Honor, and Loyalty until death? The idea of seeing Samurai behind the enemy jockeying for positional set ups simply seems ludicrous.

[Shippuu]

Many have often quoted interviews as to where Yoshida has claimed Samurai would better fit the DPS role, however as I personally have not been able to find the quote, it has always been somewhat suspect to myself (not saying it is non existent, I simply have not been able to verify). What information I have found is in the video link posted below, specifically 22:15 begins a break down of how each job is not only chosen by the Entire team, but also specifically mentions that out of Two possible Tank options both DRK and SAM were in essence already designed for the role.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpxsH2rBGuw

(I know this was from a few pages ago but I needed time to collect the resources to make this post.)

The article in question where it was first mentioned is actually this japanese interview from Game Watch. This is the first article that began the spreading of "Yoshi-P said SAM is a DPS!" that goes around, and it comes from a very simplified translation summary that was posted (to reddit I believe) that basically said "In Yoshida's head he sees SAM as a dps."

But when you actually translate the interview, it goes more in depth as to why. He reiterates that Samurai was initially the developer's choice for Heavensward's tank(meaning depsite how Yoshi felt about it, it was still on the development floor as a potential tank). But then the decision was later changed to Dark Knight to better fit the theme of Ishgard. Then he goes into talking about the mental image of what he pictures in his mind when he thinks about a Samurai. And that is of a kinagashi wearing iaido master.

僕の中の侍のイメージは、着流しに刀を下げ、居合の達人という感じです。どちらかと言えば、ロールはDPSのイメージの方が強いのです。

In bold is 着流し = Kinagashi. 居合 = Iaido. For those who don't know, a kinagashi looks like this:



This explains a lot when you then look at when Yoshida thinks about a Samurai and why he's say it would make more sense as a dps. And why later he would talk about things like calling a tank samurai a Shogun because again he thinks of samurai as the later ronin-like archetype, not a warrior decked out in ornate armor.

So that becomes an issue, you see plenty of people clamoring for a DPS Samurai, but I have a feeling a lot of them would be disappointed if they ended up with essentially a robe wearing version of a samurai, and not the big armored version.

So in a sense, not even Yoshida sees the armored variety of samurai as a DPS.

[ADVSS]

I can see where youre going with this, anf it made a little more sense, in the case that youre speaking of though the classic samurai look in FF has always been the shogun, heavy armored one, so it could very likely be a tank. Though before 11 they really didnt have much in place of signature moves, tactics had them blade grasp(up to 99% evasion physical with full brave) and using katana as consumable items for aoe spell effects. Earlier there was GIL TOSS in ff5 and then Cyan from FF6 using several high powered blade attacks(but they were slow charging) as for the classic image of samurai and what it has been in previous iterations, has been a katana wielding, heavy armor using melee.

[Krissey]

AKA

[Handheld]

AKA

If you look up traditional Samurai you get a very very different picture.

[Laerune]

All these tanks vs dps conversation is pointless, its obvious that Samurai will be a healer with a bow.

[Krissey]

Remember how in almost every anime ever the Samurai rushes forward, there's a flash of light, and 10 bad guys all fall over in a line dead? Or they show the same thing but the Samurai zig-zags through them and...there's a flash of light...and they all fall over dead?

What makes you think Samurai would be anything other than a DPS cutting down enemies just like in literally every anime ever?

[Alacran]

Remember how in almost every anime ever the Samurai rushes forward, there's a flash of light, and 10 bad guys all fall over in a line dead? Or they show the same thing but the Samurai zig-zags through them and...there's a flash of light...and they all fall over dead?

What makes you think Samurai would be anything other than a DPS cutting down enemies just like in literally every anime ever?

The idea is they are skilled enough to attack a lesser skilled opponent before they had time to react, head on. As you said they "rushed forward" not waited for someone else to turn the enemy away from them. If you can show a link to the anime you mentioned where the the Samurai fought like assassins using two handed Katana and attacked from behind the enemy as a DPS please share. I enjoy Anime with martial arts scenes.