Job Tweak Suggestions Tank Roles

[Instrumentality]

Consider severe reworking of GLD and PLD for 4.0.

What is wrong with Paladin outside of its AOE damage potential (which should be buffed to...actually have it)?

[Xenosan]

I'm partial most to an Enhanced Parry trait for tanks present and future, unlocked at level 20, unique for each one. (like to add 2cents where i can)

****parry buffs that won't happen but a boy can dream*****

Enhanced Parry (Warrior)
+15% Attack Speed for the next GCD (and remaining GCD) on Parry Proc

[* Every DPS/Tank already has every incentive to keep their GCD wheel spinning. If WAR parries an attack while their GCD is idle (not spinning), they only receive the +15% increased GCD speed for 1 GCD. But if the GCD wheel is already spinning when the Parry procs, then the remaining amount of current GCD spin is increased as well the next. So instead of just 1 GCD it's 1.x GCDs. Raw Intuition gets a lot more interesting. I think it's a suitable identity and play mechanic for the 'Berserker' job. Goad please.]

Enhanced Parry (Paladin)
When parrying an attack, the next Weaponskill will inflict a critical hit.

[* Pretty cookie-cutter, but Crit is king.]

Enhanced Parry(Dark Knight)
When parrying an attack, MP is restored.

[* Either same or fraction of the amount of a Blood Price MP restore. DRK doesn't learn Blood Price until a higher level, so this will help at lower levels. Parry mechanic works as a passive Blood Price trait. Dark Dance becomes even more versatile.]

**** ****

What is wrong with Paladin outside of its AOE damage potential (which should be buffed to...actually have it)?

I think the purpose of the shield needs to be redefined, personally. The Low Blow reset chance of Parry procs on Dark Knights for example, for me that makes more sense as mechanic for shields, shield block RNG procs, and Paladins (being a DRK, I'm not complaining tho!).

That Swipe adjustment was disappointing for me - redeeming strictly on grounds of being made oGCD. But I thought they could have been more creative (and still can be in the future) for different types block proc triggers and perks.

A slightly faster GCD would be appreciated, just to contrasts PLD from DRK/WAR and other 2 handed weapon users (which essentially all other jobs are, since SE hates 1-handed WHM/BLM). But in making a change so integral like that they'd have to retouch the entire kit, WS potencies, TP costs, etc. I think that's what they refer to as a severe reworking. Changes so core that they may require adjustments for everything else down the pipe.

Also would like Block Strength to fluctuate based on damage amounts relative to PLD attack power (version of the Strength scaling of Block strength in 2.x that isn't linear, and wouldn't become OP like it would have if they had kept it. Instead of removing it - why not fix it ; ; ).

[Shurrikhan]

What is wrong with Paladin outside of its AOE damage potential (which should be buffed to...actually have it)?

Chiefly unique means of creating interesting gameplay outside of its choice utilities. Originally this was a non-concern in that it was the quintessential tank. Now that it is not, or is certainly not unique in that lineup, I feel it needs a bit more to feel fleshed out as a class/job. I also just feel like there's a huge amount of yet untapped potential it could use.

Edit: For instance, in line with the evasion/deflection (RNG mitigation) system revisions I suggested, you could make it so blinding not only increases dodge chance, but makes it easier for you to block and parry blinded enemies, in other words opening them up to a variety of your tools rather than just chunkily increasing RNG mitigation. You can allow dodges, blocks, and parries to stack to some degree (the block reduces damage dealt, rather flatly, the parry reduces enemy accuracy based on your own and your AP, and your evasion decreases [tapers off] the portion of damage to be taken from the attack—unique but simultaneous systems with greater gameplay and priority differentiation). You can, unique to GLD/PLD, allow dodges, blocks, and parries to perhaps hit nearby enemies upon having missed or glanced off of you, based on the amount RNG-mitigated and your positioning. Awareness can be adjusted to not only reduce critical strike chance against you (and many may rejoice if the CD was reduced to 90s by default), but in GLD/PLD's case allow parries behind you. Or, Awareness may even be made something else entirely, while enemy crits are no longer automatically immune to blocks and parries. All's up for grabs, as long as it creates compelling gameplay in which the three tanks remain balanced. (Now, of course, with the above changes you'd also want some new limiter to mob turning speeds and behavior as not to play havoc on melee positionals when you're making mobs tear each other a new one in a very GLD-unique form of AoE.)

Some (to me) attractive but entirely rough spitball concepts:

• Redirecting attacks (a unique source of AoE damage, or one that GLD/PLD most excels in due to its greater control over its RNG mitigation sources).
• Tank/DPS stances as... neither, and both. E.g. Sword Oath can have particular uses in parrying and suppressing, while Shield Oath can still dish out a mean ton of additional shield-based damage, offering alternate suppression and cover in the OT position.
• Can 'daze' (a new, no-DR effect) following a block/parry of x% of the original damage (see below), reducing their resistance to your next attack within, say, 1 second.
• Direct CD synergy, including on the cooling rates themselves. Certain skills, procs, or effects may advanced certain CD timers. This should be used in order to create tactical thought between immediate and long-term choices, not just to embonus uptime.
• Whatever looks like an AoE, is to some regard an AoE. (PLD would probably have the least power in this concept, making up for it only with greater Attack Redirection, but can nonetheless line up mobs into a single RoH, alternate right and left cleaves with FB and SB, cut between enemies with RA, or even, say, cumulatively spread debuffs in its 450-degree spin starting from 270-degrees.) [That last bit standing as an example of too extreme of geometric effects.]
• Channeled mitigation skills - Shield full out there, meant more for taking many smaller attacks than being an obligatory save from tank-busters. Has its own recharge rate to reach full effect again. Offers certain tanks, at certain times, a playstyle slightly divorced from the GCD-locked gameplay of the rest of the game.
• Flex systems, perhaps through AP absorbed creating bonus AP over the next X duration, or even bonus attack speed. In this way, a channeled mitigation skill, if deemed core to the job's identity and used skillfully, doesn't necessarily upset your rotations or damage dealing. You feel like a tank, who will prioritize like a tank, but not like a "turtle" who has to sacrifice any other real gameplay for those especially tank-ish options when used.
• Accuracy, rather than damage itself, now carries the +/- 5% maximum deviation. Accuracy now determines damage, tapering off exponentially with missing accuracy. The soft-cap for accuracy has decreased. Its hard cap has faintly increased. (Real implications below)
• RNG mitigation systems are no longer static scalars, nor mutually exclusive. They now remove a combination of flat and percentile damage based on the tank's attack power, their accuracy, and enemy accuracy. Blocks remove flat damage based on attack power and shield type. Parries reduce enemy accuracy based on the tank's attack power relative to the attack's would-be damage (technically, a flat amount [AP] creates a flat reduction, through exponential percentage mitigation [lost accuracy]). Evasion offsets enemy accuracy, reducing [truly] percentage damage taken [relative to enemy accuracy]. This means that none are individually likely to be too strong or weak and all may be much more reliable now that they now longer give all or none of their mitigation.
• As a result, certain skills that would decrease enemy damage through stat reduction, %damage reduction, or blinding now have additional synergy (rather than occasional reverse-synergy) with dependent and alternative skills. Rage of Halone not only weakens the original blow, but allows an additional percentage (albeit the same flat amount) to be reduced by the following parry or block, while Flash or DA-DP would increase the relative effects of evasion or parries.
• Certain 'suppressive' weaponskills, like Rage of Halone or Delirium have had the systems they affect adjusted slightly such that these weaponskills now also have some offensive merit. Put simply, some mobs are better able to now defend themselves, but those defenses can be weakened by such weaponskills because of the above changes. For instance, enemies may be more able to block or parry; Rage of Halone, by reducing enemy strength, reduces the AP by which they could affect yours and your allies attacks with either, while also reducing the health they'd generate with AP-based self healing abilities.

Some spitball skill revision ideas as directly applicable to PLD:

• Royal Authority itself now generates some attack speed, stacking up to three times, but each stack fading individually. RA's own damage decreases per stack. (Essentially, this opens up a couple new rotational possibilities in combination with the fillers below, allowing for more tactical gameplay that might wait until a stack is about to fall off, readying a burst of speed, and then secure the next two stacks. Whether RA is spammed or used individually, its damage over time remains the same. Its only true internal re-balancing is higher enmity output from more frequent Savage Blade uses.)
• Shield Swipe no longer requires a block, but only functions off-GCD following block, and cannot do so again for 15 seconds. This cooldown shows over the ability, even while still available only as a weaponskill. This allows for filler in the OT rotation, and gives the GLD/PLD more readied access to Pacification. Shelltron remains a damage-augmenter at worst.
• Your Oaths are now charged abilities that generate an additional effect and its duration over their charge time of 1/2 to 2 GCDs. Sword Oath generates attack speed, Shield Oath generates additional defense and builds 'blocked' resource.
• The base effect of Sword Oath has been changed to grant Crusade. Each attack you use without a combo bonus generates stacks of Crusade. Crusade allows you, at stack cost based on combo position and steps skipped, to skip parts of a given combo, or duplicate your last attack, without losing the combo bonus. Damage (direct) or duration (DoT) of Crusade-affected skills face some reduced damage. Used optimally, the value of Sword Oath in single-target should be around 14%. In a cleave situation, it may be far superior. Though the simple idea of a stack system is already used by Warrior, that in itself is far from a redundancy. What Crusade allows should be a yet unique form of accelerated gameplay.
• Shield Oath now also allows you to store blocked damage as a resource, empowering and allowing you to cleave with your shield skills. I'll leave the rest to your imagination.

[Instrumentality]

It sounds like you want Paladin from Cata/Panda era WoW to be directly ported over to XIV?

That could be ok, I guess.

[Shurrikhan]

It sounds like you want Paladin from Cata/Panda era WoW to be directly ported over to XIV?

That could be ok, I guess.

Not remotely.

Retribution Aura does not allow you to use enemy attacks to strike other nearby enemies; it merely deals flat damage per hit, excelling only against numerous light blows. Prot PLD could daze, but this did not increase vulnerability or decrease evasion, let alone against the set PLD specifically (what you see with Warrior's CS, etc.). WoW PLD has no combos; it's a whack-a-mole CD priority rotation. WoW PLD makes few if any compromises. Prot PLD itself required at that time (and still does, imo) little foresight, whereas the above suggestions would desire considerable setup. WoW PLD has no weapon-prioritizing stances. Cata's Vengeance bonus tank AP mechanics were based on base damage taken, iirc, not just mitigated. I don't recall any way (until Legion Holy PLD) that positioning could have an effect through unique class mechanics. Cata/Mists PLD merely had Holy Power stacks generated from filler to be spent on a variety of nukes (much more freely than our combos), not differentiatiable resource stacking for accelerated outputs (Sword Oath above) or readied defenses/utility (Shield Oath above).