Do YOU think we'll get a new Tank and/or Healer in 4.0? And vice versa.

[SendohJin]

well if given tank role, it will definitely have melee as its larger focus...and then it will have to have alot of its skillset eaten by repeat abilities needed for a tank, kind of limits the whole spell list to maybe about what drk has currently

it doesn't have to, we're only stuck in that mindset because all the existing ones do it. maybe trying to make it not have to is what will make the job different from all the other tanks.

and limited spell list is no big deal, BLM might have a bigger list but the 2.x rotation is more than 50% Fire 1 and the 3.x rotation is still dominated by Fire IV. SMN is supposed to be a casting job and it only has 4 main spells none of which has to do with summoning.

[Zojha]

it doesn't have to, we're only stuck in that mindset because all the existing ones do it. maybe trying to make it not have to is what will make the job different from all the other tanks.

Honestly, to be DF compatible every tank needs to have the tools to deal with the situations imposed by the dungeons/raids in the DF. There are tank busters so anti-tank buster moves are a given. I'm inclined to say a tank stance is given as well, as are several "aggro-spells" - whether they're a combo or not at least is up in the air. One of them however will be AoE and spammable. Likely some form of hard CC as well. And an "oh-snap" ultimate on a long CD. Oh, and it'll either have it's own provoke or cross class off GLD.

Basic tank toolkit - I doubt they'll make a tank that runs into situations where a properly geared one cannot do the content because he simply lacks the abilities to deal with it.

[SendohJin]

Honestly, to be DF compatible every tank needs to have the tools to deal with the situations imposed by the dungeons/raids in the DF.

Nothing I said implies they wouldn't have those tools. Those tools just don't have to be melee TP based combos.

[Zojha]

Nothing I said implies they wouldn't have those tools. Those tools just don't have to be melee TP based combos.

Agreed. I just feel the person you quoted earlier was in the right when he said a significant part of the skillset would (necessarily) be eaten by repeat abilities. I'd also agree that melee will be the focus of any tank, seeing as all mobs run to the target with aggro - and it would be a huge inconvenience for every melee to run after a kiting tank >_>

[AlphaFox]

That would be the likely source. They could use hammers and maces as their main weapon. The version in FFExplorers had a handful of defensive buffs that could translate, too.

Plus, if monk in Ala Mhigan, then Geomancer in their Feng Shui Warrior style could have roots tied to their city.

They could even incorporate the traditional Geomancy skill by have a few cooldowns/attacks that have a different added effect that changes depending on the environment.

Something tells me they would end up doing it like monks fist of wind/earth/fire but perhaps like "Aura of Forest/mountain/sea" or such to allow them access to all skills at that time, like a small animation involved grass popping around the Geomancer (kinda like Sephs ultimate) and so on for it. While I would prefer it be based on the enviorment, I'd assume once it gets added all boss battles from then on would have to allow the Geomancer to not be shunned cus of the terrain.

[SendohJin]

Agreed. I just feel the person you quoted earlier was in the right when he said a significant part of the skillset would (necessarily) be eaten by repeat abilities. I'd also agree that melee will be the focus of any tank, seeing as all mobs run to the target with aggro - and it would be a huge inconvenience for every melee to run after a kiting tank >_>

There's a huge difference between a casting tank and a kiting tank. PLDs cast Flash and Clemency and they don't kite.

There's no functional difference between a RDM casting Fire II to hold aggro vs a PLD casting Flash or a WAR using Overpower.

[Shurrikhan]

There's a huge difference between a casting tank and a kiting tank. PLDs cast Flash and Clemency and they don't kite.

There's no functional difference between a RDM casting Fire II to hold aggro vs a PLD casting Flash or a WAR using Overpower.

Except that, as it stand so far, there are no traits to prevent interruption, only Surecast, and you cannot dodge, block, or parry during a cast. These things can easily be fixed, but their not being pointed out or having suggestions made to counter that makes the idea of, say, a parry/evasion-based caster tank rather contradictory.

I'm all for the concept of a mage tank, and see no reasons why it should be lacking in any tank capacity, though I would like it to at least feel different in more than just that I'm rotating periodic and filler casts rather than through TP combos. I would just also much rather see RDM as a versatile hybrid DPS. But, I feel like it's issues like those that give the concept a bad wrap, especially if anyone, like now, were to join in mid-conversation.

[Ametrine]

Snipysnip

I quite like the idea of them working this way, with the terrain aura giving certain skills various buffs or added affects, but still having a core tank skill set.

I'm with you on the fact it would be tricky to balance as you would need to make sure certain terrains didn't give them a disadvantage, so it may need to be set EXACTLY like the monk stances to work, with the ability to change to defense/attack/speed/refresh/etc aura's as needed.

Still... It could totally work with the right toolkit. Plus, it wouldn't be so removed from the original iterations as what would need to happen to other jobs to be made into a tank. Even the appearance has a ton of wiggle room.

Although, if the devs opted for the Tactics/4 Heroes of Light aesthetic (which carries some Native American motifs), it would allow a tank player the chance to gear up in something other that heavy mail.

[Ksenia]

Imagine if they made it so you leveled one of the current classes and were handed a crystal that flipped your class to a new one, level 15 based on what you leveled and some RnG.

They could even recycle. Instead of a Dragoon, I become a Grand Dragoon or a Grand Conjurer. 15 rather than 1 so we could level back up in DF.

I think I need my head checked...

[ADVSS]

i would love to see a mage tank, my concern though, if you tank enough in this game, a kite tank might be fine for ranged dps, but melee? I thought maybe "sealing" abilities to hold the enemies in place so you can cast at range, maybe. Thats relly the only reason i say melee everyone knows hhow enemies act when they get/aggro someone, i just would like to know how youd make a kite tank work. I guess to me a lot of tanking in this game is gathering and clustering mobs, keeping them in place moving out of aoes, and trying to move them around to desirable spots that are ideal to your party without mocing them around so much.. so i guess aura spells can work great, maybe a ground drop doppleganger that keeps them thinking its you while you bomb them with enmity aoes?