Fix paladin. Only Class in the entire game that cannot...

[Kitfox]

See, that is actually not what Flash is meant to traditionally do anyway - it usually just debuffs the enemy with a blindness effect, which it does here, with the added function here of also being something of an AoE-spell-version of FFXI's Provoke by boosting hate. I think it's perfectly fine as it is - adding damage to it would just unbalance the ability completely. .

I know what Flash is supposed to do traditionally, but it's not fine as it is. Flash fills the same spot in the tank tool kit as Overpower and Unleash do, both of those inflict damage and make it so PLD AoE DPS is significantly behind the other tanks. That is an imbalance. Flash needs a damage component, or it needs to be replaced with another ability that has one. Enmity is not the problem, damage is (and nobody cares about the blind).

snip

ATB systems were used through FF4-9, then again in 10-2, 13 and 13-2. FF10 used a turn-based system with no ATB (think they called it 'CTB' Count Time Battle). None of these ATB system are strictly turn-based, in the sense that they do have a real time component when toggled to "active" instead of "wait."

The major difference between the 4-9 era and all the things that came after that, is that in the early days of ATB, enemy and player turns couldn't happen at the same time. However, after X-2, 13 and so on, this changed and it was in fact possible for different turns to happen simultaneously. All the actors in battle had their own ATB gauges. These systems are very similar to FF14 but they've added a movement component as well. If all those elements make FF14 a 'real time battle' to you, then that's fine, it's really a semantic question. I think it's more of a hybrid system, like all the other ATB systems, where they combine real-time elements with turn-based elements.

Now, when I said ATB is GCD, I meant more specifically the ATB gauge mechanic. Whether you wait until '100' or wait '2.50' is completely irrelevant, mechanically it's a timer that you wait for to use your turn. Maybe GCD has connotations that I'm not aware of, but in the context of FF14 you could use both interchangeably. I actually find it weird they used the term GCD from the start, instead of ATB, considering the history they have with ATB systems.

[Lyth]

PLD would benefit from a GCD AoE move in its kit. The problem is that MP is a throwaway resource on a PLD. As a result, skills which use MP cost you dps to use, either by not doing damage (i.e. Flash) or because they have cast times (i.e Clemency).

A way around this would be to give PLD an AoE spell with a cast time (i.e. Banish III) and let blocks have a chance to give you a swiftcast proc that you can spend on a spell of your choice. You'd then make decisions about whether to spend these procs on dps, or on your utility/healing moves (i.e. Clemency).

The other alternative would be something like Circle Blade, which could cost TP.

Now, when I said ATB is GCD

I don't want to get embroiled in this derailing discussion, but ATB (Active Time Battle) refers to a battle system. The individual "turns" in an ATB system are not referred to as Active Time Battles. It is incorrect to say "It is now time for me to perform an action, my Active Time Battle has come up!" Irrespective of whether you feel that FFXIV is using a spiritual variant of the ATB system, using the acronyms ATB and GCD interchangeably makes little sense.

[Caitlyn]

I would like to use Raise (conjurer cross skill) during battle, too.
In fact, PLD got too many cross skills, which arent very usefull.

[Dzian]

I would like to use Raise (conjurer cross skill) during battle, too.
In fact, PLD got too many cross skills, which arent very usefull.

This. being able to raise in battle would be so damn great.

As for paladins problems. I think a lot of them stem from the fact that it is a highly defensive focussed class is a very offensive orientated game..
and in 99% of content the defensive toolkit a paladin has is worthless. divine viel wont save you from a failed dps check for example. and if you pass the dps check you take take no damage at all so divine viel doesn't make a difference.

[Kitfox]

A way around this would be to give PLD an AoE spell with a cast time (i.e. Banish III) and let blocks have a chance to give you a swiftcast proc that you can spend on a spell of your choice. You'd then make decisions about whether to spend these procs on dps, or on your utility/healing moves (i.e. Clemency).

This is actually one of the better ideas I've heard. They would really have to change how block works during spell casting for this, though. It's bizarre that you can not block while casting spells, especially since in the beginning mages had one-handed weapons and shields as an option.

It is incorrect to say "It is now time for me to perform an action, my Active Time Battle has come up!"

It's not wrong to say your ATB gauge has come up, which is what I implied, quite specifically. In normal speech the 'gauge' drops and people usually refer to the wait time as ATB, at least that's how I've always referred to it. Even the games itself refer to the gauge with the term ATB, as there is equipment and Crystarium levels with a stat ATB level, ATB+1, ATB capacity and so on. ATB can refer to the whole system, or to the ATB gauge, I thought I made that very clear in my comment. If you refer to the gauge, then ATB and GCD are very much the same thing. I do agree Global Cooldown is a more descriptive name, but this is all just semantics really.