On a more serious note, though, I've often wondered if there's any way the game could implement "provoke" effects on player-characters. Perhaps it could work the way Charm spells already do in the game, that is, effects that force you to move towards an NPC tank. There are also abilities, like those of Siren's, that force player-characters to attack other players. It's not that hard, I suppose, to tweak the code to force players to focus attacks on an NPC tank?

On the same note, I have wondered why we've never faced enemy arcanists in the game. There have been plenty of enemy thaumaturgists and conjurers, but none in the way of enemy arcanists. Maybe the lack of an actual NPC tanking mechanic would be a reason? After all, an opposing arcanist would most likely be using a topaz carbuncle against players, and that would be meaningless if the carby can't hold player "hate".