@Naoki Yoshida-> Make Samurai a Tank class!

[Shippuu]

I agree, to a point. Having variety is a key thing to keep the players happy, adding more tanks and healers would do that. But, the variety argument can go both ways. What fresh variety does SAM bring to tanking? Yes, sure I've seen you list off SAM's several defensive abilities through the FF series but that doesn't account for the several signature offensive abilities it has that equally argue for it to be a DPS.

What variety would it bring DPS? The argument can go both ways.

Dark Knight's were known for sacrificing their HP to do big numbers, yet are still a tank. Samurai's in Final Fantasy games are notorious for having moves that can instantly kill enemies that attributes to the notion they're strong attackers, but such an ability cannot translate accurately into an MMO at all, it would be absolutely broken. In many games the Samurai character is no stronger (and sometimes weaker stat-wise) than the Knight class.

As I've said before, there is little need to argue for a job to be a DPS because everything can be a DPS from a design standpoint. It's the default option, everything does damage. But few things can be potential tanks if they're intent on tanks being these heavy armored assaulters. Removing a strong candidate from that miniscule pool is a bad idea.

Heck it could be a pseudo OT like DRG is sometimes in dungeons. If we want variety, lets bring something like Viking in, or Rune Knight, maybe something like Beastmaster where the tamed beast does the tanking, or heck something out of left field like a complete magic user tank. That would be variety, that would be fresh, that would keep things interesting, but adding another sword tank? Would only alleviate the problem temporarily.

Just because you don't consider Samurai to bring variety does not mean it doesn't. To me, Viking is a poor man's Warrior, what variety would it possibly bring when Warrior has absorbed most of it's identity and abilities? Rune Knight by it's very name is less variety since we already have 2 knights, on top of it using weapons far more similar to the existing tanks than even Samurai (which is often a major complaint against Samurai being a tank). Beastmaster could work but the pet cannot tank for a huge number of reasons I've explained elsewhere, the only viable way it would work is if the pet is highly disposable and likely constantly re-summoned making it no different than MCH turrets and that's a bad way to go for something called a Beastmaster. Beastmaster is something that sounds neat on paper but realistically from a design standpoint is a developmental nightmare. 2 of the 3 tanks also have magic leaning identities, so a Rune Knight or magic-themed tank is also even more overlap. Dark Knight is already very much a magic user tank, their entire mechanic is managing their MP pool far more than even DoM jobs have to do.

You are going to sit here though, and argue that Rune Knight, Viking, etc. which have appeared in only a few titles and rarely recurring, come anywhere close to the overall popularity and appeal that Samurai brings through look and name alone? You think those alternatives can honestly hold a candle against that? They cannot. Samurai is generally the most requested job to be added to this game. Just because you don't consider Samurai to be adding variety doesn't mean it isn't, that's just your opinion. SE could design the job to play in any way they chose with any number of mechanics that would seperate it from the others.

Again, I disagree with this argument, if this is such an issue, adding new tank jobs would be mandatory every expansion in order to keep the tanking community entertained. If the tanking community is so easily bored, that if they don't get regular content they'll quit tanking or something, then that means there is a problem with the tanking playstyle! Not the amount of jobs within the role. And trust me, there is stuff in the tanking playstyle that should be addressed, I mean...when do you ever use the tank LB? I think there is one fight in the whole game where the Tank LB is mandatory. Could be wrong.

If the devs are intent on adding multiple jobs each expansion, then yes, they should be adding 1 of each role, period. Just like someone else tried to say in this thread, how does being stuck with the same jobs for 4 years and getting fed up and quitting any semblance of being "easily bored"? The tanking role is often seen as more demanding, so yes, those players should be thrown a bone because the trinity system relies on the pillars of tanks and healers to keep content going. Other issues such as not being able to use their LB are irrelevant to adding new jobs to the game.

So instead of pumping a bunch of new tank jobs into the game to keep the tank pool satiated, and maybe get a few people to pick a tank class up as an offspec. How about we address and attack the issue that keeps people from trying tanking instead? Again, I'm all for new tank jobs, but I don't think SAM would be a good choice for one and that is my opinion on the matter.

Why can it not be both? Just because there is a problem with with tanking in general across multiple games does not mean people who play that role don't deserve variety and new things to occupy their time. To be blunt, they often deserve it more, which isn't fair but likely necessary. There does indeed need to be strong incentives in game to push people to trying/playing tanks, but that's a seperate issue and should not affect the decision on adding new tank jobs.