DPS Stance vs Tank Stance Including Healer DPS

[Liam_Harper]

Perhaps the 20% tank stance penalty is just too excessive.

To be fair, even if there was a 5% difference at most, top raiders would happily push it to meet enrage timers or look good on meters, but you wouldn't be punished for choosing tank stance. It's not a choice anymore as much as a form of gameplay where you actively aim to avoid using tank stance (as a tank) as much as possible.

A DRK for example gains access to Blood Weapon outside of Grit. Little bonuses like that alone that add up a few % should be enough to make it a choice, where staying in tank stance is still perfectly acceptable outside cutting edge enrage timers. The -20% damage dealt penalty feels over the top when weighed against the minor benefits of 20% mitigation in encounters designed around being able to survive regardless if you defend against the tank buster correctly.

Choices could be in abilities we use instead too. For example, a DRK's Blackblood could have access to a large health drain ability with no damage potency. If you're struggling, you use Blooddrinker. If you're owning the fight you can opt to Bloodspiller instead, increasing dps. Meaningful decision made on the spot, affecting your overall performance. It would also let the good tank shine in emergency situations (let's say you love pushing dps normally, but your co-tank and a healer die and you're awesome and able to switch to making optimal use of your survival abilities in the moment to stand your ground). In this example, the good tank has so much potential to contribute to a group, increasing the skill ceiling.

I'm not the most experienced FF tank, so perfectly open to other views.

[millktea]

healer dps doesn't outweigh tank dps. it's barely more healing with them in dps stance. as far as rDPS goes it's a bigger loss to put a tank in tank stance..