I know some may disagree, but I feel like this is the simplest way to put how PLD has been introduced. I think you lose more going from Gladiator to Paladin than you gain going from Gladiator to Paladin. I just don't hear the same concerns from other classes/jobs. WHM is obviously optimized for party play. BRD is obviously optimized for party play. WAR, DRG, MNK, and BLM all seem to have huge advantages over their class counterparts in most party situations (BLM not having access to Cure is one negative). It seems the more PLDs I talk to the more I find that feel like GLA is just as good if not better in both solo and party play. To me, that's the problem with Paladin as the title of the thread suggests. Paladin has some very nice skills and brings a few new wrinkles to tanking, but I can't see how Paladin is any more optimized for party play than Gladiator is.