The Problem with Paladin

[Phobos]

So I highlighted all the nice points you listed that further show that PLD is only a support tank and not a main tank.

You can pretty much forget any issues with MP on PLD. Playing as a support Tank, they most likely wouldn't run into MP issues as they are not constantly trying to hold hate and heal themselves.

SE - We will create a job system to give players a definate role during party battles

Players - Oh great

PLD ='s Support Tank
WAR ='s Main Tank
BRD ='s Party Support and buffs (DD)
ETC.

The problem is this is not how things were "meant to be" and as WAR is actually an incredible DD, it's being the best tank is rather ridiculous.

Quote from SE stating what they intended to happen with PLD (I quoted this earlier in the thread too)

A master of sword and shield, the gladiator is a melee specialist who excels in defense. Though his individual blows do not deal great damage, he is able to deliver them in quick succession, a quality that has earned him a reputation for dependability. The paladin job sacrifices maximum HP, but this is compensated by way of greatly enhanced defense as well as the ability to cast healing magic. Valiant by nature, a paladin can shield his comrades from blows, making him the unyielding rock upon which a party’s defense is built.

The execution of the job does not match the concept.

You are correct in what the jobs roles have become I suppose, but those roles are not what was intended. WAR tanking actually sacrifices it's DD potential by not allowing them to use all of their abilities. The idea should be that a PLD is holding hate off of them so they can use all of their abilities, using cover as a supplement to when this fails.

As an Alchemist I would love to see people buying up Ethers for their MP Woes. I mean it's 20% mp regen Max 600. and the cool down is 4 min.

SE put these items into the game for a reason. ^^

While I agree that Ethers are quite nice, and will likely get some. I feel as this should not fall under the "need" category but more the "want/emergency" category. I would think that these are starting to work more as potions work in single player FF games, so perhaps these will be more useable as the price-point becomes more reasonable (seems odd spending ~10k per ether, which was the price last I checked).

Actually, paladins block quite a bit on AoE pulls in stronghold. I was able to spam phalanx on each mob to try to hold hate on each, but yea the block rate on bosses is pretty low.

I hear you, but I suppose I just feel like War Drum is also currently useful for enmity generation on bosses, so reducing the enmity given would be a detriment in those situations. AoE stronhold pulls I typically only tank until Steel Cyclone goes off anyway. After that there's usually some black magic going around that results in everything getting killed.