One change for DRK: Darkside increases attack speed instead of damage

[Shurrikhan]

From design perspective DRK is still better made than Samurai which has a lot of bloat skills and even useless ones.

Many are lackluster, but none are useless (apart from perhaps Guren in 8-mans, though we could then make the same argument of Shadowbite, Foul, Flare, Flood of Shadows, etc.). Even Third Eye-Seigan is still a free 28 potency per use.

And why is that interaction, and similar ones, so pointlessly weak? Partly, no doubt, to allow greater freedom in raid damage timings since a stronger effect would imbalance SAM's performance between fights with raid damage every 15 seconds compared to less frequent damage (even if only faintly). But mostly? Because of the same skillgap-gutting that's rampant across the tanks...

So, what's the solution, then? Since we've already gutted these mechanics, do we just give them the mercy blow? Extend combo length to 12 seconds so Delirium, Inner Release, and Gnashing Fang combo with Bloodfest and 2 cartridges already loaded can't possibly run into issues? Get rid of Storm's Eye and Upheaval altogether after that? Or, do you actually make controlling those mechanics matter again, and bring back the means and rewards for doing so?

While I do agree with your points, I would like to nitpick this one a tad. The multi-hit abilities still see use in 8-mans depending on fight design, due to a decent size of them being a dps gain when used on 2 targets.

I realize, which is why I said "perhaps", since some 8-mans will give a second target to cleave. But, that just brings the point home further: there are no actually useless abilities in that toolkit, even if some could be consolidated via conditionals.

[MariaArvana]

Many are lackluster, but none are useless (apart from perhaps Guren in 8-mans, though we could then make the same argument of Shadowbite, Foul, Flare, Flood of Shadows, etc.).

While I do agree with your points, I would like to nitpick this one a tad. The multi-hit abilities still see use in 8-mans depending on fight design, due to a decent size of them being a dps gain when used on 2 targets.

Like in E1S, several of the skills are capable of hitting Eden + 1 orb, hitting multiple orbs, or hitting Eden + 2 orbs (Holy circle comes to mind when properly positioned). Again in E4S, you can hit Titan maximum + a Gaol with a bunch of those abilities resulting in damage gains. Even both Ultimates have instances where using multi-hit skills is beneficial (Garuda summoning plumes, Titan + gaol in his phase, hitting both twin + Nael during their phase in UCOB). The ones most useless in 8mans are the ones that need 3+ targets to be a damage gain. Or if the fight has zero additional targets.