Is TBN a bad skill?

[Fluffernuff]

It has very little to do with "risk factor" and I didnt even mention the word. I called it a cost. or a tax for it's strength. Frankly, DRK isn't exactly a stranger to these oddball abilities that have these conflicting and mutually exclusive effects. You can't dodge and parry at the same time. but hey, thats what DA+DD did.

Also there isnt anything I stated about being "use and forget" or anything about "using brainpower". I'd like to assume the bare minimum basic competency with what you choose to main or bring into higher content where this sort of thing is even a discussion point. I highly doubt the leaders of your chosen job are clueless. Since this thread is about him, I highly doubt someone like Xeno is too dumb to appreciate TBN.

On that note, though. TBN as it is now.... it's already a "fire and forget" ability. it's proactive. a shield. you specifically use it on predicted damage you already know is over the threshold to pop it. you do that to remove whatever risk there is to it. which is the exact reason its so absurdly strong compared to it's competition. The issue (if you want to even call it that) for me is the fact that tying the DPS element to it, neutral or otherwise, simply constricts it's usability. You can't use it to help in a pinch without taking a loss. If you want to use it to use flood, you.... use flood instead. The only way I can see anything being risked is simply misjudging the incoming damage. which frankly has little to do with anything with TBN itself. Making mistakes isnt exclusive to DRK or TBN.

But I'm getting focused on this aspect I wasnt even discussing. So to put it another way;


TBN has a very... specific use:
If you use it in all situations as a bubble(read: fire and forget), you're using it wrong.
If you use TBN simply to have it pop and get a use of flood..... you were already better off using flood in the first place.

You dont really have the freedom or choice to use it when it's best. Or to actually help the group when it's needed. Yknow. to actually use it when that brain of yours thinks it's best. You either use it in a dire situation and hope for the best, use it as it's scripted, or try to be creative and find yourself with 33% less mp.

There's always that little something tied to TBN that just makes you go "well, that sucks". And i dont think that's really a quality you could call "good".
That's why I would call it "horribly designed". Any "risk" or "thoughtful use" is the result of overcoming the hurdle of it's own effects being at odd with itself.



All that said, whether or not you can agree with that is whatever. I'm not really arguing for myself. simply giving a counter argument for the sake of discussion. TBN is a divisive skill, and I can definitely see, and we've all already heard why some people are or are not a fan of it. My own thoughts kind of fall in the middle. I'm not sure I would personally call it bad. If anything, the worst I would call TBN is... "unhealthy" or "unbalanced". Perhaps too powerful for it's cooldown.