A DRK Rework Suggestion for 7.0 (or beyond)

[Archwizard]

or Draining a element.

I literally said. That Absorb counted. Twice now.

As do things like Null spells, Reflect magic, Barrier and Magic Barrier (in games outside FF7R where they act more like Protect and Shell), even that quirky Interceptor Guard from FF6 -- an event where something else takes the hit for you.

Also, I'm suspecting you haven't played the Bravely games.

Now I know you haven't played it.

Not exactly a "gotcha" if that's what you're going for, FF as a series is expansive. Which is also why from the outside of that perspective, using examples largely specific to spinoff titles releasing during XIV's lifetime as your precedent reads as obsessive rather than constructive, especially given that Drain magic/Blood Weapon skills are more iconic to the Dark Knight across its history.

You don't just stay at low HP the whole fight, your whole party has to be built around sustainability otherwise it simply doesn't work, at least be upfront on what you're arguing about instead of talking in circles.

I've been upfront about my argument the whole time, I haven't been dancing around it, nor has it actually changed from the very first time I quoted you. You've just been missing the point, repeating yourself, and arguing for the sake of arguing.

[Aluja89]

Not exactly a "gotcha" if that's what you're going for, FF as a series is expansive. Which is also why from the outside of that perspective, using examples largely specific to spinoff titles releasing during XIV's lifetime as your precedent reads as obsessive rather than constructive, especially given that Drain magic/Blood Weapon skills are more iconic to the Dark Knight across its history.

It wasn't meant to be a gotcha, it just clears things up and why you think I'm talking in circles. Simply because you keep talking about how it can't be tank when in fact, if you played it you'd know it can and more if you wish it.

I'm mainly using Bravely because it has the most expansive Dark Knights, 3 games worth while FF only has 2 and only one is worth mentioning. Besides, the point simply was that I understand the direction they went with XIV's DRK. It's a heavily armored relentless magic knight, the idea shows in Bravely and in FFXIV. Sometimes the reasons speak for themselves but you keep saying no for some reason.

[SeverianLyonesse]

I'm mainly using Bravely because it has the most expansive Dark Knights, 3 games worth while FF only has 2 and only one is worth mentioning. Besides, the point simply was that I understand the direction they went with XIV's DRK. It's a heavily armored relentless magic knight, the idea shows in Bravely and in FFXIV. Sometimes the reasons speak for themselves but you keep saying no for some reason.

Hmmm my count is different:

FFIII: M. Knight (somewhat retooled to Dark Knight)
FFX-2: Dark Knight
FFXI: Dark Knight

Plus:

FFII: Leon
FFIV: Cecil

So it's definitely more than "two-but-really-only-one-of-note"

[Archwizard]

FFIII: M. Knight (somewhat retooled to Dark Knight)
FFX-2: Dark Knight
FFXI: Dark Knight
FFIV: Cecil

I'm not sure I would count II (Leon only has the title, not the abilities), but III's was named "Dark Knight" in most releases, and I would also add:

Rev. Wings: Ba'gamnan
Tactics: both the job and Gafgarion
Type-0: Machina (Sice is more of a RPR example)
And probably a number of other side-entries (Crystal Chronicles, Dimensions, Chocobo Dungeon, Record Keeper, etc).

... And a bit over half of those have access to some sort of siphoning magic to offset Darkside's cost. In addition to XIV's own already having multiple siphoning skills since inception.

(This is ignoring customizable characters such as Zack or several FF8 characters who could be given Darkside, and also Siphon Strike or Drain.)

The assumption that most of the FF Dark Knight entries are in Bravely is... appalling, because it would be far from an iconic job if true given how recent Bravely is.

[Archwizard]

If it's got a cap on the amount of damage it can transfer then it'll be good.

We don't need tanks 1 shotting themselves because they used a defensive against a raid buster.

It gives the DRK a barrier for 100% of her max HP and can be stacked with personals. In exchange, it transfers 15% of raid damage to the DRK instead of her team.
Bearing in mind, this does not come in lieu of Dark Missionary and can be stacked with it, reducing magic damage by an extra 10% (and possibly even double-dipping, just to add a layer of appeal to DM, unless they specifically write a bypass of DM into the transfer effect).

So at worst in an 8-man team the DRK takes 205% damage from a raid buster, which initially sounds like 5% overkill... assuming she would have lost 100% of her max health in the first place if she hadn't pressed it.
If she's topped off going into it, the raw damage would have to be at least 97.56% of the DRK's max health in damage -- after all raid buffs -- to be fatal to her. Given tanks have more health than any other role, that's enough damage that most of her raid team will be dead anyway, including any rezzers.

I mean theoretically there's a scenario where a DRK is already at low health before the buster and the transfer is what kills her, but mathematically there's a very slim margin of health where DRK would have died taking 2.05x damage even with a barrier for 100% of her max HP, when she would have survived without the barrier by only taking 1.00x damage.