PLD vs WAR: testing

[Hyrist]

It's overlooked because off-healing as part of a tank's job is a very bad idea. Between sub-targetting sucking horribly on keyboard+mouse and lack of mouseover macros, you as the tank cannot afford the distraction of looking at health bars and tossing heals.

That second WHM should be non-negotiable. I just hope encounters can justify having more than one tank and more than one healer in a group as time goes by, otherwise there will be problems because of this attempt at distinction.

Not to mention, the second setence has situational written all over it, which we don't need. PLD and WAR, as well as WHM and whatever other healer they put into the game, have to be interchangable. Otherwise we give way for preferred jobs and leaving people out in the cold.

Dulle, you should know as well as I do that White Mage is quintessential healer for a FF game. Any other job with healing capacities will likely see it function similar to the way Bard's healing functions, at least until they figure out a way to make Dancer's functions work within the armory system.

Warrior has function as a DD as well as a tank, so it's place is secure regardless of the PLD. It's the second WHM who's effectively taking the Paladin's place in this regard, while people wrongly see it as a competition between Warrior and Paladin.

7 Classes, 8 Slots, and people are bringing 4 of them on average - there is a lot more wrong than simply how much damage your tank is doing.

Currently, there are two primary divisions in tanking, and two methods used in tanking.

We have the delay targets and the kill targets. Idealy, Paladin would always be tanking the delay targets in split targeting situations. Depending on the intensity of the distributed damage, either the White Mage or the Bard would focus healing accommodation on the Paladin. (Likely the Bard, if the Paladin can sufficiently reduce incoming damage.) The remaining damage weight is held on the other side of the spectrum, where the Warrior tanks for the killing party.

[Note: As we have 8 slots, 2 WHMs is more than possible without stepping on toes currently. However that 8th slot should be flexible. This whole "We NEED 2 WHMs and 2 BLMS EVERY RUN!" needs to be discouraged by the very mechanics of the game.]

In single tanking situations, the Warrior can have at it as a DD and compete keenly as second slot on the hate list to keep the other classes even more secure.

To really secure this ideal all they need to do is secure PLD more of what they already have. Make their damage increase abilities easier to use (Riot Blade needs to work from the front.) Give them easier use of casting so they can actually make use of some of the abilities they have. (More MP regeneration, lower interrupt rate. Flat damage reduction to assist them in kiting and lower HP.)

Right now, the strategy is functional but could use some work. Honestly I hope battle regiments come with a build in mechanic that resists class stacking and encourage job diversity in parties. However that's still a long way off, IMO.