Should Dark Knight get a Rework?

[Shurrikhan]

PLD needs to have it's skeleton broken to fit into the 2 minutes.
Based on current job design, and previous rework incidents on support roles in particular, that's probably not going to turn out too well for the PLDs already playing the game. We'll get more details soon, but a lot of PLD's I know are either living in fear or have already given up. Like, it hasn't worked out for almost anyone else, why would they be any different?

I realize that what we mean by "skeleton" boils down to semantics, but if meant here as sort of the fundamentals "bones" of the job --which I think we could agree are that it [A] roughly alternates between physical and magic damage-amped phases, [B] has physical combos (alternating 3-parters), [C] occasionally spams (final "combo" is Atonement spam, and pre-Conf has HS spam), [D] has a capitalizing burst attack (Conf), and [E] has a physical DoT (once 24s, now 21s, which would indicate a degree of flexibility in its identity)-- I'm not sure it'd require changing anything fundamental.

To fit the 2-minute meta without being overtuned elsewhere, PLD needs only condense its damage towards one side or the other of its burst, or the maximal damage that can be had in the bridge between either. For QoL, any revamp would also probably take the opportunity then to allow Paladin less perceived waste (aka "ugh") in dropping its rewards (e.g., a single Atonement or Holy Shock) that presently allow Paladin additional flexibility in its rotation.

Honestly, that seems like something manageable with relatively small changes that would likely even allow PLD to still be capable of its fine optimizations and flexibility (honestly kind of an 'EW special' anyways).

I'll try to theory-craft some less devastating solutions and will edit this after, but in the meantime, if anyone happens to have a summary of sync issues beyond what would be solved by merging SkS and SpS (most important for the HS spam) or mitigating the cost of stack or duration waste (allowing for faster Confs and less painful Atonement drops or wasted DoT duration), I would appreciate it.


:: Also, I love the close analysis on the DRK VFX there, Odinel!