We did it! Amazing DRK changes!

[Mikey_R]

I agree, reducing damage taken is only a band-aid fix for a gameplay problem. The tanks need to have something that is unique to allowing them to mitigate damage that isn't just reduce damage taken for a set amount. Its a boring way to approach tanking when you can have something like Clive's dodge that is reactive and active mitigation..

You're definitely not getting a dodge, so, how else do you propose damage gets reduced? We already have % mitigation and shields, with Reprisal offering a debuff to the boss.

As to why we won't have a dodge, evading all damage (and by extension debuffs), is way too strong. It is also worth noting that the game will not support reactive gameplay to the point where you need to press dodge a split second before the attack comes out. Even if we look at just 'reactive' mitigation, we already have that in (most) of the short cooldowns where they have extra mitigation for the first 4 seconds.

[inhaledcorn]

I'm trying out DRK now after the... clunky changes to GNB, I think DRK's mitigations are in an okay spot now, but it definitely needs a boost on the self-healing side. I would add some self-healing on Edge/Flood of Darkness/Shadow and TBN. I think there should be a weaker version of TBN that should come in at a lower level (it basically works like it does now). TBN should be buffed to heal you the amount it shields (kind of how they have Thrill of Battle set up where it gives the Max HP boost and the heal later). I don't know if this would break TBN, but I think the cooldown should be functionally removed (reduced to 7-or-8 seconds). It already has an MP cost, so the skill already has a functional cooldown tied to your MP generation. It doesn't feel good that, when you go all out for your burst, you might not have a shield available for tank busters or other mechanics.



Speaking of MP generation, I feel like Quietus/Bloodspiller/Scarlet Delirium combo/Impalement should have their own MP amount regenerated. It feels weird to me that they don't. I could be wrong as it's been some time since I've played DRK, but didn't Quietus/Bloodspiller used to have MP generation on their skills?


One mitigation buff I think would be fun is for Oblation. Functionally, it's fine, but it feels underwhelming. I was thinking of adding something like Blood Price to the skill: Every time the person with Oblation is struck, they regenerate a bit of HP (instead of MP like Blood Price used to do). Personally, I think Salt and Darkness should also regenerate HP like Abyssal Drain (and maybe make Salted Earth a skill that activates under Blood Weapon/Delirium like Sonic Break. The 90s cooldown is just weird).


I'm sorry if these are bad ideas. I've only recently picked DRK back up, and I haven't played it seriously for several expansions.

[Absurdity]

Speaking of MP generation, I feel like Quietus/Bloodspiller/Scarlet Delirium combo/Impalement should have their own MP amount regenerated. It feels weird to me that they don't. I could be wrong as it's been some time since I've played DRK, but didn't Quietus/Bloodspiller used to have MP generation on their skills?

It did have MP regen and still does, but it's only 200 MP per Bloodspiller/Scarlet Delirium combo action so the entire combo only amounts to a single hit under Blood Weapon and is barely noticeable.

[inhaledcorn]

It did have MP regen and still does, but it's only 200 MP per Bloodspiller/Scarlet Delirium combo action so the entire combo only amounts to a single hit under Blood Weapon and is barely noticeable.

No wonder I don't really notice it because of the Blood Weapon effect that comes with Delirium.

[Mekhana]

After a few days of screwing around:

The only thing I'd like changed short term atm is to have C&S/AD CD reduced to 30 secs. C&S should grant a HoT, maybe a shorter duration but stronger/quicker heal than Aurora. More uses of C&S would also help with our currently lacking MP department. C&S would remain unique because it'd be a personal only HoT and there's a single charge.

I'm neutral on the Dark Mind change. 10% Physical is something we already get from Oblation, and we get two charges of it. However, keeping a 10% mit to yourself and having two oblations to hand out in Ultimate or Savage probably make it better than it seems. It should also help a lot with leveling content pre-70, probably pre-50. I won't look at a gift chocoboo in the beak, though.

We do need some potency for UCOB and UWU.

Missionary is the single best thing from the changes, besides the general invuln activation fix. I still think HoL and this should give 10% across the board. PLD and War would still have superior tools regardless.

[inhaledcorn]

The only thing I'd like changed short term atm is to have C&S/AD CD reduced to 30 secs. C&S should grant a HoT, maybe a shorter duration but stronger/quicker heal than Aurora. More uses of C&S would also help with our currently lacking MP department. C&S would remain unique because it'd be a personal only HoT and there's a single charge.

I agree on this. The equivalent skill on other tanks, Danger Zone/Blasting Zone, Spirits Within/Expiacion, and Upheaval/Orogeny, are 30s. It's weird that Carve and Spit/Abyssal Drain aren't. This would help with the MP generation as well as on the self-sustain that DRK really lacks in comparison.

[Rithy255]

Only Paladin and Warrior are at that level, Dark Knight and Gunbreaker can't keep themselves alive unless they only pull single packs... which isn't going to happen. Now if they lowered the cooldown of Abyssal Drain to 30 seconds THEN Dark Knight would be on that level.

I can keep myself alive on wall to wall as gunbreaker/dark knight without a healer, it's really not that difficult.

People forget the mitigation is stronger then any heal potency, the only exception to this is blood whetting because it acts as a full restore that constantly restores you to max for 8 seconds on a 25second cooldown, Paladins self healing alone wouldn't keep it up.

This is why I disagree with the comments that complain about self healing but don't even mention the mit side, ideally if you want healers "to do more" you need to nerf both the self sustain and the mitigation.

[Shurrikhan]

People wanted to keep it unique for so long, but standardization was needed to make it actually good and lo and behold we got the results. Life is good, happy to see DRK in a much better spot now!

This is such a bizarre take. None of this was "standardization" beyond disallowing DRK from having a greater number of defensive buttons in order to deal with its issues.

No part of what was changed in this patch had anything to do with what people wanted to remain unique among DRK's toolkit, outside of perhaps getting minor physical effect on Dark Mind instead of Dark Dance being returned as a separate physical mit choice. For that, we were given a less interesting but also less button-heavy solution. Another bandaid "it will do" in place of any real interest.

The same people asking for more uniqueness were also asking for, if the devs refused to split CnS from AD again, a heal on CnS as not to have to lose >300p of damage just to get 200np of healing.

The same people asking for more uniqueness were also asking for, if TBN, Oblation, and/or Salted/Darkness saw no revision, a stronger AD heal to better scale with dungeon mob count to address its uniquely noticeable pain-point without being reliant on such overall excess as Warrior or Paladin.

[Lyth]

I think the 'point' being made was that the devs chose to give DRK some token self-sustain, rather than other tanks having self-sustain removed. It was a frequent worry amongst some casual WAR mains who felt that they would be rendered incapable of clearing dungeon content after such a removal.

[Derio]

I think DRK is fine now. You have to remember that TBN gets stronger over the course of an expansion because as tanks our health pool increases more than other jobs. Any additional healing we get would require a damage nerf. If AD cost a large amount of mana instead of on a 60s cooldown it would solve the dungeon issues.

The problem DRK faces is in lower level dungeons before you get TBN. Thats where the job fails as a tank because it was never readjusted after the change to AD back in early Stormblood.