Quote Originally Posted by Dzian View Post
my concern with that is that even then the dark knight would still be using riot blade, goring blade etc and thus not feeling any different from a gla / pld. it wouldn't feel so much like a true dark knight. simply a gladiator with a bit more oomph or something. and if your wielding a great big 2handed wepaon as a drk should then you won't be holding a shield making all shield skills obselete
Ask around the many players who complained when Bard came out how bad they felt about the entire shift in how their class works in relation to their job. Given how the entire rest of the party is limited, Bards have been put in a distinctively support role, not only due to Bard buffs but also due to them being one of two (BRD and PLD) jobs which can do secondary healing and support (Despite the fact it's always the archer's fault, there were many times that my LS's Bard saved us from a wipe with a Raise).

Gotta also remember what goes in the secondary abilities you're restricted to. Depending, a different set of sub-abilities would change things dramatically, say that DRK comes from Gladiator (it won't, if it ever comes up it's coming from Lancer), but it can sub LNC and THM, and it has at least one spell nuke, Umbral-type. Now wouldn't that give an entirely different playstyle than what a PLD has?