Please Reconsider Splitting Main and Off-Tank Roles Based on Job

[Mikey_R]

That's very optimistic of you. Release date of January 2027 is an incredibly tight deadline for redesigning all the existing jobs... they would have their work cut out for them even if they had presented this at the start of the year.

They have stated that all jobs have already been designed. If we are saying Berlin is too late, then it is going to be too late now. Remember, they are going to be further along with other jobs that we were not shown, they just either weren't ready to show them or they had other priorities in choosing what to show. We also know they change jobs right up to the first savage tier release, plenty of time.

That is not panic. That is feedback.

I found myself repeating points by breaking down the post, so I will summarise.

Feedback of what? 2 bullet points? We know MT and OT in this game likely not going to be the same as other games, so again, why are you assuming.

Based on what we have seen, what are the actual concerns.

And to point out:

Please do not make this restrictive.
Please do not lock jobs into positions.
Please do not create community pressure where PLD is expected to MT and GNB/WAR/DRK are expected to OT.
Please make tank identity dynamic, not positional.

Restrictive as in MT and OT roles? That is coming regardless and if you do un-restrict roles, you will likely end up with something similar to what we have now, that everyone complains about.
If this is about whether they are standing infront of the boss nor not, then you have no basis for that statement. Tank swaps are going to happen, so the OT is going to be stood infront of the boss at some point. It is an unfounded concern.
The devs cannot control community pressure, but saying PLD is expected to MT and WAR/DRK/GNB are expected to OT, well, that is their role as defined by SE. What that role entails, other than what has been shown, is a mystery. So, what have you assumed that could make people upset?
If by dynamic tanking, you assume that tanks can be both infront of the boss and stood to the side, based on who is tanking, where has it been said that it isn't like that? Adding in your own assumptions again?

Might as well do the other list whilst I am at it.

Will certain tanks be numerically or mechanically encouraged to hold aggro more than others?
Will certain tanks lose value if they are not being directly attacked?
Will party finder expectations start treating some tanks as “wrong” for MT or OT?
Will fight design reward one category in one position more than the other?

Enmity is changing across all tanks, how? We do not know, but it makes no sense for enmity gain to be lopsided.
No idea until we see the kits in their entirety, descriptions and all. We can only assume PLD will still be able to counter when they aren't stood directly infront of the boss.
We already know tank slots will be locked to MT and OT by default, the same as healers. You will be free to change it if you so desire.
Who knows? Way to early to tell.

Again, a lot of questions, no way to answer them until we get more information, which is happening at Berlin, no sooner.

That's a good example why it's not a good idea. You would have "unique" jobs that don't actually get to play that content. I don't see how anyone could think that would be a "win" for the game. Balance cannot be swept aside with "go play another job".

The problem is, there is a fine line between unique and having everything being balanced. If a job has a tool that helps in a certain fight that no other job has, how do you balance around that? What if a fight has a lot of movement that the casters do not have the tools to adapt to. etc. By the very nature of making jobs unique, you create a potential imbalance and trying to fix that imbalance is then what causes what we have now, where everyone complains about job homogeneity.

The thing to look for is, how much of a difference is it going to make and will the community care. The devs can try their best for the first part, but they have no control over the second.