I never played FFXIV until 2.0 and from prior research I noticed Gladiator would turn into a Paladin which was supposed to tank, and it used a sword/shield. My choice was based on that alone and I'm happy so far.
I think players should get used to the mechanics and their intended functionality. But it seems there's a lot of debate about "balancing" however everyone is trying to make the tanks play the same. I'm unsure if people really understand the archetype of what they are playing.