VALKOR
10-27-2009, 04:44 PM
<p>Since it's easy enough to focus on what we would like to see fixed, I thought I'd start a thread where we can list the things that we like about being a paladin and so want to remain part of the class (I'll try to refrain from negative comments but can't promise). Please list whatever you like - don't really need to agree/disagree with me or argue whose opinion is right. More interested in seeing what the community likes about the class.</p><p>1) <strong>Amends</strong>: I like being able to group with a brigand, wizard/warlock, etc. and be the one who brings the hate transfer to the group/raid like a swashbuckler or coercer does for other tanks. As everyone knows, this is the best-known/class defining ability of the paladin and one I very much want to retain. I'm happy to see other classes given more limited transfer options as part of an overall balance where paladins then pickup more limited abilities from other tanks.</p><p>2) <strong>Healing</strong>: I like the fact that I have to heal to make up for the health/mit buffs that other tanks get. Yes, it makes playing the class a bit harder as your casting sequence varies more, and yes it uses more power, but I enjoy the challenge because it's doable in normal play. Spike damage, on the other hand, can't be healed so I'd need much better wards to apply this play-style to dealing with it.</p><p>3) <strong>CA/Spell Mix</strong>: I enjoy having spells serve for my ranged attack/pull requirements (never liked bows on paladins and still grumble about it).</p><p>4) <strong>Sword/Shield</strong>: I actually like NOT being able to dual-wield and enjoy the way SoE has handled giving us some DPS by increasing our weapon damage with shield equipped, increasing bash, etc. and hope to see them continue to use that avenue to balance against dual-wielding.</p><p>5) <strong>Plate/Shield</strong>: I tend to think of paladins as having very good mitigation (close to guardian/zerker though I haven't compared extensively) and very high block. In my ideal setup, we would have a mit/block combination with a lower mit but higher block that would average out to what a guardian has, which in my ideal world would be higher mit but lower block. It would probably make the hits on us a bit spikier but far better than what a monk/brusier would experience (but in my ideal setup, a brawler would be the highest DPSing class that could still tank).</p><p>6) <strong>Acceptable DPS</strong>: Discount Bane Warding and other DPS generated by tank buffs on us, and I'm content with the DPS I generate on a single target mob and the quite good DPS against multi-mobs. I expect a trade-off between being a raid tank and a dps tank, and so if the distinction is maintained, then I expect to tank far better than a monk/bruiser but to have the monk/bruiser do much more DPS. If that distinction is discarded and we are given AA specs that seriously alter our tank and DPS abilities, then I would expect to be able to switch as effectively as other tanks.</p><p>It's always going to be a struggle to maintain 6 distinct tanking classes and yet let them all be effective tanks and yet not have them be cookie-cutter versions of one another. Overall, I like the paladin class and feel that with the exception of dealing with spike damage and not being given any full block abilities paladins are well-balanced.</p>