I can't imagine anyone not owning 119 reforge AF/Relic legs if they want to play nin halfway seriously so they are the easy option imo for ninjitsu nuke/debuff.
Ninjutsu debuff only, but that's the important category anyway. If you care about nukes, Shneddick+1 legs are nearly always better and are even easier to obtain. Nuke-wise, MAB+17 is more than a worthwhile tradeoff for losing INT+4 versus AF/relic.
Don't really mind less TP gain from stacking DW or the trait itself as long as Daken proc rate itself is significantly high enough. Can't really ask for more if it's 40%. Rather have that than a lower proc rate + DW update combo.
Absolutely!
And as I remember, the DW/TP gain change they actually mentioned was only to make additional DW no longer negatively impact TP gainer per hit AFTER you capped delay reduction by other means (haste, marches, etc.). There's a super easy way around that already: don't wear DW gear when you're already at capped delay reduction.
It would have been terrible if we got that change only and lower Daken proc rate. The way they did it is MUCH better for anyone with the sense to make different TP sets for heavily buffed and non-heavily buffed (i.e. pure solo/no trusts, because you can even cap delay reduction solo with trusts these days on NIN).
Even though I also play all of the other native-DW jobs (THF DNC BLU), I don't feel any of them needed this change NEARLY as much as NIN:
- DNC just got huge improvements to debuffing, with Steps to level 10 and 5 second delay (which stack with other debuffs and help the entire alliance). Plus a main weapon skill change from B+ to A+. It's obvious that DNC is being positioned as more of a support role to give it a niche, it doesn't need DoT boosts too.
- BLU is obviously already differentiated by the multitude of spells for a huge variety of situations. TP gain is simply not a massive concern because smacking stuff with swords just isn't comparatively as important to BLU.
- THF might have the next best argument in need of some DD buffs, but it does already have a defined group role (and solo farming role) due to TH. Sometimes it's virtually a lock for inclusion in current content too, like Incursion. And over-capped DW doesn't hurt THF as much, since they have lower base trait, less high end DW gear, and often aren't in a heavily buffed melee party even in an event. And like ALL of the jobs, THF too has the ability to simply not over-gear for DW if you're getting buffs.
- NIN on the other hand, completely relies on swinging a weapon to either act as a DD, or even to attempt to hold hate if tanking. A hit less to 1000tp for a fast swinging DW job is FAR less important than X-hit builds for a 2-hander. It's way, way more helpful to get frequent extra hits both for a little buff to DPS, and I think Daken is a much better way to adjust increased WS frequency for the one DW job that needs it most.
Also interesting to me that S-E is explicitly acknowledging a NIN tanking role with recent changes: enmity spells, Max HP Bonus trait, and now mentioning it in connection with Daken. I still think
enmity system changes are more vital, but it's a start (and the super rapid melee strikes from NIN at least can try to re-cap VE quickly).