Where are all the tanks ?

Grailer

Why does no one play tanks in these types of games ? I've been waiting for over an hour for a group on my dps.

 

I just don't understand why more people don't play tank class , is it hard or something ?

monochrome19

Me personally, its because tanking is boring. I like casters a lot more.

I played SMN/SCH because I knew que times for dps were gonna be long.

It takes about 10mins max for a que to pop for my SCH.

 

My friend let me tank on his pally for a while. It was alright, but it wasnt anything special.

To me, dps usually have funner and more difficult / complicated play styles. So I play them more.

Kyleran

Originally posted by Grailer

Why does no one play tanks in these types of games ? I've been waiting for over an hour for a group on my dps.

 

I just don't understand why more people don't play tank class , is it hard or something ?

Depending on game design, the tank typically has the most active, attentive role in any group.  They are generally expected to know all nuances of the fight, which mobs to hit, which to pass by in order to move the party through the dungeon as quickly as possible.

They have to grab and retain aggro, even when over enthusiasm by DPS or healing pulls it away.  It is likely the most active role in a group and requires more attention than any other role in most cases. In fact, one could argue the best tanks are natural leaders, which is why you frequently find them organizing many of the groups in most games.

So yes, it is more challenging, and their reward usually is to be less effective in any sort of PVP combat the game might offer, which of course is a huge turn off for most people in terms of being willing to play the game.

Now, since good tanks are special people, one of the best solutions is to increase the party size, in DAOC it is 8 per group, and rarely do you have an issue finding the right number of tanks.  (you only needs 1, while 2 healers is almost always necessary and the bigger challenge)

Additionally, some of the tanking classes in DAOC are pretty good in PVP so it again promotes people being willing to play them.  Finally, game design so that the off tank role is important can go a long way to reducing stress on a tank and makes people want to play them. 

I think FFXIV's party size is what, 4, 5 people, and that really is a huge reason why there aren't enough tanks to go around, you need too many of them.

 

apocoluster

My IS-7 is in the shop 

right now getting detailed had a bad dust up at

Malinovka.

 

free2play

Tank in ARR is crowd control.

 

You run around pissing things off, hoping the healer is watching your health bar because if they aren't, you can't actually tank stuff and don't have the dps to bring it down.

 

Up to now, the best tank class I have played is a conjurer.

Alamareth

Durr - not sure what you mean.

I have more tanks than I know what to do with.  Three dozen in my friends list, a dozen in my FC, and another 20-30 in my LS.

What I can't find are competent DPS'ers.

Swedish_Chef

I love playing tank; sadly with the way they're treated I have little to no desire to actually play one. If I wanted to get yelled at by 12 year olds about every single tiny mistake I've made, I'd go play Counter-Strike, League of Legends, or Call of Duty's online MP.

Tsumoro

Originally posted by Grailer

Why does no one play tanks in these types of games ? I've been waiting for over an hour for a group on my dps.

 

I just don't understand why more people don't play tank class , is it hard or something ?

I am a tank and I love the instant queues that being a tank gives me. I believe that when the census was done it showed something like only 20% of people pick a tanking class. Typically people play DPS that are casual (because they kill things quicker solo) and they pick DPS because they feel it has less responsibility and as such they won't get yelled at for the group wiping. 

You should also ask yourself the question as to 'why' you didn't pick a tanking class and then that is the same answer for many people. In answer to your question though, no tanking is not hard and playing a tank is actually very enjoyable. 

 

IMBanks

Generally, what Kyleran said.

 

To add a little more, tanking isn't necessarily harder than dps or especially healing.  But it is a much more exposed role where if you screw up everyone knows and the group probably wipes.  You then get plenty of free advice on how to tank from non-tanks, often from kids who have forgotten how to turn off their all-caps key.  Heck, even if you don't screw up and something goes wrong someone is still likely to try to blame you.  You have to not care about those sorts of things.  Don't get me wrong, there are just as many bad or still-learning tanks out there as there are in any of the other roles.  It is just a lot more consequential and evident.

 

Personally, I love tanking, but it is really not everyone's cup of tea which is why there's always a relative shortage.  I mean, the role's job is to get pounded on endlessly, to be totally dependent on your healer for survival, and put out almost no dps.

 

Oh, and I think one more reason the Duty Finder wait times are longer for non-tanks is tanks generally prefer to run with folks they know and are less likely to use the DF.  I'm using DF a lot these days on my PLD for the endless CM runs for early end-game gearing up.  My longest wait time has probably been 10 seconds.

Edli

Yeah not a lot of people are playing as a tank. When I'm DPS it takes like 30/40 min to join a pug. When I'm tank is instantaneous. No idea why, I guess people don't like the responsibility and just want to chill pew pewing from afar. 

When a DPS messes up nobody is going to notice it. Not the same for a tank or healer. 

Purutzil

I'd not call tanking the 'hardest' roll, but as said above they are quite active and take on a more 'leadership' role having to know the dungeon and guide the group (aka marking targets and the likes). Tanking is pretty simple as is, just they require mroe active attention with mistakes often being far more penalized then say DPS. 

Simply put, most people prefer to Pew pew (and fail at it usually) while healer rolls attract more, often feeling more proactive then say tanking which makes people prefer them. I personally don't mind tanking, I just enjoy doing DPS and heals often times more though I do get urges were I end up stepping up tanking.

evilastro

Originally posted by Grailer

Why does no one play tanks in these types of games ? I've been waiting for over an hour for a group on my dps.

 

I just don't understand why more people don't play tank class , is it hard or something ?

 

These types of games?

Specifically, FFXIV has one tank choice, and its not particularly interesting.  Games with lots of interesting tanks like EQ2 have plenty of players using them.

bronzephishy

I'm new to tanking as I decided to actually try and tank in ARR....I did it to take on a challenge and learn the mechanics of a tank. Now granted in new to tanking I just joined pug dungeons and wiped several times but the key isi learned and took on the challenge...I could careless if some pug players bitched and moaned about how bad I was tanking. Some 38 year old male on twitch TV probably bitching like I REALLY care about your virtual world feelings...

StarI

Originally posted by Kyleran

Originally posted by Grailer

Why does no one play tanks in these types of games ? I've been waiting for over an hour for a group on my dps.

 

I just don't understand why more people don't play tank class , is it hard or something ?

Depending on game design, the tank typically has the most active, attentive role in any group.  They are generally expected to know all nuances of the fight, which mobs to hit, which to pass by in order to move the party through the dungeon as quickly as possible.

They have to grab and retain aggro, even when over enthusiasm by DPS or healing pulls it away.  It is likely the most active role in a group and requires more attention than any other role in most cases. In fact, one could argue the best tanks are natural leaders, which is why you frequently find them organizing many of the groups in most games.

So yes, it is more challenging, and their reward usually is to be less effective in any sort of PVP combat the game might offer, which of course is a huge turn off for most people in terms of being willing to play the game.

Now, since good tanks are special people, one of the best solutions is to increase the party size, in DAOC it is 8 per group, and rarely do you have an issue finding the right number of tanks.  (you only needs 1, while 2 healers is almost always necessary and the bigger challenge)

Additionally, some of the tanking classes in DAOC are pretty good in PVP so it again promotes people being willing to play them.  Finally, game design so that the off tank role is important can go a long way to reducing stress on a tank and makes people want to play them. 

I think FFXIV's party size is what, 4, 5 people, and that really is a huge reason why there aren't enough tanks to go around, you need too many of them.

 

So true and so sad. Too many short-sighted game developers around...

Beelzebobbie

Originally posted by Grailer

Why does no one play tanks in these types of games ? I've been waiting for over an hour for a group on my dps.

 

I just don't understand why more people don't play tank class , is it hard or something ?

Why don't you play tank?

Ridelynn

I usually play a tank.

I don't in FFXIV.

It has nothing to due with kids yelling, or the job being harder, or having some sort of responsibility.

It's because, sort of as free2play mentions, it's not really tanking (at least at low levels), kt's more crowd control without the proper tools. There isn't even a taunt until L22, and even then only in the Gladiator tree. I can't for the life of me figure it out (waiting for the "Spam Overpower/Flash" advice), and it isn't much fun for me trying to figure it out in a live group waiting on me to get my head out of my ass. The job just doesn't appeal to me here, at least in it's current incarnation. I play SCH most of the time.

I'm not saying the job can't be done. A lot of people out there do it well. A lot of people don't do it well too...

Dragonantis

lol the only question I ask on my server is, why so many Tanks XD

Lumm

Tanking is just too much of a hassle in 4mans. If people don't attack what you mark then you wont be tanking it for long no matter how good your aoe tanking is. I only tank for my FC, i stay away from DF as a tank.

Roguewiz

Originally posted by evilastro

Originally posted by Grailer

Why does no one play tanks in these types of games ? I've been waiting for over an hour for a group on my dps.

 

I just don't understand why more people don't play tank class , is it hard or something ?

 

These types of games?

Specifically, FFXIV has one tank choice, and its not particularly interesting.  Games with lots of interesting tanks like EQ2 have plenty of players using them.

Marauder (Warrior) and Gladiator (Paladin) are the tanks.

@ the OP

I think the problem is compounded by the fact that not only are there a limited number of Tanks (and Healers), a lot more people are rolling DPS.  Which means it make things substantially worse...

Phry

Originally posted by evilastro

Originally posted by Grailer

Why does no one play tanks in these types of games ? I've been waiting for over an hour for a group on my dps.

 

I just don't understand why more people don't play tank class , is it hard or something ?

 

These types of games?

Specifically, FFXIV has one tank choice, and its not particularly interesting.  Games with lots of interesting tanks like EQ2 have plenty of players using them.

FFXIV only has one tank choice at low level, and thats the Gladiator. EQ2 is hardly a good comparison, as the 'classes' there are far less complex or interesting, but its horses for courses, if wanted to do tanking on easy mode with lots of different types of 'tanks' then WoW is probably the most likely candidate for having the most 'varieties' at low level.

Krugus

I play a tank in just about every game I play.    Now days I quad box in EQ2 and I drop my other characters as people I know join my group (mostly guildmates)   Since I control both the Tank and the Healer any DPS that joins I let them know upfront that if they can't control their aggro they will die.    Their choice to join or not because I do not need them since I have 2 spell casters for DPS and I have the spell casting order down for them to do great DPS without out aggroing my Tank.   Even I know when to use aggro debuffs on my casters and I'm quad boxing!  Why can't a person controlling only 1 character figure this out is beyond me    So yes I have no love at all for loud mouth DPS'ers that never learned to control their aggro    

Sovrath

Originally posted by Swedish_Chef

I love playing tank; sadly with the way they're treated I have little to no desire to actually play one. If I wanted to get yelled at by 12 year olds about every single tiny mistake I've made, I'd go play Counter-Strike, League of Legends, or Call of Duty's online MP.

Yeah that's my feeling as well. The Tank is the linchpin of a holy trinity group and there is a lot to take in while an encounter is happening.

I've been playing tanks because I love the survivability as well as the whole "heavy armor, shield, big weapon thing" but then I get into groups and the groups can range from good to absolutely horrid.

DPS thinking they can go full tilt all the time and I've had a few rather ditzy healers who want to dps and forget about healing.

I should probably just go back to being dps.

Alamareth

Originally posted by Sovrath

Originally posted by Swedish_Chef

I love playing tank; sadly with the way they're treated I have little to no desire to actually play one. If I wanted to get yelled at by 12 year olds about every single tiny mistake I've made, I'd go play Counter-Strike, League of Legends, or Call of Duty's online MP.

Yeah that's my feeling as well. The Tank is the linchpin of a holy trinity group and there is a lot to take in while an encounter is happening.

I've been playing tanks because I love the survivability as well as the whole "heavy armor, shield, big weapon thing" but then I get into groups and the groups can range from good to absolutely horrid.

DPS thinking they can go full tilt all the time and I've had a few rather ditzy healers who want to dps and forget about healing.

I should probably just go back to being dps.

Linchpin is sorta the healer...they can tank better (it's called Succor bombing) than a tank can heal. 

Regardless, on trash mobs the healer should not be expected to heal.  Only time a healer should be out of cleric stance is on a boss or for pre-shield/top off prior to the next trash wave.  Be ready for it.

DPS can go full tilt by end game.  We pull 6 mobs in AK on a regularly basis and never have aggro problems (warrior or paladin tank, doesn't matter).

I hear a lot of this.  It primarily comes from bad tanks.

Sheritsuki

Originally posted by Grailer

Why does no one play tanks in these types of games ? I've been waiting for over an hour for a group on my dps.

 

I just don't understand why more people don't play tank class , is it hard or something ?

 

It's not hard, really. It's more the dissapointing reaction you get if you get any thing wrong, or loose aggro for ANY reason. Tanks more than any group member seem to get hated on.

For a really simple explanation, just go visit the Gladiator Trainer - spend the evening or so it may take you to get to level 15 (You could probably use the break anyways) and go queue in the DF yourself as a tank.

Be pleasantly suprised at the queue time (Almost always instant on my server)

Be prepared to witness some shocking behaviour from group mates

Be satisfied that you now have an answer you can understand and relate to.

(I believe this is where I should now say something glib like 'Profit' or some such...)

CrazKanuk

Not really different than any other game. DPS always waits, might as well get used to it. I play tanks almost exclusively and I can tell you that friending tanks is the smartest move you can make if you ever want to run dungeons or raids.

 

Alternatively, you could always pay a tank for a group  

Sovrath

Originally posted by Alamareth

Originally posted by Sovrath

Originally posted by Swedish_Chef

I love playing tank; sadly with the way they're treated I have little to no desire to actually play one. If I wanted to get yelled at by 12 year olds about every single tiny mistake I've made, I'd go play Counter-Strike, League of Legends, or Call of Duty's online MP.

Yeah that's my feeling as well. The Tank is the linchpin of a holy trinity group and there is a lot to take in while an encounter is happening.

I've been playing tanks because I love the survivability as well as the whole "heavy armor, shield, big weapon thing" but then I get into groups and the groups can range from good to absolutely horrid.

DPS thinking they can go full tilt all the time and I've had a few rather ditzy healers who want to dps and forget about healing.

I should probably just go back to being dps.

Linchpin is sorta the healer...they can tank better (it's called Succor bombing) than a tank can heal. 

Regardless, on trash mobs the healer should not be expected to heal.  Only time a healer should be out of cleric stance is on a boss or for pre-shield/top off prior to the next trash wave.  Be ready for it.

DPS can go full tilt by end game.  We pull 6 mobs in AK on a regularly basis and never have aggro problems (warrior or paladin tank, doesn't matter).

I hear a lot of this.  It primarily comes from bad tanks.

I"m talking about "tanking" in general, not the specifics of this game's tanking. I should have made that more clear.

However, what I'm talking about is a general "why people don't like to tank". It's a thankless job.

I find it interesting that the healer in this game is the better tank though.

I did start playing a tank in this game but switched to dps for the time I played as i anticipated attitudes from the comments I'd been seeing in chat. And I just don't have the patience to deal with gamer crap anymore.