Tank shortage is going to get worse.

[Rochetm]

Over the last decade of MMOs I have found only one thing they all have in common. Tank and Healer shortages. So it is normal but other games over time have been making things better.

I normally love tanking, I have played tanks in every MMO i have played... Ninja and Paladin in FFXI... Druid, Death Knight, Warrior, Monk and Paladin in WoW. Everything from exp parties and dungeons to raids. (few other mmos as well but not going to list everything).

So what is wrong? Gladiator/Pld is boring and not very good at multi-target tanking which is what most of the game is until endgame and even then there is some need for it. On top of this none of the tanks really feel like tanks at lower levels. We do terrible damage, can't really do much to keep ourselves safe and if any DPS wants to they can (and often do) pull things off the tank.

So why should I or anyone play a class that is boring, low damage, high stress , and only slightly tougher than other classes?

[Rochetm]

Paladin in FFXI we fun... Threat was coming out of everywhere. Most of the time things would get so mad at me no one could get it off of me no matter how hard they tried. Ninja was fun... threat wasn't that great but if they couldn't shadow wipe I could sit there all day taking no damage. These things are fun and they are the kinds of things tanks in other games do.

Right now tanks are 100% reliant on DPS and Heals watching their threat and 100% reliant on Heals keeping them up. There is no "HAHA you can't get it off of me" and there is no "HAHA I can't die" but there is a lot of "please target what I target and don't get to carried away with your damage, also please be quick with the heals so I don't drop dead".

For the first time in a decade of MMOs I am looking to main a DPS class and that in my opinion is not a good sign for the game.

[v_jones]

It's challenging sure, but once you practice some it can be quite fun.

[Tristaris]

I actually enjoy tanking so far.

In other games that I dare not mention, once I had threat, nothing would ever pull it, and unless it was a raid boss I could damned near solo it.

Everyone having to be responsible is not necessarily a bad thing...

[Nib]

I know a few good tanks that actually have fun with the current state of affairs, but I see some valid points here. That said, tanks are definitely more survivable than dps or heals at higher levels. I just wish they were a little more durable so I could help keep the even squishier dps alive while they run around trying not to die in a handful of hits.

[Norbi]

Level 25 is a little soon to be judging a class. You've only gotten like 40% of your available toolset at that point.
Stick with it, it gets better.

[Rochetm]

It's challenging sure, but once you practice some it can be quite fun.

I don't call just barely being able to do my job if I play at my absolute best and only IF the others in my party allow me to fun... also don't call that challenging.

[Zaiken]

It's challenging sure, but once you practice some it can be quite fun.

Not really that fun, you spam the 3 skills over and over again along with flash to get hate. You mark the Target so hoping the DPS would target that monster. You constantly have to tell them to attack only the Target you attack. Ranger always keep stealing your hate showing off their DPS. Our sub job skill Cure are pathetic making it worthless. Our damage is laughable.

I hope they buff the Tank damage more, and at least gave them Cure 2.

[Mishakai]

Well, had to look you up on Lodestone, there it says 24gld, 8mrd, 11pug. Umm.. I'll just be blunt. You're wrong. I don't mean it in a bad way, you just haven't acquired enough class skills (let alone job) to make such a blanket statement.

I hold aggro on multiple mobs just fine on both PLD and WAR. And they are both extremely fun.

[Reuskon]

My only complaint, after playing tanks in various other games, is that I feel far too squishy in dungeons. Where, if the healer misses a heal or two, I'm dead. That's not something I'm familiar with, as most of the time tank classes have high defense and high hp, giving them survivability far superior to other classes. Other than that, I don't have many complaints aside from other players not able to tell how much enmity they have generated in comparison to the other party members.