The tanking shortage reasons

I'd like share some toughts about reasons for this continue shortage of tanks, please correct me :)

• Tanks are expensive. Unlike dps and healer, you cannot go a duty undergeared. As dps and healer, I usually go through my leveling gearing with drops, tanks cannot do it. They have to gear enough for the duty they go. It means, buy or craft the missing gear.
• Tanks are expensive. Armor durability drops about 5 times faster than dps and healer. For obvious reasons. Repair costs comes. As dps or healer, I had to face repairs only at 50, because the previous gear is changed before its durability becomes an issue.
• Tanks must know the duty, where to go, where not to go, what to do with the bosses, know trash killing order. Healer and dps just follow the tank and can go a new duty without knowing nothing of the place, 90% of the time.
• Tanks are less forgiven. A tank who does it perfectly, is a tank who just done its job.A Tank who makes one error is a bad tank.

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Originally Posted by LalaRu

[*]Tanks are expensive. Armor durability drops about 5 times faster than dps and healer. For obvious reasons. Repair costs comes. As dps or healer, I had to face repairs only at 50, because the previous gear is changed before its durability becomes an issue.[/LIST]

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The only two things that drop durability are a) killing mobs, or b) dying.

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Originally Posted by LalaRu

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point 1&2 are wrong. I made my way to lv 50 without trouble (as 1st class) with only drops. But it was at a time you needed to do 7 or 8 times a dungeon to have enough xp to go for the new dungeon available. Also, you do not need more repairs if healer & dps do their job and let you live. It's not because you take more hits that durability decreases faster. It decreases faster if you die.

point 3 is solved if you can find people not bitching around.

point 4 is also true for healers...

You want a major reason for tank shortage ? People are bitching a lot more about them that they should. Tanking has responsibilities other jobs don't have (they have their own set of responsibilities but that's out of subject) and many people can't stand the pressure. Add on it people bitching and "lolol go play WOW you noob can't SR and faceroll ez", you now know why people don't like to tank

I simply didn't care for tanking when I tried it. I play healer almost exclusively and find anything else boring. Tanking included, but that is just me. The tank classes might be a part of the problem. A ranged tank class that focuses on movement control strikes me as more interesting than the usual mêlée role. But then again I don't care for mêlée play styles so I am biased.

I agree that the leadership role of tanks is likely the largest hurdle. I prefer to lead from the rear and not the front. It takes a different personality to lead from the front or to lead at all.

It's simple really:
-If you know how to tank a fight, then you know how to DPS/Heal it.
-If you know how to DPS/Heal a fight, you do NOT know how to tank it.

*Note: Healers can transition to tanks better then DPS.
**Note: This does not apply to everyone! Simply the general public.

Since people prefer the path of least resistance, most will swap to a new DPS class when they are bored of the primary job.

Most people that enjoy tanking enjoy leadership.

If you are wondering why tanks are counted on to know the fights its because good tanks enjoy knowing the fights. The two go hand in hand. The reason for a shortage of tanks is because there is a shortage of people that want to lead into/initiate an encounter. You have to have the gusto to run in and be sure you wont be one shot, and the guts to take some verbal abuse.

If that scares you then remember it's well within your right to dish it back out when you see the other people doing more subtle mistakes. (Goes back to being a leadership role.) Remember that if you are a tank there are 7 other people that should be supporting you (2 healers primarily, 1 OT/4 DPS or 5DPS). If you feel like they aren't, say so.

YOU ARE THE LEADER. be a bold one!

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Originally Posted by Nyaanyaa

The only two things that drop durability are a) killing mobs, or b) dying.

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As Tank, I noticed the durability as issue, as no tank, never had problems. I will make some tests with some FC mate then, it maybe I were killing too much mobs, or I were dying too much often, without noticing it XD

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Originally Posted by Kuwagami

point 1&2 are wrong

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Are you stating if you are undergeared, the healer will have no problems anyway on keep you safe? I go naked then! Sorry but cannot agree, gone Halatali as soon it has unlocked with gear 5-10 levels under on average (maybe I'm unlucky on drops?) and it was common my HP falling in range 0-20% on some spikes even with trash. There, just one decent helm drop had made the difference, making next runs easier.

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Originally Posted by Warrlordd

Most people that enjoy tanking enjoy leadership.

If you are wondering why tanks are counted on to know the fights its because good tanks enjoy knowing the fights. The two go hand in hand. The reason for a shortage of tanks is because there is a shortage of people that want to lead into/initiate an encounter. You have to have the gusto to run in and be sure you wont be one shot, and the guts to take some verbal abuse.

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I think you've hit the nail on the head. The tank more or less controls the party, and a lot of people shy away from that responsibilty. Sometimes you just want to faceroll a dungeon and be done with it.
I've only recently started tanking, and at first I was always a bit conscious of the focus being on me, but then I grew up and dealt with it and I rather enjoy tanking now :o lol
If people could stop thinking like that, I think tanking would be a more popular role.

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Originally Posted by Kuwagami

You want a major reason for tank shortage ? People are bitching a lot more about them that they should.

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This is a good point. A lot of players don't like being "bisched" and will react avoiding roles that calls for it more than others.

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Originally Posted by LalaRu

Are you stating if you are undergeared, the healer will have no problems anyway on keep you safe? I go naked then! Sorry but cannot agree, gone Halatali as soon it has unlocked with gear 5-10 levels under on average (maybe I'm unlucky on drops?) and it was common my HP falling in range 0-20% on some spikes even with trash. There, just one decent helm drop had made the difference, making next runs easier.

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I'll make it again : especially for low level dungeons (I'd say under lv 30), there is minor difference the gear can do. We're talking about maybe 200 hp at most here. Sure it can become critical if you aren't used to tanking and your healer not used to healing, but it's minor. Also, all the quest stuff you get easily fills some spots. Finally, as if it's not your first class you're most likely going to repeat every dungeon at least 4 times to get to the next one, it would be a really bad luck on drops if you can't get even 2/3 pieces per tier.

I never spend anything on levelling gear, even when I was tanking with my drg because of DC'ed tank...