Healers: Leading the party. Anybody else?

[Fiosha_Maureiba]

This is one of the reasons I didn't start as tank. People have these beliefs that the tank should lead / tactical briefing / call the adds / mark the targets / call the AoEs. But this doesn't have to be true.

Tank expectation to strike the first blow, defend party, positioning, and survive, but leadership is not one of them.

The healer gets to survey the entire battle, seeing where folks are taking damage, where enemies / adds are coming from (usually cause we're worried about them the most), and get to see who isn't avoiding the avoidables, who has what ailment, etc. The lives of their party typically in their hands, versus maybe a DPS role that may be focused on their meter, or the tank, just making sure he's holding enmity and keeping healer synergy.

But that doesn't stop the DPS or tank roles from paying attention to the same things. But it seems to affect the healer more, especially when folks start blaming the healer for the party's deaths. (And perhaps it's that pressure of setting party expectation, which may end up as guiding/tutorial mode).

I think anyone can guide/mark/tactical briefing. Like I says, I don't expect this from the tank anymore, but I realize many folks may have this expectation should I play a tank. If one plays with "randoms", you won't get a good chance to party up again, but if you find folks from the same server, you can build a Ore reliable investment.

[Kalagg]

This is one of the reasons I didn't start as tank. People have these beliefs that the tank should lead / tactical briefing / call the adds / mark the targets / call the AoEs. But this doesn't have to be true.
...

Exactly.

Alright! So, for time immemorial in MMO's, it's been a thing. The tank leads and lets everyone else in the party know how they want things done. Problem in this game in particular, is that the tanks absolutely suck balls.
...

I think you are referring to one specific MMO and WoW took the absolutely wrong approach to this.

The tank is important but the healer is the group.

I have no idea where this the tank is in charge bs came about, but as has been stated elsewhere the person paying the most attention to everything is the healer, always has been and always will be.

For those all important tanks, you are a meat shield. Nothing more, nothing less.

[Kusumura]

I think you are referring to one specific MMO and WoW took the absolutely wrong approach to this.
...
I have no idea where this the tank is in charge bs came about, but as has been stated elsewhere the person paying the most attention to everything is the healer, always has been and always will be.

Yes. The healer's attention is divided between everything. And no, it's not just WoW. SWTOR, Silkroad Online, SW:G, Allods Online, rah rah rah. The tank leads because the tank is the first man in, which gives him control over how things are going to play out.