7 Reasons You Should Be Nicer to Tanks (And People in General)

[Eekiki]

So...

We see tanks complaining about people being jerks to them while tanking.

We see healers complaining about people being jerks to them while healing.

We see DPSers complaining about people being jerks to them while DPSing.

There is a common thread between us.

[Welsper59]

I'm not too sure where this opinion comes from to be honest. In line with the thread's generalisation of the community, I would say that tanks are the rudest most belligerent class I tend to come across. Most likely due to your number two point "we're a dying breed." Tanks know they can talk to and treat people however they want, because people need them. So we just have to put up with it.

Again I would like to reiterate that I am simply generalising in line with the thread, as I have of course met many tanks who were polite decent people like everybody else. However in terms of which group of people I've found to be rudest to me personally, tanks all the way I'm afraid.

It's probably best to just think that people, in general, are rude. The role they take is just a vessel for them to take on with their being a d-bag. The OP might have been going upon the tanks perspective on the matter, but that's probably the most justifiable of stances to go on with this game. The example he gave:

Tank: Should I tank him near where he's standing?
DPS 1: OH F***
DPS 2: lol
Me: Yeah, face him away from the party and stand close to the fruit.
DPS 1: Another noob tank lol go back to Africa (I made that Africa thing up, but he was probably a racist so it's fair)

really does happen... a lot. It's far less forgiving for tanks to be doing things for the first time (having done research beforehand is irrelevant) than it is for DPS and healers. People react heavily to that, but so do some tanks on the matter. The main difference is the ratio. 1 tank raging is less likely than it is for 2 DPS.

[ArcheustheWise]

I'll tank again when there's a "No BRD" and "No BLM" option. It's always them.

Im blm and im never rude to anyone, unless they are rude to me first.

[Zakalwe]

Someone else mentioned it, and it's true. Different classes have different perspectives on who can be the biggest jerks in part because only DPSers see other DPSers while leveling up ... at least until they have their alts going.

So far, I only have my PLD at cap. I'm working now on a healer, but he's still way low. This means that I never get the chance to run with other tanks, except in Primals and CM, so oddly I often depend on suggestions for new tanking approaches to dungeons I already know from friends I run with in the game who have pugged stuff with other tanks through the DF.

I generally run either with full FC groups or with a FC core that we fill out with the DF. I've had very few bad experiences with those filled-out positions. Sometimes folks are more experienced than others, but only a few times have I seen actual verbal abuse. Perhaps I've just been lucky.

But in general, I agree with most of what the OP has to say. The mechanics of tanking isn't necessarily harder than the other roles, but it is much more stressful and any mistake you make is immediately evident and can lead to a group wipe.

[Dochas]

3. So Make a Tank
Here's the thing about exclusivity. If you go to a movie theater, short of smuggling in your own no frills Brand of Twizzlers (they're called Red Vines; you can buy them at WalMart. Or steal them from homeless people)

I can't believe in 8 pages nobody talked about the most important part of this post.
Red Vines are not the no frills version of Twizzlers, they are the king of licorice and Twizzlers are the disgusting tasting also-rans.

[Welsper59]

I can't believe in 8 pages nobody talked about the most important part of this post.
Red Vines are not the no frills version of Twizzlers, they are the king of licorice and Twizzlers are the disgusting tasting also-rans.

I was always taught to be a tolerant person. To be respectful of the fact that people are different from me. But you... those blasphemous words...

[warren-ragnarok]

my first comment on bad/stupid dps, since i tank ofte, i let them die if they do stupid stuff, like intentionally pull agro at start and on trash mobs. if they wanna feel accomplished, i let them do it from the seat of the ground, i maintain enough threat to keep mobs off the healer(unless they do the famous medica 2 spam)

but i do agree, some people are just so stupid, people ask for help (this happened to me the first time i did WP) and they ignore the question or chat log, but complain the second its not done "their way"

now a days i just screw with people, i will go into AK with an i50 weapon and pld af and claim im new, watch them leave, then pop on my relic and full DL and queue for new people

[Nazera]

There are many variables to be aware of, before pointing fingers.

My own personal advice....

Check the tank's gear upon entering the instance and balance your heals/damage accordingly if you notice the tank's gear isn't on par with your own.
If the tank is watching the cutscene, they're probably new, be patient & offer polite advice.
If you want a speed run, don't use the duty finder.
Let the tank pull, unless it's like Succubus in AK & the tank knows someone else is going to pull it.
Know what mobs are weak enough to AoE, otherwise keep it in your pants.

Last, but not least....

Watch the threat bars..... yeesh....

[Wobi]

I think the real take-away here is, no matter what class you are playing as it would be prudent to behave. Maybe, I mean just maybe, there might be something to this crazy acting like a fully functioning adult member of society and showing some common decency to other people you encounter. Amazingly this works outside of the game as well, though many are not superheros in real life so they tend to keep their mouths shut. Try and be patient with your fellow players and offer advice in a way that is not threatening or demeaning, it's been working pretty well for me so far.

[Hakuine]

This is why I mostly choose different language tab on duty finder queue. Most of the time things would go much much smoother than when I played with English speakers... Too much shit talking for nothing.