Quote Originally Posted by Raskbuck View Post
Admittedly that's one of the reasons I quit GW2... the lack of a dedicated support role is disappointing in my opinion. What's with this new mentality in games where full support doesn't exist? :shrug:
The reason support roles do not, and should not, exist in MMOs like this is because there's only two outcomes from content developed...

The first being that the devs design the content and classes in mind that you will have support in every group, and design the bosses accordingly; Which unfortunately means that if you do not have that support class with you (for whatever reason), you are at a severe disadvantage for content.
- There is also the side-effect that the DPS classes which are already dime-a-dozen will have even fewer spaces to fill in the group creating an even worse bottle-neck.

The second outcome is that the devs design content and classes without the support in mind; Any encounter that you do bring the support class to will be trivialized because you have all of the default buffs that the classes bring on their own -plus- the buffs offered by the support.
- There is also the possibility that the devs will not make the support class too powerful, so as to prevent trivializing content; In that case the support class will be forgotten by almost any group as it would probably be better to bring another DPS that could support itself with it's own buffs.