SE it's time for A new Job Please. (Tank)

[Arkista]

snip.

Go back up about two post. I DON'T WANT A DPS TANK CLASS! I want SE to add a new tank class in the game when they add Musketeer. IDK how long you have been a lvl50 DRG but Queue times on a DPS job is ridiculous. I think a new Tank Job that is "new and flashy" would possibly attract more players, Cause not everyone likes playing WAR/PLD. As a few others have said, A lot of people choose their class based on appeal not the actual role. So it's not the Tank Role in itself, It's the Job that would attract some players. Even If only a handful of the population played the new class that's more tanks and eventually could lead to less Queue Times. I could care less about which job gets added, Long as people like it, Play it and the job preforms its responsibilities of a Tank.

I don't like playing the mage classes. But if they added a job which I liked to DoM, Then I would pick it up and play. See what I'm getting at? It doesn't have to be the role as much as it needs to be the right Class for the Job. Just because someone doesn't like to play a role doesn't mean they wouldn't play that role if their was a Job they liked added to it.

There has to be a balance in the game when it comes to Roles. Things would be different if we didn't have stupid long wait times just to do content. And I shouldn't have to roll on a tank job just to get to play the game (go 1sec queue on tank!).

BST is more of a solo type job.

[Muzy]

Other games have tried it, notably Rift and TERA, Rift with the Rogue Tank soul and Cleric tank soul, the rogue tank was pretty effective, yet underplayed, the cleric? Not so great :P TERA had the Warrior tank, which started off life as an evasion tank with a stance that increased their defence and health by quite a bit, well... Long story short, they scrapped the evasion tanking for the most part and gave them a block mechanic. As well as the fact that again, the tank option was also barely played.

I know other games have tried similar options, and yet, tanks remain the most under played role, it matters little how interesting you try to make it, the fact remains, more people prefer the bigger numbers, lesser responsibility of a DPS, or prefer the whackamole gameplay of being a healer. A lot of people, even given a choice of tanking or DPSing in the same class, will go DPS even if the playstyle is barely different and take the longer queue times.

[MrSmiley]

There are 5 dd jobs, 2 tanks, 2 healers. While most people will always want to be a dd, more variety will always be good. If there was more tanks, so long as they had different playstyle to their tanking, it will increase the overall amount of tanks.

[jomoru]

White Magic IS holy magic, that's my point.

But its explicitly not. White magic in this game is explicitly a resource that needs to be carefully managed. Summoner is actually closer to drawing on divine power.. of course... its not your gods.

[Arkista]

Snip.

Well if adding new Tank Classes cannot help the Queue time for DPS, Then someone will have to figure out what will. Someone already said increasing party size, Having more players in a party could help. Or SE will have to add more Instanced servers (lol). It just sucks to stand around 30mins+ waiting to do something. I know I can't be the only player who feels this way about the long Queues. Also before anyone says anything. The Dailies only take a few mins to do, I have Crafting, Gathering is kind of pointless.

There are 5 dd jobs, 2 tanks, 2 healers. While most people will always want to be a dd, more variety will always be good. If there was more tanks, so long as they had different playstyle to their tanking, it will increase the overall amount of tanks.

Soon it will be 6DD when they add Musketeer.

[Muzy]

Increased party size would help. Really, there is no perfect fix, other games, a half hour would be extremely short for a DPS solo queuing.

[GunsBlazing]

[Disclaimer: I did not read any of the responses to this thread, only the main post so I have no idea if this has been talked about, or not. ]

I've pretty much always played a tank in every game as my primary class, because I hate getting into a group with a tank who can't hold agro when I DPS or heal. That saying you've heard a thousand times on TV and in video games, 'if you want something done right, do it yourself' has been the basis of my choice in primary roles for the past decade I've been playing MMOs. I won't claim to be a great tank, but I'm at least competent. I'm actually MUCH better at healing in games than I am at tanking, but I've almost always had positive feedback from my tanking ability, with the occasional exception (Some people get mad if you don't like to use exploits Tanks are always encouraged to use them when they are found. I refuse).

That being said, as a career tank, I find my job is often very boring. I think the only MMO i've played that had a really INTERESTING tanking method was probably Rift. The rogue class tank was pretty new, to me at least. I've always been a firm believer in games utilizing hybrid classes, though. Dps tanks, Buffer tanks, debuffer tanks... There are lots of hybrids that work. I'll give an example of how I think each might work.

DPS Tank:
(This first idea requires a three hit combo for the basis, so here's how that works)
First attack: Increased enmity, 170 potency, melee range.
Second AttacK: Increased enmity, 200 potency, melee range
++Combo Bonus: Increases the damage of your next attack by 10%
Third attack: No enmity increase, 250 potency, melee range.
++Combo bonus: Reduces damage taken by an amount equal to 20% of damage dealt for 8 seconds.
(Have a trait boost it to 30% later on, or something. This means, if the attack hits for 500 damage (You'll be focusing more on str so you will hit harder than other tanks, and crit rates would be a huge boon to this bonus), the damage you take is reduced by 150 flat damage from each source. So, if a mob would usually hit you for 500 damage, it's reduced to 350. Since this is a self-buff, all mobs hitting you deal reduced damage.)
This concept basically forces you to build yourself to deal more damage in order to reduce the amount of damage you take. It would need an aoe for threat, of course, but this is the basic concept behind it. The AOE could even be a separate combo, that is three aoe hits with a similar idea behind it. Could even make it an evasion-based combo, increasing your chance to dodge.


Buffer Tank:
Well, this is much easier to explain. You have a tank that generates hate by making himself and the rest of the party stronger. He would need an attack combo with no extra enmity that does decent damage (so that you can still do your story quests with the class). You wouldn't be using that combo very often, because your job will be keeping the rest of the party buffed. Buff skills for DPS that increase their numbers/accuracy, a buff for mages that boost heal potency and reduce mana costs, and of course, a couple defensive buffs for themselves. All of these buffs would have a small aoe radius (like the one flash has) that also generate enmity on mobs in the area without dealing damage to them (also like flash).


Debuffer Tank:
Instead of making yourself more durable, you make the target weaker. You make it more susceptible to damage from your DPS, you make it deal less damage to yourself by reducing its attack potential, and you are able to crowd control. You do mediocre damage, in the process. Probably mostly DoT based. Make the DoT's have enmity that increases every tick until it reaches a cap. This way, if you keep applying the DoT's, they stay strong for threat. If you fail to apply them before they run out, you have to start again with them having lower threat.




Also, first post here!


Edit: Thought of a way to make the DPS tank AOE-viable without a separate combo.
At 15, your class quests unlock a toggle-able buff (like defiance or shield oath) that lasts indefinitely til you turn it off. It reduces the damage of your first and second combo skills by 25% and increases their tp cost by 25% but in turn, it makes them AOE. The third combo skill is not affected by the damage reduction or tp cost increase. It's entirely unchanged. You'd still single target it to get your damage reduction.

[Fiorana]

There are 5 dd jobs, 2 tanks, 2 healers. While most people will always want to be a dd, more variety will always be good. If there was more tanks, so long as they had different playstyle to their tanking, it will increase the overall amount of tanks.

It won't really, all you will get are the people that have a tank class or both leveled right now level the new one so the number of available tanks will stay static, its not a role thing its a personality thing.

[Enkidoh]

Considering I see tons of players standing around in the street in PLD and WAR AF2 and relic weapons, it's clearly not the amount of tank jobs in the game, or lack of them, but simply what has been mentioned - tanks have the most responsibility in a party, have to effectively lead the party and are the first to cop flak if something goes wrong.

Hence as most players play this game to relax and not add to their stress, they prefer to play as a class/Job that has the least responsibility - a la, DD classes. It's simply human nature.

And for the record my main is 50 GLA/PLD and I love the class/Job, and have found tanking to be very rewarding. But I admit it's not for everyone.

[Fenwick]

Two healers, two casters, two melee, two tanks, one ranged. I'd say it's time for another ranged class! :P