Lack of tanks in the game

[Citizen_Thom]

No because it doesn't even address the problem. The way to fix a lack of tanks is add a more interesting variety of tank jobs that more people would want to play as.

There is already plenty of incentive to play a tank. Instant queue times alone is reason enough. The problem is just not enough people enjoy playing as a paladin or warrior. To be honest I feel they should just make all melee jobs tanks.

Might as well, with all the aoe's that punish melee dps (I PLD or SCH, so maybe it's not as bad as it seems), and the minor mitigation they're already granted for that.

[Suellen]

I used to enjoy tanking in DF a lot. Sometimes I'd spend an afternoon just queuing for the main story line primals just to help people get through their stories (before roulette existed). Ever since CT release I've seen a steady decline in people's attitudes. I'm a casual player I don't go through content very fast. My experiences have been as such....

First time in Haukke Manor HM. "Hey guys just want to let you know this is my first" "Oh that's just bleepin' fantastic..."
First time in Ultima. "hey guys wanted to give you the heads up I'm new." 2 people proceed to drop from party. "But I've watched vid..... oh"
First time in Garuda Ex "Hey guys first time here." "are you bleepin' kidding me" "oh great" "did you at least watch a damn vid" "yes I watched several" "Well let's see if you paid attention you better not wipe us bleep"

At this point I just stopped. I haven't even bothered with the other 2.1 content (Copper HM, Thornmarch, PS) I'm working on gearing my drg up so it's at the same gear level as my warrior. It's sad. I started as warrior and love the job but you just can't be new and a tank it feels like. No incentive will change my mind and it feels like the community doesn't want me tanking anyways. so /shrug

[Instrumentality]

I started as warrior and love the job but you just can't be new and a tank it feels like.

Play well and let the people with anger management and entitlement issues quit?

[AniCelestine]

I used to enjoy tanking in DF a lot. Sometimes I'd spend an afternoon just queuing for the main story line primals just to help people get through their stories (before roulette existed). Ever since CT release I've seen a steady decline in people's attitudes. I'm a casual player I don't go through content very fast. My experiences have been as such....

First time in Haukke Manor HM. "Hey guys just want to let you know this is my first" "Oh that's just bleepin' fantastic..."
First time in Ultima. "hey guys wanted to give you the heads up I'm new." 2 people proceed to drop from party. "But I've watched vid..... oh"
First time in Garuda Ex "Hey guys first time here." "are you bleepin' kidding me" "oh great" "did you at least watch a damn vid" "yes I watched several" "Well let's see if you paid attention you better not wipe us bleep"

At this point I just stopped. I haven't even bothered with the other 2.1 content (Copper HM, Thornmarch, PS) I'm working on gearing my drg up so it's at the same gear level as my warrior. It's sad. I started as warrior and love the job but you just can't be new and a tank it feels like. No incentive will change my mind and it feels like the community doesn't want me tanking anyways. so /shrug

What you should do, is get a Free company with friendly people that are willing to learn with you the content.

I love Warrior, even though it's not my main. But, I had zero clue of how to tank Garuda EX, and with a little group I have managed to gather to LS/FC we killed it after countless of tries.

So, just get yourself some friendly people that plays around same time, and go kill them all, and laugh at the "elitists" while you're at it.

[Kuroyasha]

You want enmity bonus doubled or tripled from what it already is????..o_O It's not even hard to hold hate now.

[Neyasa]

They don't want another Final Fantasy 11

[Synestra]

I actually been moaning about Shield Lob/Tomahawk ranges for a while aswell, it just feels kinda odd that Provoke has 25y range while lob and toma only has 15y. Both should have same range so you could properly combo them without the need to run towards the mob you just voked. Its not gamebraking but sometimes it´can be pretty irritating.

[Bigpurpleharness]

OP

As an Ilvl 90 WAR, you're really playing the tank martyrdom card a bit hard. I know I've seen more junk geared tanks I had to carry on my WHM than junk geared healers on my WAR. Also, if a DPS has a weapon 15 levels under them, a tank's being 5 under them won't make them unable to hold hate at all. lol

That being said, I do agree that Lob/Tomahawk should be 25y, and the hate jump as a fresh 50 tank is rough, I know. But triple hate on Overpower and Flash? No thanks. I do think Shield Oath should be their lvl 30 ability, and sword oath should be their lvl 40, though.

Of course, the fact is, not many people like the idea of a tank. You're the first to die if you're doing your job, and there are no "big numbers". Hell, if healers didn't have such carry potential, they'd probably be the same way. Only thing I could see changing this is adding some of the, uh, let's say "popular" jobs like Dark Knight and Samurai to the tank role. People would complain, but some people have such hard ons for those two jobs they'd play it regardless.

[Zirael_Foxfire]

As an Ilvl 90 WAR, you're really playing the tank martyrdom card a bit hard.

You got me there :P

I know I've seen more junk geared tanks I had to carry on my WHM than junk geared healers on my WAR. Also, if a DPS has a weapon 15 levels under them, a tank's being 5 under them won't make them unable to hold hate at all. lol

I just want my BLMs and SMNs to Fire II and Bane all the things when I'm there for them. Is that too much for little kitteh to ask for?

That being said, I do agree that Lob/Tomahawk should be 25y, and the hate jump as a fresh 50 tank is rough, I know. But triple hate on Overpower and Flash? No thanks. I do think Shield Oath should be their lvl 30 ability, and sword oath should be their lvl 40, though.

Triple hate won't change a thing for good tanks. But it will make easier for junk tanks. My point is, until end game you can be junk DD or healer and do just fine. Being junk tank? You get the short end of the stick. And let's be honest, you don't always get the luxury of good tank in your party. Bad DD can be carried, bad healer to an extent too. You just start dodging, stunning, using cooldowns and kill things before they kill you. Bad tank? Again, when you're exping, you don't get the luxury of good tanks all the time. Given the shortage, often times you don't get the luxury of tank at all.

If tank drops your dungeon you might as well exit, unless you're 3/4 progress. If a DD drops 0/4 progress? New one joins within 5 seconds and is happy to be there even if he expects party to suck due to someone dropping before first boss. Playing tank is not fun for general populace and I'm saying extra xp and gil won't change that. I'm giving ideas for average Joe to jump in his good old rusty chainmail, grab that cracked goblin dagger and go defend folks in peril without getting grief for trying to help out.
That's the ethos of being a tank - being a shield that shelters the weak. But when you go in to save the day and eat sh!t from either the mobs or people that depend on you when you fail them, you stop enjoying tanking. Hell, maybe you even stop playing the game. We need changes for our Don Quixotes to gain the fame and glory they seek. Otherwise all the Sancho Panzas out there will keep enjoying their 30+ min queues. (Yesterday I had 80min+ queue for Thornmarch, sitting there for 40+ min at 6/8 with two tanks missing).

Again, good tanks are fine as they are. But bad tanks fare off worse than bad healers or bad DDs. And this game tries to cater not only for good players, but also for the sloooow progress ones and super casual ones. Maybe you'll be surprised, but someone somewhere out there is running their first Coil T1 training party today. There are people out there waiting for echo buff to finally get T4 win (last week I was helping a LS friend get his first T4 clear, he won it as WAR, but before that I saw him perform very very well as MNK and BRD - there's more in this game to succeed than only your sole performance).

Only thing I could see changing this is adding some of the, uh, let's say "popular" jobs like Dark Knight and Samurai to the tank role. People would complain, but some people have such hard ons for those two jobs they'd play it regardless.

Adding other jobs with better abilities etc doesn't make it easier to enjoy playing WAR or PLD. Might not be enough to start enjoying tanking due to some game systems being in place that trip your feet more than necessary. Might help with tank shortage tho, yes.

But I'm asking developers to sit down and ask themselves what makes tanking in their game unpopular. What makes tanking not fun? Is it lack of xp bonuses and 5k gil? Why it's either you are a tank with iron spine who shrugs off grief or you have to drop?

[Bigpurpleharness]

Stuff

I still disagree. Having a junk healer is more detrimental to the group than a junk tank. Many healers would flat tell you that they'd prefer 3 DPS over 2 and one tank since a good healer can make anyone a tank pre-endgame.

That being said, I'm honestly not sure what the problem is for people with current tanks, so I can't suggest a fix. I find my PLD and WAR both fun (WAR moreso), and the instant queues are amazing to quickly pound out myth cap. That's why I only suggested a fix for the shortage, since that's the only thing I really know about. lol