Reevaluation to Tanks Stances and Related Abilities

[RapBreon]

While it is true that elements of points 3 and 4 can be applied to other roles, Tanks have so many more requirements to satisfy them than the others(regardless of who is acting as a leader!) that it is most important for them. This importance is amplified by the ability for them to fail significantly at these two points without failing to satisfy the higher priority duties of keeping threat and not dying. When a Tank fails at these duties, the party truly feels it no matter where they are or what they're fighting. Therefore, a Tank who plays in such a manner is considered to be a terrible Tank even if they held hate and didn't die.

This is...very circular. This paragraph only tells me that these 'duties' exist because if they don't fulfill these 'duties' everybody will know. A smaller margin for error (presuming it exists) does not duplicate your responsibilities. It merely means duty one and two have a grave repercussion tacked on if you can't manage to fulfill them. Which I do agree with.

Another problem with your points (rather you expounding upon your points) is the way you've decided to categorize them. Points three and four are vague and subjective. Compared to the first two, which are specific and objective. You have two completely separate types of categorization.

Take point three; "Enable the rest of your party to perform their roles efficiently". Supremely vague, other than not die and hold threat what exactly is the tank doing that enables people do their job? Positioning? I can agree with positioning (as in don't get idiot Derpgoon's cleaved despite his best wishes - tehehe tots me) that's a primary tank job. But the way your point was worded certainly suggested something far less...tactile.

Point four; "Ensure that the fight is as easy as possible for your party". Also vague, what is easy? Extremely dependent on the task at hand. If your DPS blow insane amounts of ass and the only way you're getting through this A1 enrage timer is to do it Deliverance, then yeah, you're making shit easier by easing the load on your gooba DPS (hi again!). Inverse that situation if your DPS is great but your healer sucks. Judging the party's strengths and weaknesses is important, but largely irrelevant to your role. I tank the Gobwalker (as a Dragoon) on wave 9 of AS2 precisely because I'm compensating for...party...quirks. I'm making it easy as possible, but I'm not a tank.

Tanking only has 'extra jobs' because they're expected to go 'first' and 'lead the way'; as in cultural expectations. This shouldn't be the way it is, but your points reinforce the notion that tanks should bring something extra or have extra expectations - which they do, purely because of community expectations, not actual tasks inherent to the role.

Edit: Forgot one three letter word that altered the entire context and point of my post. I R SMRT!