Are FFXIV tanks just players who "couldn't hack it as a DPS"?

[LadyAveria]

Claiming a tank is only a tank because they couldn't make it as a DPS is so stupid, when you play a job for a long time you generally just naturally get better at it, it is not a question of "Did you fail as a DPS?" It is a matter of "Hey, I really like to play as a Pally so that is what I play." We are not a bunch of programed robots, people can say well this is the meta and that is the meta but come on, how bloody boring is that? Playing a job because number wise it is the best and yet I hate it? Nah screw that peeps, I play jobs I enjoy. If I wanted to DPS I would job on my Red Mage or Samurai or Summoner, if I want to tank I will get on my Pally, if I want to heal I will get on my White mage because these are the jobs I enjoy playing...and it is as simple as that! \o/

[Krovoc-The-Destroyer]

To answer the question of my experience with other MMOs, I do feel tanking in FF14 is somewhat easier. This is in comparison to Rift and Terra mostly. Or at least Rift pre-F2P. In FF14 you don't need to do LoS pulls. Ever as far as I can see. In Rift they were a must. In Terra there is a lot more you need to be doing, even as a Brawler.

[Erin_Singh]

To answer the question of my experience with other MMOs, I do feel tanking in FF14 is somewhat easier. This is in comparison to Rift and Terra mostly. Or at least Rift pre-F2P. In FF14 you don't need to do LoS pulls. Ever as far as I can see. In Rift they were a must. In Terra there is a lot more you need to be doing, even as a Brawler.

There are some dungeons where you need to do LoS pulls, but they are pretty uncommon, and with the trend of Wall to wall pulls, weeeeeell, If I see a caster I say fuck it and run to him instead of making him run to me.

[Krovoc-The-Destroyer]

There are some dungeons where you need to do LoS pulls, but they are pretty uncommon, and with the trend of Wall to wall pulls, weeeeeell, If I see a caster I say fuck it and run to him instead of making him run to me.

Oh sure. There are places were you COULD use an LoS pull, however in FF14 you don't NEED to. The mob groups in this game are laughable. If you can pull 3 groups, then you can surely pull one without forcing ranged mobs into a nice tight group. And as you say, you can run towards them because ranged mobs seem to nearly always spawn in tight clusters.

[Capn_Goggles]

Mechanically speaking, tanking in this game is incredibly easy. Use damage reduction so things don't kill you, hit things to make them angry and hit you instead of the party members made of glass, and don't stand in the orange circles (very important). Most people would agree, however, that no job or role is really that difficult in 99% of the game's content.

"Are FFXIV tanks just players who 'couldn't hack it as a DPS'?"
Not really. I think most long-time tanks and healers will agree with the following statement: When a tank or a healer screws up a mechanic they should have grasped by Level 50, people get upset, because they expect better from them; when a DPS screws up a mechanic they should have grasped before Copperbell Mines , nobody is surprised since nobody expects anything from a DPS.

[Krovoc-The-Destroyer]

...When a tank or a healer screws up a mechanic they should have grasped by Level 50, people get upset, because they expect better from them...

*Cough* Jump Pot!*/cough*

*cough cough* Oh my. Something bitter was stuck in my throat. *Sniff* better now.

[DRKoftheAzure]

I have an interesting story to share... I got into FF14 when Nidhogg was relevant but I was leveling DRG which was the biggest mistake I made, mostly because I had no idea what positionals were until after I started leveling DRK... I was a VERY SPECIAL kind of newb... also Titan EX synched was main reason I wanted to get DRK faster... also didn't know unsynched was a thing at the time...

[TheCount]

This argument that Tanking is easy and Tank players are just secretly people that can't DPS is always so stupid. Worse yet it always seems to come from some DPS that hasn't even properly played a tank.

Tanking is about as straightforward as DPSing, with some extra expectations attached to it. That's about it. You tank, using your mitigations properly and watching out for mechanics, and you maintain your DPS as well as you can. You prepare for big damage moments and handle them. It's not really any more complex or simple than playing a DPS, which is to say there's gonna be baddies and good people for them as well. You do have some extra expectations resting on your job however, such as leading the group and picking up mobs at a decent pace.

But that's about it. Don't be one of those that think Tanks don't have to worry about mechanics either, usually we have ones that are specifically for us and most other mechanics still involve us as well. Not all of them all the time, true, but again we usually have our own to compensate. Some not always directly evident by markers either.

I have all three tanks at max level and play several DPS besides that depending what I feel like, DPS isn't any more complex than tanking so any DPS that feels that way can pluck those feathers out of their behinds.

[Chrono_Rising]

As far as the original question goes, I've played in pf enough to know that dps don't need to pull much dps to remain a dps class. There are of course good runs, but I've tanked my share of 40 minute runs where things just don't die. I've also had 12 minute runs that were just unexpectedly wonderful. The point being you can play whatever class you enjoy, being good isn't a requirement, just appreciated.

Personally, I started the game a tank and just play a dps job when I'm bored.