Is Tanking Boring?

[Shurrikhan]

With the decline of 3.x DRK, I don't find tanking as interesting as maxing out dps on an actual DPS, but it's not quite "boring", either.

[Pastahnak]

Totally opinion based on what role u like or don't like, some see the simplier rotation of tanks boring where others enjoy cycling through damage mitigation and controlling where the boss is positioned. Some people like the complexity that some dps bring while others enjoy a simplier rotation that is proc based rather then a rigid rotation. Some people enjoy no rotation at all and instead like healing a party and enjoy the feeling of a butt clenching healer save. If u think tanking is boring that's totally fine, the beauty of ff14 is u can pick up and play any job ud like at anytime.

[Tracewood]

Tanking is only boring if you have a terrible party. Terrible parties make tanking more of a chore than fun.

So much this, slow, single target only DPS and netflix healers make tanking a drag sometimes.

[Dzian]

The opposite, in fact. Tanking is the only exciting role in the game.

I used to agree. But dungeons are hella boring and have been for quite some time.

Everything else is far to predictable to be exciting.. oh look a tank buster I had noooo idea that was coming nor do I have any clue the next one will be in exactly 55 seconds. /sarcasm.

Even stances are boring these days. Could basically delete them and it would change gameplay at all. (Well for 2 of the 3 at least)

[KaldeaSahaline]

Now why am i bringing this up? well what i've noticed from leveling a tank in FF!4 is that it feels like playing a glorified dps that stands their and soaks up damage, although your actual dps is normally around 50-30% of the actual damage dealer's dps.

Some points:

1) I do nearly 80% of the DPS that my static DPS do (averaging DPS of all 4 of my DPS). If you compare it to strictly the top DPS in my group, it's ~73%. Not 30-50%.

2) I actually really like that tanking in this game is basically a melee DPS without positionals. In fact, I hate positionals so strongly, that it is the MAIN reason I am a tank. The second is because of PLD. It's my favorite aesthetic.

your only real "tankiness" comes from rolling your face on your cooldowns when shit hits the fan.

3) Cooldowns are not meant to be used when shit hits the fan. They should be planned out and used intelligently to maximize their efficiency.

4) I do however agree that the lack of synergy is disappointing. I wish I had some additional dynamic control over my DPS/mitigation throughput.

Tanking isn't boring.

Subjective. I find tanking pretty boring because of how scripted the game is and how binary damage is. I tank because I like not having to do positionals and I like the PLD aesthetic. That and the other perks are helpful.

I'd kill for some more synergy/dyanmic-ness/complexity in the PLD toolkit though.

On the contrary, being a tank in FFXIV takes a good advantage of the slower combat to add tactical depth to tanking. That also includes the damaging utility the tanks offer.

Do you have any specific examples of "tactical depth to tanking"?

As someone who's cleared Sigmascape, I didn't see anywhere tactical depth was required, or even present.

[Mycow8me]

I don't think tanking will become any more fun than it currently is unless SE can find ways to have tanks interact with tank busters with original animations for their class. I made a thread not long ago in regards to a more reactive approach to tanking instead of just hitting a mitigation button and back to DPS. You still just hit a button but it requires timing and its actually something to look forward to as a tank cause every class would have a unique way of responding to tankbusters adding to its identity.

Only other fun aspect for tanks is tank mechanics which usually are just swaps and don't really add much in the way of fun really. Having some tank skills locked behind tank stance ironically enough also ruins some of the aspect of tanking in a game where we avoid using the stance in the first place.

[Shurrikhan]

4) I do however agree that the lack of synergy is disappointing. I wish I had some additional dynamic control over my DPS/mitigation throughput.


...Subjective. I find tanking pretty boring because of how scripted the game is and how binary damage is. I tank because I like not having to do positionals and I like the PLD aesthetic. That and the other perks are helpful.

I'd kill for some more synergy/dyanmic-ness/complexity in the PLD toolkit though.

Made any new mechanics write-ups towards something like this (above) of late?

[KaldeaSahaline]

Made any new mechanics write-ups towards something like this (above) of late?

Nope - you found my most recent adventure (my eureka post).

[Izsha]

SE has been actively simplifying all classes lately. Making them less punishing, more forgiving, and simplifying their rotations/mechanics. I mean look at HW drk vs now. 4.0 War vs 5 FC war, every DPS class, etc. If you really enjoyed the more complex versions, then yeah, stuff seems boring now.

But we are also pretty limited in 14 in tank design. Videogame 'tanks' tend to come in only a couple flavors. PVE games they directly control monster attention to protect friends, every other game they are tanky disruption forces with CC/enfeebles to stop stuff from killing your friends, or protection/shielding party bots to protect friends. We had a little of all 3 as tanks had enmity control, stuns, silences, cover, damage reduction debuffs, etc. But SE has moved away from disruption/enfeeblement as most everything is immune to stun/silence/slow/etc and damage reduction enfeebles are nearly gone. With simplified gameplay and removing of disruption as a mechanic, tanks are just watered down DPS in both damage and rotation complexity with mild party shield/heals and bland defensive/enmity actions. I mean, rampart is nice, but theres no 'wow' factor by taking slightly less damage for 20 seconds.

Theres a bit of an overlap between simplification and boring, but they aren't necessarily the same thing, but the often come as a package. There isn't a lot of room for SE to work within their confines of minimal disruptive actions, minimal party defense actions, enmity as straightforward as it is, and simplified jobs. All we have left is resource management, and even that has been watered down as no one worries about TP so its just Gauge/MP to work with. Any new jobs that have to fit into this terribly restrictive mold will just be reskins of what we have. Different gauge/resource to manage and rotation mechanics to go with it, but similar enmity tools and defensive actions.

[Steelbreeze]

In fact, I hate positionals so strongly, that it is the MAIN reason I am a tank.

SAM says hi... Also, as a tank you have to consider your group's positionals, so I wouldn't say tanks dont have/need to pay attention to positionals.