Is there a learning curve for tanking *alliance* raids?

[Jeeqbit]

There is also one I remember in Shadowbringers with an interruptable cast. Each alliance tank takes an add each, but there are some smaller adds surround it. You need to focus the bigger add and use Interrupt (Role Action) when a cast flashes orange. I don't think it wipes if it casts, it's just annoying with paralysis or something like that. This is something they liked to do throughout Shadowbringers and there are interruptable casts in Shadowbringers dungeons, raids and hunts as well.

[Saraide]

I am begging people to stop treating tanks like some sort of god like creature that carry the weight of the world on their shoulders. It is literally the easiest role in the game.

[Koros]

I am begging people to stop treating tanks like some sort of god like creature that carry the weight of the world on their shoulders. It is literally the easiest role in the game.

Considering how aggro management has been dumbed down infinitely and tank positioning does not matter in almost all encounters (outside of DRS and Criterion) these days, it really is a one-braincell role, and yet people still fail again and again.

[Oizen]

Tanking in normal content isnt anything to be afraid of.

[RitsukoSonoda]

One point that is probably worth mentioning is that tanking an alliance raid during the period it is still new content is an entirely different experience compared to when it's old content and the power creep has moved beyond it giving the majority of players an ilvl advantage that allows them to ignore or skip fight mechanics.

[Omedon]

I am begging people to stop treating tanks like some sort of god like creature that carry the weight of the world on their shoulders. It is literally the easiest role in the game.

I came from a game where the unwritten rule of tanking is "don't be new on other people's time," an ethic that FFXIV is not immune to. The role ultimately isn't "hard," but it does come with high expectations from the entrenched, experienced playerbase, where their vaunted and legitimate kindness sometimes translates into passive-aggressive "just FYI, this is what's expected at this level" type language... which I can personally attest to being subjected to. Duty support goes all the way up now, so literally any level can be a tank's first dungeon among live players and their """expectations""". So no, the gameplay ultimately isn't hard... Its responsibilities, much like healers, just add another layer of "tanxiety" once the community's """expectations""" are put into play.

it really is a one-braincell role, and yet people still fail again and again.

Case in point. People can be learning at any level, and they walk into a group with experienced players and are not guaranteed to know what they are doing as it relates to community """expectations""".

So I agree with you, Saraide... to a point, but there's nuance when you have a community as hyperfocused on "don't waste my time" as MMORPGs can be... and the FFXIV community is absolutely not immune to this, they just phrase it more kindly.

[Koros]

I came from a game where the unwritten rule of tanking is "don't be new on other people's time," an ethic that FFXIV is not immune to. The role ultimately isn't "hard," but it does come with high expectations from the entrenched, experienced playerbase, where their vaunted and legitimate kindness sometimes translates into passive-aggressive "just FYI, this is what's expected at this level" type language... which I can personally attest to being subjected to. Duty support goes all the way up now, so literally any level can be a tank's first dungeon among live players and their """expectations""". So no, the gameplay ultimately isn't hard... Its responsibilities, much like healers, just add another layer of "tanxiety" once the community's """expectations""" are put into play.



Case in point. People can be learning at any level, and they walk into a group with experienced players and are not guaranteed to know what they are doing as it relates to community """expectations""".

So I agree with you, Saraide... to a point, but there's nuance when you have a community as hyperfocused on "don't waste my time" as MMORPGs can be... and the FFXIV community is absolutely not immune to this, they just phrase it more kindly.

tanxiety is not real get over yourself seriously

1) see add? A left B center C right, turn on tank stance and tank
2) separate adds

that's it that's your entire job

[Zeastria]

tanxiety is not real get over yourself seriously

Tanxiety is anxiety, so yes it exist..

[Anonemoose]

Tanxiety is anxiety, so yes it exist..

I want to believe that this is satire but for some reason I think you're actually serious.

[Renathras]

...

You mean the 24 mans, right?

To be honest, they're the easiest content in the game to Tank.

Most bosses only need one Tank, so you can literally just turn off tank stance and be "budget DPS" the whole time and chill. If you leave tank stance on, stand kind of to the side of the person who has agro and let them get a bit of an agro lead before laying into the boss. But staying kind of near them means if you somehow get agro, you don't flip the boss around where it cleaves the party or something. For the most part, it's that simple.

Most adds are either the small spawns (skeletons in the zombie dragon fight/first boss of Crystal Tower) that die quickly and you can just ranged attack (Shield Lob, etc) them to get their attention as the DPS vaporize them, or the second type where the boss goes untargetable and there are three that form in barriers that the raid has to split and take all down, like Halone or Cloud of Darkness do. Party A goes left, B goes center, C goes right. Pretty standard fare, and some fights will outright organize you, like when Thunder God Cid punts everyone up to the upper platform and it organizes you by party at each of the subboss spawn locations. So easy peasy, just have your tank stance on for that and you're pretty much golden.

Later raids have more "targets all the tanks" stuff, so you just leave your tank stance on the whole time and smack the boss as per normal, like T.G.Cid in his "main" form smacks the three top agro people.

Markers are like they are everywhere else in the game, so just space out your defensive CDs and you should be fine.

Trash fights are largely gather and AOE down, which is THE EXACT SAME as 4 man dungeons. Sometimes you can gather them in three groups, but it's usually fairly intuitive, same with interrupting those spells that have the red glow around them meaning they an be interrupted. The ones you need to keep apart generally have a tether or something showing it (like the 3 guys + Bomb fight before the Behemoth in Crystal Tower), the Atomos fights you obviously MT your party's one, but again, standard fare.

It can vary by boss, but in general, someone is going to be the large and in charge Tank, and he/she's going to pull with their ranged attack. Just let them, waddle up to the boss, stand kind of to the side of the main tank, and start smacking the boss so you're not first but still high on the agro table in case they die or something. Other than that, it's really even more chill than 4 man tanking since you don't even have to "tank" most of the time. You're more an installed spare. Later fights can sometimes ask for 3 main tanks, as it were, but that's not really a big deal since it's functionally the same thing: Have stance on, do rotation, profit.

.

I'd say jump in. 24 mans are the most chill tanking experience in the game because you have two backups in case you fail, and don't need to be MT unless you just want to.

EDIT:

Tanxiety is anxiety, so yes it exist..

This.

Anyone who says it isn't real has either never tanked or is lying.

Ignore the haters. It's fine to feel anxiety and those people harassing you are the usual forum trolls here. They harass everyone. Watch as they start harassing me for sticking up for you. It's fine.

Just do you. Don't be afraid to say you're new at the start of runs, people in this community are generally super accommodating to new people. If you're REALLY worried, you can run them your first time on a DPS to kind of see the fights, but 24 mans are made to be sh!t3 shows, and people kind of accept it. The elitist/hardcores don't own 24 mans. Something that constantly annoys them. But it's casual content and the majority are there because they have fun with it. I heal the things all the time and it's just about embracing the chaos.