How Do You Decide Who To Vote For?

[Bichcat]

I'm a BLM, so my vote always goes to the other DD.

[Xikaz]

When I'm tanking in an easy zone if I see a healer stance dancing and dps'ing while keeping me alive I'll give it to them. Otherwise I'll give it to whatever dps I think did the best job in the zone.

[Luso]

It depends how they acted. If the tanks actually led the group without hold ups, if heals also kept up with monsters(realistically if heals can support an under-geared player it also counts), and if dd made life easier for the rest of the party. Those are things I look for when considering who to give a commendation for.


In most cases, my point has gone towards the healers mostly because the tanks and other dd in the party were clueless to what was going on.

[Purrfectstorm]

Dungeons are a good way to get XP now (which makes me VERY happy!) so I always appreciate things that make the run smoother and faster. A lot of people are saying that tanks get the most votes which makes sense as people are appreciative both that a) tanks are usually in demand since not enough people play them and b) tanks have a lot of say in determining the pace of the run. So yes, a good tank probably will get more votes than DPS. On the flip side of that, a tank that has to mark every target 1,2,3 and plays too slow or cautiously usually doesn't get my vote (and I've encountered far more tanks that fall into this latter category!). I main a tank and I macro mark 1 to Tomahawk, that's all you really need, you don't have to have it all mapped out in advance as long as the tank knows the priority target. You don't actually have to use Tomahawk to mark this way either. If you're out of range or if Tomahawk is on cooldown, you can use the same hotbar action just to mark w/o ruining your rotation w/ a pointless Tomahawk - a 2 for 1 kind of deal

So that's a little tangent about tanks and how they get my vote. That being said, I vote for DPS all the time, if they're nice or focus on the targets I mark, if they don't get impatient and pull mobs. In the end it comes down to kindness and smoothness of the run. You only get 1 vote and sometimes you'll wish you could give everyone a commendation. In that case I try to narrow it down to the one who really went above and beyond. If there is no such person then I may decide randomly or throw a vote to a DPS to let them know they're appreciated also

I get a lot of commendations regardless of the role I play and I have to say that though I've noticed less commendations as a DPS, it's really only been a slight difference. This is my experience only so yours may vary but I honestly think that if you are nice and make runs go smooth, you'll get a lot of commendations - those are the main things people care about. So here's a little checklist:

-Be patient
-Explain mechanics to new players
-Let them enjoy their cutscenes
-Be conscientious about the quality of your gear so you can pull your own weight.
-Know the dungeon
-Don't tell other players how to play their roles
-Be polite by saying hi to everyone at the start of the run and congratulating them for the win at the end.
-Don't play the blame game. Most parties start blaming people for wiping after the 3rd wipe (sometimes sooner!)
-Be personally accountable. Even if you notice horrible mistakes someone else is making, don't forget to own your mistakes too. I'm not saying don't point out that something is going wrong but you can kindly suggest strategies or ask if someone doesn't understand something without it sounding like an elitist jerk.

Those are the main things I can think of but it all basically boils down into being a decent human being. It is super frustrating to bite your tongue sometimes when someone is wasting your time because they just don't get it. But maybe commendations should be the least of your worries in that case. It's worthwhile to be nice for its own sake without some payment for it and I'm not even talking about for the other person. You will feel better and less stressed too. However, if that's just not for you, don't fret, it's just one commendation (or one run worth of commendations) so if someone is really frustrating you and you want to say something to them that might cost you a commendation or two, it's not like it's the end of the world.

It's up to you how much you care about commendations vs. venting your frustration on someone (and I'm not sure the latter really gets you anywhere anyway) but I think a lot of people do care. The duty finder seems like a whole different place to be now! Maybe they're just being fake to get my vote but really that sort of thing exists everywhere in life. In the end, I'm appreciative of people being nice to me regardless of what the reason is

Also, as an aside, if SE wants this to be a long-term attitude adjuster, they will eventually need to add new rewards otherwise the type of people who are just being nice for some prize will cap their commendations and go back to being rude again. I'm sure SE must realize this and I'm excited to have long-term goals I can work towards in a game that might actually make me a better person. I give them major props for this idea!

[Ryios]

I look for the person who didn't ask for a commendation or specify a commendation order.

[BearGrylls]

As a tank, I always give it to one of the DPS because they probably never get any. Then I give them a commendation.

[LiadansWhisper]

As I said in the other thread, I vote for the DPS that protects me from mobs the tank loses. I vote for the tank if he or she has a really good attitude. If there's one new player in the dungeon, and they do exceptionally (either just doing everything right, or being very quick to learn/take advice and show marked improvement), I'll vote for them.

I'm no more likely to give the vote to the tank than I am to the DPS. DPS are every bit as vital to a dungeon's success as the tank is, and the tank is vital, too. Just depends on who stands out that run.

[ShinigamiB06]

I vote for whoever is still there by the time I actually exit the cut scene and get to the commendation menu. You'd be surprise at how often that turns out to be no one...

[Artemiz]

If someone stands out, they get my vote and I'd like to think I'm not influenced by their job as I've commended tanks, healers and DPS for this reason. If everyone is average/equal then I'll give it to the person that is freindly and helps with strats and stuff, even if I know the strat myself. If everyone is quiet, knows the run and just gets on with it I'm very likely to give it to the other DD. I do think we get the shaft a bit as you can be as awesome as you like most don't notice if you're just a DD. I've run dungeons where I've been top DD by far and single handedly taken out all the adds, promtly and with minimal fuss and not got a single commendation even though nobody else stood out for any reason. This has happened quite a lot to be honest so I guess other DD's have the same experience for the most part so I like to throw them a bone when I can.

I would say that this new feature has significanlty imroved the mood for most DF runs though, far more than I thought it would. I really hope it stays this way and take my hat off to SE for a great idea. As a DD I don't think I will get the most out of it but I do get to enjoy less stressful runs and I'm very grateful for that so I'm happy.

[Matsume]

I vote for whoever is still there by the time I actually exit the cut scene and get to the commendation menu. You'd be surprise at how often that turns out to be no one...

LOL I believe you, considering I don't even know how to access the commendation menu