Does tanking carry more responsibility than most?

[JonBigwood]

Yes, there is more responsibility. How the run goes depends much more on the tank than on the others, I noticed it when playing WHM.
When you are the tank, with experience you notice the quality of the group makes a lot of difference, but except notorious cases, you can't spot that easily (as a tank, you are too busy usually, healers spot things much easier) who is saving the day or making things harder. A healer can DPS and many DPS can heal, so they can fill holes if necessary.
But when you are not the tank, you see how the tank affects the run. A bad tank makes the run messy, a good tank that does not know well the map may have you making tours of the dungeon or simply goes slow, one who is good but goes too quick makes the run more stressful, etc.
Tanks mistakes are there for all to see, much more than other roles. You are expected to know everything (unless it is new content and nobody knows, that is so much more fun.) Most people are very nice and helpful, but some are not, usually the ones who don't play well.
If you find it is boring or easy when you do a dungeon for the nth time: Farming and grinding and doing a dungeon n times is boring. I can't see how doing a dungeon n times as a DPS will be more fun. The first two or three (or maybe more) times you tank a dungeon it won't be so easy or boring.
I don't know in Coil or Extremes where all roles have to know the fight very well and do their parts and coordinate well, and Titan HM I think is easier as a tank, on the rest of places it is more stressful. There are places where healing is stressful too, but only certain places, and not in the easy dungeons. When you play other roles, one of the risks you take is how will the tank be.

[JonBigwood]

My opinion is that it's the easiest job around, ONLY AFTER you learn the fight and the team is entirely comfortable with your positioning and skill rotation.

Therefore, the first times you do a dungeon it is not that easy job.
Easy dungeons may be easy from the first try for many classes (unlike for the noob tank, a tank that is level 50 other class has a lot of the way done), hard ones have difficulties for all, but tanks good or bad work makes a lot of difference.

[JonBigwood]

Skilled played find tanking boring because when they tank everything goes perfectly. Mobs are always under control, damage is mitigated well to make healing easy, and it turns everything in a mundane snoozefest.

Bad players find tanking difficult and frustrating because when they tank everything goes to hell. Mobs run around and assassinate people, they don't manage their cooldowns well so they take huge spikes of damage making the healers work overtime.

That's why both skilled and bad players tend to stay away from tanking.

Skilled players may find under average groups (DF or DR) that are more challenge, or risk meeting a bad tank if they don't tank themselves. I am not sure all skilled players tend to stay away. Skilled players who have time to play will probably try to master every job or at least several if they are so good at one they need more challenges.

About bad players, it's more the personality maybe, there may be bad tanks that blame everybody else and go on happily thinking how good they are (they are thick skinned and don't care about being criticised, on the extreme case.) Others are not so bad but tend to blame themselves so they prefer play other classes for non-stress unless they are up for taking risks and decide to tank a difficult place.

[JeTaisNoobie]

Therefore, the first times you do a dungeon it is not that easy job.
Easy dungeons may be easy from the first try for many classes (unlike for the noob tank, a tank that is level 50 other class has a lot of the way done), hard ones have difficulties for all, but tanks good or bad work makes a lot of difference.

Yes that's true. You should also consider how easy it is to obtain written guides and even videos to help you learn the fight. I remember trying the king moogle fight, first ever try and in a group of Japanese who weren't willing to teach. Pulled out a written guide, tanked it perfectly. I know it is an easy fight in the first place, but my point is that it is pretty easy to learn a fight.

[Bayman]

Tank fails, the dps or healer dies.
Healer fails, tank dies, group dies.
DPS fails, mobs take forever to kill... or tank looses threat and healer cant compensate. DPS also will make or break some runs... pharo, demon wall, enrage timers, ect.

No class is more important than others.

[Lemon8or]

I'd say healer carry more but I'm a tank and my survivability depends on them. When I DPS, I barely have anything to worry about. No stacks to watch, no health bar to look at besides the boss/mobs I'm DPSing, just dodge dodge dodge and DPS.

[OmegaSinX]

As a Tank Turned Healer, I would have to say Healers are the unsung hero's of FFXIV. Since the enimity buff in 2.1 its extremely easy to hold Aggro. In most content (Not including Extreme Mode Primals, and Turn 4 & 5), all the tanks has to do is stand there and do Enmity moves. He could not use 1 Defensive Cool Down in most fights and no one would notice it unless they are paying attention.


Healing requires much more attention and priortizing while having to deal with AOE's which can interupt your casting or even 1 shot you. That dynamic alone makes it tougher to be a healer.

[Mergadeth]

I would love to learn how to tank....but i'm afraid of all the jerks out there in Duty finder.

Edit* I sucked it up and did it anyway and haven't had anyone berate me in duty roulette. I also did my best to learn from mistakes, own up to them and take advice when given/needed and was patient and encouraging to the other players in my group from the get go.

[Fireseen]

Tanking and healing require more responsibility, certain fights might shine one more than the other... But I think, People take for granted what a good tank does. DPS is lulz, just go pew pew. Just dodge shit and hit stuff. "Atta boy you lived"

[Simurgi]

There are only a handful of dps checks in this game otherwise you would notice bad dps more often. However, you can artificially make dps checks if you're looking to see if someone is slacking. 7-man Titan EX and Ifrit come to mind.