How do you decide commendations?

[MilesSaintboroguh]

If mobs are going and attacking everyone, then the tank failed.
if everyone is doing their job but the healer goes OOM then the DPS failed.
if the tank dies or a dps dies while the tank is at full health and the healer has mana then healer failed.

there are of course exceptions but in a nut shell this is a decent way to tell who isnt pulling their weight.

You consider those failures even if it happened just once? I usually let screws ups slide unless it happens more than once.

[Zoberraz]

if the tank dies or a dps dies while the tank is at full health and the healer has mana then healer failed.

Isn't that a little contradictory? The tank can't be at full health and dead at the same time. x_x

[Saseal]

It really depends....

DPS: if they stood out in some fashion.... doing things that is beneficial to the group that no one else is doing, for one

Tank: if they were really good at being effective when the situation hits the fan...

Healer/other healer: If they obviously tried their damnedest, regardless the outcome

Anyone: If they a.) had a friendly personality, b.) were funny without demeaning, c.) were patient with my sorry ass. >_>;;

None: if someone is being an ass, has an over-inflated ego, being a drama queen, yelling, acting elitest, etc.... no matter how good they are, they won't get an commendation from me. I'd rather give it to the most likable of the group or none at all (if the entire group was collectively a giant ass).

It's rare, but there are times when I wish I could commend the entire group and find it difficult to pick only one.... (such as my recent first Crystal Tower raid. My whole party = <3)

[Xakery]

I give my commendations to friendly players who didn't hold back the party and either kept up well, carried some conversation, or quitely excelled at being a BAMF.

[Lilyanna]

Well, if I am in an 8-man and I feel that I didn't live up to what I could (Bad day or got distracted) I usually give it to my fellow healer as an apology. Otherwise, I like to give it to a dps that I saw doing a great job (Dodging Titan HM landslides for example).

In 4-mans, I usually keep a close eye on my party and watch for players doing what they are suppose to (SV HM, if DPS notices adds before they get to me and downs them quickly or if DPS are on the ball with Tam-Tara last boss and nothing reaches the middle). I will also give it to a tank that pulls according to the group make up (after looking at gear/class/etc). I have a pet peeve of a tank pulling only after looking at my gear and no one else's ... I know that anyone can do aoe, no matter what the class, but pulling big all the time isn't the best course of action ... I can also flip that when I queue with my Bard friend and BLM friend (all 100+) and the tank pulls 1 mob at a time, lol.

[FriendlyUncle]

This is a damn good thread, props OP. There are a few factors. What was their attitude like? Healer with a God complex, sorry man don't bring that shit in here. If they are new did they let us know, did they ask questions, listen to explanations and ATTEMPT to execute? (Attempting to and failing to execute is a lot better than just doing whatever the hell you want imo) If I'm tank, did someone get impatient and pull? - No commendation. Did they go above and beyond? Summoners passing out raises instead of forcing WHM/SCH to is an awesome example. BRD saving his silencing shot to use on spells instead of for DPS? Same with MNK/DRG with their stuns. Aggro management, etc. Does the group speak up and come to a consensus on how they want to run? (SR, big pulls, normal run, watch CS, etc) If anyone disagrees with the majority of the group did they suck it up for the rest of the party?

I guess to sum it up, I want to give my commendation to someone who is friendly and tries his best for the group. Doesn't always have to be successful. I've commended first time tanks/healers/dps in Garuda EX who learned from each mistake and attempted to execute better each time up until timer wore out. Gear and skill only go so far when you have a shit attitude, it especially irritates me when it is focused at a new player. Everyone has been there, so don't be a shit bag.

[Saseal]

Well, if I am in an 8-man and I feel that I didn't live up to what I could (Bad day or got distracted) I usually give it to my fellow healer as an apology.

I do that for 8 man parties (usually giving the comm to the other healer....)also! Mainly for the same reason - though it's because I KNOW that I've more than likely derped somewhere and they probably had to pick my sorry ass off the floor - or just some things went awry over the course of the fight :| (...like trying to cast regen on myself to try to regain some HP while running/kiting, in case of another bad hit... only to have forgotten to untarget the last person I healed and causing me to completely spin to their direction and run right back into everything/the AoE I was running from -_-). ( /groveltotheotherhealers)

........Unless the other healer was an ass about it... >.>

[Shikuya]

Normally, If there is a dps that stayed out of bad and executed mechanics correctly (Switching to adds, interrupts, LBs, CC or pulling rogue adds off me) then I will give to them. If the tank executed mechanics correctly and kept threat well/off me, he will get it if there are no worthy dps. Chatting helps too.

[Charmin]

In 4-mans I start with the default T<->H/DD<->DD. Socialization is the biggest tiebreaker for me save for an utter failure of someone doing their job in the group. I love seeing DDs use E4E or Mantra even more than I enjoy tanks numbering or discussing their pulls.

In 8-mans I usually comm the other healer by default unless someone else is heavily social and/or synergistic. I usually won't comm the other healer in Tower if they don't attempt to Cleric Stance and help DD (particularly while platform jumping or on starfalls), especially when for all their waiting around they still can't keep party members up. I'm not a flawless lala myself, but a modicum of effort can be put into a Tower run beyond waiting through every fight to Cure I or Physick. Conversely those who help DD in Tower, or in other fights will throw a Regen or Adlo onto "my targets", earn my deep-felt respect.

But, socialization is still a huuuuge tiebreaker.

[Serephine]

I always give the commendation to the person who made the best impression.

-They're doing their job
-They aren't getting hit by every little thing
-They're social (I hate silent parties)

Honestly I try to lean towards giving it to DPS because most people automatically give it to tank/healers, but if someone makes a really good impression, I'll give it to them no matter what class they play.