MT etiquitte?

[SpookyGhost]

Speaking solely from personal experience:

CT/ST/WoD: I usually just sit back and wait for another tank to pull. Typically someone steps up, pulls, and then they're the MT for the rest of the fight. During CT the other two tanks would typically fight over aggro because there was a really low barrier of entry for CT, but things were a lot better in ST/WoD. If I went with a premade 8 man then I'd usually be fine with MTing, but I just can't be bothered to trust random healers enough to take on that responsibility.

8man stuff: Usually just ask the other tank if he wants to MT or OT. If he won't choose then I just pull.

[dspguy]

In a place like ST/CT/WoD, some tanks just call out what role they want. You either call first or take what is left. If no one does anything, I count to 10 and just pull and MT.

When during stuff like Garuda HM for bright lights in DF, you have two tanks. Pretty much if one tank is already in tank stance, I let them tank. Not much to discuss.

The only thing I can think of when all the tanks need to be on the same page is Behemoth in CT. 1 on boss, one on giant, 4 on towers. That's the standard. Usually people call out what they want and other tanks take what is left. With the dawn of WoD and the need to do CT weekly for carboncoat, Behemoth is always a mess since tanks don't know what to do (as well as everyone else).

[Yukariko]

In CT / ST I've been a mix of MT and OT, if no one pulls and I'm feeling confident I'll run in and Mt the boss, I'm a warrior though, if a paly wants to take it from me, they can have it, I've got better things to do than fight over aggro especially if it keeps spinning a boss, (I know how bad that can be for positional dps) I'll give up and go grab the adds.

[Lyzern]

I've only recently started tanking at high level and now that I know the various tanking stances (Defiance, Sword/Shield Oath), I can now safely answer your question from Cerberus prespective:

MT = Whoever wins the aggro fight

OT = The healers

[Tyrfina]

I've only recently started tanking at high level and now that I know the various tanking stances (Defiance, Sword/Shield Oath), I can now safely answer your question from Cerberus prespective:

MT = Whoever wins the aggro fight

OT = The healers

LOL! THIS!

In all seriousness, for me, in an 8 man it is always verbally agreed upon ahead of time. In WoD/ST I usually step forward to indicate a desire to MT and wait a few seconds to see if anyone else has a strong desire to do so instead... If they do they will usually just charge in and pull. If they do... just let them HAVE it! There's nothing more shameful from my perspective than to watch tanks trying to steal hate off of each other, especially while trash runs around harassing the party/alliance. A tank's job is pretty simple all said and done. You are there to protect the party. It is a role I take pretty seriously, and it is why I main a PLD. You need to slot into whatever position best accomplishes that goal. Leave your ego out of it.

Would you feel good about yourself if you were allowing Scylla wail on your healer? No? Well you shouldn't be any happier to let trash do it either.

[KMFDM_Kid2000]

"Etiquette" is being used hard and loose here for this topic. In a perfect world, this is discussed, but here are some unwritten rules understood by (presumably) many tanks out there.
[*] When in a hurry, look at a tank's weapon. It's unlikely you'll see a near-BiS PLD or WAR with only a relic Atma or something, unless it's some disjointed alt. Someone with an Animus/Novus/(Weathered) Burtgang will likely have the rest of their gear roughly match in ilevel. If your gear is objectively higher, you take precedence.
[*] PLDs generally MT over WARs unless very undergeared. Rough rule of thumb? ~10 ilvls difference if I had to quantify.

(cont. 1000 character limit is dumb)

[KMFDM_Kid2000]

(cont. last one, promise)

Not all will agree with this, but it is what I've seen and have come to understand in the World of Tanks™ Lots are just lazy/scared and don't attempt to even MT, hoping someone enthusiastic will come along to pick up the slack. So in that case, the one who makes the initiative to ends up being the MT. I know JP servers kinda have the B alliance MT unless undergeared. It probably should work that way, but that works for their culture, centered around politeness. To hell with that if I'm in C and some scrub in B is spinning the boss around like a top. Pragmatism > manners. I don't have an extra 20 minutes of wiping, I'm gonna tank unless someone better comes along, then by all means, have at it.

[Llyren]

The least geared Tank is the Boss Tank. The best geared Tank is the "OMG Tank just Died" ....replacement Tank.

More seriously it is generally decided by who pulls first, and if multiple tanks pull around the same time who ends up with aggro for more then a few seconds as the others tend to back off.

... I am more then capable of letting someone 30 ilvls in gear below me main tank, whether I am playing a dps or Tank class, so are you. Pulling "aggro" with dps is just a poor excuse to be a bleep to a newer Tank.

[AskaRay]

Ha haa, thanks for all your input. I don't really plan on maining a tank at all, but I do plan on at least playing as one, and I'd like to be competent about it when I do.
I also had no idea you can /tell in raids now. That's extremely helpful...ugh.

[Galgarion]

When raiding in an mmo, the two tanks usually send whispers to each other asking if each one is experienced in the fights. The lesser experienced one usually gets the easier job. Among tanks it's considered extremely rude to fight each other for aggro, (which I imagine is less of a problem in FFXIV since there are no AOE taunts). It's also a big no-no to taunt a boss away from the other tank if it isn't part of a tank swamp.

It's actually kind of funny. In a raid scenario, tanks usually get along pretty well. Outside of raiding, tanks generally can't stand being around each other.