Being a Tank sucks.

[Hurk]

Having mained a Tank for a while, and feeling the weight of the pressure that one would feel, I want to take a break from it and try a DPS. I already have a NIN at 50, but I'm looking for a few things:

• Ease of Mechanics
• General 'fun' level
• Not having to worry too much about situation awareness
• Worry-free gameplay

What comes closest to this list? I'll take 3/4. My thoughts are BRD or possibly THM, but I'd like to hear some suggestions. Currently a Highlander, if that makes any difference. Thank you all in advance for any replies.

[abzoluut]

Mechanics are mechanics. They apply to every role. Fun is rather subjective. It sounds like you messed up quite a bit which puts more pressure on tanks since it often is end of story when a tank does.

Your last two points don't really make sense to me. I don't understand why a DPS should be worry free or can have less awareness. Sure, you can get away with slacking or, you can get carried a bit w/o people really noticing it.

If you however want to be one of the better DPS, nothing changes other than that you can mess up more often w/o wiping the whole group. I'd say go for BRD in that case. You can move while dpsing and the basic rotation is quite fast to pick up. To push your DPS, you will need all of those points you mentioned.

PS: I'm talking from a Coil perspective. If you're doing 4man or 24mans only, any DPS would do since half of the people there just afk play to get loot. :P

[Lyzern]

I guess i have not much room to talk because 3 of my 4 jobs are either healer or tank, high responsibility roles.

What I will say, though, is that tanks have it much easier in my book than healers, because while both their jobs are about awareness and reaction, healers also have to deal with:

• Mana management (whm)
• Looking at 8 people's health (sometimes 24)
• Dealing with the frequent people who just stand in AoEs and get damaged
• Dealing with the blame for people dying (in most cases)
• Most of the aoes aren't targeted to the tank and if they are, tanks can move more easily (no cast times)
• If you want to increase your group DPS, you have to go out of your way to do it
• And lastly, in dungeons, you can go at your own pace as a tank, as a healer you just have to keep up even if you or the tank is undergeared.

There's a lot more to being a healer (and a lot more to being a tank, for that matter) but these are the main points in where I think tanks have it easier than healers.

As for damage dealers, I believe you're right and they have it super chill, especially bard since you can just trololo around and steal deal optimal damage (lock-on or strafe pls, thx)

[Flipside101]

What I will say, though, is that tanks have it much easier in my book than healers, because while both their jobs are about awareness and reaction, healers also have to deal with

I'm not a healer and shall QFT this 100%, especially in FCOB. I play BLM as main and I have to say, my class is very easy to manage; This is why I've become designated as the early warning guy on VOIP. Meanwhile the SCH/WHM are busy keeping any derp DPS that get hit + mechanics while healing the tank (which occassionally forgets to pop a CD during big hits). Healers are the lifebloodof a party, they die, you know it's going to wipe. You can get clutch moves to survive that extra 10-20 sec of a tank being dead by popping a really expensive CD, but you can't replace that health bar once everything is blown. Hell I've tanked headlights before and we made a comeback.

[Kuroyasha]

As for damage dealers, I believe you're right and they have it super chill, especially bard since you can just trololo around and steal deal optimal damage (lock-on or strafe pls, thx)

False. If you want to deal optimal damage as bard it is not that simple. This notion that bard doesnt have to do anything to do optimal dmg is a buncha bs.

[aisustrong]

False. If you want to deal optimal damage as bard it is not that simple. This notion that bard doesnt have to do anything to do optimal dmg is a buncha bs.

this is probably true, I've played with a lot of bards and the first time I played with nattack, the guy who got me into this game and who is a bard main, he generated so much more aggro than any other bard I've ever played with before. he actually managed to pull a mob off of me twice
so a lot of people that play bard must really suck

doesn't surprise me really considering about 60% of the bards I see don't even know how to dodge
and get hit more than blm

[Edellis]

False. If you want to deal optimal damage as bard it is not that simple. This notion that bard doesnt have to do anything to do optimal dmg is a buncha bs.

It is, actually. At least, way easier compared to any other DPS class i've played. There's no positioning to worry about, so no cancelled casting, combo screwups or DPS loss while moving. Long-range CC, off the GCD too, with a very fast animation to boot. The biggest thing about BRD DPS is DOTs and knowing when and when not to use your CDS, basically. But every DPS has that aspect.


The most engaging role in this game is easily White Mage. Positioning, Cooldowns, MP management, Enmity management, debuffs, responsibility of the entire party, with a possible significant source of situational DPS to boot. You're among the top candidates for go-to blame if anyone in the party dies, right below "dumb warrior" and "stupid lag".

[Kuroyasha]

It is, actually. At least, way easier compared to any other DPS class i've played. There's no positioning to worry about, so no cancelled casting, combo screwups or DPS loss while moving. Long-range CC, off the GCD too, with a very fast animation to boot. The biggest thing about BRD DPS is DOTs and knowing when and when not to use your CDS, basically. But every DPS has that aspect.

The most engaging role in this game is easily White Mage. Positioning, Cooldowns, MP management, Enmity management, debuffs, responsibility of the entire party, with a possible significant source of situational DPS to boot. You're among the top candidates for go-to blame if anyone in the party dies, right below "dumb warrior" and "stupid lag".

It's not actually. All you stated was pros of being a bard. My statement was about optimal dmg as a bard, not that they are harder than every other dps class. Just b/c you can move while atking does not mean that it is faceroll to do optimal dmg as a bard. It's easy to be average as a bard. If one wants to be one of the excellent bards in the game it will take some effort. Looking at the pros of bard on paper and actually doing what is necessary to output optimal dmg while dealing with the mechanics of the fight, the extra responsibility that a bard will have to take care of most likely b/c of the class mobility, while handling the regular responsibility that comes with being a bard are two different things. I surely dont see every bard doing 510-530 in coil.

Meh, whm bores me. Sch is more exciting imo comparing the two heal roles, but i dont wanna turn the thread into something about heals when OP wanted dps.

[Hurk]

snip

Sorry, perhaps I should edit my first post and elaborate on them. By 'worry-free' I want to be able to enjoy myself without having to worry about having to worry about being the best DPS in the group. I can settle for being 3rd DPS in a Raid, but I don't want to have to stress being the best, because that kills my enjoyment of a class. When I say worrying about situation mechanics, I mean things like the positional requirements for MNK. It seems possible, but confusing at the same time.

To be fair, I probably did mess up a fair amount as a Tank, but tanks are sometimes given an unfair amount of pressure, and nobody wants to take the time to explain to new tanks. I've had groups that were fine, but then there were others that basically talked trash without even giving me a chance. It's...kinda painful to feel that. Especially when the community has been amazing, so far.

[ZhycranaDranix]

I think that's why they have the challenge called ''Someone has to do it''

Ehh being tank sucks but each role has a part they have to play that still applies pressure no matter what


Tanks-Mechanics , Agro, CD rotation , WAR(Damage output maxed)
Healers- Mechanics, Keeping Team Alive, WHM(Mp Management and agro management) SCH (DoT Placement and Pet Control )
DPS- Mechanics, Damage Output and Rotation Focus , Bard ( Overall group support management) SMN (MP manage) ,

I mean I could have went more in depth on DPS but do you understand what I'm saying, Tanking isn't as pressured as its made in comparison to other jobs I know for a fact none of us live without the other doing their role/job so it equals out ...

But as far as switching it up.....Melee would be the easiest transition job......THM still have to focus on positioning right time to cast etc etc , SMN (MP) and Bard you need to know what's the perfect time and how to manage your songs......