Shortage of tanks a myth - thoughts?

[Kosmos992k]

OK here goes.

The shortage is both real and a myth. It is a myth because many, many players have leveled a tank job to 50, and geared it decently. However,the shortage of tanks is very real when it comes to players actively playing a tank job as their main job.

Unfortunately many people I know who play tank and healer roles have become so discouraged that they avoid multi-player content except with good friends, or simply Play DPS or just craft. That is because of the stress of playing the tank (and healer) role. Too many times they have been blamed berated or abused, and too many times forced into an unwanted speed run, or summarily kicked for not speed running. The blame game is probably the chief culprit.

Tanks now have a dubious reputation because a greater number of tanks than before are playing tank for the short Q, and really don't care for playinng the role. Sadly that reputation has taken a nose dive becuase over time, some tank players got fed up with blame and started replying in kind. There are also a proportion of tank players who are simply not nice people, and have no problem with that. Couple that with the re-use of so much content to fulfill personal progression goals in the relic progression and you have a perfect recipe for enough of the tanks playing to be selfish jerks that it affects how other tanks are viewed and treated.

When you find yourself on the receiving end of that, even though you are not one of those selfish, "don't care" tanks, it sucks the fun out of the game even further. That just makes it even more unlikely that people want to play tank. The same is true of healers. The stress of being expected to know every fight perfectly, know every turn of every dungeon, know the best speed route, managing mass pulls when you don't overgear content by 40ilvls, and so forth doesn't help much either.

So, yeah, the tank shortage is a myth, if you look at how many players have PLD or WAR at 50, but it's very real if you look at how many are willing to regularly insert their head into the noose of Duty Finder.

[Kuurei]

OK here goes.

The shortage is both real and a myth. It is a myth because many, many players have leveled a tank job to 50, and geared it decently. However,the shortage of tanks is very real when it comes to players actively playing a tank job as their main job.

Unfortunately many people I know who play tank and healer roles have become so discouraged that they avoid multi-player content except with good friends, or simply Play DPS or just craft. That is because of the stress of playing the tank (and healer) role. Too many times they have been blamed berated or abused, and too many times forced into an unwanted speed run, or summarily kicked for not speed running. The blame game is probably the chief culprit.

Tanks now have a dubious reputation because a greater number of tanks than before are playing tank for the short Q, and really don't care for playinng the role. Sadly that reputation has taken a nose dive becuase over time, some tank players got fed up with blame and started replying in kind. There are also a proportion of tank players who are simply not nice people, and have no problem with that. Couple that with the re-use of so much content to fulfill personal progression goals in the relic progression and you have a perfect recipe for enough of the tanks playing to be selfish jerks that it affects how other tanks are viewed and treated.

When you find yourself on the receiving end of that, even though you are not one of those selfish, "don't care" tanks, it sucks the fun out of the game even further. That just makes it even more unlikely that people want to play tank. The same is true of healers. The stress of being expected to know every fight perfectly, know every turn of every dungeon, know the best speed route, managing mass pulls when you don't overgear content by 40ilvls, and so forth doesn't help much either.

So, yeah, the tank shortage is a myth, if you look at how many players have PLD or WAR at 50, but it's very real if you look at how many are willing to regularly insert their head into the noose of Duty Finder.

Pretty much the gist of it right here, honestly.

[TruebladeNuke]

Snip.

This pretty much describes it all right here.

To add to that with my own words though, as someone who Tanks dungeons more than jumping in as a Healer or DPS, even in PUG's, I know for fact that sometimes, you really do end up with really crappy attitude DPS and Healers.

After seeing Tank players who ARE pricks though, I made it kind of a self goal to prove that not all Tanks you meet via DF are pricks and are even willing to adapt as needed just from looking at the gear of the party. (And fully capable of playing it safe by leaving their Tank stance on as needed) Course, I have no idea if I'm getting anywhere with said goal, as I STILL run into DPS and Healers with bad attitudes.

Still, in all the random PUG troubles I've run across, nothing has compared to that one healer horror story I posted about me landing in a random Garuda HM group as a SCH... yet.

[Risvertasashi]

Unfortunately many people I know who play tank and healer roles have become so discouraged that they avoid multi-player content except with good friends, or simply Play DPS or just craft. That is because of the stress of playing the tank (and healer) role. Too many times they have been blamed berated or abused, and too many times forced into an unwanted speed run, or summarily kicked for not speed running. The blame game is probably the chief culprit.

This line resonated with me. I pretty much only play with static and FC first, LS mates second, unless I absolutely cannot avoid the duty finder. Something about seeing people outside of an instance keeps them civil, and they see me at my best so they don't tell me to go uninstall and DIAF when I make mistakes or have a bad day/run.

[Instrumentality]

So, yeah, the tank shortage is a myth, if you look at how many players have PLD or WAR at 50, but it's very real if you look at how many are willing to regularly insert their head into the noose of Duty Finder.

If every person in the game has both tanks at 50 and fully geared in i130 gear and can play a tank to perfection, but only 15-20% of people ever actually do this, there is a shortage of tanks. It is not enough to simply have the job levelled and geared. You have to be actually doing it everywhere a lot of the time, and as long as people are actively avoiding it there will be a real shortage of tanks regardless of the potential supply of tanks in the game.

[Rhas]

Unfortunately many people I know who play tank and healer roles have become so discouraged that they avoid multi-player content except with good friends, or simply Play DPS or just craft. That is because of the stress of playing the tank (and healer) role. Too many times they have been blamed berated or abused, and too many times forced into an unwanted speed run, or summarily kicked for not speed running. The blame game is probably the chief culprit.

Yeah I *used* to play tank as well. While I may not have tanked a lot on this character, I have tanked more than enough to know that unless I actually know the people I go in with, it's just not going to happen. I am at some point going to level up both the tank jobs further because now they have tied them to DRK when they originally said they wouldn't, but that's neither here nor there.

I have had absolutely horrendous experiences with tanking on my "other" characters to know that when I eventually do take them up just for the skills, it will probably be solo in leves/guilhests and fates. Unless I can get people I actually know and/or trust to have a good time regardless of circumstances in the dungeons go along with