Shortage of tanks a myth - thoughts?

[Nektulos-Tuor]

If you can't take the fire get out of the heat. Tanking isn't for everyone and its not meant to be an easy role. You are expected to adapt quickly if your new and learn the zone quickly and watch the bosses and learn strategies quicker then everyone else, be better geared then everyone else and hold aggro even if you don't have good weapons like everyone else. No ifs-ands-or-butts.

This is how its been like since early everquest. It has been like this for almost two generations.

[Zfz]

If you can't take the fire get out of the heat.

Your response would be great in a competitive game. But not in a co-operative setup like the DF---although many seem to have the need to show who's got the bigger body part in everything they do. As I said before, you are not solving the problem. You are not helping at all by discouraging people, telling them quit tanking.

The problem is real and is a fact: we need more tanks in the DF. And when you brush off people who are trying to learn tanking by applying the utmost highest standard on them right from the beginning, you are raising the barrier to entry.

You cannot expect a fresh rookie in boot camp to function properly under live fire. That's why some armies used to send rookies crawling through a field with live machine-gun fire scissoring across over their heads over a 500m crawl. In the army we could do that can call it a day. In a co-operative game, we need to actually support them.

Or if you don't feel the problem of lack of tanks, then you probably shouldn't be trying to stop others from providing the support.

Don't add to the problem. If you are just going to make the problem worse, you might as well not say anything.

This is how its been like since early everquest. It has been like this for almost two generations.

EverQuest was a different game, in a different time. Or maybe you'd like to revive slavery as well?

[Nektulos-Tuor]

1000postlimit

How is it any different? When you make a statement, you make words to back up the statement.

[Zfz]

How is it any different? When you make a statement, you make words to back up the statement.

How is what different? When you quote, please just quote properly. You are shortening the quote already, it doesn't take a life time to leave in the parts you want to quote.

[Elladie]

Ashkendor, I think I love you! You speak so much sense, I'm bowled over <3

[Meleoffs]

If you can't take the fire get out of the heat. Tanking isn't for everyone and its not meant to be an easy role. You are expected to adapt quickly if your new and learn the zone quickly and watch the bosses and learn strategies quicker then everyone else, be better geared then everyone else and hold aggro even if you don't have good weapons like everyone else. No ifs-ands-or-butts.

This is how its been like since early everquest. It has been like this for almost two generations.

I don't have any issues tanking, I'd say I'm a pretty good tank. I never lose aggro (never have, in fact I can keep aggro off a bis 130 drg with zeta wep doing 900+ dps burst while I have a 110) and my CDs are up on time for every tank buster. I do more dps than some DPS I've seen bitch at me do. The issue I have is how many ignorant people think they know how to tank better. It's pretty clear you feel that you know more than everyone else. The role is absolutely easy as you have LESS to actually manage than other people do. It's just a matter of ignorance surrounding the job and role that seriously gets on my nerves.

Like I said a few pages back, one of the tanks in my static (who have savage clears) was kicked from an WPHM for being in sword oath. The reason tanks don't DF is because of nonsensical shit like that. Not because of being berated for being new. Most people in this game are actually fairly kind to new players.

EDIT: I'd like to add that this attitude is why people thing 150 dps on a tank is acceptable. It really isn't. Tanks are capable of 400+ even without echo.

[Aeyis]

Tanks will have higher standards, if you can't get over that then don't play one.

It is human nature for a person to hold a higher standard for a leader.

That's the thing tho:

Tanks are not leaders. Its not anywhere in their role description. Its the current days mindset that the groups tank is supposed to be the one in charge that is causing these issues. Not the tank role itself.
In fact its the group mentality of wanting to shift responsibility away.
Because many (most?) people do this, it causes a lot of tanks to shy away from df content (particularly the harder bits) because they dont like being forced to take responsibility for the groups success.



As far as tanking difficulty level, that depends on both the game and the content. Overall tanking tends to be fairly easygoing however.
-During bossfights youve always got the boss focused, so you can respond to boss abilities faster.
-You dont have to focus on pushing dps.
-You dont have to focus on others healthbars.

All of the ''expected from a tank'' points you list are in reality ''this is expected from our rolemodel/leader'', not the tank role.

[Sapphic]

Because many (most?) people do this, it causes a lot of tanks to shy away from df content (particularly the harder bits) because they dont like being forced to take responsibility for the groups success.

This, the success of the party is down to the whole party. Albeit Tanks do have more control than the rest due to them being the ones who can dictate how large or small a pull is going to be. Outside of healers blackmailing tanks into, do this or I don't heal you, or DPS running off and grabbing more mobs.

[Risvertasashi]

Tanks are not leaders. Its not anywhere in their role description. Its the current days mindset that the groups tank is supposed to be the one in charge that is causing these issues. Not the tank role itself.
In fact its the group mentality of wanting to shift responsibility away.

It's the sort of natural thing to do though. Tanks, ultimately, control the pacing of the instance in the most direct way. They're the ones that start engagements, choose position, choose how much to pull, and so on. As another poster pointed out, healers (and DPS really) can only ask the tank to do certain things, or blackmail by refusing to fill their function (worst case).

[Zykor]

As far as tanking difficulty level, that depends on both the game and the content. Overall tanking tends to be fairly easygoing however.
-You dont have to focus on pushing dps.
-You dont have to focus on others healthbars.

Right, most content does not push tanks. Whereas, without echo and without full 130, when you fail to kill Bahamut by a few seconds, you'll wish the tank would be better at stance dancing. And Paladins should also be watching HPs, or more specifically, weakness. A stoneskin on someone with weakness could save their life during the megaflare mechanics. This will be double true as they get more raid abilities in xpac.

Though echo makes that all irrevelant in current content.