Why not just make everyone a DPS?

[SandTiger]

First off aggro is never an issue in any mmo i've tanked in. I'm sure tanks don't maximize dps because they are having aggro issues, that's a player skill problem. So maximizing dps is just maximizing dps and more aggro from it is just bonus, not required. And I don't know where you are coming from saying that tanks back then did close to 0 damage while generating enmity. From where in my previous post did I say I want to do close to zero damage? And please tell me want content you doing that tanks are taking 200 per hit autos and healers are healing them for 1.2k a tick? Stop using extremes to prove a point. In A1S that I have experienced and cleared, I take roughly around 2.5 to 3k hit autos and my whm regen is only healing around 1.4-1.5 a tick. The fact that I can tank oppressor in A1S in Deliverance 80% of the time and only going into defiance for tank buster to pop inner beast and cooldown is stupid game design. So like I said I only truly feel like a tank during those 20% times im in defiance to mitigate and tank buster. Other than that I'm in deliverance doing a dps rotation to maximize my dps, just like a dps. I picked a tank to play a tank and right now I don't really feel like a tank.

[Billeffingmurray]

Popcorn anyone?

[Alahra]

First off aggro is never an issue in any mmo i've tanked in.

Aggro used to be of real concern to tanks in WoW. During Wrath of the Lich King, they put something like a 2000x enmity modifier on all tank abilities so they didn't have to worry about it anymore, though. It was also a pretty big deal in FFXI (though it wasn't programmed well and eventually the entire system broke). Not sure of others as I haven't tanked in other MMOs.

[Phoenicia]

Aggro used to be of real concern to tanks in WoW. During Wrath of the Lich King, they put something like a 2000x enmity modifier on all tank abilities so they didn't have to worry about it anymore, though. It was also a pretty big deal in FFXI (though it wasn't programmed well and eventually the entire system broke). Not sure of others as I haven't tanked in other MMOs.

Yeah, aggro was bad specially for warriors in pre-Wrath WoW. Any good rogue or warlock letting loose would steal aggro. All 4 tanks I played (warrior, pally, DK, druid) had rotations (and reactionals) they followed for max threat, which in turn were also max dps.

In Aion, Templars (the only tank class) used to flood the forums with how Gladiators (Heavy melee class) generated MORE aggro than them. And it was a tug of war between Templar and Assassin. Successful Templars ended up joining the DPS race and gave Gladiators a run for it in terms of DPS to keep their aggro high. Healers generated aggro like crazy as well. So much actually that cleric (main healer) tanks were a thing!

In TERA aggro is always a thing, a Berserker critting for a million or a slayer throwing in back-to-back crits will definitely make the lancer drop their shield trying everything to regain attention. Tanks actually lost aggro if they got hit (without blocking/dodging) and the healing from that damage made bosses turn to healers. Tanks would use boss animation locks and downtime between attacks to lower their guard and dish out as much damage and aggro moves as they could before they have to guard again.

FFXI was a tug of war whenever someone was doing a weaponskill and BLMs just plain-and-simple beat tanks' aggro. BLMs spent the half the fight sitting on their arses with full MP waiting for tanks to build aggro or for skill chains. Healers aggro was a nightmare. Ninjas used to put on full damage gear to boost their weaponskills and they spammed ninjutsu for additional aggro. Heck, I used to dress my PLD in WAR gear to pull double the damage on weaponskills compared to other PLDs to increase my aggro.

I haven't tanked in Wildstar because I gave up before I got my war to 20, but I healed and tanks were following a tanking rotation. But again, healers followed a healing rotation, so w/e. lol

Anyways, this is literally the first MMO I played where aggro is absolutely NOT an issue. It's easy as heck to generate, If I stay in a tank stance, I'd be triple or quadruple the threat of the top DPS. Healers aggro is hardly a threat in this game. They generate half their healing spells' amount in aggro, and that aggro is split on the number of enemies engaged. Healing abilities do not generate aggro except for the base 240 enmity.

[Wizhard]

Anyways, this is literally the first MMO I played where aggro is absolutely NOT an issue. It's easy as heck to generate, If I stay in a tank stance, I'd b e triple or quadruple the threat of the top DPS.

Clearly you have not tried to maximise dps on a paladin then. I would like to see you try and go goring blade+2 RA in sword oath against a competent dragoon.

[Phoenicia]

Clearly you have not tried to maximise dps on a paladin then. I would like to see you try and go goring blade+2 RA in sword oath against a competent dragoon.

Sure, I would like to see you try to heal A1S as a summoner spamming Physic.

In that quote I said: "If I stay in tank stance".

But, since aggro is not an issue, start the fight in Shield Oath, pop FoF, use RoH twice, drop ShO (don't pop SwO yet), finish FoF duration, spend the GCD on Sword Oath and cruise from there with GB > RAx2.

That's basically like a DRK starting the fight in Grit.... Heck, I don't even start fights in Grit unless it's a raid since everyone's openers increase everyone else's damage.
Anyways, as a DRK, I pop 2 Power Slash combos without Grit or Dark Arts, and then cruise from there with Siphon combos.

[Wizhard]

Sure, I would like to see you try to heal A1S as a summoner spamming Physic.

What the hell are you even talking about? I am talking about an actual scenario in A3S that you can actually pull off, unless you have a drg in your party and/or whm solohealing.

[Phoenicia]

What the hell are you even talking about? I am talking about an actual scenario in A3S that you can actually pull off, unless you have a drg in your party and/or whm solohealing.

Your first post came off sounding like: "hold aggro without using your aggro combo at all" which is why I made that sarcastic retort. By the rest of my post was serious. lol

If you can pull it off, then where is the issue?

If a PLD ignoring aggro building combo can stay ahead of most of the DPS, then aggro is not an issue. This further supports my point.