The Tank's Pledge (a damned fool's idealistic notion)

[Jpec07]

Lately, I'm afraid I've been thinking (a dangerous pastime, I know). I've been hearing a lot more horror stories lately from my FC about bad groups they've had, and about half of the time, it comes down to bad attitudes from the tank and/or healer.

As tanks, we inherently have a responsibility and an expectation on us to be the leaders of the groups we run with, and we have a very strong tendency to wave our massive HP pools around like clubs, bludgeoning our groups into submission (or attempting to). And when egos collide, it can get very ugly, and can have an extremely negative impact on the groups.

As we are inherently leaders, it falls to us to not only determine the pace of the dungeon, but also the atmosphere and mood. All it takes is one jerk to ruin a good run, but we as tanks also have the power to redeem it through our words and actions.

So I drafted a sort of pledge for us to take, regarding how we should behave in group content. I'm open to suggestions about it, and have absolutely no qualms with people copying it for their own use (I would just appreciate if this thread is referenced alongside).

Take it or leave it, this is what I will try to maintain while I am tanking, both in FFXIV, and in any other game where I may tank.

The Tank's Pledge

I am a tank. I stand in the line between disaster and success, and am the first line of defense. I lead the charge for my group, and so I am first and foremost a servant to its members, without whom I can accomplish nothing.

I promise to know my place, and to understand that without Healing and DPS characters with me, I will not be able to conplete anything. We play this game together, and we must work as a team to succeed.

I promise to communicate with my group at the start, and to control our pace to the best of my ability.

I promise to explain mechanics as needed, and to coordinate with other group members for what we plan on doing.

I promise to be polite and courteous, and to help players as they may need it, and as I am able. As I was once new and needed others to help me learn, so too do I recognize that I can help others learn.

I promise not to let my temper, pride, or ego get the better of me, and to lead the group in humility. For while I do lead by design, a leader's place is to serve, and to respect those that look to them.

I promise to cover for any mistakes the group makes, and to do my very best to keep enemies attacking me, and to survive their onslaught.

I promise to only pull when everyone can participate, and to only pull what I know I can hold and survive. And if I err in this regard, I promise to apologize, and to do what I can to make up for it.

I promise to be open to suggestion, and to consider advice enthusiastically. We never stop learning in life, and we all have things we can learn from one another. Our experiences are not universal, and while we will never be perfect, we can always be better than we are.

I promise to face each situation with optimism, and to try to see the best in all things. Even when we are stuck against a wall and we cannot win, I promise to never bemoan our situation, and to take away from each attempt whatever we can.

I promise to be humble, to ask for your help where I need it, and to be reasonable in my requests. We don't play this game in a vacuum, and I cannot succeed without the support of those who are with me. So where I may be weak, I promise to ask for your strength.

Where I fail in these, I promise to be humbly apologize, and to make it right however I can. For while I have made promises, I am still human.

I promise not to betray your trust in me, and to perform in my role as tank to the very best of my ability.

And of course, we have a good precedent in game:

"To serve; to protect; to sacrifice... there is no greater calling for a knight." - Count Edmont de Fortemps

Do we, as tanks, need anything more? We serve our fellow adventurers, protect them, and we shall be damned if anyone dies before we do.

[Jican]

You see, your first sentence in the pledge is exactly what's wrong with the mentality of tanks. You are NOT the leader, no one is, ever, at all, period. You are all there as a TEAM, and not a single person can run any dungeon solo. Once everyone accepts that fact, realizing what it means, then and only then will people be able to get through this game in a good attitude. There are some good, some bad, and some down right ugly.

[Jpec07]

You see, your first sentence in the pledge is exactly what's wrong with the mentality of tanks. You are NOT the leader, no one is, ever, at all, period. You are all there as a TEAM, and not a single person can run any dungeon solo. Once everyone accepts that fact, realizing what it means, then and only then will people be able to get through this game in a good attitude. There are some good, some bad, and some down right ugly.

I think this is a very good point, and I'll be rephrasing the pledge a little bit later to account for this. While general leadership philosophy basically echoes what you said, and while tanks are naturally and mechanically the leaders of the group (in that they literally lead the charge), it's very easy to take the idea of "leadership" as meaning "I automatically assume that because I am a tank I get to autocratically make decisions about how the run will work." Instead it ought to mean "I understand that my role as a tank puts a mantle of leadership on me, and gives me a greater responsibility to be sensitive to the needs of my group."

EDIT: I modified the phrasing a bit - do you think that makes it a little better?

[AniCelestine]

...You are all there as a TEAM, and not a single person can run any dungeon solo. Once everyone accepts that fact,...

I just had to: https://youtu.be/TIjxAcihf8k
Note that it's at level 50.

#SchMasterRace

Okok yes I know you have the point right and there should be no leaders in a pug daily dungeon run, which is sadly what people just doesn't seem to get.

And yes, one can't clear every dungeon solo, not even a sch. (Non unsynched)

[Kosmos992k]

You see, your first sentence in the pledge is exactly what's wrong with the mentality of tanks. You are NOT the leader, no one is, ever, at all, period. You are all there as a TEAM, and not a single person can run any dungeon solo. Once everyone accepts that fact, realizing what it means, then and only then will people be able to get through this game in a good attitude. There are some good, some bad, and some down right ugly.

I'll argue that point. Functionally the tank is the leader. It's their role to start the pulls, and pace the dungeon appropriately to the party (and their own limits). They are expected to know the dungeon and fights within it, and lead the charge at each Boss fight. They are blamed when something goes wrong. As such, they are the defacto leader of the party in many functional ways. Granted they might not be the Party leader or the person who organized the run, but in the dungeon, during the fights, the tank is by virtue of their role in the position of leadership; they are expected to manage the fights and control the mobs & Boss. That is leadership.

As for the point about being there as a team, of course you are, but every team has a leader or 'field general', the person who takes the lead. Saying the tank is the 'leader' does not mean that there is no team or that the tank is more important than the team. Far from it. Personally I've always felt that the best, and I mean *BEST* leaders lead by serving the team and allowing the team to excel, effectively leading by doing everything they can to allow the team members to do their best, and actively removing obstacles that might block their way; sometimes that role will include setting a direction, or controlling the pace. However, the tank role is functionally a leadership position during combat, and it can't really be any other way.

Just because you pull the targets does not mean you are a leader. Technically, anyone could pull. In FFXI? Healers and bards(a support job) did the pulling, or in roaming parties even DPS pulled. It's the playerbase that decided in FFXIV that tanks do the pulling. At any rate, it's fallacious to say that leading a charge makes you a leader. War generals leading their armies did not ever lead charges, they were in the back. Generals and Commanders do not rush headlong into the frontlines. Tanks control the PACE of the group, but to say they lead everything is a biased view.

Yes, generals do not lead from the front, they leave that to the Captains, Lieutenants and Sergeants, each of whom is expected to lead their unit within the rules of operation, mission brief and/or specific orders from above that they have been given. Applying your logic, there would be no field commanders at all, no officers in command of units, it would just be a bit 'team' of people with guns. Hope they all know the rules of engagement and targets, because if not, there's gonna be a crap-ton of mistakes made.

[Aika_Nakamura]

You see, your first sentence in the pledge is exactly what's wrong with the mentality of tanks. You are NOT the leader, no one is, ever, at all, period. You are all there as a TEAM, and not a single person can run any dungeon solo. Once everyone accepts that fact, realizing what it means, then and only then will people be able to get through this game in a good attitude. There are some good, some bad, and some down right ugly.

While I agree with you to an extent, you're partially incorrect. Yes, every party member is equally as important to complete a duty the way it was meant to be completed. Yes, you can also get by pretty easily if you're missing any role that's not a healer (unless you have a stellar SMN who is carrying healing accessories for some reason).

However, tanks ARE the most leadership figure in the entire party. It is the tank who leads the party into battle and it is the tank who protects his "weaker" party members. You don't run around and follow the DRG, you don't (always) run around and follow the WHM. You follow the PLD/WAR/DRK. The definition of "leader" is "one who leads or guides". Doesn't that sound A LOT like a tank?

I like your line of thinking, but those who read into it should not take it at face value. It's like saying "no one can run a corporation solo" -- anyone can tell you that. However, the CEO is the one calling all of the shots. You have a lot of smaller "departments" working together, but ultimately if the CEO wants something done, it's probably going to happen.

"CEO = Tanks" -Me, 2015

[Freyyy]

Peace is a lie, there is only passion.
Through passion, I gain strength.
Through strength, I gain power.
Through power, I gain victory.
Through victory, my chains are broken.
The Fell Cleave shall free me.

[Syzygian]

Peace is a lie, there is only passion.
Through passion, I gain strength.
Through strength, I gain power.
Through power, I gain victory.
Through victory, my chains are broken.
The Carve and Spit shall free me.

Fixed that for you -_^

[Lan_Mantear]

Peace is a lie, there is only passion.
Through passion, I gain strength.
Through strength, I gain power.
Through power, I gain victory.
Through victory, my chains are broken.
Through Royal Authority, shall I be set free.

Fixed that for you -_^

Double fixed!

[Reaver_Bharash]

Peace is a lie, there is only passion.
Through passion, I gain strength.
Through strength, I gain power.
Through power, I gain victory.
Through victory, my chains are broken.
Through Foresight and Awareness I shall be free.

Fixed that for you -_^

Double fixed!

That's a bit better