The Final Reason on why we have more DPS than Tanks or Healers

[Stormbad]

I think the real reason you see much more DPS jobs than Tanks or Healers is because of the perceived responsibility is lower from a macro point of view. A lot of gamers will often choose a default class or the most normal class and play at a normal difficulty when playing a new game. They do this to figure out the game a bit and then go back and restart with a harder class and/or increase the difficulty.

This is the same for MMOs as most new people will choose DPS by default because without knowing anything about the game, they assume that all they do is deal damage. Once they really dive into the game they realize that a DPS job has a LOT of responsibilities and expectations of doing a ton of damage. Once they've invested the time into their job, they probably just stick to it for the most part.

The gamers who start with a Tank or Healer are the same types of people who play with an alchemy build for Witcher, or go with melee build for Fallout, and on and on because they like the challenge up front as they are learning about the game.

[Claviusnex]

As I main a SMN one of my common duties that isn't in your DPS list is to rez the healers and tanks. Throw Eye for an Eye in there while your a it.

As to why folks don't seem to play tank or healer compared to DPS there are multiple reasons. I think a big one is when things go wrong tanks and healers frequently feel the brunt of the complaints and that doesn't appeal to a lot of folks. It is also easier for a new player to relate to doing damage than tanking or healing. Once they have time invested in that path many see little reason to change and have to invest that time all over again doing something different. Instead they'll see investing that time in something like crafting or gathering as a better use of their time. Of course everyone is different but I think these two reasons cover quite a bit of the player population.

[Xtrasweettea]

I have no idea what you're talking about with this. Couple of linkshell peeps grouped up, tank, healer and DPS. For at least 10 minutes the queue read 3/3 Tank 6/6 Healer and 6/15 DPS. I've seen this happen just about everytime we queue for 24 man stuff. It wasn't a group in progress and no one was kicked.

The Tank surplus in raiding could be due to Tanks being under representative in a raid group.

I will use math to help me try to make my point.

• For a DR Leveling Party, you have: 1 Tank, 1 Healer, 2 DPS (or 25% Tank, 25% Healer, 50% DPS make up the party)
• For a Raid Party, you have: 3 Tanks, 6 Healers, and 15 DPS (or 12.5% Tank, 25% Healer, and 62.5% DPS make up the party)
• According to the 2016 census, the population maining roles are the following: 21% Tank, 23% Healer, 56% DPS

Now, we are going to use the census with the following scenario:

1. We will have 100 people who each person will represent a role based on the census (so 21 Tanks, 23 Healers, and 56 DPS)
2. These 100 people are static: there is no change in the total number of people and no change in the number of people playing roles (assume no one can change roles)

If we put the 100 people in DR Leveling, by the time the 22nd party is being created, we are already at the tank shortage (party #21 had the last tank). That means both healers and DPS will have to wait for a tank to come out of a dungeon in order to fix the shortage. By the time DPS#56 joins a party, all tanks did at least two dungeon runs. People will complain there is a shortage of tanks.

If we put the 100 people in Raid: by the time you are creating Raid party#4, you only have 11 DPS available for that Raid. You will be short 4 DPS. By the time Tank#21 gets to join a raid (should be Raid#7), all of those DPS that joined that specific raid did one raid already. People will state there is a surplus of tanks.

There is a both shortage and surplus of tanks… though what they are shorting and over-supplying is based on the event.

So… in a way you and the OP are both correct.

[ToasterMan]

The ratios don't match up across content. In 4-8 mans its 1:1:2, in 24 its 1:2:5. So you get a quick queue leveling and gearing a tank. But not so much afterwards. And I just checked the statics again, they're all looking for BRD/MCH/AST. I have yet to see one looking for PLD, WAR, or DRK.

For some odd reason, people don't believe there's that many tanks. They hit the roulette and see 0/1, 1/1, 2/2 and think no one plays tanks. They don't realize the tanks are already 60, already 260+ geared. And have nothing to do. Hell in my personal group of friends, minus online (meaning all RL friends of decades) half of them play a tank. Which is way more than we need too.

I'd like to add to this.

Honestly it's the same situation for healers at endgame, it just isn't as obvious.

One of the reasons I think we don't see as many DPS in endgame raids is because they figure out just how difficult it is to play these jobs and live up the standards that raid groups hold. I used to play BLM back when Gordias was a thing. Guess what? I dropped it because I realized there was no way in hell I'd be able to play BLM in Gordias no matter how much I tried. I'm much more useful as a healer or a tank when I raid. Almost every PF that was recruiting for a raid was looking for, you guessed it, DPS jobs. Every time my current group has had to cancel due to a shortage of players was because of, you guessed it again, not enough people on DPS. We can easily get another tank or healer to sub, but a DPS? That's like pulling teeth. And it's not because of missing like three, we're lucky if ONE steps up.

There's plenty of MCH's and BRD's. They just don't live up to the standards that raid groups hold in order to be recruited. And you know what? That's understandable because for these raids you need to be able to meet a certain standard in order to complete it. Raid groups aren't going to want to take just anybody, nor should they be expected to.

Now another reason why raid groups typically aren't looking for tanks is because the people who generally start and lead these groups are, you guessed it, tanks. There's a reason the stereotype of tanks being the leaders of the party exists. Almost every raid leader I've met has been a tank. They typically guided the team through the encounter with call outs and the like. The healers were typically their SO or close friends, along with the other tank while the DPS were either close friends mixed with people that were recruited and needed to show their worth. If they were unable to do that then they were kicked and the group went right back into PF.

In fact my own group just replaced someone. Can you guess which role it was?

[dragonseth07]

Part of the issue is less about tanks and healers in total, but about getting them into DF.

I'm a tank main, and I HATE Duty Finder. I'd stop using it completely if roulettes weren't so good for rewards. I know lots of tanks in the same boat.

Why is it so bad? Personally, I'm sick of carrying the living garbage DF gives out as "teammates". Tanking is not fun when you're top DPS. Tanking is not fun when your healer is AFK.

Tanking is fun when the group is behind you, and you're powering through. Tanking is fun when you can pull a billion mobs, pop HG, and watch the nuclear explosion of AoE's hit home.

Tanking is fun, DF is anti-fun.

[Stormbad]

Part of the issue is less about tanks and healers in total, but about getting them into DF.

I'm a tank main, and I HATE Duty Finder. I'd stop using it completely if roulettes weren't so good for rewards. I know lots of tanks in the same boat.

Why is it so bad? Personally, I'm sick of carrying the living garbage DF gives out as "teammates". Tanking is not fun when you're top DPS. Tanking is not fun when your healer is AFK.

Tanking is fun when the group is behind you, and you're powering through. Tanking is fun when you can pull a billion mobs, pop HG, and watch the nuclear explosion of AoE's hit home.

Tanking is fun, DF is anti-fun.

I think this applies to every job for DF. DPS isn't fun if the tank is constantly losing aggro or the team isn't performing, healing isn't fun when the team isn't performing etc etc etc.

[ADVSS]

I have no idea what you're talking about with this. Couple of linkshell peeps grouped up, tank, healer and DPS. For at least 10 minutes the queue read 3/3 Tank 6/6 Healer and 6/15 DPS. I've seen this happen just about everytime we queue for 24 man stuff. It wasn't a group in progress and no one was kicked.
.

maybe i shouldve asked WHAT 24 man were you signed up for instead I assumed Dun Scath, but now im worndering if its something way obsolete.

[The_NPC]

Personal opinion: we have more DPS classes to choice from than Tank/Healer's so the chance someone finds a class they enjoy playing being a DPS is higher than normal. Also as far as I'm concerned things like arrgo-managment, Mechanic's, Dodging AoE's & trying to do u'r rotations is something all 3 of the triad gota do just Tanks "Have-to" have higher priority on arrgo & healer's "Have-to" keep the team at managable levels (whatever their "personal" version of that is, it could be 75% or maybe 110%, especially if the healer "wants" & "can" help with dmg)

Do I expect Top end-game, current patch level, Savage skills all the time, if in gear from said stuff or not... No f'n way but I do exspect the team I ended up with to try as best they can, if they can as some days life can get rough... if u go into everything like youre King-Lord Starscream u'll probably just end up... well Like Starscream, guy's his own worst enemy

[Aldora]

I'm sorry but I disagree. As a tank main (been one for 12 years between WoW, FF) I will always live by the concept that there's nothing easier thank tanking. We do least mechanics and usually they are set in stone and we hardly have to adjust. People perceive tanking as wrong and it makes them scared of trying, but really is a job that takes less time to master and has to deal with less variables...
On the other hand healers, holy fuck, I don't know how you do it, having to do your part and account for everyone else shortcoming, you will always have my praise

For me it's actually the other way around. Prior to FFXIV, I’ve only played dps and support roles, but no real healer and I wouldn't touch a tank class with a ten-foot pole.

But, it’s thanks to my FC and Coil that I had my first real experience with tanking. It was a long and difficult road for me. Up to this day, i still say that tanking is the hardest job to do properly. I have to watch for tank busters and large trash pulls so that i can manage my cooldowns accordingly throughout the entire encounter, handle mechanics properly to avoid unnecessary damage to myself and my party members (as in not pointing the boss towards the group while dodging aoe’s ), deal as much damage as I can, while maintaining hate. This can be quite the task, as well as hectic on multiple occasions.

Then we have 3 different tanks in the game. Each with their own specific play style. I’ve tried playing as a Warrior, but I fail at playing it properly. I just can't get the hang of it. The Paladin is a lot more straight forward, which suits my playstyle. The dark Knight sits somewhere in the middle.

I’ve put in a lot of effort to learn how to tank and after 3 ½ years, I’m proficient enough with my Paladin to feel confident with any type of content.

When it comes to healing, it feels more like a game of “whack-a-mole”. You select the party member that requires healing and try topping them off. Placing buffs and a regen / shield on the party. Avoid getting hit by avoidable damage and DPS whenever I don't have to heal.

I’m not saying that it was an easy road to master it, but it feels a hell of a lot easier than tanking. With tanking, i have to continually pay attention at several things at the same time (I’m the raid caller from the static too). However as a healer, i have more time to think and act. So, if i want to relax, I’ll play as my white mage.

[Derio]

21% of those tanks are not for certain either. Same goes with healer. I am sure there are plenty of those who avoid DF at all cost. Then there are many people who avoid running leveling roulette or anything under lvl 60.

There are multiple factors that lead to a shortage or a surplus. Example when I have a 20+ minute wait time on Dun Scaith as a tank. But as a DPS its a 5 minute queue.

I think as long as tanks and healer stay above 20% then we are fine. The moment it drops below that is when SE has to make some moves.