Why Don’t You Tank Poll

[AncientCrystal]

I'm really am trying to Tank and Heal more in this game instead of dpsing all the time.

But to me, it's a bit daughting to figure out how to properly position a boss as tank, especially when there's a long established way to fighting a boss.

[Nestama]

I have a tank I've been gearing, but it's only if my static is ever missing a tank for one reason or another. The BRD in my static has done the same, but I feel replacing a RDM (me) would be more beneficial than replacing a BRD.

[Sylvina]

WAR main here. Wheres the "Why DO I tank" option?

[CYBEReris]

I tank decently often, but it's usually with friends. Why use tank queues with random players I probably won't see again when I can queue with people who are either accountable or permissive of goofing off together?

[The_Profezzor87]

I only tank for friends.

[The_NPC]

while I can Tank (PLD ilv330) I haven't in about a several weeks as I have no interest atm & have totally stoped using it in any raid (8 or 24-man) unlike before were I had the shear goal to be OT... as my past with 24-mans has shown me dedicated OT's that actually do that job is rare, not uber-rare just low.

Things most Profesional Tanks know:
-Loot locations
-Loot tables
-Trash Mob mechanic's & placement
-Boss mechanic's & Placement
-their CD timers
-their teams CD timers (& probably when they should be used)
-Quantium & molecular Theory (j/k)

[RyuDragnier]

Definitely too stressful. It's odd, I can do healer just fine without problems (I get more mad than stressed), but tank I get far too stressed out.

[bounddreamer]

I'm a tank main. I love to tank. But right now I'm burned out on tanking duty finder. I've gotten my battle bear and my battle lion. I started doing daily roulettes on DRK for my battle panther and got up to 100 out of 300 before I just...stopped.

During those 100 runs I encountered the good, the bad, the indifferent, and the ugly. I got PTSD from Doma Castle after multiple healers in different runs let me die on the first pull after cycling appropriately through cooldowns (including Living Dead). I stuck with groups I should have dropped just so they could clear their instance, and did it without getting a word of thanks. I went through multiple Lakshmi parties that would drop after one or two clears, and co tanks who volunteered to OT, having me MT, only to fail in keeping second hate and letting a dps explode a Chanchala over half the party.

After a while you just get tired. So I put my sword down for a while. I'll probably pick it back up in 4.2.

[Reinha]

Tanks - higher situational awareness, defensive cooldowns, tank specific mechanics.

DPS - lower situational awareness.

I don't think that's an accurate representation of what it is like to play dps compared to a tank. Only in easier content can dps get away with not paying attention to the situation and possibly dying from it.

Tanks need to have situational awareness to know where party members are in relation to the boss, where enemies spawn, what enmity is like and how/when to handle tank mechanics. But in the same manner dps need situational awareness to offer MP/TP and raises, to position themselves in relation to the boss (tanks don't need to worry about positionals + safe casting spots), to start attacking adds as soon as they spawn, to manage their own enmity and to handle mechanics which never target a tank. Tanks do need to plan their defensive cooldowns but I think that's what compensates for the simpler rotation.

[Chronons]

snip

I mean sure, I could fill up a page of the real differences between the responsibilities of a tank vs. a dps. No one would read it though.

I only mean that tanks have to have all of the situational awareness that a dps does and then some. Hence higher vs lower. None of the things you mentioned are things tanks dont also have to do. Except for the dps specific abilities you mentioned (refresh/raise/tpstuff). However those are not as needed at a high level of play, and tanks have raid wide defensive cooldowns that I would cite as filling a similar role of "responsibilities".

When is the last time the BLM was worried that the SAM just popped Meiyko Shisui and the boss' flank is positioned in an AOE? A high skill tank would recognize and work with their SAM to ensure they got the most kenki out of their cooldown. (via cover/re-positioning mob/whatever - its just an example) Is BLM's more complicated rotation harder than being able to do these kinds of things on the fly as a tank? *shrugs*