Avoiding

Should “tanking” be reclassified as ‘avoiding’ or poosy (Serious question) I was was fortunate enough to play when tank & spank existed. But when I see “tanking” now… I feel embarrassed about how far this role has fallen. A tank by definition (for gaming) is a role that takes punishment.
I have a tank toon that I run lasso with (because I personally love it) to be able to pull 15+ adds, but I’m not be able to take what they can give (whilst timing shields etc) this is not tanking! It’s taunting and running away and making them chase.
I understand games evolve. But this was done on purpose, as to allow the “tanks” to be given the impression that they were partially still being active whilst taking aggro and “damage” (which most tanks now finish with lowest dmg taken ffs) why can’t it just go back to not having to jump all over the screen like super Mario ‘s cousin “earthspresso”? And just tanks take punishment. Ffs… ppl raise arts, augs, allies now, and you’re honestly telling me - that a “tank” can’t face-tank? But instead should avoid all dmg?
If it’s not gonna be fixed/reverted back to actually being able to take a beating - Should it honestly not be renamed to something new? Avoider? Aggro gainer? Cowardly Runt(no R)? Etc!… this was implemented to suit dps who didn’t just wanna sit and tank & spank. “OMFG BRO, I’m so bored! I wish I could tank and do other **** at the same time.

I did the normal only alert 2 days ago as ice and stood in the mist with devastator most of it (after pulling him close to the entrance door) and rotated shields accordingly. The group felt that this was so out of the ordinary. They put it down to super human. LOL! Two even asked me if they could add me? I found it just extraordinary! That face-tanking a boss was considered fkd up! How has tanking actually ended up so squishy? Or is it that the current crop of players have known nothing else but avoiding, that they dogrealise they can stand there and take punishment? Why is tanking still called tanking? LOL!

While I don't like the Devastator example (because avoiding ground aoes is not new) I agree.

These days in elite content it's all about role dodging ranged BBs. Don't get me wrong, it takes skill and practice and I am always happy to see a tank doing that on a high level. The healers on some fight just focus on lunging stuff (deahstroke ptsd from R27 or 28 or 26 whatever it was last SM).
I used to tank in this face tank meta and it was more fun.

I think the main problem is content design and mechanics in elite. In elite and higher stages (or now elite +) it all was more damage, health and some mechanics new. At some point a tank can't just take hits and hat do dodge role / grey range tanking / kiting everything.
And that is bad design imo.

I know some tanks who like it. I don't

Um not really sure what you're talking about because most tanks can face tank (new tanks don't have the stats to support that) and kiting is an optimal strategy for different boss fights.

Also you can't properly tank Devastator because he's scripted to ignore you majority of the time. The best strategy is to burn him down till he's @ 75% health so lifts the spores and goes into his second phase.

I get what OP is saying but there has to be times when we can’t face tank or the role gets boring in a different way. You said rotating shields so I’m assuming ice? Yeah, we’re terrible with lots of adds. But we’re gods of ST bosses. In the newest elite, I can face tank 2 at a time now so the other tank only has to hold 2 vs 3. But obviously Proma can still kill me. Well, sort of. I’ve been able to eat that attack lately as long as I’m fresh strong shield and full health. When I was rage, I couldn’t gather enough adds. Just different powers being different.

Elite plus, yeah I’d love to face tank. That won’t happen because plus. It needs to hit like a truck. 4 or 5 tanks helps lol. In the elite alert, same deal. A good healer and I can sit in the spores fine. I don’t think there’s anything in regular content that can’t be face tanked except maybe murk since he’s just OP anywhere he shows up.

The only I time I really ‘avoided’ a boss (although nobody else knew they needed to) was in love and war last boss with Carrol Ferris. Why, she puts down 1-2 lantern batteries to power her skull attack. I figured it out and so I ‘kited’ her around the room so she couldn’t ‘recharge’ her skull attack. Needless to say, it made it a whole lot easier. All the other bosses in the game, not really a need for it (nowadays the boss just goes wherever they want).

Hope this helps!

In other games, Tera comes to mind, this is a class of tanking. lol

Must be awful, having to learn a fight, knowing when to move out of certain AoEs, when and where to move to grab adds, knowing how to juggle/CC/kite those adds...truly terrible. If only you could stand in one spot and hit buttons while watching TV...

Absolutely! I agree no-one can tank scripted movements. I don’t jump around chasing bosses/subs etc. i make them coke to me. (That is the whole point of agro after all. One at 55%# the most goes. I’ll pull him to a corner, and keep him there until he stop existing (till the next group comes in lol) I just miss the old tank and spank. I feel the tank should have huge stats with augs/arts/allies etc that should enable that person to just stand there and pull a lot of adds and a boss (possibly two) and say ‘gimme wtf you have” how it used to be. But ultimately… how I see tanking now; I don’t believe it should be called tanking anymore. Maybe… aggro’ing? ‘NEED AGRRO FOR RE3e+ has a ring too it! Lol!

I have a fire tank with 265 sp. I started tanking this year so I can't comment on older times. In my experience, most of my tanking can be done in one spot. Life and healing is very important to stay in one small area. Your tank must be dedicated to this type of tanking, health and restoration. Now for bosses, MOST bosses I can tank face to face, but some I can't. I'm guessing it's because my sp and arts are low, but avoiding just a few certain attacks isn't bad.

Absolutely! Even back in the day. You had to move at certain points of get mauled. I get that. But “stick and go” kiting. Ok! It was a change for a while. But… as a tank! I build my arts/augs/sp etc into being able to stand and take a severe kicking. I shouldn’t (nor don’t want) to have to block/role/tap power to taunt/run away. I get some enjoy it, because it’s better than tank and spank. But… t&s gave you that satisfaction of being able to say… I pulled EVERYTHING at me and took all they had (along with heal help) and sat with my middle finger up the entire time lol! You don’t get that now. I know some very good tanks who are in a permanent state of “oh Christ! That AIR almost got me” ffs! A tank is literally theee to take the AOE and more. I suppose I’m just being nostalgic atm really. But I do miss it!

I loved LAW! As in way back, before you had groups thinking the one shot was a bug ffs lol! There should be a neon sign that flashes now for dd. STOP ATTACKING! I loved TODe. Having to pull The essence and two other tanks having to do ares and adds. It wasn’t all about dps. The game was a game. Not just a fkn scorebored.

I know I’ve replied too some ppl. But honestly! Would you as a tank (for those of you) accept if they changed “tanking” to a”avoiding” or “aggro gatherer “ etc? I get that many can face tank. But… many within the past 3+ years have never known that, and see tanking as avoiding only. They actually look at you like you’re mentally ill when you face tank ffs lol! But… even after the initial annoyance of it being changed. Would you classify yourself as a tank still - or “AVOIDER HERE FOR SWe+?”

It doesn't matter if you're standing in one spot or moving around, when you're taking damage so the group doesn't, that's tanking. When you're kiting enemies away from the group, that's tanking. When you're countering enemies from using attacks, that's tanking. When you have aggro but you're holding block for the majority so you can stay alive, that's still tanking.

I get you! But it’s not tanking by avoidance imho. You just have more dom. Christ! If a troll came in with a severe amount of dom, they are next after the tank for targeting. Imo, tabling should mean why it is meant to mean (in gaming terms) a few hits, then use a powe, roll/runaway (avoid) is not tanking! I 100% get what you mean. And agree that it is actually still holding agrro. But… it’s not the same! It’s avoiding damage. A tank is meant to be a monster who can take as much **** as you can hit it with (with heal help) and tell the bosses to gfys and keep them in one spot and take severe punishment. I don’t need my dps to have 200+k health. The tank should have that. Not the squishy ppl. Otherwise, it’s just holding aggro. Tanks now are almost as squishy as dps when face tanking fs. (And yes; I do mean the lower scale tanks) but even in elites. You’ll rarely see a tank stand still. Very rarely imho.

No no no. Dominance does not affect aggro at all. Aggro works on a hate mechanic that will always go towards the healer or the hardest hitter depending on who's putting out the most numbers. Tanks will always be at the bottom of this hate list until they use a super power within range and then they move to the top. The only time this doesn't apply is when the enemy has a scripted attack or pattern that tells it to ignore the tank, then aggro goes back to the healer or top hitter until the script finishes.

Some boss aggro mechanics are range dependent, whoever's standing closest will have aggro. Doesn't matter what role.

I just dont think the arts are good enough. its not like when your in dps you can see millions more damage with arts then without them, I just dont feel the power of tank arts, maybe bc I play regular but I mean that shouldn't make a difference

also, tank arts lack visually. really wish theyd show us some love

Yeah! I get what you’re saying in “how it’s supposed to be” as a 378 troll, I can assure you, when tank goes down in any e… my *** is ready for a pounding. I recently purchased stock in lube. I k ow how it hurts! In practice. (In my experience) tank/troll (even before heal :/) then heal, the. Whatever random dps is top. I don’t want timhis to run off topic. (I absolutely agree with you btw) but… in reality. (My reality) a troll takes it in the *** after tank. Tanks are ALL over the place now. I can’t understand it. Maybe I just refused to evolve! But I still see it as a tank should be able to on the world with a good heal, and sit back and laugh at the beating he/she is taking. But… still have to be careful with shields etc. kiting is not tanking! And I understand technically it is. But it is not tanking. Not by gaming definition. The term of tanking should be done away with, and replaced with “avoiding” “aggro’ing” it’s been brought down to that level, that as a tank, you need to stop, drop and roll ffs.

Ultimately… it’s a game. But… a LOT of money is invested. And tanking has changed to the extent now (no-matter how people try and potray it) as an avoiding role.

Seriously! “Bruh! I avoided tf outta those bosses! You see that?” :/

A big fat message at the end before the scoreboard pops. “THE TABK KEPT YOU ALL FROM BEING MURDERED” would be nice tbh lol

I’m sorry but you’re dead wrong. Dominance has 0.. ZERO.. impact on aggro. Doesn’t matter what you think your experience says. Aggro follows a specific formula and the only way to bypass the formula is with a tank.


As for your original point. Yes back in the day tanks could face tank. Guess what? Elite didn’t exists for a while and even at the start it wasn’t as defined as it is now. Go to reg and you can face tank anything. Some elites you can face tank just fine. Look at rte3e. The tank can face tank all 3 bosses. With the first boss the tank just pull super woman to the corner while the dps burn. For the second boss the tank gave tanks ultraman and anchors when he script attacks other players. And for devastator the tank will anchor until the spore phase is done and then face tank the rest.

Look at the raid. 2 tanks for first 2 bosses then 1 boss for the last 2. The boss tank that’s pulling single bosses can phase tank while the second tank kites. Then the last 2 bosses are pretty much tank and spank.

Yes elite plus they have to kite. But guess what. Elite plus wasn’t a thing for most of the games life.

Dude! No-one is talking about ‘guess what’ I understand the game has changed. But… I’m saying! Why can’t ranking be tanking again, and not “avoiding” face tanking an alert boss is very diff to face tanking an elite raid. We all agree on that! the purpose of this, was to ***** about how tanking has evolved. I get the whole evolve or stagnate thing. But… if really would be nice to just tank a raid again. Not jump all over like a fkn moron fro place to place AVOIDING dmg. Tank= Punishment. That’s how it always ways. And as stated; I get things change. But… it would just be nice to be able to take all they can throw at you. And not have to run away like a *****! It’s not tanking no-matter how many arguments are made in favour of it. It’s avoiding.