Tanks are in short supply, I've seen groups wait over an hour just trying to find a tank. You only need two tanks in a raid so your going to end up with roughly two actively played tanks for every 24 people on a server, They really need to drop this tank script, I know some of the tanks with god complexes will pout about and flame this but the fact is, the game is dying like this. The game was much more fun and challenging without these tank scripts,
I have given up on heroic instances, partly due to the tank issue. I logon every 3 hours that I'm awake to do PQ stil (some of my alts need the bracelet, etc) and 6 hours on the weekend to raid. any other gameplay tends to be too painful. As a result, WHALE spender that I am, the game is getting increasingly boring for me and I'm being tempted to find another game. If it wasn't for the great guild I am in, and I still enjoy raiding.. I would just find another game or hobby.
I think the problem with tanks is that you either find an understanding group while you are learning the class, or you get blackballed as a "sucky tank" and nobody wants you. Add that on top of the cliqe-ishness of people not accepting people that are different than them, or run zones slower than they want, and you end up with a lot of people who don't want to tank at all. I know I have quite a few tank characters (all are 100+), but I only ever do solo stuff with them because most people are very quick to judge and those labels don't go away easily if at all.
this is the only MMO that I've ever loved. I tried dozens over about 15 years.. But IMHO they've screwed up tanks.. and screwed up healing.. there are only a couple combinations of tanks and healers that even make sense to raid with. They've turned every class into a medium strength DPS class, at least potentially. MIght as well just get rid of character classes and do it like runequest. It's not that far off now. There are a few speciality abilities left.. (that matter) .but you can count them on two hands now.
my hubby's main is a tank, his second main is a BL, he's pretty much always paired a tank and scout between both games. gives him a break from jerks who ignore the tanks, pull stuff on their own etc. then complain when he lets them die after the first mistake. neither of us will pug anymore, thankfully we've got a great guild on FG and he's a good tank with guildies. they allow for the occasional mistake. finding a guild like that on live is another story. i think the script is a good thing, people stopped playing tanks because they weren't needed as much, now they are again.
Entitled dps players is what makes tanks not do pugs. Pulling, complaining about pull-speed, taunts, not assisting and so on . I have a few tanks, I used to do pug heroics -> not anymore due to the first sentences. Roll a tank instead of complaining.
Entitled dps players mentality is courtesy of the game design the last couple of expacs though, which pushed things dps-wise and adjusted the difficulty curve quite drastically. If you read other posts where dps players are saying to already be able to solo parts of some PoP heroic zones, you'll see what I mean. Players are just naturally using what they get, things roll down further to who made those things the way they are.
players make a choice to be asshats to tanks, not the game, so tanks are less willing. can't blame it all on the mechanics.
Tanks, the "meat-shields" of long ago. My main is a 110 zerker who can do some awesome damage, especially with AOEs. He can hold agro well, until a mage or scout attacks on their own and not THROUGH me. Peeps love to rage on tanks because they don't understand the dynamics. SUPPORT the Tank and your raid/group will be much more successful.
"Tank populations" haven't been the problem. Can't tell you how many people join guilds on tank characters. The problem is they don't learn how to play a tank in a group and/or don't want to learn. I'm seeing tanks who simply don't grasp tank "mechanics" or refuse to adapt their "tank mechanics" to the group they're with. For way too many, tanking has become run through the instance pulling everything moving without regard to how well (or new your healer might be). If I had a plat for every time I've told a tank that if he/she can't see their group, they're out of position, I'd be rich. Not the least of which is a group spread out across the zone because the tank is charging across the instance and can't be bothered to ensure the group is together. And to Cheallaigh's point, "aggro management" from dpsers has become a forgotten term. While the tank is busy sweeping the room, you've got the (insert dps class here) unloading their entire library of ascension spells and can't figure out why they're dying. There are some great tanks and dps class players out there, as I've played with them over the years. I don't know whether people have just gotten sloppy or lazy, but some of the old school mechanics for group play have flown out the window. I think the biggest thing that would help is have a little patience with each other, and more importantly, when you're getting tips from players about improving your play style, listen up. And if you're the player giving it, have some courtesy in delivering the message if you want the other player to learn and get better.
If they let dps and healers run heroics without a tank, you make tank shortage even worse. Eventually you will get tank shortages at raid level. So may be remove tanks completely?
We just box a tank sometimes and leave them dead at the zone in and I tank the zone on my wizard or a scout tanks it, havn't had any issues.
