Could something be done to make people tank?

[styil]

1. Remove speed run style content. Reward players for 'smelling the roses'
2. Remove interrupts and CC from tanks. Give more interrupts to DPS. Punish DPS only for missed interrupts. In exchange, give tanks more raid CD's and remove some from DPS. Highlight DPS errors more on the UI
3. Increase tank threat significantly
4. Double the current HP of tanks, more active mitigation,, make outside healing received from others less potent
5. Make more interesting mechanics for tanks where there is more interaction with active mitigation

Result:
1. Tanking is now about managing resources and active mitigation, not about making DPS lives easier
2. Getting rid of the 'gogo' mentality
3. Tanks have more responsibility of their own fate

[Superfly]

That's a joke, right?

I do play tank classes, but I don't tank. But that has nothing to do with tanking itself or dps or something else related to the class. I don't tank because of people. When people even in low level instances don't have the time to let a learning tank learn, it's no fun. If I get the feeling within the first minute in the instance that the people I was thrown together with are impatient and really interested in playing as a team, I don't feel appreciated. I don't want to be praised, but I would like not to haste through and get blamed if the overzealous ranged dps pulled half the instance

This is the reason I don't tank either. Have tanked some xpacks back, and would love to do it again, but never got a patient grp, so all i do is running around like a moron... that stops me from tanking.

[Zarvel]

I haven't read the whole thread, but here is my thoughts about tanking from a pure tank experience throughout 15 years:

I don't think the dps is an issue at all. Tanks are doing a very good pve dps to do anything they want in solo content and a lot of people switch for tank specs from a pure dps just to INCREASE their mob clear time because of an aoe or killing strong elites that they can't kill in other specs. It might be fun to deal more damage than dedicated specs in pandaria, but it was obviously broken. Right now the balance is perfectly fine and playable.

The issue here is the responsibility of a tank in dungeons and raids. You can clear most stuff with 10 absolutely incompetent dps players and healers, but if you have 1 out of 2 incompetent tank in a raid or just an incompetent tank in a dungeons you set yourself to fail. Now, this isn't the issue of only incompetent ones, but tanks in general. Even if you're amazing you still be flamed by people because you're "doing it differently" from what people are used to with OTHER tanks. Guess what? You're the only tank in your dungeons and you don't know exactly what other tanks are doing. You're either too slow or too fast or the routes are wrong and as you're a driver in this car the blame is on you. Always.
You're basically dad in a car with your wife (healer) and 3 dumb kids at the back being loud and obnoxious. It's painfully accurate and no tanks find it fun. Pretty much all good tanks I know have dedicated groups and this is why nobody bothers with randoms.
I just saw a few posts above and I completely agree with it being a social issue more than anything. But the thing is that dumbing down the content to solve this problem (easier more straighforward mechanics, dungeons etc) will only worsen the situation.

That perfect analogy though, haha, made me chuckle. But yeah, that's the best way to put it.

I love tanking m+ dungeons for the challenge. But I despise doing it because I need to do it with 4 other moaning pugs who I am probably carrying DPS or healing wise (as a blood dk) constantly annoying me or throwing insults my way when I don't do the MDI strat they ask me to do because I know there's at least 1 person in group who will screw it up and waste more time than it would take doing things normally. And then queue the insults or the "you suck as a tank" despite you being the only one alive for 50% of a boss on a +10 and soloing it earlier in the same run.
Just, ugh.

I would take premades of my own over PuGs anyday. I had one during early legion when i was rank 1 dk and rank 4 overall on Draenor EU and then fucking nighthold came and legendaries became relevant and my group separated and joined other guilds and then eventually stopped doing raids and m+ together. T.T i still miss that HoV 15 we did during late emerald nightmare, man, the memories.

[LilSaihah]

I don't know why I don't like tanking in WoW.

I like tanking in GW2 because (at least for my class/build) you're not just tanking; you're giving big support to the rest of your group. While you're responsible for positioning the boss, managing big incoming hits and not dying like a chump, you're also providing a mix of defensive, offensive buffs and incidental healing to your raid group, which need to be effectively provided to succeed at the encounter.

[dope_danny]

The modern WoW userbase is known for being kind of a cesspool in group finders and has trained people to expect the knee jerk worst as the go to reaction. When "one wipe? fucking assholes im leaving" has been the baseline for 'polite' for years in game you can't really expect people to want to be the go to role people shit on when shitting on is the default interaction at best.

That and its a 'your class if your character' kind of game. What if you dont like tanking? or the class in general? just go and start 120 levels fresh isn't that enticing either.

[Rotted]

I think the satchel system needs a complete overhaul for bonus rewards, while at the same time not penalizing DPS.

So, Star trek online have recently implemented a system. During special events you earn 50 tokens a day and when you have 3000 you can pick any ship you want from the paid store completely for free. Its a great little system.

I think wow LFD needs a version of that, have a daily / weekly cap out. Which ever roles are most in demand, they get a higher reward, e.g. DPS might get 10 points a time, but tanks get 50 a time. Once they hit a set amount, they can be traded in for a non combat item. You could have a whole host of items (hell you could put them on a revolving system so something are only accessible during specific events etc) at different prices.

You'd have to include all roles, otherwise your forcing DPS to tank / creating drama. Some DPS will still think they have to tank to min max the points but that would work; the following week the new tally would reflect that and cause people to switch back etc.

[Dadwen]

Only tanked back in LK, and the few times I did random groups you'd at some point end up with some asshole (never took long) so I went back to only tanking for friends and guildies.

*funny part it was never the lowly gear dungeon runner that pissed me off it was the fully decked raid person acting like a dick.

**Halls of reflection on the pally was fun, used to do a lot of friends though it.

[Raisei]

There is a lot of truth to this. I am a BDK main, but I'll be damned before I tank for pugs.

Both in M+ and Raids the playerbase is so bad that it hurts. Impatience being the most annoying part. Some People can't survive to stand still for 3 minutes and spam chat with "gogogogogo, RC, Go, GOOOOO!" while you are trying to talk to your co-tank about mechanics. I don't see why I should put up with this, when I have fine guild that runs more M+ then I can physically join.
The playerbase chooses to treat tanks (and healers) as a comodity that they can abuse for their own benefit, so all the smart tanks have found guilds where they are at least respected as people.

So the answer to the question is: Yes, something can be done. The community would have to change it's behaviour. But the answer is also: No. Because we all know this just isn't gonna happen.

[Zephire]

The only time I've played tank, it was when the DK blood a lot of damage from revenge, it was a lot of fun, until he was nerfed and I stopped playing it.
There is a big problem here, and there are very few tanks, because they are very boring and slow killing ... is there any solution? I have a solution, eliminate the tank role. Maybe they should invent a new role, maybe support or dps / tank ..or protector, something but that does not imply that you do less damage than a dps ... is that, what more hays are dps, precisely because they are fun.Every time there are fewer tanks, because they are increasingly boring.

I'm a huge fan of tanking myself and I tank both raids and medium-high m+ all the time. If I wanted to DPS I'd go with a DPS spec, but tanking is about cleaver positioning, kite-ing, survival, timing and to save the group if needed. For me it's almost the opposite to what you wrote, OP, I rather tank then DPS because tanking is more fun. Ergo, I do not support your idea of removing tank as a role.

More tanks? Sure! How? I don't know, maybe by having the other group members being nicer to new tanks?

That's a joke, right?

I do play tank classes, but I don't tank. But that has nothing to do with tanking itself or dps or something else related to the class. I don't tank because of people. When people even in low level instances don't have the time to let a learning tank learn, it's no fun. If I get the feeling within the first minute in the instance that the people I was thrown together with are impatient and really interested in playing as a team, I don't feel appreciated. I don't want to be praised, but I would like not to haste through and get blamed if the overzealous ranged dps pulled half the instance

Would say not much can be done becouse biggest problem is the community and how they act at lower levels, i fully understand why alot start out and try tank and then give up and switch,

Scream on them to go faster and pulls stuff becouse the tank isnt fast enough, seen to many trying to vote kick tanks for not moving fast enough.

This is an interesting view. I might be one of those "too slow, I pull"-guys but it's not because I disrespect the tank but rather that I know I can DPS-tank that mobb or that pack and thus saving time if the tank need to figure something out etc. Never really thought that it would stress a new tank. I think "you pull, the tank decides if you tank" is a good mentality

[kappalol]

Tanks should do low dmg. Healers also. That is not your job. if you want to do dmg play DPS

[Julaes]

I sometimes try to tank at low lvl content. The problem to me is this fast paced mindset of players and the need for you, as a tank, to know the best way of the dungeon because if you go another way people start complaining or just ignore you and go the other way pulling things thenselves.

As someone mentioned before, the low level is pretty unforgiven to new tanks trying to learn so they give up. I'm one that sometimes I feel like to tank, but when I try one dungeon this feeling disapear.

[Rydanis]

Tanking is my absolute favorite role in this game, but the community is exceptionally toxic toward tanks who aren't experienced in every aspect of PvE. In the first few weeks of BfA there were people angry if you didn't know all the skips even in heroic dungeons. It's always felt really excessive and unnecessary, so I stick to tanking raids and ignore dungeons completely.

Just be nicer to tanks, people will play them more.

[Unholyground]

If my character can tank I almost always tank, just depends on the person but they should definitely have set rewards you can work towards by opting to be specific roles more often in random content. The satchels are useless, how about rewards you can actually target and choose, that is how you promote people doing roles if there is a lack of representation.

[Cracked]

Tanks should do low dmg. Healers also. That is not your job. if you want to do dmg play DPS

And dps should die to a single hit from anything while doing no healing.

[prwraith]

Make it fun?

[Piesor]

Imo most players just don't want to take over responsibility. A tank always has to lead his group. However you don't need to watch at tanks to see this behaviour. Just ask in your guild who wants to make raidlead. Or watch lfg channels ingame how many people are looking for groups without trying to build groups themselves.

What could you do to make people tank? Buff all tanks to a level that everybody wants to play tank only....

[kranur]

I assume that you mean tank for general purposes like M+, so either make tanking about tanking or make all dps able to tank.
Current tanks are just some slightly underperforming DPS-ers with some defensive abilities, which is just not interesting/appealing.

[Katchii]

Tanking as a role is fine, it's the responsibility and community perception that comes with it that I don't feel like dealing with most of the time.

Making them do as much or even more DPS than an actual DPS won't fix the problem with the community having shitty attitudes or expectations of the tank, and would honestly probably make things worse because they would have even more expectations hoisted upon them and therefore just another reason for assholes to bitch about tanks not living up to or performing to whatever expectations that particular asshole feels like pushing on the tank that day.

[bryroo]

The damage has never been a turnoff for me. Tanking random dungeons isnt worth the aggravation of dealing with DPS who want to tank but wont fill the role themselves. There are too many players who want all of the authority but none of the accountability.

I would say keep tank damage as is and just make dps squishier so they aren't pulling for the tank. Dps shouldn't be pulling two or three groups to the tank and expecting their tanks/healers to clean up their mess.

[ONCHEhap]

What is with wow players and forcing people to do stuff

NO ONES SOCIAL BLIZZ FORCE THEM
NO ONES TANKING BLIZZ FORCE THEM

Well,that's how it should be.
The average gamer will find the best ways to avoid fun,especially if it means they can increase their efficiency even a little bit.

If you don't force people to play the way they're meant to,they'll manage to enjoy the game as little as they can,and then they'll blame you for it.
It's a very important part of game design,if you're able to steer your players towards the more enjoyable parts of your game,they'll actually enjoy it,whereas if you give them freedom,they'll automatically start trying to be efficient,and end up not enjoying it.

A great example of that is when the British Royal Astronomical Society tried to make games and tasks to get people to solve problems,and added a leaderboard to it.And people only cared about being efficient and logging every day to keep their score up,but they rarely ever got reviews saying that the games were enjoyable,but most people considered the game to be a chore.

After moving away from that model and removing the leaderboard,the amount of positive feedback was overwhelmingly higher,as people were no longer trying to be the most efficient to be on the leaderboard,and they were actually forced into fun gameplay,and engagement with the game got higher overall,even though there was no longer an incentive to log daily.