Originally Posted by
love45acp
I don't often read an entire 26 pages of a thread, but I did in this case, simply because I wanted to hear the varied thought processes of players that tank. Since this thread seems to be focused around the OP of LFR, that will be my frame of reference, rather than 5-mans or normal raiding, for which my views are slightly different.
As a healer with a generally positive outlook until proven otherwise, I have seen the entire spectrum of LFR tanks in this expansion. Tanks that come in prepared with dungeon journal info, gems and enchants, who communicate with the raid and their fellow tanks, do ready checks, know their spec. For that kind of tank - a good player in general - gear isn't much of an issue. Good healers will recognize a good tank who may still be a little squishy, and adjust their heals accordingly. Good DPS and good healers will appreciate a simple and honest notification - "first time here" - and allow the tanks a minute to discuss strat without becoming impatient.
But I've also been in LFR with tanks that are in no way prepared, in their 496 or PvP gear with no gems or enchants, equipped and spec'd in prot only to get instant queues. No experience tanking the instance or desire to at the very least read the dungeon journal, maybe no experience tanking PERIOD, and expecting to get carried by the other tank, healers and DPS in order to collect their ret loot.
Setting aside the "perfect" tank from a healer's perspective - geared, knowledgeable, communicative, considerate - that may make up 10% of the tanking population that I've come into contact with (no, it isn't scientific, and is only based on my personal experiences), the good-but-under-geared are far outnumbered by the bad-and-under-geared.