Can a tank main get through SB without actually tanking a duty for live players?

[Omedon]

Edit: To be clear, this whole post refers to SHADOWBRINGERS. I didn't realize until after I posted that there are potentially two "SB" expansions.

In other MMOs I'm a fervent tank almost purely for open world play, but I've been leveling as a ranged DPS from level 1 since returning to FFXIV purely because eventually dungeons and trials come up and... let's just say that I am not new to tanking, but I'm retired from tanking dungeons for live players that I don't know. Especially in a game I'm "newish" to.


That all said, I've been feeling the "overworld inferiority" of being a squishy caster while questing in the open world, and especially when I rarely leave that beaten MSQ path. The MSQ is a relatively curated experience, but some day I'm going to turn around and do side quests, and I will be a tank class when I do that... meanwhile, as I approach level 60 and the chance to change relatively seamlessly to gunbreaker as I changed from summoner to red mage at 50, I'm left wondering if, at 70 when my Road to 70 runs out and I inevitably have to do stuff other than the MSQ to advance... I'm wondering how feasible a switch to a tank class in SB might be given the existence of the trust system.

Please, please don't turn this thread into a discussion of how I should try tanking dungeons. I've been a tank for over a decade in other games, I know how the responsibility game works in dungeons and I'm on vacation from all that in FFXIV. That said, I do still like the tank's ability to handle adds in the open world (and also please don't tell me that DPS can too, I know that, but tanks are inherently superior in this as a result of their core design), and the trust system, if I understand it correctly is my opportunity to be a tank outside dungeons, and be beholden to no live players in the dungeons that will be necessary to complete the SB MSQ.

So, in short, here's what I'm asking:

If I go from being a ranged DPS to a tank spec on the dot at the onset of Shadowbringers, will the trust system be in play for most if not all of the dungeons and trials that will pop up as part of that MSQ completion? Can I "be a tank" for the SB phase of the game without being "another player's tank," because of the trust system?

Bonus question: And... if I can... what does that do to the queues should I remain a DPS? I LOVE the idea of "not needing" other players, but wouldn't that make the queues for other players (especially DPS) a wasteland?

Thanks in advance for any and all helpful replies!

[Sarix]

The trust system is only for dungeons, you'd still need to play with other players for trials

[Omedon]

The trust system is only for dungeons, you'd still need to play with other players for trials

Ok then ranged DPS it is until the end. Damn.

[Pannonian]

There are 2 downsides to the trust system:

1. Way less loot
2. It feels soooo slow.

Honestly, i only did it once for quite similar reasons. I was playing a tank and didn't want to take the lead in a dungeon i didn't know. After using it one time, i just watched the 3 minute guides for dungeons and just tanked them. Not really that much chance to fuck up as tank (apart form various trials - but not dungeons imho).

Anyway, if you don't like casters (i know that leveling BLM was rather a chore than fun), i personally can recommend machinist -after leveling it became my main (with GNB on the side if there is no one willing to tank) - of course, as DPS you have (way) longer queue times (apart from Alliance Raid, where the fastest queue is as a DPS)

[Omedon]

There are 2 downsides to the trust system:

1. Way less loot
2. It feels soooo slow.

Honestly, i only did it once for quite similar reasons. I was playing a tank and didn't want to take the lead in a dungeon i didn't know. After using it one time, i just watched the 3 minute guides for dungeons and just tanked them. Not really that much chance to fuck up as tank (apart form various trials - but not dungeons imho).

Anyway, if you don't like casters (i know that leveling BLM was rather a chore than fun), i personally can recommend machinist -after leveling it became my main (with GNB on the side if there is no one willing to tank) - of course, as DPS you have (way) longer queue times (apart from Alliance Raid, where the fastest queue is as a DPS)

I'm actually really enjoying red mage except for the fact that, like all non-tanks, adds are not part of the intended experience for going off the beaten path, which, as a guy with a 120 of every tank spec in WoW, hurts my soul to be so squishy in the open world haha!

Like I said, the MSQ is clearly designed for "in case you're a squishy melee dps and only a melee DPS," so its curation protects me, but once I step off the path, yeah... I miss my shield and AOEs!

[Pannonian]

I'm actually really enjoying red mage except for the fact that, like all non-tanks, adds are not part of the intended experience for going off the beaten path, which, as a guy with a 120 of every tank spec in WoW, hurts my soul to be so squishy in the open world haha!

Like I said, the MSQ is clearly designed for "in case you're a squishy melee dps and only a melee DPS," so its curation protects me, but once I step off the path, yeah... I miss my shield and AOEs!

Yeah, i can feel you. I've been playing tank in wow the past decade, and tanked probably every boss on every difficulty, so walking into FF14 (last summer) it was clear for me to play a tank. Though i have to admit that tanking in FF14 has a bit of the same problems as in WoW - its kinda boring. So i started to play nearly every class in FF14 (except for healers) and as you mentioned, it miss my shield! (barrier, def, whatever) - but i found some of them really fun to play (moreso than any DPS in WoW), and especially Machinist, which i stuck by, as some of the skills are sooooo satisfying (Shooting a drill into the bosses face, the sound and animation, just feels great)

[RohanV]

Ok then ranged DPS it is until the end. Damn.

For trials, though, it's a single fight. You don't have to lead people or control pacing or anything. You don't have to worry about pulling too much or too little or whatever.

You have to play your role, but so does everyone else. Tanks do tank mechanics, healers do healing mechanics, and DPS does dps mechanics. I've always found trials to be very equitable in terms of responsibility.

[Omedon]

For trials, though, it's a single fight. You don't have to lead people or control pacing or anything. You don't have to worry about pulling too much or too little or whatever.

You have to play your role, but so does everyone else. Tanks do tank mechanics, healers do healing mechanics, and DPS does dps mechanics. I've always found trials to be very equitable in terms of responsibility.

You do raise an excellent point! Trials are actually quite free of most of the things that make tanking dungeons for live players a total mess.

[Pannonian]

You do raise an excellent point! Trials are actually quite free of most of the things that make tanking dungeons for live players a total mess.

Haven't tanked Titania or Hades in quite a time, but there are 1 or 2 tank abilities that can, if mishandled, kill everyone. straight line dmg stuff like Eden 3.

[Katchii]

Haven't tanked Titania or Hades in quite a time, but there are 1 or 2 tank abilities that can, if mishandled, kill everyone. straight line dmg stuff like Eden 3.

The same can be said of mechanics that affect every role though. "Know the fight" applies to all roles, as many encounters have mechanics that are quite unforgiving.

[Pannonian]

The same can be said of mechanics that affect every role though. "Know the fight" applies to all roles, as many encounters have mechanics that are quite unforgiving.

i would see these abilities differently. Sure, you can misplace an aoe circle in the group, but if one person does that it is mostly not lethal. These tank busters are cones one shotting everyone. So that's something you need to know.

[Katchii]

i would see these abilities differently. Sure, you can misplace an aoe circle in the group, but if one person does that it is mostly not lethal. These tank busters are cones one shotting everyone. So that's something you need to know.

It still boils down to "know the fight" though. There are several mechanics that target DPS, Healers or ranged folks that can either outright kill you or severely hinder the groups ability to recover.

The severity of the tank busters might be higher, but the concept is still the same. Know the fight, know the mechanics, know where you're supposed to be and when you're supposed to be there.

That said, IMO, the fact that the tank busters are so lethal makes them EASIER to deal with as you know exactly what you're supposed to do with it, there's nothing to debate. The other mechanics, you have to decide if it's better to eat it or dodge it, or where to take it if you can't.

[Kazgrel]

Tank busters, in the very few appearances they make in leveling content, border on being trivial. Only ones that come to mind that sting a bit are Chrysalis (Triple) and Sohm Al HM (the scorpion at the end). Furthermore, they also have fairly lengthy cast times; there's a very small handful of non-telegraphed tank busters, but only one I can think of in leveling content is Susano.

OP: Put that "tank privilege" to good use! IIRC you had asked about making gil in game; running roulettes as a tank more often than not nets you the bonus for Adventurer in Need, and that often adds some extra gil to your coffers. It's pocket change for folks at level cap, but hey, the meme "It ain't much, but it's honest work" springs to mind. You'll also get credit towards some spiffy tank-exclusive mounts and titles, unique to each tank job (for stuff at 50 and beyond, at least).