Selling Tanking Services

[lekzz]

So I just wanted to make this post to see what the general consensus was on this, and also to put my reasoning out there to as many people as possible so that I don't feel like I need to try and justify it to the countless people who whisper me with some rather insulting language.

So I found wow back when TBC was coming to an end. I levelled my first character to 70 and just as I got max level, Wrath of the Lich King was released 2 weeks later so I never really experienced any TBC endgame. I've then played retail on and off until Shadowlands. When TBC classic was released, I really wanted to go back and do everything I missed the first time. I started levelling a Warlock but quickly noticed how groups are literally spamming so quickly for a tank that I can't even read the messages before they have been replaced by another. I didn't want to be another DPS needing another tank so I decided to swap to Paladin and try and fill a tanking gap to help as many people out as I could. Like I genuinely get pleasure from helping others. Because at this point I'm already a week behind and my Warlock is level 45. I used a boost to get my Paladin to 58 so I could get to 70 this century to start doing these dungeons with people. Therefore I have no professions.

I've been 70 for about 4 days now and I've managed to gather a full pre raid BiS loadout. I've joined every dungeon I've seen looking for a tank and I've had a blast and made loads of good friends along the way. I always ask them to add me afterwards and offer to tank whenever they need it. Then off I go to try and level a profession. Before I even land from my flight point, I've already got messages asking for a tank. Never mind the looking for group channel which is still spamming. So I accept the summon and do the dungeon, and then try go back to level my professions. But the same thing happens.

I am now in the position where everyday I am losing more and more money ending each day at a loss. My repair bills are higher than the parties, and I am getting no time to gold farm or level any professions to make any gold. So each day I am losing anything I have to my name. I now have to make the decision to either ignore these groups asking for tanks and let them wait hours to complete their dungeons which will allow me to level proffs and ultimately make some money for myself, or I stop what I'm doing, waste an hour of my time for a dungeon I don't even need and then lose gold in the process to help people out.

I decided I'd still help people do their dungeons, but if I am going to be doing this I am going to need to start making some money rather than losing it so I offered myself to do the dungeons at 30g a run. The amount of messages I received in less than a minute calling me all sorts of offensive names was ridiculous. I was also put on about 5 ignore lists. I'll clarify I don't ask friends, I ask the random people in the looking for group channels for the fee.

I just wanted to make this post to get people opinions on whether I am being unreasonable or not. Is it reasonable for groups and the community to expect me to waste my own time in a dungeon I don't need, preventing me from using that time to level my own professions and make my own money, just to lose more money in repairs which allow the dps to get back to their gold farming and profession levelling quicker?

Conclusion!

Look, I want to help as many people as possible, and to do that, I've levelled and spent hours and hours getting this tank sorted. But the amount of groups needing a tank is relentless, and I'm bleeding money by repeatedly joining groups to tank for them, only to lose the roll on every single drop and get 3x the repair bill. It's simply not sustainable to be a good guy that does it all for free all the time.

[kranur]

Hypothetically, how would you like it if, for the dungeon you wanted to run, the dps-ers and healer would charge you 10g each because they don't need loot from it?

Also, there is this thing called heroics that are more appropriate for your pre-raid bis and from which you could use stuff, like badges.

This is just the same garbage behavior of "x reserved".

As for losing more than gaining and people stealing your gear, yeah .. i doubt that.

You're trying to take advantage of people and that's cool, but don't act surprised if they call you out on it. They're not making more gold than you either from the run.

[T-34]

Bilzzard has always given the players 100% free reins on how they make their own groups and how they manage their own groups.

Therefore if you can get people to pay you for your services then it is 100% within the bounds set by Blizzard.
You have neither a "legal" nor a moral obligation to "help" people.
Play how you want to play and be happy instead of playing how other people want you to play.

[Dhrizzle]

Hypothetically, how would you like it if, for the dungeon you wanted to run, the dps-ers and healer would charge you 10g each because they don't need loot from it?

Also, there is this thing called heroics that are more appropriate for your pre-raid bis and from which you could use stuff, like badges.

This is just the same garbage behavior of "x reserved".

As for losing more than gaining and people stealing your gear, yeah .. i doubt that.

If a DPS tried to charge 10g for their services you could just turn to one of the dozens of other players willing to do it for free.

OP - If you want to charge for tanking runs it might be more appropriate to offer your services in the trade channel and make sure you say you'll pass on all the loot that drops from bosses.

[lekzz]

Hypothetically, how would you like it if, for the dungeon you wanted to run, the dps-ers and healer would charge you 10g each because they don't need loot from it?

Also, there is this thing called heroics that are more appropriate for your pre-raid bis and from which you could use stuff, like badges.

This is just the same garbage behavior of "x reserved".

As for losing more than gaining and people stealing your gear, yeah .. i doubt that.

What are you talking about? Stealing gear? Nobody is stealing my gear. I'm saying if I'm loosing the rolls for the gear that drops that everyone greeds on, I'm not even getting the vendor money to recoup losses.

As for heroics, I wouldn't charge people for anything I needed, that would be ridiculous. I am talking about offering to help people get things done that I don't need and are otherwise a complete waste of time for me, other than causing me to actually lose money due to waste time and time away from making money myself.

As for your hypothetical question, I obviously think that would be fine. Why should they do it for free and waste their own time just to help me? If I can't find a group who also need to do it and I am desperate to do it then I will pay people to help me.

No they arn't making more gold from the run or not, but they always need the run. DPS who don't need to do it, have no reason to do it as there will always be 100000 more dps who need it. As for tanks, when we don't need it anymore, there will always be DPS who do. At that point you are going to be asking tanks to take time out of their own farming etc to help you out. If they are expecting you to do that for free, and mostly at a loss due to repair bills and consumables, then I am afraid I am of the opinion that it is myself, and the tanks who are being taken advantage of.

[kranur]

What are you talking about? Stealing gear? Nobody is stealing my gear. I'm saying if I'm loosing the rolls for the gear that drops that everyone greeds on, I'm not even getting the vendor money to recoup losses.

As for heroics, I wouldn't charge people for anything I needed, that would be ridiculous. I am talking about offering to help people get things done that I don't need and are otherwise a complete waste of time for me, other than causing me to actually lose money due to waste time and time away from making money myself.

As for your hypothetical question, I obviously think that would be fine. Why should they do it for free and waste their own time just to help me? If I can't find a group who also need to do it and I am desperate to do it then I will pay people to help me.

So why not run heroics that you need and let tanks that need stuff from normals pick them up?

[lekzz]

So why not run heroics that you need and let tanks that need stuff from normals pick them up?

Read, the last line I added above,

The simple answer to this is because there are not enough tanks to run the normals. Hence why I am making the post lol.

[lekzz]

So why not run heroics that you need and let tanks that need stuff from normals pick them up?

That would be amazing. I wish we had enough tanks that there was always enough to allow DPS to get everything done they need. Unfortunately, group compositions are 3 dps to 1 tank so that is mathematically impossible and there will always be a need for tanks to do content they no longer need. That just a mathematically certainty. So it again boils down to DPS expecting tanks to not only waste their own time doing something they dont need, but to lead the group, mark the mobs, control the pace, and then lose money in repairs and consumables.

Who's being taken advantage of here, also edited in a brief line above before I saw your reply.

[Bagrod]

To be honest, if I would play a well geared tank I would think of doing the same.

It is a relatively easy way to earn money and it is not as if you would force people to pay you.

Otherwise you would just not run the Inis and that is it. If people are willing to give you some gold to get their ini run done, thats fine and up to them.

Of course every class could try this, but I highly doubt anybody would be willing to pay a DPS. So it is a basic question of demand that there is for tanks and amount of people willing to play them.

Especially if you limit this kind of fee to content where you dont need loot / reputation anymore and are well overgeared, I do not see why this behavior should not be okay.

I think my judgment would be different, if a poorly geared tank would ask for money, so he can gear himself and gets paid for it. But your story does not sound like that.

So why not run heroics that you need and let tanks that need stuff from normals pick them up?

You do realize there are a lot more groups looking for a tank, then tanks looking for a gorup right? In no way he is "taking the place of somebody else who could tank and still need the EQ" when he joins a grp against a fee of 30g

[Wilian]

Its perfectly fine and people have been doing this from the launch of the game. Only people against it would be the salty DPS players who have to compete for spot against hundreds of others.

[WaltherLeopold]

I get at minimum 10 whispers every evening asking me to tank their heroic/dungeon. I tell them, 100g, sometimes they accept but most of the times they go onto the next player.

You're asking me to do something that I don't have to do, I am exalted w. everything, I have all badge loot, so I want gold.

[erifwodahs]

I support you on this.
Same thing happens on retail - can you come and tank X every day.

Charging for tanking is perfectly fine, advertise yourself in Trade chat tho. Supply and demand, as a tank, if you need a dungeon, you can do whatever you like while DPS will have to go through screening.

One point to mention - if you are paid tank, you better be good at the game. As soon as you are paid, you will be expected to know pulls in the dungeon and how to play your class.

[cuafpr]

totally nothing wrong with this, when i was an active tank same thing would happen you couldn't log on without msg spam asking you to tank, even guild chat (granted I didn't charge guildies) I think i took donations sometimes not sure i charged, but in vanilla, as a holy priest with UBRS key, i charged for unlocking UBRS and more if they wanted me to heal the run.

[slime]

Hypothetically, how would you like it if, for the dungeon you wanted to run, the dps-ers and healer would charge you 10g each because they don't need loot from it?

Also, there is this thing called heroics that are more appropriate for your pre-raid bis and from which you could use stuff, like badges.

This is just the same garbage behavior of "x reserved".

As for losing more than gaining and people stealing your gear, yeah .. i doubt that.

You're trying to take advantage of people and that's cool, but don't act surprised if they call you out on it. They're not making more gold than you either from the run.

Spoken likely a truly clueless dime-a-dozen dpser.

[justandulas]

Tanks are in such short supply for tbc I’ve seen groups offering 100-200g for a tanks

As a tank, this is how I funded my entire time of classic. I funded the 100 arcanite bars for TF solo like this

If you set a steady price, build a good reputation, and take a 1 day at a time mentality... you can really make a lot as a tank in the classic games.

Groups will always appreciate and even pay for, a good tank with the right mentality. Skill is important too, but when being paid always be the voice of optimism in the group

[Nnyco]

Hypothetically, how would you like it if, for the dungeon you wanted to run, the dps-ers and healer would charge you 10g each because they don't need loot from it?

Difference here is demand/supply. If a dps asks for money to join your party guess what'll happen. They get laughed at and the next person will be picked.

[Queendom]

Simple respeccing to tank and back already costs 100g.

[justandulas]

Difference here is demand/supply. If a dps asks for money to join your party guess what'll happen. They get laughed at and the next person will be picked.

Imagine a dps thinking they had leverage over a tank in a group. That dps is being kicked every single time without a moment hesitation

[Kaver]

So why not run heroics that you need and let tanks that need stuff from normals pick them up?

The whole point is that there's not enough tanks.

[Prag]

You can charge, but you’d better be in T4-level gear and know the mechanics, because if you roll up in shit blues expecting me to pay and explain, I’m going to laugh at you, kick you, and ignore you.