I want to start by saying the problem you’re talking about is real, and it’s been the foremost problem with role queue since it came out. The game currently expects 1/3 of players in every game to tank, but the amount of players who actually want to tank is far below that. Solo tanking feels awful because the heroes are so synergistic, but your partner probably doesn’t even want to be on tank.
The intent behind priority passes actually exacerbates this issue. They were designed to get players who don’t really want to tank to do it anyways so they can get a better queue for DPS later. This helped queue times, but destroyed game quality.
This won’t happen because it doesn’t help queue times for everyone by getting players on tank. Instead, it just helps queue times for players who win, which would make games a whole lot more sweaty, but keep queue times horrid for the DPS who don’t win. I can see where you’re coming from on this, but it doesn’t align with Blizzard’s goals.
The solution Blizzard’s chosen for these problems, which I think is actually a decent one if they can pull it off, is the shift to 5v5. Less players will have to tank, and you won’t ever get stuck tanking alongside somebody who doesn’t want to be in that role. I understand why people are hesitant from what they’ve shown so far, but it’s a decent solution to a real problem this game’s had for a long time.
Again I don’t mind what tank my teammate picks. Its just a usual occurrence that when they pick a high solo survivability tank, its a dps main filling for tank for prio passes, and don’t bother to play like a team. They seem to treat a tank fill game as a quick play game, which frustrates someone trying to take tank seriously to no end.
Not really. Where do you think “DPS do something!” comes from? Tanks are the ones that decide games, not DPS. In fact tanks are so much more powerful, even though there are twice as many DPS, if role queue wasn’t a thing the most powerful lineup is one that involves 0 DPS.
This rings so true and familiar, I got 6 accounts, 5 of them are masters to low GM as tank, the 6th one was diamond, dropped almost to gold playing mostly hammond and hog and cherry on top people reported me for gameplay sabotage and got me suspended for 3 days
They genuinely have no idea how to play around anything besides Rein it’s pathetic and they’ll blame me you everytime they die, which happens a lot because “MUHHH SHIELD I CAN’T HIDE BEHIND A CORNER TO SURVIVE I HAVE TO FACETANK EVERYTHING”.
I’ve come to hate gold / plat / low diamond players recently. Big yikes.
That is why I hope tanks would be more independent and self sufficient, but I don’t that will be the case.
A good change depends on people’s preferences. I have seen people say the changes to tanks was a good one, well the changes also did not draw any new players to tanks and actually cause a big problem with too few tank players - which caused the creation of Priority Passes.
How good are the changes if it actually made the tank role less desirable?
Yeah but what you think is optimal tank gameplay and what you think is optimal tank gameplay will be very different.
I have had people in diamond and play no less scream at me on Orisa for not holding the frontline, and instead retreating to continue my poke.
I’ve been screamed at for taking flanks/off-angles/high-ground on Sigma because im supposed to be in front of the team shielding.
People will scream at you for playing a hero sub-optimally even when it’s optimal. Maybe in the moment my choice wasn’t optimal. But the general gameplay of Orisa is not so force her to brawl a rein, it’s to outspam him and I can’t do that at point blank, but people want my petty 600HP shield to protect everyone and waste my cooldown trying to do just that.
That’s not how the heroes work.
We’ve had major issues in this community where people refuse to adapt to balance.
We’ve had it with Reaper, Orisa, Sigma and especially BRIG.
Reaper is not a tank buster now, he’s a squishy duelist.
Brig is (and never really was) a frontliner, she’s a backline protector.
etc
And when people don’t adapt to balance, they’ll complain when they think you’re playing wrong and can’t understand your gameplay.
Screaming at Orisa for not brawling Rein is the same as bullying Brig for not standing at the frontline.
But I digress as I’m rambling. Optimal play is different to different people. And that creates issues
My comment was in response to this which has nothing to do with how desirable tanks are to play but how powerful they are. Which you seem to agree so I’m not sure why you keep replying me.
I mean… A comp game can take 15+ minutes unless you make sure you will lose fast by throwing. If you are playing tank just to fill passes and don’t enjoy the role you save more time and have more fun queueing for DPS without the passes.
It’s still more fun to play tank than to queue though. I do like some tanks. But when I hit my 0 passes and I have to play tank or basically not play it leaves me in a bit of an unfun scenario.
Kind of like when Pharah is on the enemy team. Yes I can play what I want, but really if I don’t go hitscan I’m gonna handicap my fun just cus Pharah is there.
But in priority passes case it’s if I don’t play tank I’m gonna handicap my fun cus I have to wait like twice as long.
That’s the thing, if you like playing some tanks then getting passes shouldn’t feel like a chore as you make it sound. If you don’t like tanking then doing workshops or deathmatch to heat up / practice, playing something relaxing, watching videos are a way better option for the extra 5ish minutes you’d save from a pass.
