Lack of tanks explained

[Vlonk-tichondrius]

since when was tanking easier than dpsing?

since people stopped accepting underperforming DPS as a norm just because the boss have no enrage timer.

[Graal-bloodsail-buccaneers]

other people’s loot

No, it isn’t “other people’s loot”.

[Brokenwind-grobbulus]

That is not due to tanking mechanics

No it is actually due to the mechanics. The major issue is that you start with no rage, and can’t do anything except autoattack until you generate rage. Which means waiting at the start of each pull for the tank to generate rage. This mechanic no longer exists in retail, now rage is only used for defensive abilities, not for threat generation.

This mechanic became an issue as early as TBC where Paladins became the go to tank for dungeons because they didn’t need to wait for rage to start generating threat. Then in WOTLK they just changed it so no tanks had to wait.

I think your hangup on the mechanics of vanilla tanking is from a perspective of not wanting to have to allow time for a tank to gain threat, wanting only to top meters as fast as you can. You give no s about watching your own threat level as a dps. You refuse to accept that there is a meaningful relationship between dps threat, tank threat, and healing threat. You are displaying an epic level of ignorance toward the very design foundation of it all.

You clearly prefer retail. What say you go back there and stop polluting the classic forum.

[Aewendil-caelestrasz (Aewendil)]

You refuse to accept that there is a meaningful relationship between dps threat, tank threat, and healing threat. You are displaying an epic level of ignorance toward the very design foundation of it all.

No, I’m really just saying that’s what puts people off tanking in classic. You know, the thread topic.

[Brokenwind-grobbulus]

You refuse to accept that there is a meaningful relationship between dps threat, tank threat, and healing threat. You are displaying an epic level of ignorance toward the very design foundation of it all.

No, I’m really just saying that’s what puts people off tanking in classic. You know, the thread topic.

No, what you said was

Classic tanking mechanics are pretty awful.

Which is your perspective out of sheer ignorance coupled with distaste due to preference for retail.

[Kaliani-bloodsail-buccaneers]

For tanks at least the idea of MS and OS is a retail one.
Defensive gear is only a means to an end that allows you to stack more DPS/TPS gear in your other slots.
That’s why top guilds stack their tanks with the most potent DPS gear first along with the strongest defensive ones that compliment the slots.

[Xarli-arthas (Xarli)]

The problem with MS > OS in classic is 90% of the potential tanks will get stuck in 5 mans unless they stop tanking for gear.

Unless you want to wait literal hours for a tank that actually needs tank gear (or bribe them to tank for you), you’re basically gonna have to deal with it.

[Zurgling-heartseeker]

Talking about stuff that never happened, here’s one for you: a retail player that sticks to retail forums instead of whining about the most basic core principle of vanilla.

[Warear-bigglesworth]

But i want the gear for having pressed my one button all dungeon! I deserve it because I feel like it has my name on it, how dare you make me share with the person doing most of the real work!

[Nightime-bigglesworth]

Nope, back to the basement with you.

[Sephîroth-old-blanchy]

If I’m tanking for a group, I’ll roll on whatever gear I need/want. If I can use it, I’ll roll.

Don’t like it? Find another tank!

That’ll show me!

[Dooki-netherwind]

Tanking is like driving a school bus.

[Qpon-smolderweb]

If you tank, they only want you to roll on tanking loot

Here’s the thing …

• I believe people should only be doing & playing what they want to, what is the most fun. If you’re not doing that then why are you playing this game for a 2nd time? So if you are tanking, I assume you are doing that because you want to, and you are only there for loot to help you tank. Just because you dont want to be a tank doesnt mean nobody does.
• People form groups specifically to reduce gear competition. If you say you are a tank, you are expected to want tank loot. Same goes for healers. If you make it clear ahead of time then fine, but you dont get to say ‘oh btw, i’m deeps warrior’ as soon as that leather/mail dps loot drops… while also looting every plate item along the way.
• If you dont want to tank but you’re secretly doing it just to get loot, then you are exploiting a privilege that no other class can do (except maybe really good druids). By exploiting your warrior privilege to get instant tank invites so you can gear for DPS you’re saying warriors are special, they deserve to have their cake and eat it too… and the rest of us have every right to despise you for it

If you want to DPS, then DPS, and get DPS loot… but you should then have to endure the same crappy squabbling for invites as the rest of us DPS instead of masquerading as a tank because you refuse to wait in line. If that means fewer tanks in general but less whining from plate rogues crying ‘woe is me i can fill 2 roles with 1 spec and get instant group invites … but sometimes i dont get all the loot i want wahhhh’ … then so be it.

[Belster-atiesh]

This might be part of the problem but the other issue is with gear being more abundant for tanks. Tank joins a group and gear with +defense drops high stam and high str drops. How many classes are roling need? 1 the tank.

Now a leather helm drops with +crit and +hit drops. Whos needing it? All physical dps.

+damage/healing drops whos needing? All casters.

Tanks are only class with nearly uncontested loot.

[Qpon-smolderweb]

Tanks are only class with nearly uncontested loot.

On horde, literally all plate is uncontested warrior loot. Yet its funny… you never hear a single horde warrior appreciate that privilege.

Imagine if 20% of armor in the game was class restricted to priests only. Every run 2-3 items drop “Class: Priests” and nothing is ever restricted for any other class… then you check the forums and the priests do nothing but complain about loot all day. Think about how annoying that would be.

[Luuni-area-52]

Tanking in Classic is so easy I think too many people just think it’s super boring because they’re not doing big numbers.

[Avarond-dalaran (Avarond)]

Well for one druids are just rare in general and paladin tanks avoid it because pure classes try to spout out the MS > OS basically making it pointless for a paladin to tank at all because that gear won’t get them raiding.

[Oldmanwow-rattlegore]

this is a rough one for those that have never tanked. Its nerve racking to lead a group. Every decision is on you, the pace of the group is on you, every wipe, every minute wasted, every bad pull and even the bad dps not understanding threat mechanics, its all on you. Some people just want to hit stuff and have fun. I can understand that, I join groups as either. But this is my second round of classic/vanilla. I went through what I described above, not fun but it gets easier and better/faster.

[Stompinwin-kromcrush]

I do plenty of big numbers as a tank… i have all my tank gear all my dps gear except a shadowcraft chest only nee ony neck and band of accuria from raid content get random accessories to tank, heal and dps… as a tank i dont run anything for free unless your in my core 6 to 8 players even in guild… i play 4 hours a day since launch and sundays… if your still suffering from loot issues you need to get better make better friends or open your ig wallet…I’m even leveling another tank right now and still wont leave that idea might expand my friends a little… but frankly I don’t like the selfishness and I see in the players of classic it grows quite annoying when you watch a DPS Warrior Custom make a group for them and you tell them you’re doing everything in this place and you just gave me three players we’re going to roll against me on my ShadowCraft chest but they’re not going to roll against you gee thanks

[Hidalin-pagle]

Dont impose a retail mentality onto classic