Why DPS?

[ChrisRedmond]

I know it's a matter of personal preference, but why does such a large proportion play DPS?

[pureeffinmetal]

Each level of grouping requires more DPS compared to other classes. 10/16 Players in our raid are DPS.

 

This has been true for most raiding in MMOs. You just need more people playing DPS, so naturally people will flock to the position.

 

 

DPS is also the easiest class to queue solo for Warzones, solo dailies, farm, etc.

[Darth_Hatine]

It's the easiest role in a group to fulfill. Tanking and healing require management to be successful. Tanks need to manage threat and their cool downs. Healers need to manage their resource bar, judge the health of the player they are healing so they don't waste their resource or a cool down. Also leveling as a damage dealer is simply faster than the other roles or specs.

[steave]

Each level of grouping requires more DPS compared to other classes. 10/16 Players in our raid are DPS.

 

This has been true for most raiding in MMOs. You just need more people playing DPS, so naturally people will flock to the position.

 

 

DPS is also the easiest class to queue solo for Warzones, solo dailies, farm, etc.

 

And yet, healers and tanks are by far the hardest to find, despite needing only half as many, so no, people won't choose DPS just because you need more of them. If you want an easy time finding a group, you go tank or healer.

[JusticeCommando]

If you ask me why I picked DPS, I will tell you I want to do heavy damage. Simple as that.

[BPWyndon]

-There are more DPS specs then Healing and Tanking spec...

 

-There are 2 True DPS AC's per faction, no True-Tank/ Healer ACs

 

-Its just a matter of ratio, there are more options for DPS

4-Classes

8-AC

18-DPS spec's to choose from

3- Tank specs to choose from

3- Healer specs to choose from

 

Also, there is more compition in DPSing, if your in a raid using combat logging, seeing someone else doing more damage then you, is going to make you try harder.

Edited June 25, 2012 by BPWyndon

[GzGViper]

I like to DPS because I like doing as much damage as I can, as fast as I can. Simple as that.

[Nyoro]

Ease of use and convenience.

 

It's not always as easy as people make out though, a decent DPS will avoid taking damage, interrupt enemy casts and take the heat off of squishies/healers if the situation requires. Making sure the right targets drop fast and that cool downs are used in the correct manner can be somewhat challenging.

 

 

Tanking is generally regarded as the most difficult role to play though, by a long shot. I good tank needs coordination, good positioning and situational awareness as well as the ability to execute the best rotations.

[pureeffinmetal]

And yet, healers and tanks are by far the hardest to find, despite needing only half as many, so no, people won't choose DPS just because you need more of them. If you want an easy time finding a group, you go tank or healer.

 

and yet the SWTOR forums have 169 DPS threads, 380 tank threads and 539 healing threads.

 

very interesting

[masterherox]

and yet the SWTOR forums have 169 DPS threads, 380 tank threads and 539 healing threads.

 

very interesting

 

Well, tanks and healers might be fewer in number, but they seem to be a more concerned in more ways about doing their particular jobs correctly, where as most dps simply have to worry about putting out as much damage as they can. One simply merits more posts than the other.

 

 

On a side note, I personally play dps, and I would like to say that I reflected deeply on my goals and talents and picked accordingly, but honestly I just wanted to be a Cowboy and picked gunslinger. After that point, you don't have a whole ton of options, y'know.

[Chaqen]

and yet the SWTOR forums have 169 DPS threads, 380 tank threads and 539 healing threads.

 

very interesting

 

Healers are the biggest whiners and QQ'ers when it comes to MMO, and if you look over at the healing sub forum you will notice a lot of the threads are QQ.

 

Tank, usually are the most concern about min/max, and require the most math/logic behind doing so, look at the tanking sub forums and you will notice the majority of their threads are theory crafting.

 

DPS, usually just worry about who is doing the most damage, and want to do the most damage themselves, easiest to min/max, and the most adjustable if one class/spec gets nerfed, they will role another, so not a lot of QQ, unless you're an operative,

[Ryofo]

I suck at healing

I hate tanking for noobs that have no idea about threat and aggro generattion or management

I like doing truck loads of damage

 

so I play a Sentinel=)

[GeneralShade]

I personally like to pew pew and pump out as much damage as possible. I'm very competitive when it comes to dealing out damage and it is a big part of what I enjoy in this game (and MMOs in general). Additionally, its nice to not have to have as much responsibility as a healer or tank, even though I do heal and tank on some of my characters. I have fun in those roles also, although they tend to be more stressful at times. Overall, I enjoy dps over other roles only downside is the queues

[Blonc]

Personally I stick to DPSing unless I'm in a guild with people who know their roles better. Nothing kills the lust to tank or heal like the average PUG with the kind of pew pew DPS that want to top meters without caring about the threat they build up since they ALWAYS blame the tank/healer when they get stomped.

[iDraxter]

Healers are the biggest whiners and QQ'ers when it comes to MMO, and if you look over at the healing sub forum you will notice a lot of the threads are QQ.

 

Tank, usually are the most concern about min/max, and require the most math/logic behind doing so, look at the tanking sub forums and you will notice the majority of their threads are theory crafting.

 

DPS, usually just worry about who is doing the most damage, and want to do the most damage themselves, easiest to min/max, and the most adjustable if one class/spec gets nerfed, they will role another, so not a lot of QQ, unless you're an operative,

That's funny cuz in my MMO experience the dps classes host the highest nr of idiots, ignore cc, don't know what the threath dump abilities are so using them is out of the question, starting fights before tank, always going for the strongest mob 1st instead of trash, No **** u find healers whining and you still don't see the problem?

[rob_y]

DPS is just easier, as others have stated, and it's available on all of the classes, as someone else stated.

 

But, there's also this to consider - when in a pug, healing can be annoying, DPS is simple, but being a tank is thankless.

 

In most boss fights, all the DPS have to do is go through their pre-determined rotations, while staying out of AOEs.

 

Healers have to do a little more by actively managing a dynamic heal rotation, while staying out of AOEs.

 

Tanks have to go through their damage rotation, keep aggro on themselves, position the boss so that it'll do as little damage as possible to everyone else, and also stay out of AOEs.

 

Obviously, some fights are different, but in general, the order of "how much work do I have to do in this flashpoint/raid?" from "least amount of work" to "most work" goes DPS, Healer, Tank.

[LadyTributary]

It's easy to be a DPS.

 

It's hard to be a good DPS.

 

The role of the DPS is to do as much damage as possible while taking as little damage as possible. A DPS who fails at either of these is a crappy DPS.

 

Unfortunately, a lot of crappy DPS think that they're excellent DPS because they make big numbers, forgetting that there is more to success than just making big numbers. And this is why healers and tanks complain about them so much.

[rob_y]

It's easy to be a DPS.

 

It's hard to be a good DPS.

 

The role of the DPS is to do as much damage as possible while taking as little damage as possible. A DPS who fails at either of these is a crappy DPS.

 

Unfortunately, a lot of crappy DPS think that they're excellent DPS because they make big numbers, forgetting that there is more to success than just making big numbers. And this is why healers and tanks complain about them so much.

 

Unless you're missing enrage timers, I'd think healers/tanks are more likely to complain about DPS taking too much unnecessary damage.

[Chaqen]

That's funny cuz in my MMO experience the dps classes host the highest nr of idiots, ignore cc, don't know what the threath dump abilities are so using them is out of the question, starting fights before tank, always going for the strongest mob 1st instead of trash, No **** u find healers whining and you still don't see the problem?

 

To be honest i play all roles at 50 (tank,heal,mdps,rdps) and i find healing to be the worst not because of idiot dps, they can easily be healed, but because of idiot tanks who demand CC because they are extremely horrible at trying to hold agro on more then one mob, or from tanks that are slower then my 90 year old grandma.

 

Btw if you're tanking for me, and see a dps pulling mobs before the tank, there is a 90% chance i told them to pull in a whisper....

 

Healers that sit and whine because they actually have to do some healing instead of watching TV, or feel like that another class is way better then they are, need to grow up and really L2P.

[Zombietroll]

It takes less time to level up, and two of the AC's can only DPS.

[Hockaday]

A few reasons.

• Lack of brain power needed.
  Lack of responsibility.
  Like to see big numbers.
  Like to see mobs die faster.
  

 

Now, this isn't to say all these reasons are for every dps. Just most of them. Specifically number 1. There are bad tanks, there are bad healers...but 85% of DPS are bad.

 

As a tank, i friend the few good ones. Same with healers.

Edited May 8, 2013 by Hockaday

[Roxas_kun]

Bcuz its the easiest to play?

 

You only need to focus on 1 thing, Damage.

 

Everything else is left to the tank and healer.

 

Tanking and healing need focus, which I doubt many people have.

[ssfish]

I started as a healer. I left the game for a bit, and when I came back, I joined a guild thay was already stacked with great healers. I joined with the intent of tanking and found that they did not have need of my tank. I learned to DPS and became one of the top at my class in that regard.

 

What I found is that by playing DPS, I am more able to accurately gauge my own personal improvement. Tank and healing ability can only be accurately measured in a group context, and once you reach a certain level it becomes difficult to gauge one's ability in those roles. DPS, on the other hand, have hard data to digest to establish improvement.

[znihilist]

Also, there is more compition in DPSing, if your in a raid using combat logging, seeing someone else doing more damage then you, is going to make you try harder.

 

Absolutely not! Well at least for me it is not. I am happy with delivering what my exactly need. Beside overdoing it can backfire, like on T+Z pre 2.0 if you dps too fast and your tank will die (on HM/NiM at least).

[Stormskimmer]

The reason why most people go DPS is simple. Responsibility.

 

Let's look at what a tank's responsibilities are in a group setting:

1) Hold threat on the big enemy.

2) Grab and hold threat on the little enemies that join the fight.

3) Watch your positioning (avoid the hurty stuff).

4) Manage the positioning of the enemies (keep them from spitting hurty stuff on the party).

5) Survive within the limits of the healer.

6) Manage your cooldowns to counter the big hits.

7) Deal with any additional problems as they come up (disconnects, enemy evading, random enemies joining the fight, etc).

 

As a side note, if something goes wrong, there's a decent chance it's your fault. Something kills a party member? Completely your fault!

 

Now, let's check a healer's responsibilities:

1) Keep the tank alive.

2) Watch your positioning (avoid the hurty stuff).

3) Heal the idiots who don't know how to get out of the hurty stuff.

4) Avoid dying to the swarms of adds.

5) Get rid of any nasty debuffs on the group.

6) Deal with any additional problems as they come up (disconnects, line of sight, random enemies joining the fight, etc.)

 

Also, if something goes wrong, it's almost definititely your fault. Big boss enemy enrages? Your fault for not healing through the enrage. Adds jump on you, chew you up, and spit out little bits of you on the other party members to kill them? Your fault for not healing when your bits land on the other party members! I mean, you're right there!

 

Finally, let's compare a damage dealers responsibilities:

1) Pew.

2) Pew pew.

3) Pew pew pew.

4) Pew pew pew pew pew!

5) (optional) avoid the hurty stuff, but only if it doesn't drop your dps.

 

Also, if something goes wrong, it's NEVER the fault of the dps. I mean, they only have one thing they need to do, so how could they screw up, right? Boss enrages after a certain time? That's a test for the tank, not a problem with the damage dealers! Stuff on the floor killing the party? That's a test of the healer, not the damage dealers!

 

 

Yes, this was a mostly silly post. The basic point is true. Damage dealing is less responsibility, and so if you want to just play an easy mode style of grouping, damage is the way to go. Now, as a counter point, if you want to be the best, then the damage dealing role can be about as challenging as tanking or healing. I certainly have more trouble with it than with the other two. (Might be a practice issue, though. All my characters tank and dps or heal and dps, yet for some reason I almost never get chosen for the dps role. Mysterious, isn't it?)