SWTOR Question of the Day

[Altheran]

Tanking. It's the only role that give me some thrills that other roles can't provide me.

 

But you have to know that you failed at designing tanking until now. Typically, a tank is trying to negate offense so the mechanics should have been so that their stats could negate DPS' stats on a 1:1 ratio. But you made so that tanks can't negate all DPS' stats, and the one who are working are negated by DPS' stat if high enough. If only it was only that... You made stats only half-working, and made tanks unplayable in PvP. I even gave up on tanking.

 

Now you realized this, and you made good changes. I'm reconsidering tanking again. But I personnally think that it is not what it should be yet (and it isn't about tanking mechanics only) :

 

- About shielding, I think, it shouldn't be "working against kinetic/energetic damage", but "working against direct damage". Why ? because being a tank is choosing a spec to be the nemesis of DPS, and so in order to destroy Tanks the DPS should select a dedicated spec. As it is now, not only choosing a DoT spec is sufficient to beat tanks, but being a VG/PT is sufficient as a big percentage of their attacks will go through shield. DoT specs are not so good for killing other things than Tanks thanks to damage type, so make their strong point (killing tanks) their exclusivity by not allowing direct damage to go through shield unless it crits whatever the damage type is.

 

- About accuracy/defense. Against one type, they are negating each other on a 1:1 ratio, for the other type, only one is efficient ? Then what the point of allowing tanks to slightly increase their resistance if everybody can overwhelm this without effort ? What the point if accuracy debuffs can only hinder people who don't stack accuracy (Sages/Sorcerers) and not others thank to their accuracy ? If a class is designed to not have any use of accuracy, then it shouldn't be the only one hindered by bebuffs as it is supposed to be their strong point. I propose that Accuracy rate don't increase Tech/Force just like Defense don't, so that Tech/Force users are affected regardless of their AC when receiving accuracy debuffs, and not changing the tank's inability to defend Tech/Force.

 

- About Elemental/Internal damage reduction. Yes it is the tank's weak point no problem with it. But why it has to be the weak point of everybody ? Whatever the AC you play, Elemental/Internal will always be your weak point considering how much low the value of the damage reducer is. That is not normal. If you deal a type of damage that give you an advantage over Tanks and heavy armor wearing people, then you should not have the upper hand on the other ones too. Personnally I think that Elemental/Internal Damage reduction, including class buff should be equivalent to the amount provided by medium armor. It means that all people should have a 15% baseline damage reducer. It will also mean that Tank Shadows and Assassins will not have a preferential damage type to take them down, but it would only be a consequence of their low armor rate in comparison of other tanks.

[JLazarillo]

There's just something about tanking, I think. Walking up to the biggest meanest looking thing around and going "...yeah, and?".

[Burtlebe]

I actually enjoy them all. I currently have a campaign/Black Hole geared sage, scoundrel, vanguard and commando. My guild has way more than enough people to run two progression groups but since we are casual, As guild leader I fill in to whichever position is required to run an op. So i really do enjoy them all. I also have a rakata geared sentinel.

 

The thing about this game that I enjoy the most is each class has a fight or fights at which they excel so really makes playing multiple classes fun and unique. Some ops are better suited toward the sentinel dps or the scoundrel heals where others are best served by playing the commando or the sage.

[ItchyThePenguin]

Tank! Always a tank! Far and away, it's my absolute favorite thing to do in any MMO. Always has been, too! There's just something about being the guy who's responsibility it is to take the big hits that I find incredibly appealing.

[Baramov]

However, healing during PvP Warzones is my favorite thing to do in the game. There's nothing better than healing so well that players on the other team abandon all objectives to hunt you down.

 

Pretty much this.

Edited March 4, 2013 by Baramov

[SentinelDranoel]

Hi Foks,

 

It's time for our daily SWTOR question:

 

Tank, healer, damage dealer? What do you enjoy most and why?

 

My personal answer:

 

However, healing during PvP Warzones is my favorite thing to do in the game. There's nothing better than healing so well that players on the other team abandon all objectives to hunt you down.

 

In pvp, I love it when I get attacked by most of the other team for doing too much damage. I call it the enemy MVP award. I do like tanking because of the survivability and the job of keeping the healer alive.

 

In pve I like all the positions throughout the game except tanking in OPS. You set it up as dual tanking but for the most part it is solo tanking. Karaga the Hutt is my favorite for this, because it enforces the dual tanking function at various points.

[iamthehoyden]

However, healing during PvP Warzones is my favorite thing to do in the game. There's nothing better than healing so well that players on the other team abandon all objectives to hunt you down.

Pretty much this ^ for pvp.

 

For pve, I like melee dps. Especially melee dps involving explosives.

[Jonath_Yueh]

Tanking! I've always loved the challenge and being the line of defense between my party and the enemy!

[mandoforlife]

Damage. To me, there's nothing more satisfying than nuking the enemy team one by one from afar with unload and many, MANY rail shots

 

That being said, I dabble in healing every now and then, when I get the itch. This is all from a PvP perspective of course.

[mandoforlife]

In pvp, I love it when I get attacked by most of the other team for doing too much damage. I call it the enemy MVP award.

 

I love it when the enemy does that. At that point, I know I've done my job.

[Shaz]

I can't pick one in this game, because I don't care for restrictive roles. For me, in game after game after game, my preference is hybrid. Always and forever hybrids, or some kind of class with a wider spec than is typically found in what has become the 'holy trinity'. (Which I'm still wrapping my head around. When I started gaming, the trinity was healer/tank/crowd control, because dps was 'duh, that's what everyone else does, of course'.) I just love being a swiss army knife character, or having multiple roles I can perform, or being the dps who can also debuff or crowd control or emergency heal or something, so long as that something is actually used, useful, and needed- and it has to be in one spec, not split between multiple specs I have to switch between (since that's not actually 'hybrid'). I want to be something more than just-and-only 'dps' or 'tank' or 'heal', because, to me, that equals 'boredom'. I know, I know, I know, if you're a smart dps or tank or healer you should be anything BUT bored while you're doing your job, but I just can't help but wind up being bored of the limited (to me) skills I have.

 

I've played to max a Madness (nope, Lightning! nope, split spec! nope, definitely Madness!) Sorcerer, a Pyrotech Powertech, a Medic Operative, a Sharpshooter Smuggler, and am nearly done with an Immortal Juggernaut. I couldn't pick one as my favorite, because I have to play more than one to prevent too much 'repetitiveness' feeling. Currently enjoying switching between the Operative & Juggernaut the most, but I think it's about time for the Smuggler to make a reappearance.

 

Note: I'm not a PvPer (aside from those DAoC years), so the above is all with regards to PvE!

Edited March 5, 2013 by Shaz

[DarthSpekulatius]

while I was levelling my first chars a Maro & a Power Tech i would have sworn DD, PT-Tank was Just Boring (solo, in Groups it was nice)

then not a Week after my Maro got fifty I tried a Shadow...

 

Tank FTW!

 

Heal is nice too

 

so its: Tank > Heal > Tank spec with 50/50 Tank/DD Gear (PVP/Dailies) >>> nothing >>> DD if there's no other possibility (never happens, except if I'm playing with my imp gild for my PT is still somewhere around 40)

[idnewton]

DPS all the way - Marauder is where it's at! Not only are they capable of using the coolest customized sets in the game (like *cough* mine), they also have massive damage output. Perhaps my relative dislike of healer/tank stems from leveling both a tank and a healer to 50 oblivious to their 'worst in role' position (mercenary being undebatably the worst healing class, assassin tank (in my opinion) being the worst tanking class). In 2.0 I still like DPS more but sorcerer/operative heals is pretty fun. I've never liked tanking, so boring (and assassin tanking is the most boring of the three, naturally -_-).

damage dealer have a higher skill cap

In summary, this. To be honest I think healers have nearly if not the same skill cap as DPS, but tank is far below. There's a certain skill level you need to be at. Beyond that, it doesn't much matter.

 

DPS have the lowest floor, then tanks, then healers. The low floor of the DPS is why people think DPS are unskilled. It's true that you can get by as an unskilled DPS, but many people are worth their salt.

Tanks have the lowest ceiling, followed by healers and then DPS. While healers may be incredibly skilled, a good group won't require intense healing. As shown, DPS also have the highest ceiling, meaning the biggest window of opportunity for success (which is why they get flak). Healer, while a larger window than tank, is not a lower window. Healers' "okay" window is only slightly smaller than DPS, but has a significantly higher floor. Tanks have a somewhat-high floor, but a low ceiling. There is virtually no difference between a good tank and the best tank in the world. As long as you're holding aggro, obeying mechanics, and not being stupid (breaking ccs, etc) you're the best you can be. Simply put, there isn't much room for excellence as a tank.

 

The bigger the window, the more opportunity there is. Healers have similar windows to DPS which is why I enjoy (NON-MERC, because they're worthless) healing classes as well. While I don't think getting my sorcerer to level 50 will take the place of my main, I believe I'll enjoy it quite a bit (after having tested it on PTS). The same goes for operative: fun.

Edited March 5, 2013 by idnewton

[Elfa]

DPS. Healers and Tanks have too much put on their shoulders.