I think everyone's already hit it on the head. There's the fun factor (some people enjoy blowing stuff up more than healing or tanking), and only being responsible for yourself is a MAJOR factor.

I lead raids for my guild, regardless of what toon I'm on - so I deal with that responsibility even when I'm playing DPS. But that's a different sort of responsibility - making sure people are doing what they're supposed to be doing, as opposed to my actual role being related to others.

As a DPS all you have to do is deal your damage and not pull aggro. It's simpler.

Healers and tanks dont really need to reply. So, for those of you playing dps classes, why? I have a level 50 sage healer and 33 vanguard tank that I've mostly soloed. Companions help out quite a bit, and I'm curious as to why there are not more tanks and healers when the companion system makes them easier to level than in other MMO's.

 

Not putting anyone on the spot, I dont want any flaming. I am merely curious, as there is probably an issue somewhere that BW can resolve to make our game balanced, and easier to find groups.

 

So, whats keeping you guys from running tank or heals?

Personally, i went damage because whenever i play a game like kotor, the jedi knight is always more tank like, and I wanted a change. also, I thing you can mow through large groups much more quickly.

Personally, I quite enjoy tanking or healing... I found it to be so much more fun to roll as a healer in flashpoints than to roll as a dps. However, as someone already mentioned before, you have so much more responsibility as a healer.

Furthermore, after rolling sniper for the second time I found it to be so much more fun in pvp than for example on my healer operative... I must admit, however, that I don't really have much experience in playing an operative healer.

Some people enjoy the responibility of being really good DPS. Making sure you are doing as much damage as possible without pulling aggro, hitting your interrupts every time needed, not attacking CC'd targets, CCing targets if you can, and keeping yourself alive and easier to heal by using your own abilities and awareness.

As a primary Healer These are the DPS I love to run with, saddly they are a rare bread of dpser, to but I can answer the OP question is that alot of players don't want the added responsible of being the group leader ( tanks get defaulted to this role healers sometimes if tank doesnt) and would rather just have to kill stuff. and that sense of power from seeing the huge damage numbers

The thing with the whole DPS thing is that to be quite frank it's easier in most cases to do a ton of damage rather then taking all the aggro and hate or healing your comrads. I like to play as all classes more DPS and Heal though as I'm a terrible tank As this goes DPS seem to be a majority here but since more and more subs and accounts are beng made there will be a huge decline in GF queues because nobody can find groups that have Tanks and especially Healers.. Hopefully this will level out at one point

Have Fun All!!

None of the roles ask the same skill out of a player.

Tanks must know fights. Keeping aggro by itself is easy enough, MOST of the mitigation is done by your gear, and one or two easy buff/debuffs. What is tested in a good tank is knowing the fight, the burst phases, and in thrash pull have a good awareness of who the dps are shooting at and grab back a mob that wants to give a hug to your healer. But mostly, timing (defensive cooldowns), awareness (fight control), and cooperation (ops swaps etc) are the key points of a tank.

Healers and DPS in a way do the same thing, but with reverse goal. They both have to know their class, their rotation and manage their ressource. Thing is, for heals its a bit more toward knowing when and by how much to heal, and making sure you are ready for previsible burst phases.

DPS's job is to do damage, but its in a way the most competive role. Its the role that contrary to healer is always at its best output, and must pull out flawless rotation for the max damage, and good dps will also make the heal/tank jobs much easier.

What mostly attract people to DPSing is that competiveness, to do better than others, but to also improve yourself. Because no other role has such a clear way to check progression. As a DPS, you check the dps meter, and see how much better you did, how much you improved. I mean, what is progression as a tank? "yehhh I lived !"? "yeah, they lived!!" for a healer?

You can never be sure if the success comes from you, the healers or the dps making everyone's job easier compared to that other group from a week ago.

Progression is a team success, there is no question's about that. But DPS have their own easier way of checking how much they are progressing, in a numeric value. Its something many people enjoy. Again, weither for personnal success, or boasting purpose, depending on the individuals.

I'm personnally playing all 3 roles around my toons, altough only taken DPS into progression for now. Tank can most likely do it, but my raid team has 2 good tanks already. In a way, I like how being a good tank makes me a better DPS raid wise.

Because everyone can tank or heal, but out of 10 DDs there is eventually one who is even remotely capable of doing damage.

Even though people always say there is a tank/heal-shortage it´s the capable DDs that are really short in mmo´s.

What mostly attract people to DPSing is that competiveness, to do better than others, but to also improve yourself. Because no other role has such a clear way to check progression. As a DPS, you check the dps meter, and see how much better you did, how much you improved. I mean, what is progression as a tank? "yehhh I lived !"? "yeah, they lived!!" for a healer?

An experienced DPS will know who to thank if he got to play his most efficient rotation: The one who attracted the biggest ******' attention while he worked away to kill the rest.

Unfortunately many dps players forget to actually do that at the end of an OP or FP and/or just take for granted the tank does that and the healer allows the tank to do that.

So from a tank's/healer's point of view I'd say: Whenever you succeeded in fights and noone complained, you've done tremendous jobs. The lack of any feedback is like praise here :-)

Progression is therefore measured in

a) the increasing difficulty of encounters you engage and finish.

b) the increase in dps player's dps: For every increase in damage on the side of a dps player is progression for the tank and healer as well - for without them the dps wouldn't have been able to progress at all. Apart from that an increase in dps means the tank had to create more aggro, so you must have improved, if any dps improved his damage.

Mind you all this comes from a passionate dps player (gunslinger, sentinel, both t5). Although learning to play my guardian alt to at least beat 3/4 Expplosive Conflict HM improved my understanding of good dpsing A LOT!! :-)

I play all the roles but I will say this about the different roles:

DPS - Great because you can compete against 3 other people. Raid meters make this role fun.

Tank - Kinda boring rotations but some fights with tank swaps and stuff can be interesting dance. Really the only interesting thing about tanking is that tanks are usually the party leaders. Otherwise it is kinda boring - if you don't die you succeeded...yawn.

Heals - Healing in a losing fight is one of the most hectic but enjoyable things ever - especially if you superman it and save the day.

Over the past year, it's become clear that the roles more dedicated to protecting the group appeal to me--I play a lot of tanks and as many healers. But they can be mentally fatiguing having to worry about everything and everyone on the battlefield.

I play DPS when I want to turn my brain off and just have fun.

I have experience in other MMO's playing all classes/roles. My decision to play as dps is purely a selfish reason.

I'd like to get into the end game content ie Operations and damage dealer is the simplest route.

On Empire I'm levelling a Sniper and on Republic I'm levelling a Commando. I will most likely level a Guardian/Jugg after that and may finish levelling the Sage/Sorcs I have.

If the game made it easier to use the same equips for both tanking and dps then I would simply level a guardian.