I've always played tanks, but this is the first MMO where I really feel like maining a DPS.

Maybe it's just Group Finder, but I am tired of DPS just running amuck, using knockbacks into additional mobs / Spamming AoE. Maintaining threat is hard-enough in this game on rotation, especially without me having to run around spamming my taunts and AOE's only to have you die first because it's just not quick enough.

I'm getting tired of PvP too. I could get six-figure protection and max valor with a 10 to 1 K/D ratio on top of it, but if I didn't put out a lot of damage, I'm not getting MVP votes.

Okay, my venting is over. This is just how it goes with PUG's I guess.

The poster above has a point. If you're playing VM FPs then you're not really tanking so much as lending additional dps and soaking up some damage. If you want to feel appreciated as a tank, keep strictly to MM FPs. Everyone loves a decent tank in MM.

As for pvp, you can soak up to 2 mil damage and still get no appreciation, and therefore no votes. Tanks are the unsung heroes of pvp. Makes it impossible to bring down healers for people like me who mains a dps. I guess that's why you get more medals for your contributions.

The poster above has a point. If you're playing VM FPs then you're not really tanking so much as lending additional dps and soaking up some damage. If you want to feel appreciated as a tank, keep strictly to MM FPs. Everyone loves a decent tank in MM.

This, its pretty much why I only stick to master mode.

This, its pretty much why I only stick to master mode.

I used to like Vets before they became role agnostic. I really haven't run any vet modes since, unless a guildie's basically forced me to tag along.

Of all the things that I think contribute to the poor quality of play, I think role-agnostic FPs that just give you kolto stations have to be near the top.

The poster above has a point. If you're playing VM FPs then you're not really tanking so much as lending additional dps and soaking up some damage. If you want to feel appreciated as a tank, keep strictly to MM FPs. Everyone loves a decent tank in MM.

In my experience, even MM are full of wannabe-tanks (read: people who run ahead and pull everything before the tank). It is now rare to get into a group where people actually let the tank do the pulling. I used to enjoy tanking fps even with pugs, but don't do it anymore because of those idiots. As a tank, I get my fun by controlling the mobs, that's also my role in the flashpoint. If I'm only used as a mandatory queue filler, I'm not enjoying it at all.

In my experience, GF is full of dps who pull 7k dps in average. This was the reason I stopped tanking in GF, even stopped joining the GF without having one good dps in my group, preferably two, as we can withstand any bad healer (or kick him and spawn companion, sometimes it heals much better), but not 10 minutes Czerka Labs first boss encounter.

Although, as a tank, your job is to maintain aggro and pull more packs, not to control anything or something. If dps are running way ahead of you - it only means you're too slow.

Nothing of this applies to VM since there should not be any tanks. Almost no mechanics anyway, none of existent ones punish you for not executing them properly. Barely 3 of 10 are punishing enough in MM even.

#WeWantNiMFlashpoints

Although, as a tank, your job is to maintain aggro and pull more packs, not to control anything or something. If dps are running way ahead of you - it only means you're too slow.

 

That's your opinion, not a fact. As a healer I can't stand tanks who do that. They run miles ahead of the group, leaving dps and healer handle the mobs, and if someone dies, they are the first one to blame others.

Tank should set the phase, yes, but they are not supposed to leave the group behind and let everyone take care of themselves. But I guess you would have to kick a lot of healers who can't handle that, as they are burning up a lot of energy trying to keep up the group that the tank left behind to deal with the trash, and not being able to regain energy at all between pulls. Yeah, I've seen those kind of "tanks" too, and would be perfectly happy if I don't ever see them again.

That's your opinion, not a fact.

If someone is slowing the group, he is slowing the group. No matter which role. When I farm MM FP with my group, we don't even regenerate after trash packs, they are called trash for a reason.

But I guess you would have to kick a lot of healers who can't handle that

No. I can use defensive cooldowns

If someone is slowing the group, he is slowing the group. No matter which role. When I farm MM FP with my group, we don't even regenerate after trash packs, they are called trash for a reason.

 

 

No. I can use defensive cooldowns

What you do in your own group is up to you, at least you have your own healer with you, but when you use group-finder you are expected to actually do your job properly.

Your job as a tank is not to just pull mobs, any dps can do that, your job is to pull mobs and keep aggro. Assuming you actually know how to do that. I have run with a lot of tanks who can't keep aggro on multiple targets.

Also: don't be such a selfish player. Take 5s to heal up out-of combat. It's the healer's job to heal you in-combat, not out of it. If you jump into combat and anyone is the group is still only at half-health then you are a BAD tank.

You dismiss mobs as 'trash' but in some flashpoints that trash can hit harder then the bosses due to numbers.

You may not have to kick healers, but I'm sure you end up on a lot of ignore lists.

What you do in your own group is up to you, at least you have your own healer with you, but when you use group-finder you are expected to actually do your job properly.

 

Your job as a tank is not to just pull mobs, any dps can do that, your job is to pull mobs and keep aggro. Assuming you actually know how to do that. I have run with a lot of tanks who can't keep aggro on multiple targets.

 

Also: don't be such a selfish player. Take 5s to heal up out-of combat. It's the healer's job to heal you in-combat, not out of it. If you jump into combat and anyone is the group is still only at half-health then you are a BAD tank.

 

You dismiss mobs as 'trash' but in some flashpoints that trash can hit harder then the bosses due to numbers.

 

You may not have to kick healers, but I'm sure you end up on a lot of ignore lists.

i like those smart *** tanks who start running into the next trashpack before the old one is down to save 5 sec.

but they dont notice they hav 2 caster dps who need to run to the next pack in combat and all the time gained is lost by factor 2. but hey "faster , harder, dumber". 12 year olds like this trick

If I knew how to actually multi-quote, I'd be QFTing both LD_Little_Dragon and Opiklo. I much prefer to run as they do than winpersec.

A couple of seconds of everyone healing up between ANY combat is better than someone just running ahead and aggroing the next mob when others in the group need a moment.

That running ahead can be additionally hazardous if you've bypassed some mobs but one of the trailing players catches the aggro. We've all done it. Not intentional, but it happens. Sure, maybe that player can handle them, and maybe not. But, the rule SHOULD BE: everyone sticks together. Except in those rare locations that we need to spread out.

when you use group-finder you are expected to actually do your job properly

That's one quite interesting point. What if my dps is pulling numbers comparable to tanks? What if I see healer that doesn't know how to cleanse and just trying to overheal (not happening) something like HS Mining Droid Laser Beam? Am I expected to be as good as them or?

I have run with a lot of tanks who can't keep aggro on multiple targets.

Assuming what I stated above, I have run with a lot of dps and heals who definitely couldn't perform even averagely. None ended up in my blacklist as I believe every man can improve.

It's the healer's job to heal you in-combat, not out of it.

So, it's my job to pull and maintain aggro. If someone is so eager to fight to pull before me, it's not my job to deal with it?

If you jump into combat and anyone is the group is still only at half-health then you are a BAD tank.

I assume that if I am to be a good tank, my group shouldn't be on half-hp

You dismiss mobs as 'trash' but in some flashpoints that trash can hit harder then the bosses due to numbers.

And if there would be GOOD dps, I'm pretty much sure the aforementioned trash should be dead way before it can become harmful enough to be unhealable during run to the next pack. Something like one roaming mend, or progressive scan... you name it. Probably would be one Resurgence or couple of Kolto Shots/Kolto Probes.

You may not have to kick healers, but I'm sure you end up on a lot of ignore lists.

I'm sure aswell I'm not. Not so many special snowflakes in this game

If I knew how to actually multi-quote, I'd be QFTing both LD_Little_Dragon and Opiklo. I much prefer to run as they do than winpersec.

 

A couple of seconds of everyone healing up between ANY combat is better than someone just running ahead and aggroing the next mob when others in the group need a moment.

 

That running ahead can be additionally hazardous if you've bypassed some mobs but one of the trailing players catches the aggro. We've all done it. Not intentional, but it happens. Sure, maybe that player can handle them, and maybe not. But, the rule SHOULD BE: everyone sticks together. Except in those rare locations that we need to spread out.

Yes, they both are right on spot.

I actually have two tank friends, who speed run ahead and don't care about the rest of group. They also run ahead if they are dps'ing. They are my friends, but after being with them in a FP once as a healer, I will never do that again. I only group up with them if I'm on a self healing dps class or on a stealther.

Yes, they both are right on spot.

 

I actually have two tank friends, who speed run ahead and don't care about the rest of group. They also run ahead if they are dps'ing. They are my friends, but after being with them in a FP once as a healer, I will never do that again. I only group up with them if I'm on a self healing dps class or on a stealther.

In to agree - I'm a tank main and I only go as fast as my healer. When I run with my friend who's a healer thats pretty fast, I admit. But I know my friend can keep us up.

Now when it's a pure random pug, I err on the side of caution. Kill one mob. Wait for everyone to get back up, kill next mob. If the dps pull early, I ask them to wait. If they keep going, I coordinate with the healer and let them die.

This is for ops and MM FP. For vet FP, I personally don't bother running an actual tank, though if we have one I personally let them do their thing.

TLDR: We might disagree strongly on hammer station avoidance strategies but here we agree completely.

What you do in your own group is up to you, at least you have your own healer with you, but when you use group-finder you are expected to actually do your job properly.

 

Your job as a tank is not to just pull mobs, any dps can do that, your job is to pull mobs and keep aggro. Assuming you actually know how to do that. I have run with a lot of tanks who can't keep aggro on multiple targets.

 

Also: don't be such a selfish player. Take 5s to heal up out-of combat. It's the healer's job to heal you in-combat, not out of it. If you jump into combat and anyone is the group is still only at half-health then you are a BAD tank.

 

You dismiss mobs as 'trash' but in some flashpoints that trash can hit harder then the bosses due to numbers.

 

You may not have to kick healers, but I'm sure you end up on a lot of ignore lists.

^This, speaking as a Tank that does tend to be a bit fast sometimes. You gotta wait for your group members, and its not the healer's job to heal you outside of combat.

i main as a guardian tank even in vet FPs

i have met plenty of players thankful to have one, i thinks its the best role to play to be honest. (though tbh i suck as a healer).

my take on it is i should hold aggro on the bosses and golds that dont melt in seconds.

if i have to grab aggro on silvers and below dps arent doing their jobs, though i will pull groups together when possible for aoe nuking

sadly with the low difficulty level of most smaller group content or easier, barring I guess a few of the master mode flashpoints, tanks are a simply a pointless role, a lot of group finder runs doesn't even use them cause a smart dps with a taunt can do the same job and also provides damage which makes the boss die quicker.

learning how to play a dps spec for your class is a great idea as it gives you some flexibility, or play with friends/guildmates/mostly new players where a tank is either useful or at least not a problem

- Veteran Mode Flashpoints : do NOT require a tank or healer , everyone plays dps and you use the green kolto when you are low on life

- Master Mode Flashpoints : require Tank + Healer

when you try to speed up the run :

- make sure people are above 80% heal ... ALL of them , even YOU as tank

- make sure the healer has above 80% energy

- keep the 2 sec rule ... you can start the next group and build aggro IF the DPS players CAN finish whatever is left in the last group in 2 seconds

if you run ahead , while the dps have to take 10 more seconds to kill a mob and another 10 seconds to get to you , there is a high chance you will die in 20 seconds

Like so many other on here, I also will not que vet mode FPs as a tank.

People playing Vet mode are usually grinding levels or chasing gear, so they mostly want to run through content, and honestly as a tank, I feel like Im just slowing them down. The few ques you get that require any usage of mechanics, people drop like flys from anyway, because they would rather blow through hammer station all day.

Master Mode is the way to go. Though, I think the term "master mode" is a little misleading; it should just be called Normal mode.

As a tank or healer, its just so much nicer to play with the proper classes and people in group using the proper mechanics in fights.

People playing Vet mode are usually grinding levels or chasing gear, so they mostly want to run through content, and honestly as a tank, I feel like Im just slowing them down. The few ques you get that require any usage of mechanics, people drop like flys from anyway, because they would rather blow through hammer station all day.

I'm still newbish to SWTOR, but what I experienced recently when trying this VM FP business (on a <75 tank spec, NO hammer station, which I unselected) was somewhat of a mixed bag. First off, the allowed level range is huge for quite a lot of FPs. Means you have the full spectrum of players in there, lowbies up to capped players and newbies up to pro players.

The key to make this successful but also enjoyable is communication, and before that, a group oriented mindset. The latter is often missing, combined with the lack of former, creates a very problematic mix, often resulting in issues which crop up latest in boss fights. Barely anyone will look out for your HP, and there are enough fights where running to an available heal station can be tricky already and then clicking on it is the next issue. All the while for example a sniper is positioned right beside such a thing but the thinking and focus is only on "self".

Which means if you start taking matters into hand and communicate, it will work out eventually. Important here is to adapt the communication to the group; I've seen a number of pros who knew what they were doing, but they failed in how they communicated things very badly and in turn, made matters even worse.

In the end, as an actual tank, you have the distinct advantage of being able to soak up and mitigate a lot more damage than any of the DPS, and if there is no tank, than whoever deals the most damage will effectively have the same problems but without any of the tankiness. Which means a group needs to be even more oriented towards "group think" than with a tank to be successful. That also means with a tank the group can make it through situations which could otherwise be classified as potentially deadly, i.e. there is a bit more room for error.

All in all I often had more the feeling of carrying the groups than slowing them down, and once the usual group issues got resolved, the experience was quite enjoyable for everyone involved.