Choosing the group role (for the hot engineer sex)
by Mike Schramm 
Apr 28th 2008 at 6:00PM
Why wouldn't you want to have hot engineer sex? That's the point made over at "Groups of Words" in a post about choosing a role specifically to set up your spot in a group. Well at least that's the point I came away with -- let me start over.Most players choose their role based on what they want to do the most -- if you like playing as a ranged character, Hunter is probably a good choice, while being a Rogue will let you sneak around. But if playing in groups is your thing, says GoW, then you should aim for one of those roles that groups want: healer or tank. That's one reason I personally chose a resto Shaman -- everybody always needs a good healer and/or tank, and with a Shaman, I can fill that role, or go off and do my own thing as well.
GoW compares it to being a woman at an engineering school, where you've got your pick of the 1:6 girl/guy ratio (my alma mater, fortunately, had odds stacked slightly the other way). But other than the hot engineering sex, the point is a good one: if you're on a realm suffering from a lack of tanks and healers and you want to group up, why not fix things yourself and roll up one or the other?
[Via Mystic Chicanery]
Filed under: Priest, Warrior, Analysis / Opinion, Tips, Instances, Humor, Classes
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Vendrill Apr 28th 2008 6:10PM
Shaman tanking? Are you on crack?
Jumpeplowski Apr 28th 2008 7:49PM
Are *you* on crack? Nowhere did that article say anything about Shaman tanking being a good idea.
thebitterfig Apr 29th 2008 7:50AM
it has been rather well documented that a well-played, well-speced shaman can tank anything less than lvl 70 content. they can become impossible to crit, and have very high threat generation for single targets. for someone who is doing the long grind from 1 to 70, you could do worse than shaman for versitilty.
is shaman tanking a good idea? not really, but skydiving isn't really a good idea, but people who know what they are doing can do it safely. like all extreme sports, shaman tanking is not for everyone.
faradhim Apr 29th 2008 8:40AM
My reply is to thebitterfig:
Let's not forget the other half of the equation. Although a well geared and competent shammy can tank most pre-70 content if you don't have an equally well geared and competent healer it is just not going to happen. With a dedicated tank it is more forgiving if your healer is not as competent.
Just my 2 cents.
Naix Apr 29th 2008 10:04AM
"...good healer and/or tank, and with a Shaman,..."
I think you should roll a Druid. Shamans are OP but a tank role they can not fill.
Sydera Apr 28th 2008 6:12PM
I would say that being a tank or healer is no magic fix for group roles. I am a healer, and my boyfriend plays a tank. Sometimes either or both of us end up sitting out for a 25-man because there are limited spots for our roles. The point is, in WoW, as in life, Murphy's Law prevails. The thing that the perfect group/raid/guild needs will only rarely be your class and spec.
Brownjohn Apr 28th 2008 8:14PM
thats why i rolled pally. I like tanking and healing, so I can respec when it becomes apparent what role my guild will need.
nik Apr 28th 2008 9:55PM
I understand the whole, "if you always need a tank/healer, why not roll one" argument.....
What if you like playing your class though? I love my hunter. Love it! I want to play it always....I've tried leveling a healer and a few tanks and it just wasn't the same.
I love running instances and group quests, but sometimes the effort required to PuG is just not worth it. I wish there was someway around it besides.....don't.
RogueJedi86 Apr 28th 2008 7:38PM
But if you reroll with the attitude that "I only like Hunter, nothing else can come close", you'll never like any non-Hunter class you reroll. Be open-minded. Rerolling can open your mind. When I made my first alt(a Druid) after going 60-something levels on my Paladin, I was surprised at being able to do actual DPS. The versatility was amazing. Then I made a Mage, and I'm enjoying the fun of spell DPS(and the Ports and Blinks and Slowfalls and Engineering).
Bottom Line: Be open minded when you reroll. You may love Hunter, but a bit of variety is necessary. Sometimes the ranged dps role can get boring, and there are several other classes that are just as good solo as your Hunter(Druid, Tankadin from level 35 up, maybe Warlock too).
nik Apr 29th 2008 7:13PM
I have rolled other classes. I'm currently leveling a prot pally. I'm just saying that I play the class I like. It's unfortunate that good groups are hard to find.
And for the record, Hunters aren't just DPS. We CC (chain trapping is very effective when done right), off tank with pet and are Ranged DPS. At least I am whenever I get in a PuG.....
Havitech Apr 28th 2008 6:23PM
That is exactly why I rolled a feral druid a while after I got my mage to 70.
Now my guild is short on healers. Go figure.
BitterCupOJoe Apr 28th 2008 7:04PM
Good news is you can always spec resto. I've got a 70 warlock... which, in my 10 or 12 person guild, is one of 4 warlocks. On the other hand, we have one tank. So I've rerolled to paladin. If I make it to 70 and we still need a tank, I've got one. If we need another healer, I can switch. And if we need DPS, I've either got a Ret paladin or my good old warlock.
I always recommend people to have at least one hybrid in their stable of characters, for exactly this reason.
Silverrealm Apr 29th 2008 10:50AM
Gawd I hate that!
You pick one of the 'two' specs (BTW there are three specs people) for druid and then people always say 'Oh just spec Feral...' or if you are feral 'Oh just spec Resto...'
It's maddening... I am not changing my spec for you! I like my role... deal with it!
Waggerz Apr 28th 2008 7:30PM
Myself and my girlfriend are both qualified engineers.
I find this article strangely arousing.
faradhim Apr 29th 2008 8:42AM
My wife is an electric engineer. I must have beat the 6:1 odds.
darian Apr 28th 2008 7:30PM
You can always have the best of all worlds. Roll one of everything.
Zan Apr 28th 2008 7:37PM
Most guilds on the server I'm on seek tanks and healers constantly. I think part of it is how people treat tanks and healers in runs, it's discouraging, and many a healer or person with tank dreams winds up going DPS and giving up--my guild is terribly lucky to not have a shortage of tanks or healers. Don't ask me how or why, I don't know how it happened.
Um... WTB DPS?
RogueJedi86 Apr 28th 2008 7:41PM
Healers and Tanks are picky because nearly every DPS classed player is a nub who doesn't even have a Threat Meter of ANY kind, which really helps the Healer and Tank's jobs. It gets frustrating is all, when the DPS people keep pulling off the tank and forcing the Healer to turn away from the Tank to heal the DPS. It's very rare that I see anyone else in my group with a Threat Meter, and I nearly faint when I see a group with everyone with Threat Meters.
kevin Apr 28th 2008 8:08PM
for every single nub dpser, there's just as many shit tanks and healers.
Eternalpayn Apr 28th 2008 8:42PM
I believe that number is off. You need 3 DPS, 1 tank, and 1 healer for a 5-man. I've noticed that 2/3 DPSers are retards. That would mean all healers and tanks suck?