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All of the latest Mists of Pandaria newsBreakfast Topic: The all-DPS Group
by Matthew Rossi 
Jan 13th 2010 at 8:00AM
Often in these situations I'm unfortunate enough to have decided to DPS on a character that can tank, but luckily (or unluckily as the case may be) yesterday I was on my shaman and so could simply sit back and wait. It was mentioned to the 'tank' that, as the person who had signed up to tank the instance it might behoove him (or possibly her, hard to tell who's behind the keyboard) to slap on a shield and some tanking gear, but only the grim silence of the truly disinterested was our reply. Was he even at the keys? Hard to say. The wait extended to the point where we could safely kick him, and kick him we did. but that's ten minutes or so of my life I'll never get back. (And no, my shaman couldn't tank HHoR, I didn't even try).
This is leaving out the fun of the HFoS run where the 'healer' was in full Elemental gear, used Flametongue on his weapon, and let the melee die twice on trash pulls because the only healing spell he cast was Lesser Healing Wave, only to roll need on Nighttime and drop group immediately. At least he pretended, I guess. (Best quote of the evening was from the surprisingly friendly and helpful death knight... sorry, dude, but it goes against your class' whole deal... who said "You went pretty much that whole boss fight with no healer and we still killed him" in front of the guy.)
So, I ask you: do you queue as a tank or healer to get a faster group and then hope someone else will do it? Or queue and then sort of half-heartedly pretend? Or have you run into one of these folks and found yourself tanking or healing a run you signed up to DPS?
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Breakfast Topics, Instances, Wrath of the Lich King
Reader Comments (Page 4 of 12)
Swifteye Jan 13th 2010 8:12AM
I haven't started tanking on my DK yet (still trying to research as much of the basics as I can and am not comfortable with taking my first test drive just yet), but ultimately I plan to queue as tank and, le gasp!, actually bring the proper gear and DO the tanking!
I might in the meantime sign up as DPS but be ready to *try* and tank, but let my group know straight up that I'm new to tanking and if I suck, blame the guy who signed up as tank but then foisted the responsibility on to me, heh.
I play my DK more than anything these days because she's just so much fun, but as for my "real" main (nothing against DKs, I love 'em, but I concede many folks don't take 'em seriously and want to know what class you leveled to be able to create a DK in the first place), she's a Hunter and thus CAN'T queue as anything other than DPS, so no drama waiting to happen there.
omedon666 Jan 13th 2010 8:13AM
I, like you, DPS with my considerable (main spec) tanking gear in my bag, and certainly consider it the best insurance policy against these situations, on the tanking front. Because of this, I tend to not live in fear of the tank bailing like many DPS do. I queue to DPS because my tank set is for my guildies and friends, but I'm always ready to pick up the slack if a diva tank decides that one wipe is beneath him and bails, or in the case of "retribution tanks".
Eslaone Jan 13th 2010 8:25AM
I signed up as Enhance one night cause I was burnt out on Healing. I drew HoL outta the random hat. So we buff up, I drop a fish and look at the icons to see who was tanking. A warrior was (still in blues and greens with a few ilvl200 epics), however he ran off and pulled in Fury. I asked him to switch to prot, was ignored (I assume since he/she never responded). The healer asked him to switch, who was promptly told to stfu cause this warrior knew what he was doing.
I stopped moving, slapped on my shield cause I knew how first boss was gonna end. After the warrior was oneshot I tanked the boss. I gave kudos to the healer and the hunter cause the mage dropped before the pull. I rezzed the warrior, told him to go the forums and do some research. Maybe pick up some manners before he queued again and left.
Pri Jan 13th 2010 8:47AM
You're far more polite than I would have been, I'm sure. I tend to react... strongly to people with attitudes such as this.
Vagrant Jan 13th 2010 8:22AM
it's annoying as hell but i'm generally to relaxed to do much about it aside from wait anyway. But it is creating a whole new class of idiots, and i think i can safely use this term here cause I doubt anyone will post that he does tend to do things this way here. especially the healer mentioned who then needs on a dps weapon .. that just makes it even worse. Just check the box of the category you are willing to forfil, soon enough no dual spec will switch roles to AGAIN to fix the queue's cheaters problem and then the whole tactics will just lead to a new queue, it reminds me of traffic jams on the free way where some git pretend to take the off ramp to the left, speeding passed you on the lane, only to cut back into the queue right before the actual off ramp ...could it be these are the same folks? or could it be that the wow version of this are the trafic jam cheaters of the future ... see...blame games for all our trouble4s, it fits!
Wraithanne Jan 13th 2010 8:22AM
Haven't had a tank do this yet but I have had several Shamans that were more interested in DPSing than healing, one even going so far as saying dropping totems was a waste of mana(seriously!).
I have had some tanks that tried very hard to wipe the group on the first pull then drop. I say tried cause unless the group's dps is hopeless I can heal through it.
Shnitzki Jan 13th 2010 8:24AM
I'm currently leveling my mage through the random dungeon system and I have had to tank Zul Farrak twice now due to ret pallys who queue as tank but then only use their 2hander without Righteous Fury up.
Then they drop group half way through because "DPS isn't there"
I'm a mage in full BoA gear with 220 spell power and 4k mana.
I'm pulling 200-300 on single mobs and on groups i'm hitting 1k+
So i doubt it was that.
However tanking Gazhrilla has pretty much prepared me for Four Horsemen if i ever have to do naxx.
Phattydorfie Jan 13th 2010 8:25AM
A while ago I actually experienced a paladin LEAVE a HHoR because he "wasn't allowed" to heal.
I'm main specced dps on my priest, and yes, I always queue as a healer (and dps, though) because it does get me a group faster. But I'm always in healing spec and gear when entering the dungeon, expecting to heal. But not this time whe I hadn't noticed that I was put in the group as dps! Mindless as I am most of the time doing my daily grind for my two frost badges, I didn't notice the paladin healing until we'd pulled through the first four or so waves of mobs. Naturally I sort of panic and tries, fruitlessly of course, to change spec and gear, but decides to wait the encounter out and then go dps since the dps was high enough as it was. But the paladin seemingly got pissed and left. The others in the group go "WTF?" and then just "priest, U heal?" and the run turns out to be the smoothest HoR I've ever experienced...
BubblePriest Jan 13th 2010 2:23PM
To be fair, I find dungeons to be extraordinarily boring when someone decides to "off heal". The tanks barely take damage as it is, and since I outgear the heroics anyway even if a tank is undergeared I can solo heal it just fine.
I think if someone else showed up ready to heal I might drop as well (although not without asking them once to go DPS). I am specced disc/holy so going DPS is not an option for me. Maybe it would strike some people as diva-ish, but even when I'm doing my daily for frost badges, I like to actually play my toon, not just afk and come back to a completed dungeon.
Possum Jan 13th 2010 8:36PM
It can sort of seem like a vote of no confidence in the assigned healer and then becomes a bit of an insult. (Not that you intended it that way)
Although i've actually had this happen to me (thought I was healer because 99.9% of the time the dungeon finder pulls me in as one but turned out I was dps, we sort of went "wait, which one of us is healing?" i realised it wasn't me and switched.)
Xanthy Jan 13th 2010 8:26AM
I have two 80s, a pally and a hunter, and thankfully I've yet to run into this problem on them. (Even though my pally carries around her tanking set.) On my Priest and Shaman... well that is a bit different.
Yes, I can Heal on both classes, and yes my priest is disc at level 31. But I'll sign her up as the Healing or DPS role. Not a biggie. Until I'm brought in as a healer and the OTHER priest takes my job. >
okiishirow Jan 13th 2010 8:27AM
well written! stuffs like that, happens
Malenx Jan 13th 2010 9:01AM
I refuse to let this slide and just take over the tanking spot. If someone signs up as a tank and they aren't at least trying to gear themselves into tanking equipment / full tanking talents, then I immediately start whispering group members and try to get him kicked.
It's incredibly lame when people try and cut the line for a heroic.
If someone is full tank talents and still gearing himself into tanking gear, that I can understand and work with, but I will not let this lame cutting work in my groups. If everyone just continues to make it happen, then the bastards will just continuously do it more and things will get worse.
morkuma Jan 13th 2010 8:29AM
we got nexus one day and the tank and heals (same guild, same server) dropped, saying "f this, i hate this place, i get it all the time"
we 3dps'd it. went smooth. actually got a record time on anomalus. go figure.
we usually just push on for most heroics if someone drops. they are just that easy :P
Kalyph Jan 13th 2010 8:31AM
I'm leveling a dual spec Pally, and I make sure that each spec has the right talents as well as the right gear. Like one poster above, I tank when I want to, but when I get tired of that I'll sign up as DPS only. But, I'm grateful for the dual spec, because in those situations where I joined as DPS and had a lousy tank, it was easy enough for me to switch, and we could get rid of the culprit without having to wait for a replacement tank.
I agree though that in the same way that there's a limitation of which roles you can sign up for based on class, there should be a similar limitation based on spec.
JB Jan 13th 2010 8:31AM
My main is a feral druid, and originally I was a tank. Unfortunately my guild had so many I was forced kitty when I broke 80. The guild broke up so I want to go back to tanking - but the attitude of a lot of players put me off attempting it again. I suppose I should just do it... and grow a thick skin ;-). So...as a result I queue as DPS, but have had to step up to the plate as a tank on a few occassions. I carry my tanking set with me...
I had a DK tank the other night specced Unholy DPS - I was playing my baby DK as Unholy DPS - we wiped a few times. As DPS I don't like dropping group because it takes forever to get in again....
Gaurth Jan 13th 2010 9:23AM
Don't you mean a BARKskin?
; )
Tinwhisker Jan 13th 2010 8:32AM
I had one situation where myself, another DPS and a holy pally from my guild signed up for a random hoping to pick up a decent tank and another DPS. We signed up for only those roles as both of the DPS were pure and the holy pally had no other gear.
When it popped we got a PoS instance that had one boss down. The group had a few people leave and all that was left was the tank and healer (from the same guild). However, when looking for new members the healer had also selected DPS as an option and the system chose DPS for them.
When we showed up the healer refused to go to DPS saying that he didn't have the gear and he had been healing the instance already. He claimed his DPS and gear were no good, which we replied wasn't a problem since the other two DPS were ICC25 geared. He absolutely refused to DPS and we kicked him. A minute later the tank rage-quit the group, we grabbed a guildie and finished "their" instance.
chrisaw Jan 13th 2010 8:33AM
The "all DPS groups" are annoying but what's even more annoying is the stereotype associated with certain classes and people like the poster of this article feeding it. I'm sorry dude but it goes against your class? What a stupid way of looking at the game. People are behind characters, if I choose to play a Rogue am I a backstabbing prick? Similarly, if I play a Holy Priest am I a really kind and nice guy? No! It gets a bit ridiculous to say a certain class has a certain type of person associated with it.
I play a Protection Paladin (kind and helpful guy who wants to keep everyone), I also play a Mutilate Rogue (would very much like to stab your eyes out and would off his own mother for 10g). What kind of person am I? If a kind helpful person wants to play a Death Knight they shouldn't have to suffer the stupidity of stereotyping should they really?
I played a DK as a tank and I had nothing but abuse in every instance I joined. Nobody ever got aggro and nobody ever died due to my mistakes but I *still* took a LOT of abuse. I re-roll a Protadin and suddenly everyone thinks the sun shines out of my rear.
My point is, people should be judged by how they are - not by any other element. If you think about it, stereotyping is no different from racism but would you treat an Asian gentleman like crap because he's Asian? No! So stop the crap and let people play what they want to play without having class associated hate.
Irem Jan 13th 2010 8:42AM
I think he meant it in the roleplay sense. DKs aren't supposed to be friendly or helpful, they're supposed to be snarky and brooding. Kind of like the book of death knights in Acherus that talks about the knight named "Harmony" that was killed by the Lich King and had their ashes scattered in an outhouse because the name was "in violation of common Scourge decency" and "the Lich King takes his names very seriously."