The Daily Quest: Threatening behavior
by Anne Stickney 
Mar 9th 2011 at 5:00PM
WoW Insider's on a Daily Quest to bring you interesting, informative and entertaining WoW-related links from around the blogosphere.
When I first starting playing WoW back in vanilla, I played a healer. This wasn't out of any urge to heal other people; it was because the guild of friends that eagerly told me to roll an Alliance character and join them stated quite plainly that they needed healers. So I rolled a healer and played all the way to level 60. Then I rolled a character on Horde because I wanted to play with friends over there. Once again, I was told to roll a healer because they needed healers.
I was a pretty good healer -- or at least, everyone said I was. But when The Burning Crusade launched and the raid guild fell apart, I decided to play what I'd wanted to play since day one -- a rogue. I've been happily stabbing things ever since. But though I've had plenty of experience in healing my rear end off and in merrily murdering mobs, I never could get the hang of tanking. I guess the thought of standing there and having something perpetually beat my face in never felt like fun. I'm assuming it's an acquired taste.
Today, we've got some posts from around the blogosphere discussing tanks, healing, guilds, and leveling through the game.
Is there a story out there we ought to link or a blog we should be following? Just leave us a comment, and you may see it here tomorrow! Be sure to check out our WoW Resources Guide for more WoW-related sites.
I was a pretty good healer -- or at least, everyone said I was. But when The Burning Crusade launched and the raid guild fell apart, I decided to play what I'd wanted to play since day one -- a rogue. I've been happily stabbing things ever since. But though I've had plenty of experience in healing my rear end off and in merrily murdering mobs, I never could get the hang of tanking. I guess the thought of standing there and having something perpetually beat my face in never felt like fun. I'm assuming it's an acquired taste.
Today, we've got some posts from around the blogosphere discussing tanks, healing, guilds, and leveling through the game.
- The Dead Good Tanking Guide talks about the mechanics of tank threat from vanilla to today.
- Orcish Army Knife discusses the value of a bad pull in regards to learning how to heal.
- The Noisy Rogue isn't all that sure that the Looking for Guild feature is such a good idea.
- Tobold's MMORPG Blog wonders what WoW would be like if it were solely a leveling game.
Is there a story out there we ought to link or a blog we should be following? Just leave us a comment, and you may see it here tomorrow! Be sure to check out our WoW Resources Guide for more WoW-related sites.
Filed under: The Daily Quest
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
BadAndyMk3 Mar 9th 2011 5:12PM
I rolled an orc warrior back in vanilla because I wanted to hit stuff with an axe.
When I joined my first guild, they told me in no uncertina terms that warriors are tanks. So I tanked. I hated it, so I spent most of my time playing solo throughout BC and then left the game shortly after I hit 70, and came back a few months after Wrath came out. Now that we have DKs, Pallys and Bears, I can hit stuff with TWO axes.
So yeah, tanking is definitely and aquired taste.
StClair Mar 9th 2011 5:36PM
I've always been way too intimidated by WoW tanking to even attempt it. (In City of Heroes, it's easy - you just stand there and your class ability and regular attacks get you all the aggro you need.) I can heal, I can DPS, I can even give CC a shot... but please, don't ask me to tank.
The Angry Intern Mar 9th 2011 5:43PM
I think the Looking for Guild thing will really help out smaller guilds that are casual find people who are like-minded. The hardcore players and hardcore guilds will find each other without needing help from a tool like this. But smaller guilds that aren't as well known on a particular server might have problems getting new recruits, especially since, as was pointed out in the comments on the linked Noisy Rogue article, a lot of people have /1 and /2 turned off due to the amazing level of smacktarditude in those chat channels and might not see the small guilds advertising there.
Devin Mar 9th 2011 6:11PM
I agree. The bloggers argument that "people who truly want to find a guild are currently able to and that this tool will only help those too anti-social to do it with current methods" is unfounded on a few points:
1. Those using the current method will find less and less guilds/players posting in such a way
2. Having a tool in game is honestly no more different than having a chat channel/forum page/podcast ad etc., except that it is easier and quicker to use (Blizzard has stated numerous times that they don't like the extent in which people have to spend out of game to be able to enjoy their time in game)
3. Ease of finding guilds will cause people to be more capable of finding one suited for them instead of staying in one they're not entirely happy with.
On another note, his comment that you can join a guild without any social interaction or communication whatsoever is true, but then what? You've now joined X guild, whatever your reason for joining that guild (PVP PVE RP Social) with the exception of joining for the perks, you now have to interact.
I'll stop now because I'm probably just preaching to the choir.
Boobah Mar 9th 2011 6:44PM
"I guess the thought of standing there and having something perpetually beat my face in never felt like fun. I'm assuming it's an acquired taste."
I enjoy tanking; it's less that I enjoy getting my face beat in. It's more that I enjoy that it's not my friend's face getting beat in.
Well, that and it's kind of badass to not squish when a forty-foot tall guy stomps you.
Gorth Mar 9th 2011 7:05PM
Yeah, that first link super frustrated me. Yet another entitled tank/healer blog about how DPS have it easy? "Triage, nobody else has to deal with Triage!" Yeah, but they also don't have to deal with adds or interrupts. Ignoring adds and interrupts works about as well as tanking in DPS gear fully, or healing by spamming your best spell over and over.
*sigh*
Shoggoth Mar 9th 2011 7:36PM
Wooo! Rades! Wooo!
WOOO!
Alxariam Mar 9th 2011 8:22PM
I never think of it as being perpetually punched in the face, I think of it as one man vs. a dragon while everyone else goes behind the scenes. While I know it isn't really like that, it's fun to imagine this picture in my head.
'A 7 foot tall cow covered in armor taking on a dragon with nothing more than a sword and a shield while yelling "COME AT ME BRO!".'
P.S. I do yell that when I raid. Constantly.
wdsrmail Mar 9th 2011 11:34PM
I totally love the Orcish Army Knife, nice to see it show up here.
ryananger Mar 10th 2011 3:54AM
I completely disagree with the first articles assertion that DPS as a role has less to worry about or do than the other roles, and his article comes off as a little condescending.
Having played all three roles fairly extensively, I believe that each has their own independent yet equal things to worry about over the course of an encounter. The only time his accusation that all DPS needs to worry about is "pushing the best button" applies, is in Patchwerk style fights with no movement and single targets.
In almost all of the raid encounters in Cata, DPS has to determine the best way to maximize their activity while moving and switching targets, and more often than not, it can be more complicated than the job the tank has.
Katarso Mar 10th 2011 9:50AM
Since there's a disclaimer requesting shameless plugs, i have started a blog over at katarso.wordpress.com :)