I've feel the pain

[3cho]

<DIV>I was in a zone last night on my 26 Monk.  Got invited to a group.  There was a much higher guardian and a lower Pally there, so everyone assumed the Guardian was MT.  Everything's cool for a while, but as time goes on the group gets smaller.  We're left with me, a Pally to level lower and a Templar who's even with me.  There's some question about who will be MT.  I dont say anything, as not to ruffle any feathers, but I could tell the Pally was nervous being MT (everything was yellow, even and blue to me, but red, orange and yellow to him).  The templar insists that _he_ should tank... while the pally heals th group :/</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>So we engage our first group, and aggro is out of control, so I do what comes natural to me (as both the MT and MA)... I taunt.  All mobs on me.  We proceed to kick booty.  Now this templar tells me Monks have nice taunts but I can't main tank without a shield, and that I should focus on DPS.  So he does his best to tank (but of course I take aggro anyway with my DPS).  All in all it was a most irritating encounter.  I know we're not plate tanks, and certainly there are situations where plate tanks would be better, but come on!  I've been tanking for 26 levels here!  *sigh* <img src="/smilies/9d71f0541cff0a302a0309c5079e8dee.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>We ended up almost wiping a couple of times, and I politely excused myself from the group (couldnt take it anymore).  Of all the fighter classes I've played, I like my Monk the best (never played a bruiser).  There interesting and fun.  They do decent damage, and... when needed, can easily fill the MT or MA roles.</DIV>

[Teidilu]

yea i cant stand people like that myself, yea we cant tank very many epics atm (bruiser talkin but not a HUGE diffrence right? <img src="/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />) but we do just fine in small exp groups of that many **sigh**

[ganjookie]

I've been in that situation before....   I was pretty peeved that the healer said he would tank stuff, especially when I was decked out in orange gear with some new imbued weapons <img src="/smilies/9d71f0541cff0a302a0309c5079e8dee.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />  I decided to see how well this "tank" could do, so I sat behind the mob and used autoattack to whittle away on the mob.  We picked up a couple of adds along the way, and since I was not the MT,  I didn't  care to gain aggro on the mobs.  I mean I was there for DPS not CC right?!?    Eventually the Templar ran out of mana and then HP, the dirge and mage in the group got a little skittish and started to run.  The templar, had 4 mobs on him at this time, so I exclaimed "oMG run we are gonna die!!", then FD.  The scout and mage where able to run out of there, but the poor Templar was screaming for me to taunt and gain aggro.  I told him I couldnt cause I wasnt a tank.  HE eventaully died and the mobs ran back to whence they came.  Of course I had a grand time watching him flail about and die.  I went and ressed the templar who was furious I didn't get aggro on me.     After a few minutes of him being dumb, I told him I would tank and see how that went.  After about 3 hours and a new level for the Templar we decided to call it a night.  The templar apologized for being an [expletive ninja'd by Faarbot] about me tanking, which I told thats ok, youll die again if you are one again, and logged off.... I had alot of fun that night <div></div>

[SirensSong]

There's a 48 Warden in my guild, and (as you can see from my sig) I'm a 46 Monk.  Recently a pally in our guild dinged 44, and the Warden said, "Grats!  You're the highest lvl tank in the guild!"  I kinda made a noise and she said, "Oh, you don't count."  We went back and forth for a while, but it all boiled down to one thing in her mind: "Monks are useless tanks."  That's what she keeps telling me: "I love you, Dray, but you're useless."  Frankly, all it proves is she doesn't know nearly as much about Monks as she thinks she does... and she's either never grouped w/ a Monk tank, or never grouped with a good one!

[3cho]

<span><blockquote><hr>SirensSong wrote:<div></div>There's a 48 Warden in my guild, and (as you can see from my sig) I'm a 46 Monk.  Recently a pally in our guild dinged 44, and the Warden said, "Grats!  You're the highest lvl tank in the guild!"  I kinda made a noise and she said, "Oh, you don't count."  We went back and forth for a while, but it all boiled down to one thing in her mind: "Monks are useless tanks."  That's what she keeps telling me: "I love you, Dray, but you're useless."  Frankly, all it proves is she doesn't know nearly as much about Monks as she thinks she does... and she's either never grouped w/ a Monk tank, or never grouped with a good one!<hr></blockquote>!!!!  Ack.... My main is a warden, so I'm surprised to hear a warden say that.  I've healed for monks in the past (that's what made me want to roll one in the first place) and wow... a druid/monk combo is unbeatable for most stuff.  Throw a Bard in the mix, and the stats are off the charts.  I'll have to find this warden and give them a piece of my mind <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> But seriously, it's quite distressing for people to label monks as "useless".   <img src="/smilies/9d71f0541cff0a302a0309c5079e8dee.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />  Some significant amounts of user education are needed here, I think <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />  </span><div></div>

[ganjookie]

Id have slapped that warden upside her pretty lil head for that remark.  She really has no clue <div></div>

[Teidilu]

<DIV><BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> ganjookie wrote:<BR>Id have slapped that warden upside her pretty lil head for that remark.  She really has no clue<BR> <BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE><BR>well said <img src="/smilies/8a80c6485cd926be453217d59a84a888.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></DIV>

[Dandeli]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> 3cho wrote:<BR> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>...  There interesting and fun.  They do decent damage, and... when needed, can easily fill the MT or MA roles.</DIV><BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE><BR> <DIV>Decent damage? Our damage is rediculous compared to other classes =o<BR>When I raid, and I halfarse try, I'm always in the top 3 dps, usually the top 2.</DIV> <DIV><BR>As far as tanking, hey, if they say they dont want you to, dont get all butt hurt. If it was me I'd been like cool, shoot I dont have to pull, tank, hold aggro. I enjoy sitting back ... if they die, god bless Feign Death. Dont have too much pride that it ruins your fun, you know what you can do =) </DIV>

[Teidilu]

<DIV>hah i personally find that most fun anyway <img src="/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></DIV>

[sza]

<P>Ive been reading along for a while and htis is the first pro monk thread ive read here, wow!  i guess this is " i can talk about my brother however i want but you'd better watch your mouth"...</P> <P>Ive been holding a fighter back for a while now because i've been intending to make him a monk.  I played one on EQ and loved it so much i never cared about the nerfs, nothing they changed or took away made me feel any less badass and it was flat out my favorite class no matter what.  But i've been holding back in this one until i get some kind of idea where the tank issue is going to fall.  I dont care if monks can tank personally, i just need it to be settled one way or another because paying for upgrades i dont get or losing upgrades i got would push me to the breaking point, i can see that and i dont need that.  This might be the most angry, bile-spewing, complaint ridden of all the boards but the scary thing that separates you from other boards is you sound right.  There's a logic problem at the heart of the monk issue and its draining just to read about, i get uncomfortable even thinking about living with it.  </P> <P>At the heart of the problem, unfortunately, as in all art, is one of reality.  I used to play GT2 incessantly, and i remember a key moment when i realized i'd crash less if i played the game as though i was ACTUALLY racing, not just trying to win a video game.  When i played as though it was an actual car and i was an actual car owner, i crashed less, drove better, won more.  Logic takes over and you dont have to be told what to do.</P> <P>Similarly, i cant logically figure how a monk can tank.  Not if im thinking of a real monk, even using the broad expanse of literature and art and other gaming, the term just implies something that isnt a tank.  The developers have in fact put that thing at the core of the class, avoidance.  So where this is going to shake out i have no idea, but i feel really bad for the developers in having to work this out. </P> <P>I chose this thread, aptly titled, to ask this question of all you awesome beta testers (sorry couldnt resist) - do any of you regret picking the class?  You've seen it thru for whatever reasons you have: not being a quitter; like this or that aspect of the class; spent too much time/money on it; whatever that reason is-  do you regret the choice?</P> <P>Its an important question to me.</P>

[SirensSong]

Well, I'm not as high level as a lot of ppl who post here, but I can tell you I don't regret my Monk at all.  It's my favorite class to play.  People misunderstand Monks, and there are some major issues, but despite that it's just so much FUN!!  It's a very unique class (Bruisers notwithstanding), and I just really enjoy it.  Nine times out of ten all it takes to put someone in their place is to group with them and do a good job; then they realize how dumb they are.  :smileyvery-happy:

[Cheezburgerinparadise]

Yeah so far I would have to say after 40 levels i have grown very fond of my Monk. I accept the fact that groups don't want me tanking. I refuse to be backup to a cleric though... they want me to be DPS to a cleric they can find another Monk because i can solo just fine without getting that kind of debt =P

[Cuz]

My only real beef with my monk is that he has a worst fashion sense than I do. I'm lucky though because in my guild I have a higher level pally that tanks so I can DPS when we play our mains, but some guild alts are at the level where I'm the highest tank so I get to do just that. I have the best of both worlds. Now if only I can get to look as sexy as Gage I'll be happy as a kite.

[Ond]

<div></div>To <a target="_blank" href="../view_profile?user.id=201491"><span>szamy</span></a>: The logic in a monk tanking would be something similiar to those eastern ones, shaolin I think they're called. Basic idea is, when a punch is thrown at you, you avoid it, true, some animation showing this would be nice, but use your imagination for that <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> The good ol' Muhamed Ali, the famous boxer was said to 'float like a butterfly, sting like a bee'. Consider yourself to do that.As for monks vs. other tank archtypes, well, everyone can put on some heavy plating, pick up a big axe and swing it. Jumping around, avoiding to get hit while you beat people up with sticks, now that is style <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /><div></div>