SkySavage wrote:
I know you want it to be dependant on alot of factors but that is not what players do. They don't contemplate which fighter they want for which zone and for which mob. They pick the "overall best" one and then go. If you aren't the "overall best" then you simply don't get picked.
I think we can probably agree that before the combat changes, guardians were the most desired tank in every situation, whether for groups or raids. It didn't really matter if the shadowknight or the monk was a better player; the guardian had so many inherent advantages that even a mediocre guardian was the preferred choice. Playing an MMO shouldn't boil down to the same tactics used on the schoolyard to pick teams for dodgeball.
One of the goals of the combat changes was to change that, both in perception and in practice. The reaction from the typical player should be that any fighter can tank for their group; you aren't totally dependent upon one certain subclass anymore. The reaction from the detail-oriented player should be that Fighter A is best suited to tank this fight, Fighter B is best suited to tank that fight, and so on. It's a win for both types of playstyles, but it's a shift in perception that isn't going to happen overnight.
Even after the combat changes, the guardian is still generally the safest choice to tank because they provide the greatest sense of security. A skillfully played guardian can help their party handle adversity better than any other type of fighter. If things go wrong for the bruiser or monk, they have a good chance to be able to save their own lives, but are far less likely to be able to help their group or raid recover from a bad situation and get things back on track than a guardian.
Again, I'm not saying that every subclass is now perfectly balanced and nothing needs to change. There have been some questions lately about guardian utility, and we aren't ignoring those observations. Utility is often situational, and we want to see how all the classes play out for a while before deciding whether something needs to be changed. But I assure you that we're just as prepared to make necessary changes now as we have been since launch.
All that said though, you may be right that some players will remain bound and determined to only pay attention to two numbers and make all their decisions based on them alone. The only effective way to counter such behavior is through education and experience, and that takes time.
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Steve Danuser, a.k.a. Moorgard
Game Designer, EverQuest II
SOMEONE IS LISTENING!!!!!
Covenant