Your Favorite MMO Roles? - General Columns

MikeB · January 2018

Your Favorite MMO Roles? - General Columns

DPS, DPS, DPS! Every time I decide to play an MMO with friends, just about everyone wants to play DPS. I think we’ve all been there. While there’s nothing wrong with playing DPS, I know many of you out there treat the ‘short straw’ of pulling tank or healer with the same excitement the DPS fiends do when they get to play their favorite classes. So let’s have a discussion about our favorite MMO roles, shall we? I’ll start!

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SlyLoK · January 2018

Depends on the game.

I liked healing in EQ , DAoC and ESO.
I liked Tanking in EQ and DAoC.
I like DPS in ESO.
Support I never did much of..

cameltosis · January 2018

Gameplay is, as always, the most important thing, so I would generally stick with whatever class has the most enjoyable gameplay.

Typically, this means playing a support character. What I like is the variety that they typically offer. The holy trinity, whilst important, is generally too boring and one-dimensional for me. Whenever I play a trinity class, I always find myself frustrated with other peoples failings. For example, when I'm playing a tank, there is very little I can do if the healers are shit or the damage dealers are too slow.

With support, that all changes. If the healer sucks, then I can focus on CC/debuffs/off-healing to make life easier. If the DPS sucks, then I can buff them to be better, or focus on damage myself. Support allows me to have a greater impact on the outcome of a fight, even if it's not obvious to the average player. Of course, a poorly designed support class can end up one-dimensional too, but luckily I've yet to play a game where that has happened.

Allerleirauh · January 2018

Always DPS, less drama, and you get to kill things....fast! So yeah, I usually play DPS. I did try playing support in Rift, but I always go back to DPS.

Albatroes · January 2018

I've played support for nearly a decade in mmorpgs. Sad to see the role either being merged into tank/heal role or completely done away with. I guess that's what is making me want Pantheon so much, especially with Rift dying faster

sneakerz007 · January 2018

I always heal. it is my favorite role and im good at it. I played just about every mmo that had a dedicated healer. I think EQ2 had some of the most diverse healers in an mmo.

Dragnelus · January 2018

4,3 and 1 as one class.

chrisapete123 · January 2018

Tanks are the most best role to play without them your group dies fast.

Rommie10-284 · January 2018

I was a Tank and raided in EQ2. We had a fairly large group and two main tanks that would alternate runs.

It worked fine until the night, as the Main Tank, we finally downed a particularly tough Dragon (I forget which one) we had worked on for quite a while. Everyone was so happy to finally beat it, it was one of the best gaming moments I've had.

The next raid, the other tank buried my character - instead of the usual back-up role, I was 4th string in what people would now call a carried group - just along for the ride. Not everyone was happy after all!

I reacted badly, embarrassingly badly to the slight - but in the end, found out it was 100 percent intentional and someone had considered themselves the superior player all along.

I've never run a Tank since - DPS all the way, I got my fill of drama for one gaming lifetime. And I know that's peanuts compared to some of the blowups that happen to Tanks and Healers. It's a minor miracle the DPS numbers aren't even more skewed, and that those who do Tank and Heal aren't all the Jerk Tank and Haughty Healer.

MaxBacon · January 2018

A supportive tank works for me.

Sovrath · January 2018

While I prefer DPS I find that, with soloing sometimes the tankier roles are best for me.

I find that I like playing tank but only with friends. I have no more patience for pug drama so will rarely tank for people I don't know unless they specifically ask.

knightaudit · January 2018

When I start a new game I try to shoot for a hybrid class .. (I guess that falls under support) to get a feel for the game. Something that is tough and can self heal.
Later on I will pick a role that I enjoy based on the game play.

hallucigenocide · January 2018

dps always.. tanking for me requires you to be a leader and that i'm not. and healing and support just feels meh to me.

Avarix · January 2018

Control classes are my favorite.

*Walks off and cries in the corner*

Wizbuiz · January 2018

UO. SKILL based system ill take any role.

Panther2103 · January 2018

I tend to play DPS. And always an oddly specific form of DPS. I really like two handed weapons. I played a Berserker in L2 (2 handed swords), I played a Deathknight in WoW (2h Unholy and 2h Frost), I played a Dragoon in FFXIV (2 handed Lance), A berserker in Tera (2h axe), and the list goes on. I don't know what it is, I just think huge cool looking weapons are great, with heavy armor usually (minus L2 as I played a Kamael which could only wield leather). Also that specific type of class usually gets up close to bosses on raids and dungeons, which I really like having to position on a flank or behind a boss and avoid big attacks, instead of just sitting back and spamming shots with a bow or magic.

Hatefull · January 2018

Tank. I have played support tank, Main tank, Raid tank, PvP tank (an exercise in frustration) and just about every tanking role that exists...in a game.

My favorite tank was in Rift, the Rogue tank, by far the most fun. The second was AoC, the Dark Templar (I think? been quite a while) was really nice. But I like to tank, and I love tanking with a dedicated healer.

I miss having the other roles out there, dedicated control, support...etc. Dps is always there and frankly, I feel way too much emphasis is put on Dps. A lot of them feel as though the entire game exists to cater to them, and often they are not wrong. I wish we could bring back specialized roles and put more emphasis on teamwork and role mastery and not just on putting up big numbers. Having said that, I also do not like waiting for hours on end to just run a dungeon. Such a conundrum.

Anyway, yeah, Tank.

Po_gg · January 2018

Isn't it a bit redundant, Mike?

I mean, the forum engine already has this category tied to your profile, it was even displayed for a while but after the last upgrade months ago it was masked out. I think it was displayed under the post count here:

<---
And if you check the profile of any poster, it is still visible

(btw. my favourite role is healer, as the profile says as well)

Aeander · January 2018

I like playing "the douche." You know the one. The anti-class. The one that dishes out more debilitating effects than a Game of Thrones brothel.

Dragnelus · January 2018

Show me da wae

Sovrath · January 2018

Po_gg said:

Isn't it a bit redundant, Mike? I mean, the forum engine already has this category tied to your profile, it was even displayed for a while but after the last upgrade months ago it was masked out. I think it was displayed under the post count here:

<---
And if you check the profile of any poster, it is still visible
(btw. my favourite role is healer, as the profile says as well)

Well, I think the idea is to invite discussion.

Vorthanion · January 2018

My penchant for the Druid class would indicate my preference for Dps / healer hybrids.

Octagon7711 · January 2018

Since I like to solo. Any class that had high survivability was usually the one I liked the most. This meant healer and stealth classes.

Myrdynn · January 2018

I always start as a ranger/hunter/archer, and eventually end up as a tank type

Dauzqul · January 2018

I'm a solo player (ranger-style), but I do not like "solo" mmorpgs. I know... silly. I like doing my own thing, taking my time, reading the quests, and joining temporary groups for stuff that's just impossible to accomplish when alone.