And why tanks have an instant queue…
Iron Qon is the fight causing said issues. Every week the LFR group has this idea of how it’s supposed to be tanked. Last week the group demanded we basically teleport the boss [ie kite him whilst he’s casting dead zone] away from the spear. The week prior to that the group freaked out at the prospect of tanking him at the back because it could reset and waste their time. Another LFR group essentially demanded he be kited in phase 3 and placed in the middle for the final phase… And these groups are willing to wipe than try another strat. The group this week demanded that we tank him at the back and force the healers to just heal through the aoe. In point of fact we wiped twice because they stood at the back and refused to move. Out of anything. That “isn’t their job”. We finally gave in and tanked it where they said and it was pretty rough on the healers but it got done. Of course it was all entirely our fault because we don’t know how it’s supposed to be done.
Knowing how it’s “supposed to be done” in LFR is hard when every group seems to EXPECT and DEMAND that it be done their way. I’ve seen some pretty far out demands and as a tank it’s better to just go along with it… heck I’m tempted to ask what they want… because they won’t adapt or change for anyone. I have no idea which strat is typical. Most of them work when people are trying. But even if we go in and do what we want there’s always one person who knows how to do it better.
When I position the boss in phase one so that melee can be behind it without being in the fires and half the raid still is… I don’t think that’s a problem with me. Tanks really truly can’t win right now. And I do take the nasty words personally – where I shouldn’t.
Us hitting berserk on the second boss was apparently the tank’s fault too. None of the dps were willing to run the patterns. We had a couple of our ranged try it [their mains are melee however] when we were getting on toward berserk and it was taking forever. But none of them got used.
And apparently it was our fault too that the Lei Shen kill was messy. I mean obviously we’re at fault for people standing in lightning whip and thunderstruck every single time they hit.
You know what?
I honestly don’t need this. My main needs no tanking gear and I don’t need to have a geared DK tank alt. Or heck, I could throw some blue crafted dps gear on her and just dps for the tank gear. Only I feel the need to defend the other tanks when it gets done to them…
Just… the fatigue and stress of the last week have not been pleasant. Add big life changes and then this on top of it… yeah I really don’t need it. And had I not been with guildies, I would have left.
And honestly, at this moment, I never want to tank LFR again. I know I will. I know that’s an emotional overreaction in this moment in time. But seriously… think about it… Why would ANYONE want to deal with this?
You Yank It, You Tank it: Blog of a Tanking Death Knight Lady 
Hang in there, we’ve all been there, regardless of role. Just try to keep in mind that they are all – without exception – complete idiots who are not worth your time or tears. Easier said than done, but it always makes me feel better. 🙂
I suppose this is the brilliance of offspec rolls now – it’ll help people who don’t want to tank LFR yet who would like the gear. However, I think the general ridiculous attitude of people in LFR needs addressing. Not nice.
I heal LFR, and I have mostly given up trying to talk to people. Letting them know they are standing in bad and would they move please doesn’t work, telling the raid this person is AFK doesn’t help get them kicked, and all my initiating kicks gets me is a 4 hour limit on trying to kick people. I was in an LFR once where a hunter didn’t even zone in because he didn’t like the first boss, wiped the fight 3 times because the boss targeted him with an ability but he wasn’t there, and told the raid he was in the shrine many times. Took 3 or 4 wipes to kick him.
I am happy to let the tanks do what ever they want, provided they are actually doing something. And I admire good tanks, and try to thank them when I can.
In general, most people who talk in LFR seem to be grumpy. The one time the healers were thanked in an LFR that I’ve been in, there was silence for a minute while everyone tried to figure out if it was sarcasm before the guy said no, really, good job.
I just started tanking LFR. The best strategy for me so far is to shut off Instance Chat and co-ordinate with the other tank through whispers.
Reading all the raging, complaining, whining, “strategies” etc. doesn’t help me tank better one bit. All that matters is what works with the other tank.
It’s less stressful, goes a lot smoother and so far no wipes 😀
OMG, *this*. It has gotten to the point where i’d rather not finish the wrathion quest line and not replace gear, waiting for drops in normal ToT instead of spending one minute of my time in LFR on my tank. I have seen it happen on my mage and had it happen to me on my tank…everything is your fault, going too slow, going too fast, dps pulls and it’s your fault. Dps stands in bad and it’s your fault AND the heals fault. I have always ran my mage as my main and took great offense when people would bad mouth dps, but NOW I get it. I am appalled at the behavior. And people wonder why the queue is so long and why when a tank leaves it’s 30 minutes waiting for another. Because of your own actions, idiots.
The true measure of a tank is the ability get back up no matter how hard they’ve been hit. That being said, I no longer tank LFR on any of my toons based solely on the fact I could wind up in a group who will suggest that i uninstall the game or that my parents should have used contraception (mind you this has happened on bosses downed after the 2nd try). In short tanks will continue to decline in lfr until the community at large starts holding these lfr “heroes” accountable. I still enjoy tanking with my regular raid group, but i do worry for those that dont have that to fall back on.
I tend to agree… and I wrote this after a frustrating LFR so I have and will go back in as a tank, but only if the hubby is my cotank.
I enjoy tanking for our ten man raid much much more though… but I agree… there are people who don’t have normal raids as a realistic option and LFR can be frustrating, even to a seasoned tank much less to a newer one. The verbal abuse IS just “words on screen” which is how I try and view it but it still gets to me occasionally.