Why I am the Tank

My favorite World of Warcraft class is the warrior. A raw, unrelenting force that charges into battle, throwing caution to the wind while they hone in on their target. While the class has three specializations, it was always the Protection spec I appreciated the most. When I take the role of a tank, the party member who is the designated punching bag, I prefer the heavy plate wearers.

In MMO’s, there is something called the holy trinity: tank, healer, and damage (or DPS). Each class fits into one of these three elements with other games adopting a fourth “support” role in many cases. While I have lived most of my life in the DPS role, it is the tank role that feels the most “me.”

Warriors, paladins, and death knights alike are adorned in heavy metal armaments designed to mitigate damage while striking fear into those who oppose them. When equipped with a large, bulking shield and swift blade (or a very large sword), they are welcoming, practically begging for a foe to challenge them. They are daring their opposition to come at them, and I love it. If you’re a paladin then you get some of the fine golden accents while death knights get skulls and spikes. Lots and lots of spikes.

I’ll admit- it took me a while to come to this realization in the first place. It’s been in the back of my mind since I decided to get back into World of Warcraft as one of the main pillars of my gaming life. You can take the man out of World of Warcraft but you can’t take World of Warcraft out off the man. It remains there, part of me now. So, it got me thinking about why I love this role and I found the answer.

While I love tanking, the length of which I tank is very conditional.

A Friend in Need is a Friend Indeed

After twenty years of playing this game, there is one thing I will not do and that is tank for premade groups. Yes, when I click on the instance tool in World of Warcraft to jump into a dungeon with a bunch of folks I do not know, I avoid the tanking role. Could you even blame me though? You see how people on Twitter act with unregulated usage. There is no way that I would let that kind of weight drag me down in a game I actually enjoy.

I do tank for the friends I have. Hell, I’ll tank for friends who have a friend who ain’t no friend of mine but wants to be. If you need a tank, I am there for you. Even you, reader. I’ll gladly raise arms with you, and take on foes of various digital environments. Together, with the help of several others, we will work together to succeed at sending these beasts back to oblivion!

Much to my dismay, and that of many others which may be relatable, I don’t like strangers. I don’t like people feeling like they are allowed to come into my space and criticize me for my abilities, I get enough of that in real life. We fight together, each other. And while not everyone will give me issues, it has happened many of times. Not necessarily just to me either, but for many people learning the ways of the tank. It isn’t great and can often take the fun out of any scenario. In the digital landscape that promotes anonymity and skills that can be measured, a layer of anxiety rests as the barrier between fun and misery.

You Know if You Know

When you know someone you tend to give them a little leeway. There is this mutual sense of understanding. Knowing someone out of the game is incredibly important to build that bond. Together, you can come to an understanding and communicate in a way that works for you. It is the absolute key to success in any environment. Especially digital ones.

When I was getting into the higher tier raiding for my Warcraft guild, we worked together so that we had a chance to take down that final boss. There was a monetary reward for everyone in the party. If you didn’t work together, well, then no one is getting anything. It makes sense to be nice, understanding, and take the time we needed. In the end, we did beat all the raids that came out during the Dragonflight expansion period. Right now, the guild is tackling hard mode, which is further than a bunch of middle-aged folks with responsibilities ever thought they would get.

That key was the open communication. We took the time to address the opportunities within our group. Help each other out as much as we could, because together we were strong. If someone needed to enhance their gear, we said it. No use hiding it. But, we also helped that person obtain the gear they needed. In most cases, randoms wouldn’t provide that advice. When they did, it often came in the act of expletives and a report player button. Most people in randomized dungeons don’t really talk to each other to begin with. So I only tank for friends.

Friends and Family Discount on Tanks

I could say it’s over there but then I had it in my mind, why only friends? It has to be more than just that mutual respect, and it turns out I did find that reason. It is a deep, psychological concept that I feel like I discovered fairly recently. To an extent, I explains almost why I take the brunt of the workload in other areas in my life and why I like playing Titan in Destiny, Paladin in Final Fantasy 14, and any other armor-clad class.

I like to be the protector because keeping people safe brings me a sense of accomplishment. When I was in my late teens, I befriended a fellow young adult. They had issues at home and I remember buying a Game Cube and he would bring over Resident Evil 4. Now, mind you, he had a Game Cube. He could have stayed at his place or invite me over; but we never went over there while his family was home. So, I opened up mine.

He played the entire game at my house. When I got a job at the local Game Crazy, he would show up and hang out. Actually, plenty of people did. It wasn’t just for the fact that the local video game and movie rental join was a cool place to be, but partially because I was the one who was there. No one hung around the others that much if at all. I guess it’s because there was that sense of belonging for them, creating this mutual respect between us.

I was in the good ole BSA. That’s right, you man right here was a Boy Scout. One that was compared to Goku back in the day, something that I’ll never forget. Now, do you think I was a scout? Cause I was a patrol leader after being in the organization for a year, at age 13. Then I became an assistant senior patrol leader, eventually becoming the senior patrol leader myself. I think I should be allowed to retire at the age 38 is all I am trying to say here. But besides that, I was a leader for many years because there was this respect between myself and others. I always maintained that, and I continue to do so till this day.

Hell, I’ll do things for people I do not like and tolerate the poor attitudes because I know it is for the good of the party. Clearly, it is important for me to become the pillar, the strength of the establishment. Not just to take on the brunt of the damage but also carving a way for others to see that while it can be difficult it is incredibly rewarding.

Tanks for the Memories

So yeah, I like to be the protector. But I also like to think of the roles other people might fill, and I wonder what yours is. Are you the healer perhaps? The person that is always there for the tank and the rest of the party? Maybe you are the support, cheering your friends on and buffing them with a tune. How about the damage dealer, the one who goes out and gets the job done with maybe just a little disregard for some of the details, you know, some laws you don’t even need a lawyer to help defend.

I know my role, and it helps me understand me more and makes me question what I do and how I do it. Why am I picking the titan in Destiny, or the next sword and board class in the next MMO I dive into? I hope you are a master of your role, but I also hope that if you do not know what you are, that you take the time to find that place where you belong.