Hardest role in group content

Mojmir

none of them are hard if everyone knows there roles.

milesrodneymcneely2_ESO

Damage Dealer

Most of my group content time is spent healing, and I understand the reasoning behind what a lot of people are saying here. It's difficult to do well.

However, the reason I said DD is because of just how unforgiving group content in ESO is to melee damage specs. I find ranged DD to be quite easy because you can find a good, safe position and wail away.

Unfortunately, if you're running a melee spec you can only do your job when you're on top of the boss. For a large chunk of content, sitting on top of the boss means your health bar is constantly nosediving. To perform your role - and perform it well - you REALLY need to be able to get in, unload a TON of burst and get out.

From a purely physiological perspective, the speed and situational awareness demanded of melee damage dealers far outstrips that required by other roles.

IMHO.

Tasear

Damage Dealer

Cause when you decide to be a healer or a tank you are most likely to know what you are doing for the most part. There' more often then not bad damage dealers (not just the numbers) then tanks or healers. In fact... there a few times... I thought some them where bots.

* Based on the perspective I heal, buff and debuff you while you kill for me.

ElliottXO

Tank

Tanking is hardest when the healer sucks. Healing is hardest when the tank sucks. DPS is hardest if Tank and Healer suck.

Moltyr

Healer

I can only chime in with the role I have the least experience with.

Tanking is pretty easy (or at least those with a bit of common sense). DPS is easy, but is pretty much the only role that people require that you have X amount of CP, or X amount of DPS. I haven't seen as much vetting for healers and tanks for CP/Healing/Resistances etc. I guess that's because people automatically assume tanks and healers know their stuff. Which, can bite you in the butt if you land a tank like the one I had in vCoS who was confused as to why she was being one shot wearing all DPS gear and pretty much never blocking Velidreth.

So for me, DPS/Tanking are pretty much tied for the easiest roll. The only difference is as a tank you will find more groups, and quickly. You get to set the pace for the group, and you also take the blame if anyone dies to something tauntable lol.

Healing just seems like a nightmare (for end game). I would not want to heal vMoL if my life depended on it. Anyone can heal/tank/dps vet dungeons. But how people can handle vet trials is beyond me.

I think a lot of the player base for whatever reason lacks critical thinking and problem solving skills. I'm not sure how after years of ESO being released, people are still struggling with vet dungeons and trials. Not to mention the bow light attack spammers in cyrodil.

a1x23

Damage Dealer

I play all roles on different characters and i find being the dps is toughest. With how you have to build to be a dps is what makes it tough. You have to build to be somewhat of a glass cannon. Staying alive and dropping the amount of dps required is a tough balancing act. Also the rate in which you use your abilities is crazy! Tanking and healing require great timing but the dps has to go non-stop.

Pallio

Healer

Healing is tough to sustain, keep group/self alive and add some dps.. Tank hold aggro and have positional awareness is tough.. DPS is super competitive with stam DK hitting 50k etc. Anything less than 30k you look like a noob. Most important role though is leader with ability to explain team roles and mechanics, a good leader can succeed with weak members, a bad one can fail with an elite top tier group.

akl77

Tank

I have played all three roles, the least I want to do is DPS and tank.

DPS is simple, just 3 buttons, ranged attach, mele attack and AOE attack, rotate button depends on situation. It gets old quick, and if the other DPS is not pulling the weight, I have no intention to fight anymore, cos I'm not going to do the job for you.

Healer is easy, watch hp bar on top left corner and spam breath of life, throw a shard to the tank for long boss fights, you don't even need to look at screen just spam breath of life at a safe corner and your job is done. Sustain as a healer is the easiest to achieve. Although healer should do DPS too if everyone is at full up.

Tank is the hardest, cos you need to lead the group, look at environment constantly, taunt boss and dangerous mobs constantly, self heal if healer not healing you. Sustain in stamina is impossible, stamina is all gone when mobs attack you and you hold block. So you need to constant heavy attack to gain stamina back in order to keep taunt. The worst is people blame you if boss do random attacks on other group members, cos they thought why don't you taunt. You also need to know the dungeon and mechanics inside out, cos you got the responsibility of interrupting boss when needed, and dodge certain deadly boss attacks.

Savos_Saren

Tank

Asardes wrote: »

Definitely tanks need a self heal available for most boss fights. In fact they should be able to fully sustain on all 4 resources, regenerate magicka, stamina, self heal and generate ultimate quickly for group utility, and in the case of DK, the other 3 resource recovery as well. On my build I have so much regeneration that with adequate support I can even dump some of the stamina as group heal. I've only run normal trials, which I've found pretty easy, but in tight groups ingenous shields and vigor can make a difference.

@Asardes

While I concur that BOTH tanks and healers have very difficult roles- I think you can agree that it all depends on the right build and resource management. Do me a favor, though, try tanking the new VDSA and vet Trials before you dismiss that tanks aren't as difficult as healers.

But let's not forget...

Having GOOD damage dealers really makes all the difference in the world. Remember when vWGT first came out? Molag Kena was a DPS race! (as is the Planar Inhibitor)

I used to only DPS... but then I got tired of looking for a tank. So, I started tanking. Now, I'm addicted to it!

Stannum

Healer is always guilty. ))
When tank does not know mechs or looses taunt the healer is guilty.
When DDs are playing yakety sax, and constantly run out of heal range (usually in different diractions) the healer is guilty.
When someone died and healer is spamming heal or shield to keep other group mambers up instead of resurection then the healer is still guilty.
When DD has totally glasscannon build and is oneshoted all the time the healer is guilty.
When healer in PvE is not templar the healer is guilty ten times.
Comming soon "the healer without spc"...

Juhasow

Damage Dealer

If You just spam BoL You're considered as healer if You stand on block and use taunt on enemie You're considerer as tank. But if You standing and spamming 1 damaging ability You get kicked out of group. There is difference betwen people who see themselfs as DD's and those who really are DD's. Mastering DD role is the hardest IMO. Animation canceling, bar swapping, keeping proper rotation while You still need look what's going on around You.

ElliottXO

Tank

Juhasow wrote: »

If You just spam BoL You're considered as healer if You stand on block and use taunt on enemie You're considerer as tank. But if You standing and spamming 1 damaging ability You get kicked out of group. There is difference betwen people who see themselfs as DD's and those who really are DD's. Mastering DD role is the hardest IMO. Animation canceling, bar swapping, keeping proper rotation while You still need look what's going on around You.

DDs get kicked for this simply because it takes 5 seconds to replace them. Replacing healers and tanks can be more troublesome. So even if the tank is a derp you rather stick with his crap as long as he at least throws a taunt.

Izaki

Healer

TotallyNotVos wrote: »

While in general I think it's harder to heal. Being a GOOD dps is probably the hardest thing to do. Not many people in the game can pull the numbers you see in YouTube videos even with appropriate buffs

Very true.

Izaki

Healer

subtlezeroub17_ESO wrote: »

Reverb wrote: »

subtlezeroub17_ESO wrote: »

Imo, the difference between a good dps and a great dps is one that can take care of himself and not be 100% reliant on the healer. That is why I cringe when people say "oh you don't need hardened ward on your bar, let the healer save you". I think thats bs.

Yes and no. As a healer I'll tell you, as long as you have good positioning and aren't standing directly in high damage areas, you don't need hardened ward for most group content.

I prefer to take care of myself in group content save for the most dire of situations like unavoidable damage or the occasional mistake or lack of stamina to break out of a cc.

Then you aren't exactly doing your DPS job properly. By applying a Ward you lose DPS. Reapplying it every 6 seconds is a severe DPS loss in the end. In HM its understandable, in everything else, no shields. In 4 mans or vDSA I never use shields and survivability is more than fine. As long as you pay attention to what you're doing and to what is going on around you, you don't need shields. Even in vMA as you get familiar with the mechanics you don't actually NEED a shield, blocking is more than enough to keep you from getting 1 shot and power surge keeps you at full health all the time. In non HM trials, your healer really should keep you alive without you having to go out of your way to survive. In HM trials, you need a shield though.

Juhasow

Damage Dealer

ElliottXO wrote: »

Juhasow wrote: »

If You just spam BoL You're considered as healer if You stand on block and use taunt on enemie You're considerer as tank. But if You standing and spamming 1 damaging ability You get kicked out of group. There is difference betwen people who see themselfs as DD's and those who really are DD's. Mastering DD role is the hardest IMO. Animation canceling, bar swapping, keeping proper rotation while You still need look what's going on around You.

DDs get kicked for this simply because it takes 5 seconds to replace them. Replacing healers and tanks can be more troublesome. So even if the tank is a derp you rather stick with his crap as long as he at least throws a taunt.

Population is 2nd thing , but doesnt change the fact it's hard to suck in dungeon as healer or tank and it's DD's who pushing things forward if the're decent to the point when if they're very good they can do dungeon without healers or tank.

Asardes

Healer

I've actually seen a lot of messages on guild and zone chat "LF3M DD for 4 DD run" or "LF2M DD & Healer for no tank run". I've not figured out why people do that:
1) there are not enough tanks in game because most people prefer to run as DD - from my own experience DD is easier than properly done tanking (see below)
2) most tanks are bad at it and hinder the group - I've run a few dungeons as DD and saw tanks either taunting and perma-blocking and/or kiting the mobs all over the place

But on the days when VICP, VRoM, VCoS come for gold pledge, "LF1M Tank" and "LF1M healer" announcements seem to outnumber the rest, because those dungeon are not doable without a proper tank let alone a healer. Interrupting the lava slingers and Xal-Nur in VRoM is brutal, and so is tanking the last 2 bosses in VCoS. Overfiend and the Abomination in VICP are also pretty hard hitting bosses.

For VWGT I've actually seen many of the first type of announcements, probably because most tanks don't have secondary DD spec, let alone ranged DD and that makes the inhibitor fight rather difficult. My main is full stamina build and can change to medium armor 2H/Bow DD so I have a really easy time with the dungeon if the rest of the group is experienced too; if I didn't have a hard hitting bow I don't know what I would do in that fight.

Baybaeckz

Healer

I would like to precursor this response with the fact that this is MY opinion by my experience so far in the game playing all three roles in dungeons and I am certainly no expert. As playing all three roles, with different toons, I would have to rate the Healer first in difficulty, Tank second, but by a very narrow margin and then DPS third. As a Healer,(my toon is a Templar), my eyes are everywhere, and able to pull DPS when I can. With a good group, and by good group I mean people are aware they in a pinch can self-sustain themselves and if possible try to pack together so AOE heals are working, and I'm not running everywhere to sustain people on their own. I realize in bigger arenas(ROM) comes to mind its more difficult for the DPS to stay together. Depending upon the mechanic and need, Ill stick with DPS or the tank, whomever seems to be getting hit more, but community effort is necessary for anything to work. I have been subject to somewhat to bullying during some dungeons as every healer has, but all in all a favorable response. In relation to the position of Tank, my full respect those who are great at it. I'm still learning, like I said before no expert here, but I have found once a good taunting rotation is established, a good tank can become a great one. My tank is a DK, and I have found the ability to self-sustain fairly well, but I'm appreciative when a healer can help along. A good DPS team is invaluable and I have been fortunate to been exposed to DPS'ers who are great at their job.
So in conclusion, all three are difficult and thus invaluable for their teams, but as indicated before, Healer first, Tank second, and DPS third.

Bobby_V_Rockit

Damage Dealer

Everything is the DD's fault. Remembering buffs, enemy weaknesses/immunities, resource management. And thats if you can even pull high enough numbers to be considered viable, otherwise you are nothing.

We need a true and proper DPS assessor in game. Like a dummy or a measured timed arena, say, wail on a dummy of your choosing (undead dummy, daedra dummy, human dummy, troll, beast, etc.) for 100 seconds and game reports back your average DPS. It would fit very well in any of the larger fighters guild headquarters.

pizzaow

Damage Dealer

For 4 man content, DDs make the biggest difference. You won't notice much difference between an average tank or healer and a great one. In the best case, the tank and healer are able to spend half their time being an average DD.
However, a mediocre DPS means that the dungeon will take twice as long. I've run the same dungeon in 10 minutes with great DDs and an hour with some bad ones... nobody wants to spend 5 minutes on each trash mob.

Drdeath20

Healer

DDs are the hardest but everyone blames the healer no matter what. If DD'S are not up to snuff and fights become prolonged the group blames the healer.

Good dps means shorter fights with less revives, so sustain becomes less of an issue.

Drdeath20

Healer

Healing is easy. When I'm doing a dungeon I should have more to do than just heal fire off some flares, help clear out the ads but with bad players keeping their health up becomes an extreme challenge.

SirAndy

Asardes wrote: »

In your opinion, which is the hardest role to fill in group content, including both 4 man dungeons and arenas and 12 man trials

Running solo ...

I hate it when i get stuck at artificial barriers, like the 6/6 group split in Hel Ra that prevents me from advancing there solo.

Jar_Ek

Damage Dealer

If you're running in first person, melee dps by far. Your situational awareness is low, so standing in the red is an occupational hazard, but you lack a pocket healer or much in the way of dedicated self preservation compared to a tank.
Next hardest is a toss up between healer and tank probably, simply because of situational awareness issues on top of their traditional roles.
The easiest in first person is ranged dps.

3rd person... no idea, I don't play 3rd person.
Btw I tend to tank if I can.

Stardark

Damage Dealer

DPS because the role of the tank and healer doesn't really change in most content. MoL is the only content I know where tanks have real mechanics other than avoiding certain 1 shot powers, and as a healer I can't think of any where I do anything other than heal, provide resource, buff, stay alive and dd whenever I get the chance.

DPS on the other hand have to manage adds, avoid AoE's (More than the tank), do clickies, rez and above all put out a good amount of dps (Which is beyond many people).

It is very noticeable if you get a bad tank or a bad healer, and a bad dps can be carried, but the difference between a decent tank / healer and a good tank / healer is less than between a decent dps and a good dps imho.

Bobby_V_Rockit

Damage Dealer

Jar_Ek wrote: »

If you're running in first person, melee dps by far. Your situational awareness is low, so standing in the red is an occupational hazard, but you lack a pocket healer or much in the way of dedicated self preservation compared to a tank.
Next hardest is a toss up between healer and tank probably, simply because of situational awareness issues on top of their traditional roles.
The easiest in first person is ranged dps.

3rd person... no idea, I don't play 3rd person.
Btw I tend to tank if I can.

I played 1st person up till cp 531, but as a DPS I need to see more of whats going on now so have to play 3rd person zoomed way out

Drdeath20

Healer

Depends on the dungeon.

Older dungeons the boss's always took damage. They never had periods where they are shielded. So healer was the hardest role only bcz everything else was soo easy.

Newer dungeons are all about burst damage so dps has to put up massive numbers when the boss is vulnerable. Soo dps has to be on point.

llllADBllll

Tank

There is the smallest room for mistakes as a tank and more responsibility but the concentration and intensity is greatest on a Healer. DD is easy to do but not so easy to do optimally and constantly without sustain issues.

Ghost-Shot

Damage Dealer

DPS is the hardest to play well at a high level where as a tank and healers jobs get harder the as the quality of group goes down.

Patouf

Damage Dealer

Healer is the easiest to be optimal but have to be the most reactive

Tank is the hardest if the group do not know the trial

Damage dealer could be the easiest but ESO is all about DPS, Hard mode depends more on DPS than the support or heal or tanking.

Asardes

Healer

Ran the pledges twice Saturday. First run as tank, 2nd as DD, same char, same base stats, just different gear. Did hard mode on all. The DD run felt much more relaxing, even if the tank was not that great IMO - he didn't chain and talon together as much as I do and had to run after some mobs at times. In VCoH I staying out of the red was quite easy and I hardly took any damage, even from the huge AoE done by the Ilambris twins. Even had aggro on me as the tank lost it for a few seconds and still felt in no danger. The fight was about the same length in both runs.

IMO doing rotation while avoiding just AoE and maybe some adds is not that hard. Solo fights, or fights where tank loses aggro, or where you are the tank and try to DPS at the same time are much harder. The fights I had Sunday in some Craglorn delves were much more challenging - for example that huge dwemer spider in Rkundzelft almost got me a few times, while soloing the quest The Shattered and the Lost - he was blocking the door to quest objective so had to be disposed of.