There is no true solution to this problem, just minor remedies that'll help to stem the tide a bit.

First off, ZOS needs to make all classes unique in their methodology for Tanking/Healing/DPS while also making them balanced and interesting to play, instead of nerfing and killing off playstyles and making each class a carbon copy of one another with no difference other than what utility they offer their group. They need to make each class have a niche with their Tank/Heal/DPS playstyle and adjust sets to fit these niches in meaningful ways. I had actually suggested this awhile back but what if, on top of each class being able to perform their selected role in its own way, we had gear set that were better suited for certain classes to Tank/Heal with, without being completely useless for other class/role combinations. It would require a complete reworking of set bonuses but that shouldn't be a problem considering the sheer amount of lackluster sets in the game anyways.

Going by the premise that:
DK = Mitigation Tank
Templar = Heal Tank
NB = Debuff Tank
Sorc = Shield Tank
Warden = Health Tank

So, for example, let's rework Eternal Yokeda to be functionally good for a Health Based Tank.

(2) Adds 4% Healing Taken
(3) Gain Minor Aegis at all times, reducing your damage taken from Dungeon and Trial Monsters by 5%.
(4) Adds 1206 Max Health
(5) When your health is above 50%, nearby allies (capped at 6) are granted Minor Courage, increasing their Weapon/Spell Damage by 179. When your Health drops below 50%, nearby allies are granted a Damage Shield equal to 30% of your max health and gain Major Heroism while the Damage Shield remains.
(5) Adds 1206 Max Health

This rework would allow all tanks to run it but something like a High Health Warden Tank would potentially get the most mileage out of it because, not only would it be much more difficult for them to get below the 50% range and lose the Minor Courage Buff but if it does fall below that threshold, the damage shield it grants would be much higher on them than on other Tanks. This is sort of an extreme example since clearly the entire scenario would be reliant on Health Tanks being viable things in the 1st place, which they currently aren't but it's just a possible suggestion to help with diversity. Also, let's face it Eternal Yokeda could use a rework anyways since it's just so bad

After that, they need to really cement all the finer points of ESO's combat into the player base. Mechanics like bashing, taunting, etc, all really need to be better emphasized because ZOS hasn't really introduced those concepts thru basic gameplay, going with the assumption that players are coming from an MMO background and just know these things beforehand, which has proven disastrous to say the least. While I would like a tutorial to be added to the Undaunted, I feel it needs more than just a simple 1 off introduction. Maybe they could integrate it as a part of Overworld content by returning Quest bosses like Faolchu and Doshia to their former glory as actual threats that required some level of skill to take down, instead of these debilitated enemies that poss so little threat that they die at the drop of a hat. Bashing, dodging and blocking their attacks used to be so important but nowadays, they just die without anyone learning anything and it's negatively impacted the community as a a whole. Normal Dungeons could use a similar touch up if we're being perfectly honest about finding a solution to Fake Tanks/Healers/DPS.

Finally, there needs to be more incentive for real Tanks/Healers/DPS to run dungeons via Group Finder. While the XP and mailed items are nice-ish, they don't incentivize players to actually perform their roles and just want to run thru a dungeon as quickly as possible. Why not add something like a recommendation system to players for doing a dungeon run? At the end of each run, players can recommend someone in the group and that person will receive a recommendation slip that they can turn in to purchase Mounts, Furniture plans, Mats, and random loot bags from specific dungeons, similar to the PvP region bags. To prevent abuse, make it so that premade groups can't vote for people already in their group prior to queuing up for a random.

While none of these changes are foolproof methods of permanently dealing with Fake Tanks/Healers/DPS it might at least help a little bit, not to mention that if these ideas got implemented, you're looking at some true class diversity for once, a slightly elevated floor for newbie characters, and a loot box system to get that damn piece of gear for X dungeon that never drops (*cough* BSW Inferno *cough*), helping with the tedium of grinding the dungeon for hours on end with nothing to show for it.

Ramber wrote: »

I suggested somewhere a role cooldown that would fix a lot of this. If you had to wait 24 hours to change your role you might think twice Qing as a tank or healer if that was the only role you could queue as for 24 hours.

Or simply lock all roles. make a tank a tank, dps a dps, healer a healer.... put a lock on em and pay a fee to change them like we pay for a respec but only after they waited 24 hours or even 30 days lol.

What about pre-made groups? Multiple runs with leaving/new members.
Or people who can easily put on another sets and skills and really play different roles.

I'll set tank when doing random normal with 10 lvl friend (because we will 100% get dungeon I can easily do solo, and that's much faster then queue as 2 dd); later, with another, highlevel, friend/friend's character I can set heal because some tank from guild joined us (I'll put twilight on skill bar if somebody will die too often, and it'll be enough); and later I can queue alone as dd, if I want more dungeons. Three different roles in one day - and nobody is unhappy.
With cooldown? Fake tank or no more dungeons.

"Real" fake tanks? Will just always be fake tanks.