I’m looking at you, Mr. 4k dps ret paladin.
There’s a difference between being DPS in a group with an undergeared tank and an unskilled tank.As I explained in a recent post, there’s a period between normal level 80 instances and raiding when your gear is the limiting factor in heroics.
If you are DPS and you find yourself past this point in your progression but running with a group whose tank is not past this point, then it’s incumbent upon YOU to attenuate your damage so that you don’t pull agro. Either alter your rotation or get out of the group, but don’t keep doing exactly what you do when running with your guild tank then complain that it’s the tank’s fault when you pull agro.
This is not to say that it’s never the tank’s fault. In the same run with Mr. Retribution, I said I was afk for a bio break only to come back and find the group already engaged with Loken on heroic. Needless to say, he didn’t give up his tongue on that attempt.
These self-righteous DPS who are incapable of installing a threat meter or using the built-in one or just adapting in any way, shape or form to a changing situation are really getting on my nerves.
As long as I’ve been playing WoW, the concise description of a the role of DPS is “do as much damage as possible without pulling agro”. This description pre-dates KTH Threat Meter, the Burning Crusade Expansion, and the first iteration of Naxx. It was true when you had no Crusader Strike or Divine Storm. It’s always been true.
Why can’t you get it through your bleeding skull that your job is to ride the tank’s threat, whatever that threat may be?
AAARRRGH!
I think this is why I primarily play tanks and healers. I’m just pay too much attention to things to be a faceroller.
#1 by LT on July 14, 2009 - 6:12 pm
Speaking of aggro I have a prot pally tank that has this problem from time to time. I’ll let the offending DPSer do it once, maybe twice. After that I use “you want em you got em” policy. No I won’t let the group get wiped but after a few times most understand why I do that. I also have an 80 rogue fairly well geared out so yes I use OMEN alot when I’m helping out in 5 man heroics. Most of the time TofT on the tank stops that but keeping an eye on the meter works as well.
LT
#2 by Socks on May 20, 2010 - 8:55 am
I’m enjoying reading through your blog, and I particularly wanted to comment on this one, even though it’s an older post.
I mostly play DPS; my top two charas are an Enhance Shammy and a Ret Pally. The definition you list for DPS (to do as much dmg as possible w/o pulling threat) is exactly what I have always thought, and I have added on the personal caveat that if I pull aggro, then I have to be able to handle it. Most of the time, I can; I’ll self heal (so healer can pay attention to the DPS who didn’t f*** up) and either pull through or die, and in either case, I apologize. I always know when I’m pulling aggro (as opposed to when a tank is just bad and can’t grab/keep it), and I usually pay attention to my meters (but everyone has an off day).
It amazes me how many DPS can’t wrap their heads around the concept that if they pull it, they’re tanking it. Best was when a healer friend and I (on my Enh Shammy) were in a PuG and the mage starts babbling about how the tank sucks and he can’t hold aggro and blah blah.
Me: I’M not pulling aggro.
Mage: Good for you. Your GS is 600 below mine.
Healer Friend: But she’s doing 1000 more DPS than you. (This was, of course, my point. Mage gets defensive.)
Mage: Well I can’t do better DPS ’cause HE can’t hold aggro!!
Healer Friend: Try casting something other than Blizzard.
Rawr. Now that I’m leveling a Disc priest, my rule is still “You pull it, you deal with it”, at least for those DPS who deliberately pull (and I have seen some shockingly blatant excuses for this in the lower level dungeons). First time, I give ‘em a scare, let ‘em drop low before they get heals. After that, sorry, I’m healing my tank and the DPS who can do their jobs right. It’s very cathartic.