first character tank - should I even bother?

Bunny Mage · #1 03-08-2011, 04:14 PM

I'm new to the server and am interested in making a tank character, since that's how I like to play most in MMOs. However, after reading up on things on this board... I'm wondering if it's even a valid decision.

Firstly, it seems that tank classes don't solo all that well, especially warriors. And you need nice gear to either solo or tank in groups effectively, which requires having a high level character to farm with. I don't know if I really have it in me to go through the daunting time and effort to make a level 50 necromancer or magician when they're not even something I really want to play.

Secondly, I want to play as either an Ogre or Troll for their great stats, but both of them get huge XP penalties. And if I want to play a Shadow Knight, which seems to be the most suitable tank, there's a huge XP penalty on top of that. I had my heart set on playing a Troll SK then it sank when I found out I'd be having a total 60% XP PENALTY just for playing one. This is a staggering cross to bear in a game that is already hard to level in.

Then I thought about playing a Warrior since they get a bonus instead of a penalty, but then I found out that they grind slower than molasses and their Taunt doesn't even work effectively. Last thing I want to do is spend all that hard work on a tank that is gimped compared to others. From what I hear Warrior tanks get better in the Kunark era but not until they hit 50+. So I'd still be spending most of my leveling time being a "special needs" tank.

Paladin seems to be in the same boat as SK, so that's not much of an alternative.

So what should I do? Bite the bullet and make a super slow-leveling tank with crappy gear? Spend extra months playing a class I don't really like just to have money for gear? Or just admit defeat and forget it altogether?

**nilbog** · #2 03-08-2011, 04:15 PM

Create the character you want to play and have fun playing it, imo.

hateshadow · #3 03-08-2011, 04:20 PM

Come on now, no one will deny your access to their group because you are not twinked.

If you spend a few extra months on leveling a mage or necro to 50 to camp gear for your tank, well, you could have used that time to level up your XP penalty-affected tank to 50 and be able to group at the places where good gear drops!

I leveled a melee class as my first character and no one ever told me to gtfo because I did not have "good enough gear".

stonebeard22 · #4 03-08-2011, 04:22 PM

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What he said. You won't even notice that penalty when playing, and if you enjoy your character more, you will play more to get out of those hell levels.

When the other people around you level a tad bit faster, then you just have higher level people in your group making it easier.

Knuckle · #5 03-08-2011, 04:22 PM

you can tank any of this shitty pve content as a gnome warrior with zero points into stamina with any guild or group that doesnt spend more time scooping melted icecream off their slobbering jowls than clicking their number 2 macro for superior/greater heal.

dredge · #6 03-08-2011, 04:23 PM

Myrkskog · #7 03-08-2011, 04:27 PM

A full suit of banded and something like a Gigantic Zweihander goes a long way.

wodiranger · #8 03-08-2011, 04:29 PM

the easiest of the tanks to lvl is a warrior, i lvld one myself to 30, then quit playing him, even though i got two shards, i could hold agro briefly, though my guy had decent gear for his lvl

sk's seem to hold agro very well, ive grouped with few paladins, but all palys were twinked, and held agro super well

but with kunark coming out soon, pick what you want, no matter what class by the time kunark comes out, has so many upgrades, ive noticed that theres several zones that has alot of no drop here, but are awesome upgrades if you hangout at these diffrent zones, theres one in field of bone, thats lvl 25-40, tons of great gear here, just dont remember the zones name

charasis is a bit higher i think 45-60? but anyways, yaks price's will drop down to 5k or so, by the time your lvl 40, to get 10k should be a bit easier to get these,

i play a ranger, and am saving up to get some, cuz some times i even find myself being a tank

skipdog · #9 03-08-2011, 04:32 PM

Make the race/class combination you want to, and don't worry about not having gear or the xp penalty.

You don't need to be able to solo. Find groups. There are plenty of people around and nobody will reject you for not being twinked. Just spend your money on the most important gear of the moment(bronze/banded armor and a weapon) and go from there.

Don't convince yourself that you must be twinked to get into groups. Tanks are very in-demand and 90% of the time, is the class a newly formed group needs to get started.

And no, warriors aren't horribly gimped like you seem to imply. It is only when idiots forget that a warrior is tanking that aggro problems occur. Also, they don't "grind slower than molasses" .... you are going to be grouped anyways. Don't plan on being able to solo.

Pico · #10 03-08-2011, 04:42 PM

You have to remember xp penalties are shared in groups, so as long as you don't plan on soloing to 50, it won't be as bad as you think.

My first character was a Rogue, and I had a blast grouping to 50 and collecting gear along the way. Give it a go, if you're not having fun you can always just quit but my guess is you'll get hooked like the rest of us.