A player of the MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online (PC, PS4/PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S) explained why fewer and fewer people want to play a tank. The reason is the inexperienced teammates they are randomly matched with.
What did the player mean? Giant_Cosmic_Fart wrote that he wanted to do a veteran dungeon run in the Blackheart’s Refuge as a tank (via reddit). He played with two damage dealers he did not know as a PUG (Pick Up Group).
At first, he was happy because this group composition is actually quite effective. However, it quickly became clear that the two teammates had little experience with ESO and did not really know how to play their role effectively.
The damage dealers, who were supposed to deal high damage, could hardly do anything against the enemies. They even complained about the tank. When the boss fight also turned into a disaster, the reddit user left the game, seeing no point in continuing.
In this video, you can see a good run through the Blackheart’s Refuge:
Inexperienced ESO players ruin the fun for veterans
What is the problem? PUG describes in ESO the ability to easily form a group with random players to quickly do a dungeon run. However, sometimes you encounter players with little experience in The Elder Scrolls Online.
Especially for dungeons and trials, it is important to have a good group where everyone knows exactly what they need to do. Every player must play their role effectively and have a build that is meticulously tailored to the assigned tasks.
If this is not the case, it becomes extremely difficult to complete the tasks. Often, veterans feel like teachers who must guide the less experienced players alongside. This would not be so bad in principle if it did not happen in exactly those situations where you need to rely on each other and do not actually have time to play teacher.
The reddit user PartyHatFrogs can relate to this and points out another problem with the situation in response to his reddit post:
One more point – and this is what has really kept me from “pugging” – is the attitude you encounter with inexperienced players. I really enjoyed teaching players who were not familiar with a veteran DLC dungeon or going in blind at launch and figuring out the mechanics together. They are so excited to finally get their Zaan helmet or vDoM skin!
But repeatedly, I end up with players who take absolutely no consideration for the rest of the group. Believe it or not, 1000+ champions steaming through dungeons are not the only “toxic players.” There are also inexperienced players with low champion points who refuse to follow the mechanics once explained or who do not bother to adapt their skills to the fight and adjust when what they are using is not sufficient.
ESO and the struggles of a tank
The described problem should not be confused with the fake tanks that can also annoy in ESO. Here, players sign up as tanks for groups, even though they are actually damage dealers. The reason for this is that they get into dungeons faster that way.
The issue that Giant_Cosmic_Fart addresses is that he has to play with inexperienced DDs as a real tank, which makes the dungeon run problematic and annoying. Players who are in a well-coordinated group where everyone knows each other or who are active in a guild do not have this problem. This is purely about the quick grouping with random players.
Why is this a problem for tanks? As a tank, you want to protect the damage dealers, draw the enemies to yourself, and mitigate damage. However, playing with inexperienced players can lead to the damage dealers – as seen in Giant_Cosmic_Fart’s example – dealing hardly any damage. This is due to the builds not being effectively skilled and the characters not using suitable and good weapons and armor.
Then the tank has to additionally take on the role of a damage dealer, which is not his job. This can certainly lead to frustration.
Anyone who chooses a tank as a character wants to play that role and not also be a damage dealer. Especially not when there is already someone fulfilling that role in the group.
This is what players demand: Players believe that ESO needs to introduce newcomers to the game better. The game should teach them how to play their class effectively so that they are important and useful in groups.
PartyHatFrogs sums it up:
The game does a terrible job of teaching and preparing players for anything remotely challenging.
This rekindles the ongoing conflict between players who want to be efficient and those who want to have fun in an MMORPG. You can read more about this in this column:
Is efficiency in an MMORPG more important than having fun on an adventure?
What is your view on the issue in ESO? Or in other MMORPGs? Or are the two reddit users just too critical?
