Tank (gaming)

A tank (also known as a meat shield) is a style of character in gaming, often associated with a character class. A common convention in real-time strategy games, role-playing games, MMORPGs and MUDs, tanks redirect enemy attacks and/or attention toward themselves in order to protect other characters or units. Since this role often requires them to suffer large amounts of damage, they rely on large amounts of health or armor, or alternatively evasiveness and misdirection.[1] Tanks are also frequently very strong and slow/heavy.

Tanks are often represented as large or heavily armored. In fantasy settings, they are heavily armored warriors or knights, while sci-fi uses large combat vehicles or spaceships, and first person shooters very tall and muscular men.

Contents

Role in games

"Tanking" occurs when the unit is intended to be the one taking damage (typically by being dangerous or detrimental, or using a game mechanic that forces it to be targeted), and secondly, to ensure that they can survive this damage through sheer health points or mitigation.

In real-time strategy games the role of a tank unit is to provide a health buffer for weaker ranged classes. Frequently maneuvering or other tactics are used by the tank to make themselves the most tempting or highest-priority target of enemy attacks, thereby diverting enemy attacks away from allies. Many basic strategies in games such as StarCraft and Warcraft III revolve around learning to micro-manage units so they attack tanks first so that they do not continually attack units.

In group play found in many role-playing games, the role of the tank is to protect players that are low-armor or low-health classes. The role of a tank is typically to survive an oncoming attack, and then ensure that they are the target of the incoming attack. It then falls upon the healer (in large scale play, often specifically assigned to the role, with spells specializing with high healing output over one or two targets) to restore the tank's health so he does not die and allow him or her to take the next attack.

In MMOs, there is typically a mechanic that tanks rely on known as enmity, "aggro", or "threat", which is generated from damage and taunts[2] which makes monsters attack the tank. However, when fighting other players tanks will attempt to interrupt spell casters and apply debuffs, making them a high priority target for damage (as they are nullifying or mitigating the potential of the opposing team). Tanks are typically central to group play, and a large amount of responsibility is placed on the tank.[3] Often a tank's death will cause the monsters to overrun the party as they cannot deal with the incoming damage.

Origin

The term originally came in use with players of MUDs (Multi-User Dungeons), the text based predecessors of MMORPGs, and was used as early as 1994 on Usenet to describe the warrior class on DikuMUDs which had high hit points and the rescue skill, which allowed transferring one attacking mob from another player to the rescuing character.[4][5]

Styles

In most games that feature a clear-cut "tank" class or character, there are three factors that contribute to a tank's survivability. The first is a large amount of health for absorbing damage that would normally go to lower health classes.[1] The second is damage mitigation, the ability to lessen the damage attacks do in the first place. This is often accomplished through a high armor or defense stat mechanic. Finally, there is the ability to avoid attacks altogether. Depending on the game and class, a tank may focus on any combination of these. Examples:

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Towers, J. Tarin; Badertscher, Ken; Cunningham, Wayne; Buskirk, Laura (1996). Yahoo! Wild Web Rides. IDG Books Worldwide Inc.. pp. 152. ISBN 0-7645-7003-X. "Tanks: Leading the Charge ¶ No, we're not talking about those huge army vehicles. Well, yeah, some MUDs do have that kind of tank in them, but that's not what we're referring to. A tank in a typical fantasy MUD is the character who, alone or in a group, is always the first to attack a monster. A mob will direct its attacks at the first person that hits it, so in a group the tank is generally some character with enough hit points to withstand this punishment. Meanwhile the others hack safely away at the adversary — at least until the tank is killed and somebody else becomes the lucky target. Some MUDs now have monsters that can switch their attacks to other characters in the group, so the tank approach doesn't work as well with them. ¶ If you're a newbie and are asked to join a group, it's important that you understand this concept. Listen to the leader and only attack after she says, or you may end up tanking something that will toast your hide in seconds." 
  2. ^ World of Warcraft – Basics – Glossary. Accessed 17 August 2010. http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/basics/glossary.html
  3. ^ WoW Insider: Tank Talk. Accessed 17 August 2010. http://www.wow.com/2008/06/26/tank-talk-great-power-and-great-responsibility/
  4. ^ David A. Wagner (07-08-1994). "tintin++ suggestions". http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.mud.diku/msg/4077e97166a95ae4. 
  5. ^ Richard Hudson (30-11-1994). "tintin++". http://groups.google.com/group/rec.games.mud.diku/msg/3c4346706fc59cdf. 
  6. ^ Righteous Fury – Spell – World of Warcraft. Accessed 17 August 2010. http://www.wowhead.com/spell=25780
  7. ^ http://wiki.ffxiclopedia.org/wiki/Final_Fantasy_XI_Dictionary_of_Terms_and_Slang#B
  8. ^ Reply to "strategies for the advent?" by Annatar11. Accessed 17 August 2010. http://forums.sinsofasolarempire.com/175645/get;1584649