Does the character played reflect upon the personality of the person behind the keyboard? Does the play style reflect the personality? What is the difference between a Tank, a healer, a melee DPSer and a Caster? I’m not sure how it is with everyone, but as a Druid, I’ve played three of these four roles extensively, and I realize that my personality changes between them.
I’ve leveled two druids now, both were leveled as feral. Both switched to healing for the end-game. The first, Resto for Innervate back at 60. Then feral again for the push to 70, but resto again at about 68 for the ease of finding groups, and for the past year raid healing up through Black Temple.
As a leveling druid I spent much time grouped with a good friend and balance druid. We were fairly independent as we could both fight and heal, so we’d just kind of hang out. I’ve realized that with my second druid while leveling feral I’ve tended to be very independent as well. Soloing quests for hours at a time while talking to others in vent, but not generally grouping with people much.
In an instance, I tend to be similarly aloof. I buff the group then pop cat form and just pretty much swat away at whatever has a skull over its head. I don’t generally pay much attention to my surroundings, that’s the Tank’s job. I don’t have any viable CC in an instance save for roots in ZF and hibernation in the few instances where there’s a beast that needs to be dealt with, so it’s pretty much just, swat swat swat. I pretty much follow the skull, mindlessly, for hours(the reason I stopped leveling my rogue).
Healing brings out another part of my personality, and probably my favorite piece. I’m not just another anonymous DPSer. I’m a Main Tank healer. I’ve got a job, a role, a purpose! I tend to get very competitive. Always trying to push myself to be the best I can be. When I am healing I am one of the more visible members of a group or raid. I tend to stand right out in the middle of the action (unless there’s some nasty AOE to stay back from) where everyone can see me. I jump around like a madman during the fight. Depending on the fight I may sit back and just roll some hots on the tank or frantically throw everything I have at 4 targets at once. (which is super fun). I’m pretty subdued and professional, but just hyper-active. I always participate in any discussion, but never tend to take the lead on anything. I tend to be very confident in my healing ability, but not so much my leading ability. I also tend to take on a healer’s mentality and am very helpful and polite in mt dealings with others.
As a tank, I go into “leader mode”. I haven’t tanked much, but when I have, It’s been marking pulls and telling people what to do like a champ. Full on leading. Trap this, sheep that. It doesn’t matter, I’m in charge and I know it. Tanking also pulls out a dark side of my personality. I noticed this the other night in Underbog while tanking Ghaz’an.
I set up the pull with the dps and my healer off to the side at the bottom of the ramp, went over and FF’d the boss. This is where things went wrong. DPS didn’t let me get the boss in position before starting in. A hunter pet with growl turned on came running over and pulled the boss. I taunted, but it was too late. the boss runs off as the hunter recalls the pet.
At this point I’m a little peeved, but it’s ok, I charge/stun and try to pick up agro, the hunter’s running away from the boss, so it’s chasing her. “Guys, stop! I need to pull agro,” ok. I got it back. Not for long. “Guys! Seriously! Just stop hitting it! Let me grab it!” ok. got it again. “Now don’t hit it again ’til I say ok.” Lost it again. “What the $#@%@???! Come on guys!”
So, yeah tanking makes me a jerk. I think I want to heal moar. At least I did apologize to the hunter for swearing at her. It wasn’t her fault, apparently she lost her pet bar and was spamming her hotkey for passive, but the pet wouldn’t stop… Steve, we need to get you a working pet bar.
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