What is a tank?

The concept of a tank is a fundamental element in many games and can be a rather engaging form of feeling an integral part of a cooperative effort or team tactics. The need for a tank stems from the idea that team members or players may be subject to a source or amount of damage that is undesirable, it may either incapacitate the players or eliminate them from the gameplay entirely. This can come not only in the form of damage, but also in the form of undesirable status effects such as stuns, silences, poisons, etc. A tank is a player who would attempt to step into place of that damage or effect and take it upon themselves as a mediator for the team or team member. Generally tanks are not a role that is needed in abundance unless there are multiple sources of incoming damage or status effects and therefore there is a need for more. This inherits then the rarity of the role for players may be a deterrent for some or an attractive aspect of the role. If the incoming damage or effect is substantial enough as to make the success of the party impossible without a tank present this requires the inclusion of this role in the gameplay.

Why not all tanks?

“Everyone is special Dash!” “Yeah, that is just another way of saying that no one is.” –(The Incredibles)
The concept is that in order to feel unique or at least integral it is important to not make a tank’s capabilities available to all other roles that compose a team. Usually in games that employ the role of a tank there are other roles that are required. These other roles can come in the form of damage, healing, and/or other support roles. In order for each of these roles to feel significant they need to have their unique properties that enable them to feel as active contributors to the scenario, situation, or instance. This means that if you have a role of a tank present, and they die, or become incapacitated, this should be extremely detrimental to the party and the more detrimental the better in order to make the tank role a significant one instead of one that “might” facilitate the scenario/situation/instance. That being said then, there is also a need for the tank role to not be without its weaknesses, it must have needs of the other roles to participate in order for the party or group to be able to function as well.

No tanks?

The implementation of a tank then begs the question, “what do we do if we cannot find a tank?” must players experience be halted in this aspect of their gameplay until their luck changes or they are able to entice a tank to join their team, and if this enticing is too lucrative, an abundance of tank availability would then also present the adverse issue for the tanks, that there are not enough groups to join.

Easy vs. hard to tank?

Making an integral role such as a tank an easy accomplishment, as with any role in the team can be an initial engagement strategy, however if this strategy is employed it should be reigned in or the entire role will ultimately peter out and not hold player interest beyond initial experimentation. On the contrary, making an integral role such as a tank too difficult to carry out then initial interest may be insufficient and durability of the player in the role will also stagnate. Solutions? This designer sees a few possible solutions that may also apply to other roles as well.

Skill vs. boons?

So this then needs to bring into account what is required from those that would play the role of a tank? Exo Facto then of course how does a game designer encourage the response to the challenges presented to tanks and players endeavoring to fulfill that role. Does the roll of a tank require a high level of skill on order to succeed or does it require time, team, or RNG gaited boons, such as armor, weapons, spells, buffs, etc.? Sometimes this functions as a give take relationship, if the roll of a tank requires a high level of skill, can it be mitigated by the injection of boons? Transversely if a high level of skill is not required how then will boons and an increase in skill modify the roll? This can then be answered by modifying the level of difficulty that faces tanks and their teams, with rewards for facing those challenges of course becoming more desirable.