The problem with having “Tank” as a class name

Hello all, I believe this discussion may have come up before, but I really would like Steven and friends to reconsider the name “Tank”. Overall, they have done a good job at naming the other classes and subclasses, but they ruin the immersion of the game by using the class name “tank”. Tank was a code name given to military vehicles being created in 1915. It has been a slang term for classes and archetypes in many video games given to the role that is used to absorb/mitigate or “tank” damage. Having a class name feels very uncharacteristic compared to the other class names. It’s like naming your cat “Cat”. It’s cute and punny, but is that what they really want for their game? What class do you play? Oh, I play a tank! Yea, but like what class? TANK!! *insert meme of a tank with a face on it... drooling*

Find more posts tagged with

Staff

Comments

Jayma

latisullivan wrote: »

However, saying "tank" can't be the name "because it's a military vehicle" is a stupid argument. No one thinks of "military vehicle" in a fantasy MMORPG where there are no military vehicles (as we know them IRL, there are vehicles like trebuchets).

Well as far as known (english isn't my native language), tank refer to military vehicle or a container. None of theses definition really fit an adventurer profession in a fantasy world. I didn't read all the topic but i guess this point have be made plenty of time.

If tank only appear in character creationn fine, but if it's on my character sheet after, it will be a bit more annoying.

Asgerr

Jayma wrote: »

latisullivan wrote: »

However, saying "tank" can't be the name "because it's a military vehicle" is a stupid argument. No one thinks of "military vehicle" in a fantasy MMORPG where there are no military vehicles (as we know them IRL, there are vehicles like trebuchets).

Well as far as known (english isn't my native language), tank refer to military vehicle or a container. None of theses definition really fit an adventurer profession in a fantasy world. I didn't read all the topic but i guess this point have be made plenty of time.

If tank only appear in character creationn fine, but if it's on my character sheet after, it will be a bit more annoying.

Early 17th century: perhaps from Gujarati tānkũ or Marathi tānkẽ ‘underground cistern’, from Sanskrit tadāga ‘pond’, probably influenced by Portuguese tangue ‘pond’, from Latin stagnum . The military vehicle took its name from the use of tank as a secret code word during manufacture in 1915.

Technically even tank as an armored vehicle doesn't make sense.

But as per the common parlance, here is the top definition in Urban Dictionary:

Tank
1. Any person who is exceptionally large, either in terms of height, weight; being built.

2. Any person who is exceptionally strong.
Man! Hes a friggin' tank!

In that sense it perfectly fits the archetype

Jayma

Not sure a slang dictionnary is really a good reference.

And even their definition would probably never exist without the armored vehicles commonly named "tank".
The only we associate tank with something resistant is the vehicle not various types of containers.

If the vehicle don't exist in world of ashe, it 's bit a awkward to use it commonly.

Asgerr

Let's be honest when you think tank in an MMO you don't think armored vehicle anyway. You think holy trinity Tank/Healer/DPS.

As such, it fits the common parlance. And as such it fits the archetype

Jayma

It's still gaming slang (that come from the vehicle).

Again if it's only in character creation, fine, if it made his way in character sheet or worst in npc dialog ("hi, we need a tank like you, can you help us?").
That the type of little detail that can erode coherence of the world.

Nagash

Jayma wrote: »

It's still gaming slang (that come from the vehicle).

Again if it's only in character creation, fine, if it made his way in character sheet or worst in npc dialog ("hi, we need a tank like you, can you help us?").
That the type of little detail that can erode coherence of the world.

whys that? what if in the game world tank is a type of guard?

Jayma

What if in the game world melon is a type of guard?
Aquarium?
Rhododendron?
We can go endless like this

Or we can with a very safe but a bit bland defensor, or better champion(maybe a bit too "shiny" for an archetype), or bulwark (yeah not a "profession" type, but at least it referece something resistant that exist in game world).

Nagash

Jayma wrote: »

What if in the game world melon is a type of guard?
Aquarium?
Rhododendron?
We can go endless like this

Or we can with a very safe but a bit bland defensor, or better champion(maybe a bit too "shiny" for an archetype), or bulwark (yeah not a "profession" type, but at least it referece something resistant that exist in game world).

If that's the games lore then sure I will play the Rhododendron class

Sathrago

Nagash wrote: »

Jayma wrote: »

What if in the game world melon is a type of guard?
Aquarium?
Rhododendron?
We can go endless like this

Or we can with a very safe but a bit bland defensor, or better champion(maybe a bit too "shiny" for an archetype), or bulwark (yeah not a "profession" type, but at least it referece something resistant that exist in game world).

If that's the games lore then sure I will play the Rhododendron class

Hey I kinda like that. It will be funny to watch foreigners try to do call outs and ultimately just call them tanks for simplicity.

Wait a minute...

Nagash

Sathrago wrote: »

Nagash wrote: »

Jayma wrote: »

What if in the game world melon is a type of guard?
Aquarium?
Rhododendron?
We can go endless like this

Or we can with a very safe but a bit bland defensor, or better champion(maybe a bit too "shiny" for an archetype), or bulwark (yeah not a "profession" type, but at least it referece something resistant that exist in game world).

If that's the games lore then sure I will play the Rhododendron class

Hey I kinda like that. It will be funny to watch foreigners try to do call outs and ultimately just call them tanks for simplicity.

Wait a minute...

Blasco

There's plenty of fantasy names for this archetype that would suit them better. Maybe we could name them Guardian and rename the tank-tank archetype "Protector" or "Shieldbearer".

ThexBlackxKnight

I agree Tank is not really a immersive name , thought is was little silly when I first saw the class list on kickstarter. There is world of tanks if I want to play a "tank".

LieutenantToast

Merged in another new thread regarding the same topic

Sholer

I still support the idea of change the tank name, the name doesn't sounds good even if we are talking about a class or a archetypes. All the other archetypes sounds great and they comply the objective of imply what they functions are.

I really think a good option for remplase the actual tank name can be something like Defender.

Sathrago

Sholer wrote: »

I still support the idea of change the tank name, the name doesn't sounds good even if we are talking about a class or a archetypes. All the other archetypes sounds great and they comply the objective of imply what they functions are.

I really think a good option for remplase the actual tank name can be something like Defender.

Oh you sneaky lil nugget, thought you could get by the ever stalwart, ever watching ToastTank!?

Addressing your points, tank perfectly fulfills the role of telling you what it does within its name and they can simply create lore to make the term and usage of tank a natural thing in Verra.
Additionally not all tanks are defenders, what about the type of tank that ccs, kites, and destracts? That requires no real interaction with another player, it's a stretch to call them a defender, but tank still fits perfectly.
Tank is a simple name to give players the direct idea of what to do with the archetype, for better or worse. I look forward to your response.

Conrad

Just rename tank to Warden. Problem solved

Sholer

Sathrago wrote: »

Sholer wrote: »

I still support the idea of change the tank name, the name doesn't sounds good even if we are talking about a class or a archetypes. All the other archetypes sounds great and they comply the objective of imply what they functions are.

I really think a good option for remplase the actual tank name can be something like Defender.

Oh you sneaky lil nugget, thought you could get by the ever stalwart, ever watching ToastTank!?

Addressing your points, tank perfectly fulfills the role of telling you what it does within its name and they can simply create lore to make the term and usage of tank a natural thing in Verra.
Additionally not all tanks are defenders, what about the type of tank that ccs, kites, and destracts? That requires no real interaction with another player, it's a stretch to call them a defender, but tank still fits perfectly.
Tank is a simple name to give players the direct idea of what to do with the archetype, for better or worse. I look forward to your response.

Tank just doesn't sound cool as the other archetypes, that is the problem, it isn't if fulfills the role of telling what it doies, the name Defender can do it too, prefectly says what the role he does.

"Additionally not all tanks are defenders" what the hell you mean? that is the first rol of a tank, DEFEND and take the damage, and if we see the actual skills of the tank right now is obviously their main rol is defend the others.

"Tank is a simple name to give players the direct idea of what to do with the archetype, for better or worse."

So Defender also do this, except that the name defender sounds too much better than the name tank.

Sathrago

Conrad wrote: »

Just rename tank to Warden. Problem solved

Wardens are basically glorified door guards for valuable places or things, not a good general term for tanks, but Tank is. :P

ThexBlackxKnight

Sathrago wrote: »

Conrad wrote: »

Just rename tank to Warden. Problem solved

Wardens are basically glorified door guards for valuable places or things, not a good general term for tanks, but Tank is. :P

If you are going to role-play in Ashes , Warden sounds much better then referring to someone as a Tank in a fantasy game. How does the word Tank even fit in a high fantasy world if actual tanks are not in the setting?

Sathrago

ThexBlackxKnight wrote: »

Sathrago wrote: »

Conrad wrote: »

Just rename tank to Warden. Problem solved

Wardens are basically glorified door guards for valuable places or things, not a good general term for tanks, but Tank is. :P

If you are going to role-play in Ashes , Warden sounds much better then referring to someone as a Tank in a fantasy game. How does the word Tank even fit in a high fantasy world if actual tanks are not in the setting?

Roleplay in most cases refers to taking on a role that is lore friendly, right? If they make lore that supports tank as a name will you be happy?

Child Item