Glass Canon, Tank terminology
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This discussion was created from comments split from: Shar-teel my 6th npc.
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I'm fairly sure that 'glass cannon' is a literary reference, although I'm not sure of the original literary source.
Certainly both terms are quite long-established in gaming, perhaps even pre-dating computerisation.
I am probably derailing the thread here, so I apologize for that. I think this is interesting though so maybe it's better I create a new thread for discussing the terminology.
And I was derailing as well, just trying to cite a historical example from an outside field.
Glass Cannon for as long as I can remember has always been about offense with no defense to speak of. Dealing a lot of damage in hard hits. sometimes threatening to even take themselves out. But always in some level of danger of falling from damage taken, possibly even caused by splash-back of their own damage because they weren't as often focus fire types.
I remember it being a common damage dealer term before video games and MMO's really took over and real time gaming of various degrees to evolve the term of dps for the same overall kind of roles.
I remember as a kid I was more of the glass cannon type in the characters I played as often as not. Bit more high risk, high reward. But it was in part being drawn to the flashy and chancy style of the character. Where more often than not my character might go down in flames but at least it'd usually happen in spectacular fashion. That has been curbed somewhat for me as I've gotten older. But I still find myself being the pointman or taking a few more risks that others won't with my characters or in games so I take a bit more flack. But I also play a lot more strong support types as well.
I do however accept that my style is a bit different from the mainstream as well and not what everybody might think of as a typical powerhouse or things not everybody can get to work. (Thus my spending 7 or 8 years of playing a Melee Tank/DPS druid or a Beastmaster Hunter in WoW before burning out.)
Glass cannon is something dangerous, but fragile.
Both are very vulnerable to attack, but a glass cannon can do serious damage if not stopped quickly, whereas a paper tiger is harmless (although pretending to be dangerous).