Suggestion: Rehash Taunt.

[Ellyidol]

After numerous testing and experience, shown here :

http://www.spacetimestudios.com/showthread.php?19742-Aggro-Taunt-theories.

And after playing on both sides, tank and DPSer, I want to suggest a rehash for the Taunt skill.

One major change I had in mind was,

Make taunt GET and KEEP aggro for a certain amount of time, and not just for a few seconds/attacks.

At the moment it seems DPS/Highest damage attack dictates aggro, I AGREE, but once it removes the ability for the tanks to tank, there might be something wrong there.

Its already hard enough for birds (highest DPS/nuke skills on boss) and mages (highest AoE damage) to survive being hit, and with the tanks not being able to actually hold aggro to tank, it just doesn't make sense.

With that though, IF taunt does get 100% aggro for X seconds, I would suggest not making it as spammable as now.

If it gets aggro for 5 seconds, make the cooldown 7? Would make the tanks actually have to time and strategize their tanking rather than just spam it. It would also make birds/mages unleash combos while its being taunted to avoid getting aggro when its not, again more strategy there.

Just my 2 cents, realised it more when I was the only bird with 4 bears and I get aggro still, thats 4 of them spamming taunt.

What do you guys think?

[Kujen]

I do wish it was more effective. We should have to keep using it but not constant spamming. In fact, I wish every bear attack skill caused them extra aggro...so those non-taunting bears would have to tank. Hah!

[Ellyidol]

I do wish it was more effective. We should have to keep using it but not constant spamming. In fact, I wish every bear attack skill caused them extra aggro...so those non-taunting bears would have to tank. Hah!

I'd like that too.

But based on what I've been seeing and reading, there isn't even such thing as a "hate" or "aggro" factor in the game, just plain DPS/Damage.

[Kujen]

Well they could add a taunt-like effect to them. Like additional "fake" damage, or however it works. I'm just tired of those bears that never taunt. It doesn't work that great when you do use it (unless you spam), but so many dont use it at all. Often even when there are bears, I'm tanking. My bird tanks, my Mage tanks..and it's not too nice!

[StompArtist]

Well they could add a taunt-like effect to them. Like additional "fake" damage, or however it works. I'm just tired of those bears that never taunt. It doesn't work that great when you do use it (unless you spam), but so many dont use it at all. Often even when there are bears, I'm tanking. My bird tanks, my Mage tanks..and it's not too nice!

Don't you love it when you end up tanking with your bird and to top it off the bears are pushing (stomping) the boss outside the room so he regains all his energy. :D

[Fyrce]

Bears aren't the only ones pushing bosses out of the room...

I know because I have been the only bear, NOT stomped and the boss was still flung to Timbuktu. It came back in a month, fully rested, but still...

[Moogerfooger]

I know because I have been the only bear, NOT stomped and the boss was still flung to Timbuktu. It came back in a month, fully rested, but still...

True...if an archer hits Repulse Shot and hits at the same time as a mage hitting with Fire Blast, it can launch an enemy clear across a room or down a hall. Guilty of this myself a few times by accident.

[ChiefSleepyBear]

I need to redo my skill points. I will drop TAUNT and replace it with BECKON.

TAUNT: When I started my character, I noticed that taunt made the critters near me glow, and they would come towards me. I mistakenly thought that it was useful. It turns out that taunt only attracts mobs that are at rest. I wasted 6 points on taunt.

BECKON: When I first put a point in beckon, i was hoping to use it for agro. No matter how hard I tried, I could never get anything to come towards me with 1 point in beckon. It turns out, that I need 6 points in beckon. I realized this when I saw other tanks sucking critters like a magnet using beckon.

I went to a low level zone to experiment. I ran along with a group trying to pull agro. I noticed that debuff spells worked better than taunt. Now, i guess I have to redo my skill points:

VENGEFUL SLASH: 1 (hate pushing mobs)
STOMP: 6
TAUNT: 0
CRIPPLING SLASH: 1

RAGE: 6
SUPER MEGA SLASH: 6
CRUSHING BLOW: 6
RESTORE: 1 (doesn't heal much anyway)

IRON BLOOD: 6
HELL SCREAM: 6
EVADE: 6
BECKON: 6

[Moogerfooger]

Your view of Taunt is debatable. Taunt is invaluable in keeping aggro, on purpose, off of other party members. This works on bosses as well. If your role that you are playing is that of a tank, Taunt is a must. It will often pull mob aggro off of other party members, they do not have to be at rest. Countless times I have seen mobs attacking a party member, and as soon as I taunted, they turned on me which is what I wanted.

Part of it is hit %. Seems that 90 or above, beckon and taunt will land the vast majority of the time....this aids in the getting aggro off your party members. Doesn't always work, especially if you have very high damage-dealing members in your party like a skilled archer or mage, but certainly helps.

p.s. welcome to the forum :D

[Ellyidol]

Agree with Moog, taunt does work.

After all the testing and observation on how it works, I think the main concern is now how long it actually lasts. Taunt definitely puts aggro on you, but for how long is the problem. It goes to you, but after a few high damage attacks from a DPS-er, it automatically goes back to them. That may be the issue.

[Durnam]

I find taunt works substantially better on boss's than on mobs from my experiences, even with mages/birds attacking. As for mobs, the best thing i believe to to do when battling mobs with taunt is to drawl away 3 or 4 mobs away from the rest of the pack until they take care of their battles, but I absolutely agree it needs to be revamped in some way.

[Duke]

True...if an archer hits Repulse Shot and hits at the same time as a mage hitting with Fire Blast, it can launch an enemy clear across a room or down a hall. Guilty of this myself a few times by accident.

All three classes need to be aware of this and use tactical positioning to avoid it. For example, when pulling the Sewer King or Sewer Queen, if I see them drifting too far toward the fire grate that pretty much is the end of their leash, I'll move around them to use the Hot Flash combo to push them back down the hall the other way. In general, I'm constantly on the move, trying to use position to leverage the effect of my skills, as well as to keep distance from melee mobs. (Gold Fever is one of the few bosses I stand still for as much as possible, to minimize chances of contracting or spreading the "fever" infection.)

[Echelong]

+1

That is one of the things developers will need to address in order for the GCD to be effective. change the cooldown and duration of buffs and debuffs. Some of them only last for 1 or 2 seconds and with a .5 GCD it will make some annoying fights. I want it to be more challenging but not to the point where they go annoying and boring.