Can we start a general definition thread?

[Justg]

Training is when you go aggro a bunch of mobs and lead them back to other people. It is why we leash them... they return home after a certain range.

Two-fer!

Edit: You're too fast, Angriff!

[Furrawn]

Training is when you go aggro a bunch of mobs and lead them back to other people. It is why we leash them... they return home after a certain range.

Two-fer!

Edit: You're too fast, Angriff!

JustG & Angriff~

Now I have a word for that wretched horrible thing that some people do when playing- ESP in the swamp. My hubby asks me to join his swamp games sometimes because they get into trouble and apparently I play my paladin a bit like a tank I go in to rescue them and they're all running every which way and then back to me while being trailed by millions of crocs. The hubby laughs as I curse how they all play.

I was trying to lvl my normal Mage JeanneDarc the other day. The other players, ESP an upstart archer, would run into a room FULL of bad guys and then run back out with the bad guys in tow. Then we all die cause we're low levels. I said, "don't run full throttle into the middle of a room. You run back out and you bring them all on us at once. We aren't strong enough."
The upstart young archer said, "I can go into the middle of a room. I'm strong."
And he did.
And he died

Train. Great word! Love it!
Thanks for that definition!!!

[Angriff]

It is why we leash them... they return home after a certain range.
Edit: You're too fast, Angriff!

You can't touch this bear at lunch break!!

I like that the mobs are leashed, training in past mmo's could be quite destructive. My question is when they return home do they revert to full health?

[Justg]

They do heal on return... otherwise you get kiting ... where players bring NPCs to the edge of their leash range and continue to attack.

[Angriff]

Nice reply, fast and useful. I was trying to tie in another mmo term but couldn't think of one, I didn't think zerging had a place in the game yet.

[Furrawn]

The crocs in the swamp have a pretty long leash lol...

What is it called when someone uses a BLAST (arrrggggh) of magic like fire blast on two measly crocs and the blast causes crocs to SWARM over to us?

[Justg]

Maybe unintentional aggro?

[Furrawn]

JustG~

Ok. I'll bite. What is aggro?

Aggression?

[ratava]

Great thread! Good reading...

As with other MMO's in PL you can do all these classic things! eg kiting, pulling mobs/aggro as per the definitions.

kiting - Attacking at arm's length a mob with a ranged weapon and even running in circles around it to avoid being caught while attacking - very useful for rdps (ranged damage per second) classes.

Aggro - When you "hit" a mob, it makes it mad and starts chasing you. You can hit several mobs at once to "pull" their aggro so they chase towards you.

gj - good job / successful wipe (of mobs) is good msg to use.

[SlipperyJim]

What is it called when someone uses a BLAST (arrrggggh) of magic like fire blast on two measly crocs and the blast causes crocs to SWARM over to us?

Zerg rush? The swamps are especially bad for being zerg rushed, but they aren't the only place. The first time my enchantress (Atropos) cast a healing spell on the "Magic Castle" map (part of Balefort Castle), she was dead within seconds. Buried under a huge pile of guys in black armour.....

Sniping = Carefully picking off mobs one-by-one, usually with a ranged weapon, while being very careful not to draw too much aggro.
Soloing = Taking on a boss and/or an entire map by yourself. Usually not recommended, unless you're farming lower-level maps for gold.
Farming = Any highly-repetitive endeavor done to gather loot. The two main types of farming in PL are boss farming and gold farming. Boss farming is done for pink/purple loot, and Furrawn basically described it. Boss farmers join a map, kill a boss or two, and then quit the map to restart the process. Their goal is to maximize their chances of getting good drops in a minimum amount of time. Gold farming is completely different. Gold farmers usually solo maps that are lower-level than their characters. They aren't looking for XP, and they probably don't even care about fancy drops. Gold farmers are just trying to get more gold and/or loot than can be sold for gold.
Drops = Loot that mobs (especially bosses) "drop" when they're killed.

[Diz]

They do heal on return... otherwise you get kiting ... where players bring NPCs to the edge of their leash range and continue to attack.

Kiting is attempting to keep distance between the target[s] and the kiter, while trying to deal consistant damage. It does not have to be an NPC target and it does not deal with agro range. Note that some monsters attempt, rather weakly, to kite players.

[Furrawn]

Ok... So if I go into the swamp boss brawl match, and I sneak around with my team luring a few crocs to the edge of their leash and killing them. Then going on to get a few more... Each time being careful NOT to use the few magics that nerf (Did I use it correctly?) and cause croc mobs, then am I sniping and kiting?

And is that good? Bad? Or personal preference?

I like to strategize... So I enjoy trying to do a swamp boss brawl without anyone dying...

[Diz]

Nerf wasn't used correctly. The way PL is set up, there is no dynamic "agro threshold" in regards to agro range. Meaning that gaining agro from a mob is what we would call hard agro. Basically you're only going to draw agro one of two ways - targeting the mob [term means monster not a group, if group then mobs plural] with damage or a skill [like a debuff such as Nightmare], or entering it's agro range. There is no agro threshold for initiating agro - either someone or something gains hard agro or not. In other words, a weak spell doesn't have less of a chance to create initial agro compared to a huge spell that crits. However after initial agro there is a primitive agro "threat meter". In simplest terms this means whoever is causing the most damage could potentially gain the mobs agro off of a target. This is soft threat changing. Hard threat changing would be if, say, the player that the mob is focusing on is killed - mob will do a hard agro threat check and should typically make a bee-line for whoever is next highest on the mobs threat meter. It can get more complex with targets switching places on threat meters, ppl dying, multiple mobs, etc.

If you're sneaking around specifically targeting certain mobs and then kiting them to a safer or more advantageous position then this is called pulling. Pulling is almost exclusively a PvE tactic. Pulling is a form of what would be "initial kiting" because it is kiting but slighty different in that is typically a premeditated strategy and kiting is usually a spontaneous and reactionary tactic.

[Furrawn]

Nerf wasn't used correctly. The way PL is set up, there is no dynamic "agro threshold" in regards to agro range. Meaning that gaining agro from a mob is what we would call hard agro. Basically you're only going to draw agro one of two ways - targeting the mob [term means monster not a group, if group then mobs plural] with damage or a skill [like a debuff such as Nightmare], or entering it's agro range. There is no agro threshold for initiating agro - either someone or something gains hard agro or not. In other words, a weak spell doesn't have less of a chance to create initial agro compared to a huge spell that crits. However after initial agro there is a primitive agro "threat meter". In simplest terms this means whoever is causing the most damage could potentially gain the mobs agro off of a target. This is soft threat changing. Hard threat changing would be if, say, the player that the mob is focusing on is killed - mob will do a hard agro threat check and should typically make a bee-line for whoever is next highest on the mobs threat meter. It can get more complex with targets switching places on threat meters, ppl dying, multiple mobs, etc.

If you're sneaking around specifically targeting certain mobs and then kiting them to a safer or more advantageous position then this is called pulling. Pulling is almost exclusively a PvE tactic. Pulling is a form of what would be "initial kiting" because it is kiting but slighty different in that is typically a premeditated strategy and kiting is usually a spontaneous and reactionary tactic.

Lol...
I had to read your post like three times to understand it... New words & new concepts- but I'm getting there...

However, I'm completely befuddled by the fact that there is no aggro range.
I've tested my skills. I've watched other people use skills. If I use lightning, frostbite, or even nightmare (nightmare requires a bit more space) then I can kill a croc with another croc pacing within easy view. A large range magic like fire blast brings in the pacing crocs and even some crocs I couldn't see before. I know for a fact that is the case.

So that isn't aggro range? What is it?

Ok... buff and debuff
Any easy to understand explanation of these and how they work??

[Diz]

There is agro range, I think you're mistaken things like AoE [Area of Effect, which is the range or area of impact that a particular skill or action causes. Think Firestorm, compared to Lightning, compared to your wand. Different areas of effect, some singular, some circular, some dynamic] and maximum range for agro range.

Imagine around each mob, an invisible circle. As soon as a player enters that invisible circle, the agro range has been breached. The mob will then begin to attack the player who entered its agro range with hard agro. The only other realistic way to draw hard agro and initiate combat with a monster is to be able to target it with a skill or weapon or damage, without entering this invisible circle. This would be impossible for say, a tank bear who uses a shield and sword and likes to melee with his weapon.

There is also maximum agro range. Lets do another invisible circle analogy. We already know there is an invisible agro range circle around each mob, that will trigger an attack if the circle is breached by a player. Now lets add another, larger circle - the maximum agro range circle. This circle dictates whether or not a mob will reset to it's original, non-agro position before the fight began. If the mob is, say, kited or knocked back by Firestorm enough, it will leave this larger maximum agro range circle. This will cause the mob to reset to its original state, without you being able to damage it while it runs back and regenerates its health to 100%.

Buffing is raising stats beyond their natural, original state via an outside force or external source. Like a spell, a weapon/armor proc, or the new powerups in the PvP maps. Different "buffs" raise different stats. These can be direct stats like, maximum hit points, or indirect, like dodge %. Buffing is typically a defensive and yet potentially powerful action by nature, and usually provide passive or indirect gains to the player that are still worth utilizing.

Debuffing is lowering stats beyond their natural, original state. Exact opposite of buffing. Debuffing is an offensive and aggressive action by nature, however the impact is has on a player is typically less direct and immediate than say, damage or healing.

[Warchanter]

Camp - To remain in one strategic place and repeatedly kill people or mobs
Grind - Performing mindlessly repetitive tasks in order to level up or proceed in the game
Lag - Time delay between sending a command to the game and your character actually performing the action.
Lagger - A person who lags your game(see above)
Owned - lol creamed aka Pwned (wen ur teabagged)

[Furrawn]

There is agro range, I think you're mistaken things like AoE [Area of Effect, which is the range or area of impact that a particular skill or action causes. Think Firestorm, compared to Lightning, compared to your wand. Different areas of effect, some singular, some circular, some dynamic] and maximum range for agro range.

Imagine around each mob, an invisible circle. As soon as a player enters that invisible circle, the agro range has been breached. The mob will then begin to attack the player who entered its agro range with hard agro. The only other realistic way to draw hard agro and initiate combat with a monster is to be able to target it with a skill or weapon or damage, without entering this invisible circle. This would be impossible for say, a tank bear who uses a shield and sword and likes to melee with his weapon.

There is also maximum agro range. Lets do another invisible circle analogy. We already know there is an invisible agro range circle around each mob, that will trigger an attack if the circle is breached by a player. Now lets add another, larger circle - the maximum agro range circle. This circle dictates whether or not a mob will reset to it's original, non-agro position before the fight began. If the mob is, say, kited or knocked back by Firestorm enough, it will leave this larger maximum agro range circle. This will cause the mob to reset to its original state, without you being able to damage it while it runs back and regenerates its health to 100%.

Buffing is raising stats beyond their natural, original state via an outside force or external source. Like a spell, a weapon/armor proc, or the new powerups in the PvP maps. Different "buffs" raise different stats. These can be direct stats like, maximum hit points, or indirect, like dodge %. Buffing is typically a defensive and yet potentially powerful action by nature, and usually provide passive or indirect gains to the player that are still worth utilizing.

Debuffing is lowering stats beyond their natural, original state. Exact opposite of buffing. Debuffing is an offensive and aggressive action by nature, however the impact is has on a player is typically less direct and immediate than say, damage or healing.

Ok- buff basically bolsters our stats to do more damage to NPCs.
And debuff basically weakens the stats of the NPCs so we can damage them more.

Right?

The invisible circle helps explain the aggro range- thank you...
I do know that if the NPC gets back home via blast or whatever they can heal...

I'm saying though that using a skill with a wide area of AOE like a mage's fire blast breaches the aggro range of some NPCs that were not previously activated and causes them to attack whereas the smaller AOE skills don't have that effect.

[Diz]

Buffs and debuffs are universal; they are not limited to PvE but are highly important in PvP.

Buffs are for you and your party members, people you want to benefit from them.
Debuffs are for the enemy and their cohorts, people you want to put a hamper on.

There are other factors besides an "invisible circle" but this is the basic principle that will help guide you to have a better understanding of the nuances of fighting mobs in a game like Pocket Legends.
When they run back home and heal, they are resetting. The easiest way to handle this in game is to just try and keep them within a particular area - pulling them away from other groups as you initiate the combat, and keeping them in a designated area where they are not too far away from their home spot. Resets can be devestating in certain situations, and a good thing at other times, but if the pulls are controlled and the party has a handle on things, you want to maximize your ability of CC, or crowd control, to keep them where YOU want them. Skills you might use on your mage are Frostbolt, Ice Storm, etc.

Yes, some AoEs are very large and some are small. Fire wands or staves, for example, can proc little explosions that do damage to other mobs adjacent to the targeted mob. This is probably the smallest AoE I have observed in the game, and is a dynamic AoE because it is target-based in regards to where the area of effect will be. Ice Storm, Fire Storm, Lightning, they all work differently, etc. Some big AoEs, some small AoEs.

The rule of thumb in every game featuring skills or spells with AoE is this - know the limits. Theoretically, any skill or spell that does AoE damage can do infinite damage - it would just require X amount of targets being damaged. So while the sky is literally the limit for AoEs, and the resourcefulness of them can never be understated, the survivability diminishes with each usage because you are then asking for everybody else to kick your butt [so to speak]. It boils down to knowing when to use AoE and when to not - sometimes you are trying to help CC a mob before things get sloppy with adds [additional mobs], but you know if you accidently mistarget or use it in a certain area or certain time, then it will also do damage to another mob that would place you highest on its threat meter [an example of this is when two mobs are on a single target, lets say a bear tank, and you are both focusing your actions on a single one, but then you accidently hit the other one, and since the bear is only doing damage to the first one, the second one comes over to you since its agro with the bear wasn't high due to no returned damage... ugh this is getting too detailed], and now you're making things sloppy for the entire group. And maybe you even pulled a new mob that wasn't even in the fight, and now you've got two mobs on you when you shouldn't have any. This is probably the most incoherent paragraph I have ever written and if you managed to make it through I applaud you and award you a Medal of Honor.

[Furrawn]

I get a medal of honor

AND I understood.
I do use fire blast- but only in situations where the benefit outweighs the cost of activating possible additional mobs (which is rare but happens) OR when I'm aware of where enemies are so I know using a long-range AOE skill won't bring in additional mobs.

Thanks, Diz!
That last paragraph was not incoherent and it actually helped a lot!

[SlipperyJim]

I get a medal, too!

Thanks, Diz. I had a basic knowledge of aggro before your explanation, but I feel like I just earned a college degree on the subject. However, the risk of providing good explanations is that you get punished ... with more questions!

Well, just one more question. How do non-offensive skills/spells affect aggro? My main consideration is healing. I know that healing generates aggro. (Poor Atropos has been swarmed a few times for daring to heal her party.) How is that aggro generated? Do the mobs have to be within the healing AoE, or do I have to be within their aggro range? Worst of all, is it the intersection between the healing AoE and the aggro range? In other words, is it anywhere the invisible circles (nice analogy) could overlap?

As a follow-up (okay, two questions, I lied), I'd be interested to know how Taunt and/or Beckon affect mob aggro. I've noticed that Taunt will almost always draw all nearby mobs' aggro to me ... for a short while. However, some of those mobs will often go back to attacking their original target after a few seconds. Why?