Should your abilities be called into question if you can't pick up mobs right away?

The class I've been playing the most on FFXIV is the paladin. For the most part, I enjoy playing as the class, but I'm not always the best at picking up adds. Specifically, if I had to pick a specific situation, it'd be the last boss of Haukke Manor, with all these bombs and the three adds she spawns near the end and stuff. I'm not able to pick them up right away, mostly due to targeting issues. I'm still trying to get the hang of targeting filters and everything, like there are times where I'm scrolling through the enmity list and there are some enemies I can't scroll over. I'm guessing that's because I'm not close enough, and there comes a time where I'm just gonna have to move closer and lob a shield at them. But I'm getting off topic. In the time I haven't gotten those mobs aggroed, they're obviously attacking my other party members. Is it generally considered a reflection on your abilities if you can't snatch mobs right away? Sorry if this seems like a stupid question.

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Originally Posted by Aldagrate

Is it generally considered a reflection on your abilities if you can't snatch mobs right away? Sorry if this seems like a stupid question.

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Not a stupid question. It actually shows that you are worried about it, and care about getting better.

To answer your question: Depends. You shouldn't let a mob running wild for too long, especially not when this certain mob can use tank buster. It doesn't harm anyone when you can't pick it up right away, unless your party mates are already REALLY low. Then again, that's not your fault.
There can be certain reasons, why you can't target it:
1. Either your enemy list is full and can't select it through it.
2. If you are using your cursor, other mobs might block your target.
3. If you tab through the mobs, it might even appear as the last, and thus it takes time.
4. Mob spawns at your back, targeting it becomes even harder.

If a party member gets aggro, they can always bring it to you (the tank), it makes your job easier picking it up. Enmity is not a job for tank alone, but for the whole party. You are the one establishing aggro, the party has to work together to do so and to help you holding it.
If they are running away with the mob, they have no right to blame you, but themselves.

Flash generates a ton of enmity and doesn't require a target. Same for Unleash on DRK. PLD and DRK shouldn't have any problems picking up enemies quickly.

It's not possible to grab things right away if they spawn in different locations, no need to be hard on yourself. A healer can aggro everything in a huge area just by healing, but you can head over to them and use Flash to take back all the enemies around you without needing to set a target. If a dps is focusing hard on a specific enemy while you are trying to gather them all, you can use the role action Provoke to take it back. Can toggle enemies with (R2 + L1) or (L2 + R1) holding the trigger while tapping the shoulder button to switch targets. Can also be handy to stun enemy with Shield Bash if they are casting something on another party member.

I always think of it as a team thing. Since I’m mostly a healer or damage dealer if I managed to aggro a wandering enemy or boss spawn I would to go closer to the tank to let it be taken off me. Is this this method acceptable? I played tank for a short while and always thought it would be nice if someone did that for me since targeting with a controller is a nightmare.

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Originally Posted by Launched

Flash generates a ton of enmity and doesn't require a target. Same for Unleash on DRK. PLD and DRK shouldn't have any problems picking up enemies quickly.

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This. Flash, Unleash, and Overpower all generate the same enmity as hitting everything with a 1200 potency attack, despite how little damage the first two actually do.

If I'm playing the tank, and a bunch of enemies spawn, I'll get ready to get close to the healer because I know who pulls unengaged enemies first. If I'm especially concerned, they get Cover/TBN as well.

You shouldn'tl worry too much about it if you're just doing dungeons. The monsters there don't hit for much, and the DPS can afford getting hit by a few attacks.

Now once you get into raiding, that's when things start to get tricky. It'll often be the off-tank who will pick up the monsters, but they will have to do it FAST! This is because if you just use Flash, it might not be enough to hold enmity from the DPS in this case. So you have to know when the mobster is about to appear and hit it with your heaviest enmity attack. Cuz with these monsters, if you lose agro for even a second, it probably means someone's about to die.

Now this only applies to dungeon bosses that have adds.....let the dps deal with them. Most of the time there are just added to be a nuisance and not make the fight feel like a hit box punching bag. Some even have mechanics associated with them that the dps need to follow.

8 man content and savage raids are different. But since you’ll have a second tank to help out gathering them up, it goes much smoother.

As someone who suffered what your avoiding...I'm greatly appreciative of your awareness.
Here's my slant on this. (Dungeon context)

you're job is to grab aggro....and that means when you pull - you pull the whole mob. DPS is secondary.

DPS's job is to kill the mob.
Healers - heal - and when not healing (if mana permits) - kill the mob.

In a boss fight however it slightly differs.

The Tanks job is to get the boss's attention and steer the boss's usual damage away from the party. If the case of Ad's - try to grab them IF YOU CAN...generally ad's are easy to kill off by DPS/Healer so its not entirely a disaster if you cant. The fact your paying attention speaks highly of your care and concern. :)

Some Bosses will damage the target of choice regardless - but that little enmity chart however should stay red on you regardless. Not drop to yellow/orange (danger) or worse yet...green (zero).

In short - I don't expect a paladin..such as your self - to get all the mobs in a boss fight. Or any tank for that matter.

I do however expect you to hold enmity/aggro on a mob (not a boss fight).
Some classes such as Red Mage/Summoner have a tenacious way of over DPS'ing to the point of "pissing off" the monster target...which pulls aggro over your ability to generate enimty.

People who "assume" that lucid dream or any other cool down should be used in this case...are wrong. Yes - it reduces aggro - problem is as a Summoner we tend to burn mana rappid fireing Ruin II and end up losing a cool down in the process. Its one thing if its a boss fight - but a dungeon mob - no.

Healers? Never ever should be used in this case - White Mages especially - they use that for mana cool downs for holy spam and other fun things. Granted we have Assize to help out, even with Thin Air - but that's a 60-120 second penalty hold...that's a minimum of 1 minute of we "cant touch that".

At least summoners can pull Titan out...and if I do..it means I don't have confidence in the tank in doing their job. (personally If I was a tank - and they used Titan? I wouldn't really care much lol - less work for me - course in a boss fight id not use aggro as an reason - id say - use ifrit for radiant shield))

I had this happen....a Paladin got tunnel vision and was too busy dps'ing the one target they chose and accused me of not picking their target and focusing....the problem with that idea is the AOE spells like Bio II/Miasmos + Bane - pretty much screws their idea of a ideal situation out of the water.

Red mages use Scatter like a shotgun - and that's going to get EVERYONE's attention at the obscene damage it puts out for an AOE spell.
Black Mage? Lighting 4 with fire'ings of Thundercloud at exponential levels for every-single-additional-target it hits. Insane.


I dunno about you...but when your dealing with Mobs... AOE damage is your friend. Better to equally damage the mob in broad-spectrum as opposed to one monster-at-a-time.

As a Dark Knight we have it easy in AoE enmity generation. (Unleash) - but Paladins? Don't know enough about them - but i'd like to think you have one too - use it when you can to prevent targeting nightmares.

Bottom line - no ones got any right to call you out in a boss fights based on what you said..they are all different..just do you best.

I will say however is if you can't keep the Boss's attention (like the one I suffered my first death to a "mini boss" because the paladin couldn't bloody do their job) - then yeah..you may need to check your abilities a bit - assuming DPS didn't blindly walk into a problem.

Am I a Pro? No....but I'd like to think I'm competent as a Dark Knight to take care of business.

Good on you for noticing and being concerned. :) Hope we meet each other in-game.
I'd be happy to help. o7

hope what i said make's sense..and yes...some may not agree with my stance.
Bottom line is this - your doing a fine job....seriously....most people wouldn't bother giving the time of day....the fact you care....speaks highly of you.

Keep going...you're gonna be a fine paladin. :)