getting out of way of special attacks

[RankirkIce]

I as a tank cannot get out of way of special attacks. it appears I clear orange lines but I still take damage. help

[Enkidoh]

SE has acknowledged the orange Area of Effect (AoE) attack lines are misleading - whether you have actually cleared an attack is by the enemy's attack charge bar that appears on their target bar. The orange lines may still be up, but if the charge bar has vanished, you've failed to clear it. This is due to latency between the server and your computer/PS3. Unfortunately, there's not much that can be done about this, other than to try and be more reflexive when it comes to enemy attacks (don't worry, as a tank too I know this feeling all too well sadly).

[ShadowDan]

A little trick, you can often just go through the enemy to get out of his AoEs, instead of going backwards or to the sides.

Learning how to effectively move out of AoEs is pretty much the biggest thing you have to learn in this game, or else you won't get very far. Especially as a tank

[Bixby]

Another thing is to avoid using abilities while you're in the red, and if you can, use an ability as soon as you're out of it. It seems the client sends your position every time you use an ability, so if you use one while you're in the red, that might be the last update the server gets before the AOE goes off.

Basically, though, just move ASAP. Don't ever try to guess when you need to move to make it on time. You need to move now.

And learn the mobs. If their worst AOE is a cone, stick as close to them as you can, so you don't have as far to run (forward and/or to the side) to get out. If it's a circle around them, stay at max melee range for the same reason. If it's a line, whatever you have an easier time with. You can also develop a bit of a sense for when they're going to be using it; a lot of mobs are very predictable with their AOEs, so you can be (more) ready to move in the second or so beforehand.

And another thing! For some moves, the markers simply aren't big enough, or possibly shaped wrong. The 50 WAR class quest fight, for example, has one move with red markers that are very clearly not representative of the actual effect (couldn't tell if it showed a line but was actually a cone, or was just a much wider line than displayed). Don't stop just outside the red unless you're sure it's actually safe. Most of them are right, but there are a few that aren't, unfortunately, and all you can do is learn the bad ones.

[Shmunkster]

Another thing is to avoid using abilities while you're in the red, and if you can, use an ability as soon as you're out of it. It seems the client sends your position every time you use an ability, so if you use one while you're in the red, that might be the last update the server gets before the AOE goes off.

This works for me. For a while I used to always shout profanaties at my screen "I was F*&&%$ out of the zone!" etc. But not anymore!
Trick is....soon as it appears, move, then run just outside (literaly even a gnats-hair outside the zone will do) and start casting/action....
Works like a dream

.....Except for those times when I am dozy and a try to be too cheeky.

[Githiun]

Once you learn fights you'll also know what kind of AoE's to expect for instance if the fight delivers many frontal AoE's you should crowd his attack box so you're as close to him as possible that way you can run through him faster and have more time to get out of the way.

on the flip side, if it's a circular AoE athat hits everything within a certain radius of him you stay on the very outside of his hit box.

it'll all come with practice and learning the fights. Just know that you need to move immediately, dont finish yoru combo, don't finish the spell or whatever. You see the lines you GTFO asap. Nothing worse for healers than tanks eating dodgeable AoE's.

[Mezolitik]

A little trick, you can often just go through the enemy to get out of his AoEs, instead of going backwards or to the sides.

This. It's amazing how look it took me to realise that a cone is easier to escape at the thin end.