Auto-cover!

[Vaymathias]

Cover should be made automatic for PLD. Or at least a separate "auto-cover" ability should be added.

When a PLD stands between an enemy and an ally, all single target attack that originate from the enemy, cone abilities and some pbAOE attacks that are targeting the "coveree" should only and always hit the PLD. Of course if that character needs to be in a different position for a WS or for any other reason, then it's up to him to risk it.

Maybe also have a slight energy "transference" where the "coveree" would receive a small percentage of damage that the PLD would receive when the "coveree" themselves are the enemies intended target, say 10% or 20%. This is of course MUCH lower than what the player would receive since the damage is now calculated against the PLDs defense.

Also, both players would have to be in active mode and targeting the same enemy, as long as they both meet those prerequisites any enemy that is in front of the PLD and is targeting the "coveree" attacks the PLD as well. Where mages are concerned, it's up to them or the party, what's more important, auto-cover or the passive mode mp regeneration.

One big appeal of this game was the tactical elements that they promised early on, and yet this game seems to be heading towards the "Zerg" (Zerg, not Zorg, this isn't the fifth element) mentality. The devs should add aspects like this to the game to emphasize precision tactics other than "giving Jayne a heavy stick and standing back".

EDIT: I forgot about passive/active mode. I also added "transference".

EDIT: Lunas example
In turn, this would literally make the PLD a shield of sorts as you see in movies where the knight protects someone from dragon fire with his shield. The knight would take the hit and his ally takes less damage for it.

[Aratharn]

You talk about wanting more tactics but want things to be done automatically for you?

[REDace0]

You talk about wanting more tactics but want things to be done automatically for you?

What OP is describing seems to be something different than our current Cover ability. Right now you can target any player and you'll take their hits for them so long as they are very close (8 yalms). OP is requesting an ability or trait where PLD will block or take damage for people behind them relative to the attacker, so the new tactics will be positioning-based.

[Vaymathias]

You talk about wanting more tactics but want things to be done automatically for you?

Just because it's a passive, doesn't mean that it's automatic. The requirement to use a WS from behind the target to get extra damage, doesn't make the bonus "automatic.

You still need coorperation from your allies. The intended "coveree" has to position himself behind the PLD first. Giving a few more abilities to enemies that push people around would would be a nice addition, since the hate from the "coveree" isn't transfered to the PLD, so if the pld got pushed 10 yalms back, that would leave the "coveree" open with possibly a large amount of hate on him.

As it stands now, WS positioning for skill chains adds only a little bit of tactical aspects of the game, it's only a start. Giving all/most jobs abilities like this, adding things like battle formations, maybe things like skill chain/magic bursting from FFXI, all build on the tactical aspects.

Enhancing co-operation among players, aside from the tank, healer, and DD's keeping their hate down to not pull hate, is shallow and played out. Early in FFXI, setting up for SATA, skill chaining/magic bursting, made the game play fun, up until everyone just started Zerging and going all out regardless of allies.

[Hoshikogi]

I cant quite see what you speak of as reasonable, at least as is. However, a secondary single-target, cover-like buff that moderatly-substantually reduces damage taken while behind the paladin could definitly be useful without leaning towards the "OP", especially for front-line melee classes (would work wonders for DRG since they have the mid-range advantage... or at least I still believe that's the case). And just to add more strategy, lets place at minimum a 1 minute recast, so that one cannot simply switch party members on a whim. The buff would last until toggled once more.

[Vaymathias]

I cant quite see what you speak of as reasonable, at least as is. However, a secondary single-target, cover-like buff that moderatly-substantually reduces damage taken while behind the paladin could definitly be useful without leaning towards the "OP", especially for front-line melee classes (would work wonders for DRG since they have the mid-range advantage... or at least I still believe that's the case). And just to add more strategy, lets place at minimum a 1 minute recast, so that one cannot simply switch party members on a whim. The buff would last until toggled once more.

No timer no way. That's part of why I hate the cover ability, plus needing to fight with the targeting system, might as well just get a MRD/WAR tank.

And it wouldn't be overpowered just because you'll be protecting on character from all physical single target attacks (thunder would still hit the target) and cone attacks, still leaves 6 others needing to be protected. Hate would still be generated on both characters as it would without this ability. tAOE and maybe pbAOE would ignore auto-cover, and some enemies would have abilities that knock players around, which may cause the PLD to be pushed far behind or two far to the side leaving the "Coveree" unprotected.

If they did change the current cover to this as a trait, they would also have room for another PLD ability.

EDIT: When I say single target and cone, I don't mean attacks like magic that do not attack from the direction of the enemy. The idea is if you were to really fight someone if someone stepped between you two, you probably will have little to no chance to hit the first person without going through the one who stepped in, so most single target magic would still hit the intended target.

[Ganbachi]

This is an amazing idea, it makes paladins look reliable at least.

[Hoshikogi]

I never mentioned a timer, simply a recast on the ability so you could not switch from one party member to the next as you please. Also, With your method, everyone would just simply need to hid behind the paladin; there's no need for hate holding abilities then. Basicly all the paladin would do is stand there w/ auto cover while the whm regens and stoneskins the party. This is also terribly exploitable by ranged jobs/class.

For an idea to be considered by the developers, one touch base with them and provide a ballanced idea that also considers other classes which may also share a similar objective role.

[Vaymathias]

I never mentioned a timer, simply a recast on the ability so you could not switch from one party member to the next as you please. Also, With your method, everyone would just simply need to hid behind the paladin; there's no need for hate holding abilities then. Basicly all the paladin would do is stand there w/ auto cover while the whm regens and stoneskins the party. This is also terribly exploitable by ranged jobs/class.

For an idea to be considered by the developers, one touch base with them and provide a ballanced idea that also considers other classes which may also share a similar objective role.

Except I specifically stated "one" person behind the pld.

And I get what you mean about the timer, to use for recast and not for duration of the ability.

And if they'd make enemies a little smarter, there would still be reasons to consider hate. Having an enemy specifically use an attack to get the PLD out of the way, or moving around the PLD like the wolves do to keep the PLD paying attention. More abilities that aren't just regular auto attack, etc....

And this one is not meant to cover other classes, this one is for "this" class, they can come up with things for other classes as well.

Balancing comes later. First you have to get the idea down, and the specifics of what you want, then how the players use it, only THEN can you balance things out.

EDIT: I forgot to add the prereq for active/passive mode.

[Hoshikogi]

If cover becomes a trait, how would you pick and choose who you protect? You state that only one person could be protected by Auto-cover, but what factors would decide who's covered when multiple players stand behind the paladin?