Question from a healer

[Cuppycake]

This isn't a "omg tanks do yer jerb!" Post I just like to know how tanks work in a new mmo before I say "this guy is a bad tank" lol. So I just have a few questions that maybe you tanks could answer for me.

Does anyone know if their is a threat ratio? In a previous MMO I played 1 damage = 1 threat.

How many threat abilities do you have including ST, AE, and Taunts. I only ask because I notice sometimes in dungeons tanks can't pick up adds off of DPS easily. Or is their simply a threat issue at the moment? I very rarely pull threat off a tank but if an add pops behind me sometimes its hard to shake him even after bringing him to the tank.

Again not trying to flame tanks just trying to educate myself a bit. please feel free to give me, as a healer, some advice if you think it would help in the tank healer relationship of the game.

[Nicnevin]

I just started as a tank in this game so probably better tanks can give better answers.

I rarely lose aggro to anyone, provided the healer does not start healing and the DPS do not AoE like crazy just after the pull. Usually if everything goes well, in 3-4 sec I have everything on me and it holds till the end of the fight. If a DPS steals a mob from me, just a Provoke + ShieldLob/Tomahawk and baby's back to me. I think it's important (at least if you see your tank is having some issues) to give the tank just a few seconds to build aggro on all mobs. DPS attacking the same target as the tank helps too. I would not say there is any threat issue at the moment, but again, I'm pretty low level.

Advice: nothing helps you understanding a role more than playing it. Try & roll a tank, even just until level 17 so that you can go into some dungeons. It'll give you much more insight on the mechanics, and you could improve a lot in your current role after that.

[Neosquid]

In reality threat isn't that hard to generate. To me the problem is 2 fold. First part is tanks aren't tab targeting. I think that would seriously solve half the issues tanks are having. The other part is on the DPS. A lot of them think, or at least it seems they think, when the mob moves the tank has threat in it. Not the case. They see a mob move and just start pouring on the deeps. This can be prevented by marking the kill order and DPS not being dumb. This game isn't all that different from the way other MMOs are/were. People need to stop playing like they have never played an MMO before.

As far as moves, I can only speak for a Paladin but at lvl 35 the only AoE move I have is Flash (lol) and it's bad. I have 1 taunt on a 45 second CD. I have some pretty solid ST threat generation and it will go up even more at 40 when I get Shield Oath. From what I gather Paladin threat with Shield Oath is a lot better.

[RikiaReborn]

I can only tell up till level 25 on both maruader and galadiator.

Maruader:
Overpower (lvl12) = Frontal cone Aoe with damage + threat. no cooldown
Skull Thunder (lvl4) = Single Target Damage + High Threat. no cooldown
Tomahawk (lvl15, quested) = Single Target Damage + Threat ranged attack.

Gladiator:
Savage Blade (lvl4) = Single Target Damage + High Threat. no cooldown
Flash (lvl8) = Point blank (from player) AoE Threat, without damage. (Adds blind at level 20) no cooldown
Shield lob (lvl15, quested) = Single Target Damage + Threat ranged attack.
Provoke (lvl22) = Puts you on the top of hate list. Does not work if you already at top threat. 40 sec cooldown

Maruaders can use flash if you already learned it on your gladiator. Hence they can use both flash and overpower. Same goes with provoke.

P.S. Looks like many people replied before me. Posting just to list the skills they have available.

[DarkSeifer]

I'm a Warrior and I have a macro that puts a "1" over the head of whoever I use tomahawk on. I usually then use overpower, followed by flash, and begin my single target rotation.

However, if the healer uses a bunch of high powered heals or if the dps attacks one of the adds I don't have marked, it is very possible to lose aggro. They I have to flash or tomahawk to try and grab aggro quickly again.

Overall, it's not too hard to keep threat. Even at level 35. The only time I run into any issue is with multiple targets. And even that is rare if everyone knows what they're doing.

[Cuppycake]

Maybe I have had some new or just bad tanks so far haha. Occasionally I get a group with a tank who marks targets pretty rapidly and holds threat. It definitely helps.

Its pretty easy to say, " as long as everyone knows what they're doing." Haha. Better than average pugs are a welcome change lol.

A lot of useful information here. I have been healing for about 4 years now. I always send my first tank heal out once they take about 200ish damage to avoid over healing at this point in the game. I do notice archers just ripping threat from tanks and then kiting the mob around like a fool. I hope even dome DPS dip into this thread and forum to see how tanks work.

[CubemonkeyNYC]

I'm a Warrior and I have a macro that puts a "1" over the head of whoever I use tomahawk on. I usually then use overpower, followed by flash, and begin my single target rotation.

However, if the healer uses a bunch of high powered heals or if the dps attacks one of the adds I don't have marked, it is very possible to lose aggro. They I have to flash or tomahawk to try and grab aggro quickly again.

Overall, it's not too hard to keep threat. Even at level 35. The only time I run into any issue is with multiple targets. And even that is rare if everyone knows what they're doing.

You're only marking one target? That's horrible.

Mark at least three. I have a vertical hotbar with all 5 numbers and I assigned it to SHIFT+1 through SHIFT+5.

[Myric]

You're only marking one target? That's horrible.

Mark at least three. I have a vertical hotbar with all 5 numbers and I assigned it to SHIFT+1 through SHIFT+5.

Marking shouldn't be necessary except for when a specific target needs to be downed. Dps should learn how to /assist instead. Would also help if they didn't start attacking the exact second you do, especially with multi mob pulls. Let the tank have like 5 seconds(since that global cd is so long)before you start your wtfpwn dps I can't stand blm's that just start aoe the second I throw my shield and wonder why they are getting beat on. I've only had one blm so far that would sleep a target. I love that flash doesn't wake them up either.

[Devilair]

Marking shouldn't be necessary except for when a specific target needs to be downed. Dps should learn how to /assist instead. Would also help if they didn't start attacking the exact second you do, especially with multi mob pulls. Let the tank have like 5 seconds(since that global cd is so long)before you start your wtfpwn dps I can't stand blm's that just start aoe the second I throw my shield and wonder why they are getting beat on. I've only had one blm so far that would sleep a target. I love that flash doesn't wake them up either.

You go tell the SWARM of dps guys to learn use /assist. xD nevertheless, i would LOVE them doing so, but as long as they play with the brain set to OFF, i'd rather mark every target and spare me some headaches

Regardless, what people seems to not understand with the "UUH I MARK ONLY ONE MOB CUZ THEN I HAVE THREAT ON EVERYTHING", it's not even about that, it's more of a polished execution which also makes the clear incredibly faster and smooth. Dunno, maybe i'm ocd about being a tank lol

[MrBockbagok]

You're only marking one target? That's horrible.

Mark at least three. I have a vertical hotbar with all 5 numbers and I assigned it to SHIFT+1 through SHIFT+5.

I play on PS3 and find it difficult to mark multiple mobs. Maybe there is some macro I can use or some secret I dunno. What I do is have shield lob macro with target 1 attached to it. When the mob has 1/3 life I switch my target. And use the macro again. This way as soon as DPS finish off the first one I already have the next marked with a bunch of threat. The last mob doesn't get marked. It's not horrible and I can easily make it work.