Proposal: Give pets a damage distribution role in groups

[pyrotechn]

<DIV>What fundamentally seperates necros/conjurers from the sorceror class is our pets.  In groups, our pets are usually reduced to simply a damage dealing instrument.  In part, this is because player tanks taunt is so much greater than our pets.  Even when multiple mobs are pulled, the tanks AE taunt is so great, that my pet can hit a Mob the entire fight without gaining its attention.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>The problem is the tanking, or rather damage absorbtion ability, of our pets is entirely overlooked in group situations.  My proposal is to give necros and conjurers a command that would order their pet to attempt to absorb incoming melee attacks dealt by the target the pet is attacking.  If there was a pet command that allowed a pet to absorb say 25% of all incomming attacks on group members, this would greatly enhance the desirability of necros, and make more use of our present abilities.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Some techinical aspects of my proposal:</DIV> <UL> <LI>Make the ability to absorb incomming damage a command, rather than an inherent ability.  Not all our pets are made for tanking.  Not all necros want their pets to absorb damage</LI> <LI> Allow the pet to absorb damage only from the target that the pet is attacking.</LI> <LI> Give the pet a % chance (say 25%) to absorb any incoming melee attacks dealt by the target.</LI> <LI> Allow the pet to absorb damage only from group members (thus to put a hard cap on how many pets you can stack to protect a single player)</LI></UL> <P>I'm sure the necromancer community will offer suggestions on how this idea can be improved, but I really think this is the direction that pet classes should be headed.  If we make pets all about damage, then we will constantly be comparing ourselves to sorcerers, and when there is only one ground for comparison only one can class can be the winner ( a pareto superior class).  This idea leaves lots of potential for growth, such as allowing necromancers to improve the amount of damage their pets can absorb, makes use of their pet healing spells in group situations, and for plently of variations on this idea (e.g. "suicidal intervention" - block all incomming attacks for the penalty of taking double damage, etc).</P> <P> </P> <P> </P>

[Dastion]

<DIV>It looks very similar to the idea I proposed in a post the other day, I proposed a sort of "Soul Link" type spell which made the pet sometimes take some of the damage for a target...in effect, it would be just like the necro had the intercept ability, except it would be the pet intercepting the damage.  Takes a conc and all that.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>And yes, it would give us a little something more to do in groups to help out..unfortunatly I can see that playing into the role of making the tank pet even better than it is compared to the other two.</DIV>

[Allowen]

<P>Well, the lv 30  pet trait buff is some thing like that, absorves like 200 dam from every attack on pet, ward perma buff and can also stack grisly stele on pet, good whe nyou want pet to tank a 2 arrow mob.</P> <P>My pet and his buffs at ad3 lv keeps pulling agro off  many MA on my groups(rt pet) and can realy ot real well mobs, I did some huntign with 3 4 ppl with me where my pet was MA, he could hodl agro on most of the time, offcourse pet cant be compared to tanks that got good size power pool and  ad3 taunt skills.But they way you said pets cant taunt crap or tank, I like the new pet commands... MA is only tank in the group... pul la group of mobs or get an add.... right away send pet on add... works fine....remake pet when it is low power if non stop pulling... not worth to wait pet to recover power(no mana pet cant taunt or keep agro for long,obvious I guess).Anyways I got all the four pet buffs, it should make a difference to help the agro/taunt and tank ability to be better then normal,not every necro have  all the buffs.</P> <P>Anyways would be fun if grim terror would use his 450 nuke more often and maybe also cast root /snare or fear spells as well and the assassin pet could backstab and proc dd that would reduce pet s agro.</P> <P> </P>

[Necronstreks]

<DIV>I think that's a great idea Pyro.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I have no confidence in SOE to make anything like this happen in the near future.  And odds are, if they do, we'll hear about it as new and great features on one of the many adventure packs or expansions.  They have enough problems sorting out balancing (we're on month 2 of waiting for promised fixes to summoners), so I highly doubt they'd come up with a budget high enough to make any functionality and/or role changes for pets in the group at this point.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Something to hope for though.  5-stars... that's a good idea, and bears repeating.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>We can only hope for changes like this in the future.</DIV>

[Uanelven]

<span>Great idea.   Would be  great for the casual exp group game too when you have a tank who is perhaps a little low in level.   If tank and healer are going well though then summon up the dps pets.  This makes sense to me.  I just can't see it happening.</span><div></div>

[Garlin1]

<DIV><BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> pyrotechnic wrote:<BR> <DIV>What fundamentally seperates necros/conjurers from the sorceror class is our pets.  In groups, our pets are usually reduced to simply a damage dealing instrument.  In part, this is because player tanks taunt is so much greater than our pets.  Even when multiple mobs are pulled, the tanks AE taunt is so great, that my pet can hit a Mob the entire fight without gaining its attention.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>The problem is the tanking, or rather damage absorbtion ability, of our pets is entirely overlooked in group situations.  My proposal is to give necros and conjurers a command that would order their pet to attempt to absorb incoming melee attacks dealt by the target the pet is attacking.  If there was a pet command that allowed a pet to absorb say 25% of all incomming attacks on group members, this would greatly enhance the desirability of necros, and make more use of our present abilities.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Some techinical aspects of my proposal:</DIV> <UL> <LI>Make the ability to absorb incomming damage a command, rather than an inherent ability.  Not all our pets are made for tanking.  Not all necros want their pets to absorb damage</LI> <LI> Allow the pet to absorb damage only from the target that the pet is attacking.</LI> <LI> Give the pet a % chance (say 25%) to absorb any incoming melee attacks dealt by the target.</LI> <LI> Allow the pet to absorb damage only from group members (thus to put a hard cap on how many pets you can stack to protect a single player)</LI></UL> <P>I'm sure the necromancer community will offer suggestions on how this idea can be improved, but I really think this is the direction that pet classes should be headed.  If we make pets all about damage, then we will constantly be comparing ourselves to sorcerers, and when there is only one ground for comparison only one can class can be the winner ( a pareto superior class).  This idea leaves lots of potential for growth, such as allowing necromancers to improve the amount of damage their pets can absorb, makes use of their pet healing spells in group situations, and for plently of variations on this idea (e.g. "suicidal intervention" - block all incomming attacks for the penalty of taking double damage, etc).</P> <P> </P> <P> </P><BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE><BR>Huh??  </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I understand what you are suggesting but I don't see how that would benefit our class or make us more useful.  Sure, we have a lot of work that needs to be done with our class but I for one never have found idle time when in a group.  To be honest I am constantly pressing hotkeys prob more then half the classes our there.  Debuff, Stench, swarm of bats, death's coil, skinrot, siphon life, swarm of rats, stun, stele, torrential plague, accursed cloud... pick up what spells wore off while skinrot and siphon life.  I can deal about 1k damage with one skinrot and siphon life alone.  Another few reasons why I feel this wouldn't work.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>1> Higher lvls mobs hit a lot harder.  This means if your pet takes 25% of a lets say 2k attack they are gonna take a fairly large chunk of damage.  You will run into the problem of: Healing your pet (Even though small, you will lose some life and bump up your hate a little), Having a cleric heal your pet (Spreads heals to thin if things get nasty), letting your pet die so you have to resummon your pet, losing the DPS you could of done while your pet is dead and while you are summoning/rebuffing the pet.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>2> Abuse, Abuse, Abuse: With Wards, Reactives, Pet heals, Buffs, etc this could be totally abused if it absorbed 25%..  Raid mobs that hit for 5-6k... Necro spends their WHOLE fight just summoning pets.  Thats a fairly decent "ward" right there.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>3> If you are in a group where the healer can't keep the tank alive without 25% damage being absorbed you need to find a new group.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>4> We're a DPS class, not a priest class.  If you want to try and protect the tank then use your Stele Ward and stun the mob.  Ya, I'd like to see our pets do more then what they do now, something practical to the type of "class" they are.  </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Tank: Increase hps and defense and take away the triple damage spell it drops.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Assassin: Did you know it has a stifle attack?  Now if the stifle actually works who knows.. though they could make it have less defense hp and increase its attack speed and damage potential if attacking from the back.  </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Mage: Give the TANK pet triple damage spell to this mob.  Someone mentioned a root or fear spell.  Root could get the pet killed quick.  If its rooted, pet runs up to it, mob has aggro on you, it will end up attacking the pet instead.  Fear... believe me you would end up hating it if your pet could fear not to mention any group you join will really hate it.  Nothing like attacking a mob that turns around and runs off a platform or into a wall and next thing you know your bugged and everyone has to camp.  They NEED TO FIX the pet buff the mage pet gives.. it doesn't hit other group members.  I think if its had its damage output increased, possible bigger damage spells.. and stayed at a casting range only it would be a good pet.</DIV>

[Garlin1]

<DIV><BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> Necronstreksis wrote:<BR> <DIV>I think that's a great idea Pyro.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I have no confidence in SOE to make anything like this happen in the near future.  And odds are, if they do, we'll hear about it as new and great features on one of the many adventure packs or expansions.  They have enough problems sorting out balancing (we're on month 2 of waiting for promised fixes to summoners), so I highly doubt they'd come up with a budget high enough to make any functionality and/or role changes for pets in the group at this point.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Something to hope for though.  5-stars... that's a good idea, and bears repeating.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>We can only hope for changes like this in the future.</DIV> <P><BR></P> <HR> <P>Stop waiting for fixes, enjoy what you have.  If you didn't read what the devs have said about classes and balancing find the post.  They stated that they are pushing back all fixes etc because they are in the process of redoing skills, spells, combat arts, etc.  For the better or worse who knows.  Also, don't forget they are redoing combat, changing how spells damage (I.E: INT plays are part in HOW much damage you deal and WIS plays are part in how much damage you mitigate)</P></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV>