Pet Defense not upgradeable

[pyrotechn]

<DIV>I think there is a problem with our pet progression in that only pet combat arts (that is pet damage, and taunts) increase with the quality of our pet spells (App IV to master).   I think its just wrong that an AppIV pet can take damage just as well as a master.  Not only is it wrong, but it makes the game less interesting that I cannot improve the quality of my pets defense.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Yes we get so-called defensive buffs for our pets.  But those have been stripped of any physical damage mitigation; they only mitigate against magic damage.  So again the difference between a app IV buff and a master buff on 90% of mobs is absolutely 0.  If necros are not intended to be top tier dps, then why is dps just about the only thing we can improve. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>What's more dumbfounding is that looking at the mitigation and avoidance of the pets, the assassin pet has the SAME mitigation as the tank pet and HIGHER avoidance.  Meaning that if it wasn't for the tank pet simply having more hit points, the assassin is actually the better tank.  If your trying to get the most out of your healing power in a long fight (probably with a healer class in group) the assassin pet is often the better bet.  Not only better defense, but heck of a lot more DPS.   </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Before anyone mentions AA abilities, let me mind you i analyzed these.  Mininons barrier adds a 0.3% avoidance per rank.  Note that is NOT 3%, its less than half of 1%.  You can max minions barrier and only see about a 2.5% increase in pet defense, yet if you spend the points elsewhere you might see a 15 to 20% increase in your dps.  Using AAs as a way to improve pet defense just is not viable.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>The more Sony treats pets as low hp, low mitigation, one hit wonders, the closer we become to simply being warlocks or wizards, relying on pets only for DPS just as a wizzy relies on his ice comet.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV>

[Xalmat]

NPCs do not mitigate damage to begin with, so any mitigation stat is pointless on pets.Upgrading tank pets increases their total HP, and upgrading pets also increases not only combat art damage but auto attack damage too.Don't underestimate the effect of maxing Minion's Barrier. For every five points of Defense skill you give your pet, it will tank mobs as if it were a full level higher against whatever mob you are fighting. And in EQ2, one full level makes <I>all</I> the difference.

[Arrowheart]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> Xalmat wrote:<BR><BR>Don't underestimate the effect of maxing Minion's Barrier. For every five points of Defense skill you give your pet, it will tank mobs as if it were a full level higher against whatever mob you are fighting. And in EQ2, one full level makes <I>all</I> the difference.<BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE> <P><BR>Actually since they changed the way + skill buffs work the +5 = 1 level benefit is no longer true. More detail in Dev posts below:</P> <P><A href="http://eqiiforums.station.sony.com/eq2/board/message?board.id=24&message.id=14283#M14283" target=_blank>Lockeye's reply to skill buff changes after LU13</A></P> <P><A href="http://eqiiforums.station.sony.com/eq2/board/message?board.id=combat&message.id=71486#M71486" target=_blank>Moorgards response to skill buffs after LU13</A></P> <P>It will give your pet better avoidance (from what I recall +5 defense = approx 1.25% avoidance) but it would not be as effective as if your pet was 1 level higher.</P>

[pyrotechn]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> Xalmat wrote:<BR>NPCs do not mitigate damage to begin with, so any mitigation stat is pointless on pets.<BR><BR>Upgrading tank pets increases their total HP, and upgrading pets also increases not only combat art damage but auto attack damage too.<BR><BR>Don't underestimate the effect of maxing Minion's Barrier. For every five points of Defense skill you give your pet, it will tank mobs as if it were a full level higher against whatever mob you are fighting. And in EQ2, one full level makes <I>all</I> the difference.<BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE> <P><BR>Based on what theory or experience are you claiming this?   While a pet one level higher might have 5 greater defense it is not necessarily true that a pet with 5 greater defense is going to mitigate/avoid the same as a pet one level higher.  For starters, defense is not the only defensive stat that changes with level, there is also mitigation.</P> <P>Second, the reason higher level pets may take less damage might be because they are higher level (orange con vs. green con).  I have minions barrier and possess minion says its a 2.4% increase in avoidance, with no change in mitigation.  Actual experience has not allowed me to detect any difference with the spell (which is in line with a 2.4% increase, because i can't really notice 2.4%).  So what I'm saying is that 2.4% increase in defense for 8 AAs just doesn't seem like a wise investment.  Its not enough to ever make a difference; those AAs are better spent on DPS.  Which is why I wrote why i did, because it seems like DPS is the only thing us necros can really improve on.  Even when we're given a choice with AA abilities, DPS is still the only choice that makes sense, thus making it a non-choice.</P> <P>Third, what's with your claim that npc's don't mitigate damage.  Pets do have a mitigation stat, and if you send your pet at a mob, does he always take full damage?  Send him at some low lvl mobs; when he gets hit is he getting hit for full damage or usually one point of damage?  Its the latter, your pet is mitigating.   Its just that our pets do not have much mitigation, but their mitigation stat is not meaningless.  So either your pet is mitigating because of its mitigation stat, or because of its level.  I can't tell you which one for sure, perhaps both come into play...but if its based on level, then pets with higher defense are not equivalents of higher level pets; if mitigation does matter, then defense is not the only stat the increases the effective level of the pet.  Either way, your original claim that +5 defense = a pet one level higher cannot hold.</P> <P>Finally, just read arrowhearts response.  His link to Moorgard is on point.  +5 skill bonus NOT EQUAL + 1 level higher.   QED.  </P> <P>Message Edited by pyrotechnic on <SPAN class=date_text>05-27-2006</SPAN> <SPAN class=time_text>05:25 PM</SPAN></P> <P>Message Edited by pyrotechnic on <SPAN class=date_text>05-27-2006</SPAN> <SPAN class=time_text>05:30 PM</SPAN></P><p>Message Edited by pyrotechnic on <span class=date_text>05-27-2006</span> <span class=time_text>05:36 PM</span>

[Xalmat]

Arrowheart, thank you for the clarification.