Summoner Tank Pets and the DPS changes

[Joren_Wolfheart]

Since the reduction of damage of swarm pets, and the lowering of my Conjuror's DPS, I have noticed something else.  My tank pet seems to have been affected as well.Where previously it wouldn't group taunt with any frequency, now it doesn't seem to taunt at all.  In a duo with a templar, every single non-targeted mob in the group went straight for the healer.  Every time.  In single target fights, it was <i>some</i> better.  However, even with my lessened DPS swarm pets, most fights my Aqueous Stalkers (adept 3) would pull aggro off the tank pet.I understand that there is a need to cut back Summoner DPS.  However, the ability of the tank pet to hold aggro shouldn't be affected (I think).I'm not sure how this is affecting necromancers, but I know that it makes my conjuror a lot harder to play.  In solo play, having 3-4 two down arrow mobs on you instead of the tank just means that I have to revive a lot.  <span>:smileyindifferent:</span><div></div>

[Deila]

<P> </P> <P>My experience has been that tank pets have been even sketchier on holding aggro than they were before LU24 changes.</P> <P>Whereas my pet seems to be occasionally using Graven Scream (his encounter threat increasing CA), his deciding to <EM>use it</EM> is still very unreliable. It's very noticable when he does actually use Graven Scream - works prety well when he actually decides to use it - but that particular CA doesn't seem to get chosen to be used at all in many fights.</P> <P>Even on single targets, KIndataunts (my Undying Dreadnought - used to be named Nevertaunt but he seemed to get a little better once we hit 70) is now having a bit harder time holding aggro than before. I'm attributing that still to damage reduction in Graven Frenzy, his triple-attack CA. My tank pets need to mix  taunt effects with damage to hold their aggro. Lowering his damage on this CA doesn't contribute to meaningful DPS reduction for Necromancers as a class, since tank pets weren't the pets responsible - it merely translates into additional hate gaining problems for our already reeling tank when solo or duoing.</P> <P>Though listed as a Berserker, he seems to be performing more like a very weak Monk in hate generation - very hard to hold aggro against linked groups. Monk-like, in that his best chance to hold linked groups is to tap through each of the mobs, hitting them seperately, and having very limited ways to increase threat through taunt effects against groups. It seems that if he were a Berserker, he's have more encounter wide attacks available to choose from. Tank pets have one, and only receiving that CA in the mid-levels of a Necromancer's career, with the current level range.</P> <P>Level does seem to be a factor. At full level 70, Kindataunts performs his duties far better than he did even at 67 or 68. Mentoring to lower levels is where I see a more dramatic difference. I was trioing with another Necromancer (level 51) and a Warden (53) in Obelisk of Lost Souls the other night, with myself mentored to 53, using my pet as tank. The whole night, both my and the 51 Necromancer's swarm pets were taking aggro off my tank pet, as Joren mentions above. In many cases, linked mobs that were not the primary target of my pet were immediately rushing the Warden, and once that happened nothing would pull them off again, short of my intentionally peeling aggro to myself by blasting PBAoE and single-target lifetaps as often as reuse timers would allow.</P> <P>I don't see these kinds of things when unmentored - at full power as a level 70, my tank pet performs.... pretty well. Not quite as well as before LU24. I wind up tanking more than he does a lot of the time, and seem to often do a better job of it - probably due to achievement ability selections - which is <EM>wrong</EM> in my opinion. But anything short of level 70 and the tank pet is suffering. Even with the damage reductions made to assassin pets, they still hold aggro against single targets far more reliably than our tank pets, and are still the preferred pet to use when soloing against solo content. I'll often use the assassin pet against linked groups as well - even with a total lack of encounter attacks, the assassin often outperforms the tank pet at simply keeping the mobs off of me - which should be the tank pet's specialty.</P> <P>I still don't understand the decision to reduce Graven Frenzy damage for the tank pets. Tank pets aren't the 'uber-DPS' pet of choice, far from it. Our defensive pets (tanks) are still hurting in their ability to perform their defensive functions. I think they either need to have scripts adjusted (somehow, if possible) to get them to prefer their one group-taunt CA - always using it at the initiation of combat, for example - or need to have CAs reworked to grant them more encounter-wide attacks so that they can behave more as their Berserker designation would suggest. Or at the very least, reinstate Graven Frenzy to it's previous values - that CA alone was often the one that would make up for lack of taunt CA use... too many times in the past I'd seen a mob start to change target to me, only to snap back to my pet when I stopped casting and I saw those three pet damage numbers fly up off its head - Graven Frenzy saved the day.</P> <P> </P>

[Joren_Wolfheart]

I'm not sure what class my tank pet is, but I do agree that he needs to group taunt more often, or even have the pet defensive stance buff also have a "gains more hate when hit" ability like guardians and bezerkers, albeit at a weakened state.Fighting caiman in the Sinking Sands with a Templar, I was noticing very similar results.  I also eventually switched to my scout pet, who seemed to be able to hold hate better throughout the fight.<div></div>Even with the reduction in swarm pet dps, my Aqueous Hunters can pull damage off of my tank pet almost every time.  And in longer fights, mobs always turn and rush me.I don't think that summoners need to have DPS given back, just the ability for their tank pets to do what they do best.  Because right now the fact is that a scout pet in offense stance is tanking quite a bit better than a tank pet in defense stance.

[Sunrayn]

<P>Conjuror tank pets are guardians.  Granted, they dont guard very well now, tank's aggro holding capabilities are very sketchy now.</P> <P>With the 'accident' of reducing PCs pets hp along with NPCs pet and then never restoring ours, reduced aggro, reduced pet damage, reduced swarm pet damage, increased recast on swarm pets, I guess summoners are right where SOE wants them to be...whereever that is.</P>