Update 51

[epyon333]

<p>Just curious how the rest of the berzerkers feel about whats plan for our class.  Helpful or hurtful for us?  Helpful or hurtful to the game since it envolves all fighters?</p>

[Elanjar]

<p>I pretty much hate the changes. I dont think it will make us unable to tank, I dont think it will make us unable to dps.</p><p>Sure we wont be able to do both at the same time anymore.</p><p>The biggest problem I have with it is that it removes choices about how to tank, AND imo it ruins the flavor of the class.</p><p>/sigh i love/loved being a zerk... oh well theres always my ranger</p>

[Jrral]

<p>My opinion's split.</p><p>The defensive stance changes and the overall changes to hate and taunts make it even easier to MT in a full group with my 'zerker. As long as the damage types make use of their own dethreats properly, I can take the hits easier and hold aggro more reliably than ever. I can't do as much damage, but that's why I brought along the Erudite in colorful robes with the backpack full of tac-nukes and the lizard in chain who likes to sidle up behind the mobs and carefully reach out and rip their spines out while they're paying attention to the big cat-in-a-tin-can insulting their mothers.</p><p>The offensive changes, OTOH, truly suck. They make off-tanking in a full group all but impossible. If I'm not careful I can shed 20-30K of aggro by hitting a few wrong CAs, and we won't even discuss trying emergency snap-aggro moves when your snap-aggro abilities can shove you 11 positions <strong>down</strong> the hate list in a second or two. The same things also make it aggravating to run in catch-as-catch-can duos and trios against solo content. Pre-51 against solo content I can switch to offensive and hold aggro well enough while still being able to be the primary damage-dealer. GU51 basically requires that I treat any group as a full group and build it around the holy triumvirate of Tank, Healer, DPS. I can forget running with a warden and a templar helping them finish up the solo quest lines, it'll either be a long slow slog or I'll have to call for a scout or mage.</p><p>I'm sorry, fighters aren't damage types. We're main tanks. We're off-tanks (tank in a duo or trio is usually basically off-tanking since there's so little aggro contention). But J doesn't wear this big tin can so he could go running over and hiding behind the squishies in cloth.</p>

[LygerT]

<p>i just think there should be some middle ground, so fighters can be somewhere in the middle of offensive tanking if they wish, just make it painful.</p>

[Tash 1]

<p>A berserk in defensive as a logical as a hot ice-cream./Tash</p>

[Obadiah]

<p>I'm glad I'll be able to tank in defensive stance without requiring a Coercer, Dirge, and Warden to do so in [good] groups.</p><p>There are additional changes to the taunts today that may please some. I didn't experience any issues duo-ing with a healer in offensive stance though (Mythical Fury). I just didn't (de)taunt. /shrug.</p><p>As one who is typically the only other fighter on raids besides our MT, I wonder how much I'll be defensive and how much I'll go offensive. Currently I plan to continue to DPS, and remain in offnesive stance dual wielding on trash, switching to defensive on TSO named mobs and a couple old ones. But we'll see how it goes.</p>

[Hardain]

<p>I haven't played in test but i still don't think our aggro is nowhere near enough without warden buff, or dirge at minimum.</p>

[Mephistophelese]

<p>the taunt changes today shortened the recovery and reuse speed or aoe taunts for monk/pali/guard. nothin that benifits us<img src="/smilies/9d71f0541cff0a302a0309c5079e8dee.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p>

[Bremer]

<p><cite>Mephistophelese wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>the taunt changes today shortened the recovery and reuse speed or aoe taunts for monk/pali/guard. nothin that benifits us<img src="/eq2/images/smilies/9d71f0541cff0a302a0309c5079e8dee.gif" border="0" /></p></blockquote><p>Yeah, awesome. The Guardian single taunt now has 50 % more hate (not including the taunt boost from Guard def stance), 50 % less power and 33 % less recast. Who needs ae taunts if you can generate more taunts by switching through the encounter using the single taunt...</p>

[TheSpin]

<p><cite>Mephistophelese wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>the taunt changes today shortened the recovery and reuse speed or aoe taunts for monk/pali/guard. nothin that benifits us<img src="/eq2/images/smilies/9d71f0541cff0a302a0309c5079e8dee.gif" border="0" /></p></blockquote><p>I think he was referring to the new changes where taunts are simply disabled in offensive stance</p>

[ZerkerDwarf]

<p>What are all those changes made for? Slow down group instances runs?</p>

[Elanjar]

<p><cite>ZerkerDwarf wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>What are all those changes made for? Slow down group instances runs?</p></blockquote><p>dps got mad that they couldnt afk and still top the parse</p>

[Lyndel]

<p>Hi,</p><p>I'm fairly new to the zerking life. So far most of my gear has been picked for its +melee crit, +double attack, +dps so I could hold aggro when tanking in groups since my understanding is that currently zerkers hold aggro through dps.</p><p>What does the new GU mean for zerker tank gear? Are the damage boosts even more important to make up for the defensive stance or should I be wearing +defense, +parry, etc and concentrate on being a defensive tank like some kind of AE guardian?</p><p>Thanks,</p><p>Trab</p><p>80 Zerker, Oasis</p>

[Elanjar]

<p>If you want to continue to try to tank in offensive I'd still grab up all the +DA +crit etc stuff. But overall offensive isnt going to be as effective. I wouldnt make an all out switch, but I would definitely consider +def/parry over +2 crit. Agro in defensive shouldnt be an issue anymore.</p>

[JinjAB]

<p><cite>Tashiana@Runnyeye wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>A berserk in defensive as a logical as a hot ice-cream./Tash</p></blockquote><p>My first thought was "mmm...ice-cream..."</p><p>So then I continued to think, if guards are the default tank, the epitomy of taking damage, then they must be <strong><em>vanilla</em></strong>.</p><p>So what does that make us Zerkers. Vanilla with a flake, or mebbe some sprinkles? We used to be <strong><em>Rum 'n' Raisin</em></strong>.. <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/9d71f0541cff0a302a0309c5079e8dee.gif" border="0" /></p>

[Bremer]

Guards and Paladins are supposed to be the most defensive tanks and the tanks with the best single target hate. Really a good question where this leaves the rest of tanks on raids.

[LordSaul]

<p>No problem with the defensive changes (assuming they get the hit rate balance right of course). The intention has been expressed by Areilik that if you are OT then you should be running around in def stance, so I'm not sure how much joy we'll get there.</p><p>Still, never mind eh? We now have the best hate dumps in the game. Time to bring your high dps leather and chain, screw heay armour and dual weild. After all - if you can aggro up to first on the parse using taunts, it stands to reason that you can stay bottom with the reverse.</p><p>I'd be interested to see how broken we can make it....can we maintain a high T2 dps and really p off scouts who could only dream of our hate dumps?</p><p>Sounds to me if we can achieve high dps using jewel of animosity and some of the other lunatic kit you would never wear as a tank, then the update will achieve exactly the opposite of what was intended - that tanks should tank (or be ready to). Has anyone tried for a high dps setup on the test servers. I just wish I had the time to go on....</p>

[Obadiah]

<p><cite>LordSaul wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>No problem with the defensive changes (assuming they get the hit rate balance right of course). The intention has been expressed by Areilik that if you are OT then you should be running around in def stance, so I'm not sure how much joy we'll get there.</p><p>Still, never mind eh? We now have the best hate dumps in the game. Time to bring your high dps leather and chain, screw heay armour and dual weild. After all - if you can aggro up to first on the parse using taunts, it stands to reason that you can stay bottom with the reverse.</p><p>I'd be interested to see how broken we can make it....can we maintain a high T2 dps and really p off scouts who could only dream of our hate dumps?</p><p>Sounds to me if we can achieve high dps using jewel of animosity and some of the other lunatic kit you would never wear as a tank, then the update will achieve exactly the opposite of what was intended - that tanks should tank (or be ready to). Has anyone tried for a high dps setup on the test servers. I just wish I had the time to go on....</p></blockquote><p>Still not planning on OTing in Defensive Stance except on tough encounters. I view Adrenaline as more important to my survival than being in Defensive Stance when picking up a trash mob. The stance will go up when it can.</p><p>We lost the hate dumps though, basically because people complained that they couldn't duo with healers. <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/2786c5c8e1a8be796fb2f726cca5a0fe.gif" border="0" />  We would have lost them anyway for the reason you describe. Could have done some wicked DPS without having to worry about aggro ... ever. That would have [Removed for Content] everyone off. I was looking forward to it.</p>

[Grimmly]

<p>New development:</p><p>Some additional changes to test server <a href="http://forums.station.sony.com/eq2/posts/list.m?topic_id=441959" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>