Pet Question

[Talinthor]

<div><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">I recently started playing again and created a conjuror to relearn the game. The last time I played was right after EoF had been released so it has been about 3 years. I've managed to get to level 38 and I have a question I'm hoping you can all help me with regarding pet behavior.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">When I'm soloing, my pet behaves just how I would expect. That is, when I send him in to a group of enemies, once one dies he moves onto the next since they've all been beating on him. But when I'm in a group with a player being the main tank, I have to constantly tell my pet to attack each target. The annoying part of this is that since I tend to stand back from the action in my mighty cloth armor, the pet will finish up one mob and then run back to me wasting time where he could be attacking.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">So is there a better way to manage this? Is there some setting I've missed or maybe a macro that will make it easier? Or do I just need to be faster on the trigger?</span></div><div><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Thanks!</span></div><div></div><div><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">Oz</span></div>

[Pacus]

<p>I remember when I first noticed that.  I don't usually group, so I didn't notice it until late in the game.  When you are soloing the mobs in the group agro onto your pet.  When one dies the pet turns to the one that attacked him last (or that has grown on his (the pets) agro list.  When you are in a group and the tank is doing a good job in retaining all agro, there is no one on the pet's agro list.  Therefore, when the pet finishes off his target he returns to you for further instruction.  You must be alway vigilant in returning your pet to combat when in a group.</p>

[Xalmat]

<p><cite>Ozudar@Everfrost wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><div><span style="font-size: small; font-family: Calibri;">When I'm soloing, my pet behaves just how I would expect. That is, when I send him in to a group of enemies, once one dies he moves onto the next since they've all been beating on him. But when I'm in a group with a player being the main tank, I have to constantly tell my pet to attack each target. </span></div></blockquote><p>This is normal pet behavior.</p><p>The reason is because when you're soloing your pet is probably in "Protect Me" and "Protect Self" states, and since it has all of the attention of your enemies it will attack whatever is attacking you or it.</p><p>When you're grouped, your pet should not be in a Protect state at all, to prevent early and potentially dangerous pre-attacks. As a result even if the pet is attacked it will ignore it. You are required to tell the pet what to attack as a result.</p><p>Learn to deal with it. It's one of the keys to being an effective Conjuror.</p>

[Trensharo]

<p><cite>Xalmat wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Ozudar@Everfrost wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><div><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">When I'm soloing, my pet behaves just how I would expect. That is, when I send him in to a group of enemies, once one dies he moves onto the next since they've all been beating on him. But when I'm in a group with a player being the main tank, I have to constantly tell my pet to attack each target. </span></div></blockquote><p>This is normal pet behavior.</p><p>The reason is because when you're soloing your pet is probably in "Protect Me" and "Protect Self" states, and since it has all of the attention of your enemies it will attack whatever is attacking you or it.</p><p>When you're grouped, your pet should not be in a Protect state at all, to prevent early and potentially dangerous pre-attacks. As a result even if the pet is attacked it will ignore it. You are required to tell the pet what to attack as a result.</p><p>Learn to deal with it. It's one of the keys to being an effective Conjuror.</p></blockquote><p>The Devs need to learn to fix it, IMO.  It's not key to crap.  It's an unnecessary hassle and no other MMORPG puts their players through that kind of non-ergonomic mechanic.  Except Lineage II, playing which will gain you CPS just from leveling up, even if you don't play a pet class.</p><p>Remove Defend Self and Defend Me and Replace it with a Defense Toggle.  Add an Assist Toggle (i.e. if I attack something, the pet attacks it).  That way if you want to feel effective you can spam pet attack, but the rest of us aren't eroding our limbs pressing a button we shouldn't have to press to begin with.</p><p>Didn't EQ have an Assist Toggle for pets?  I don't remember my mage or Necro ever having to spam pet attack.  It's been a while, though.  I didn't have to do that in DAoC, I don't have to do it in WoW.  I have to do it in Lineage II, but that game has is a cesspool of bad game design.  If that's what they're gunning for, then more power to 'em.</p><p>My workaround while soloing for the moment is nostromo pressing pet attack every 0.01 seconds, as a toggle of course, so that I only have to press it twice instead of 15 times while in a group (for each pull).</p>

[Xalmat]

<p>Trust me, you do not want what you propose.</p>

[Talinthor]

<p>I had grown used to WoW's pet behavior where, as Trensharo mentioned, your pet would auto attack whatever you were attacking. If that's not the way it works here, so be it, I'm coping.</p><p>I think my bigger issue has to do with the targeting system in this game. What I've been doing in groups is keeping the main tank targeted and sending the pet to attack his target. Unfortunately, not all tanks are quick about selecting the next target and sometimes they select the wrong target (i.e. another group of mobs) because tab targeting is like a box of chocolates. Is there a better way to target your nearest enemy?</p>

[Twystedwiz]

<p><cite>Trensharo wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Xalmat wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p><cite>Ozudar@Everfrost wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><div><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">When I'm soloing, my pet behaves just how I would expect. That is, when I send him in to a group of enemies, once one dies he moves onto the next since they've all been beating on him. But when I'm in a group with a player being the main tank, I have to constantly tell my pet to attack each target. </span></div></blockquote><p>This is normal pet behavior.</p><p>The reason is because when you're soloing your pet is probably in "Protect Me" and "Protect Self" states, and since it has all of the attention of your enemies it will attack whatever is attacking you or it.</p><p>When you're grouped, your pet should not be in a Protect state at all, to prevent early and potentially dangerous pre-attacks. As a result even if the pet is attacked it will ignore it. You are required to tell the pet what to attack as a result.</p><p>Learn to deal with it. It's one of the keys to being an effective Conjuror.</p></blockquote><p>The Devs need to learn to fix it, IMO.  It's not key to crap.  It's an unnecessary hassle and no other MMORPG puts their players through that kind of non-ergonomic mechanic.  Except Lineage II, playing which will gain you CPS just from leveling up, even if you don't play a pet class.</p><p>Remove Defend Self and Defend Me and Replace it with a Defense Toggle.  Add an Assist Toggle (i.e. if I attack something, the pet attacks it).  That way if you want to feel effective you can spam pet attack, but the rest of us aren't eroding our limbs pressing a button we shouldn't have to press to begin with.</p><p>Didn't EQ have an Assist Toggle for pets?  I don't remember my mage or Necro ever having to spam pet attack.  It's been a while, though.  I didn't have to do that in DAoC, I don't have to do it in WoW.  I have to do it in Lineage II, but that game has is a cesspool of bad game design.  If that's what they're gunning for, then more power to 'em.</p><p>My workaround while soloing for the moment is nostromo pressing pet attack every 0.01 seconds, as a toggle of course, so that I only have to press it twice instead of 15 times while in a group (for each pull).</p></blockquote><p>Why would they need to learn to fix something that is not broken?</p><p>"Non-ergonomic" mechanic?  Like all the extra clicking will cause carpal tunnel or what?  I got news, if the extra clicking to make your pet attack is causing physical issues it's time to take a break.</p><p>Why remove Defend Self and Defend Me when they are so useful (situationally)?  Oh yeah, cuz it's hard to click the mousey button...</p><p>An assist stance could be useful, but isn't your pet going to run back to you in between mobs anyway?  Since there is typically a short delay between last attack on dead/dying mob and first attack on next mob?</p><p>Spam pet attack?  Once per mob is now "spam"?</p><p>Fifteen times while in a group?  For each pull???  Exaggerate much?  Or, do you get 15 at a time because your tank really sucks at pulling?</p><p>I realize, it is incredibly difficult to click on that little red icon but man up, you can do eeet!</p>

[Xalmat]

<p><cite>Twystedwiz wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Fifteen times while in a group?  For each pull???  Exaggerate much?  Or, do you get 15 at a time because your tank really sucks at pulling?</p></blockquote><p>When I play my zerker, I get accused of sucking when I <em>don't</em> pull 15 at a time.</p>

[steoff]

<p>you can always make your crystal blast button a macro and add /pet attack.  you should be spamming crystal blast regularly in a group.</p>

[Xalmat]

<p><cite>steoff wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>you can always make your crystal blast button a macro and add /pet attack.  you should be spamming crystal blast regularly in a group.</p></blockquote><p>Trust me you don't want to do this either. It's only going to get you in trouble.</p>

[Cuendilar]

<p>I have my Pet Attack hotkeyed and send it in manually.  I see other pet casters that spam the pet attack button, and they end up pulling mobs before a tank is doing so.</p>

[Trensharo]

<p>Fifteen times while in a group?  For each pull???  Exaggerate much?  Or, do you get 15 at a time because your tank really sucks at pulling?</p><p>No.</p><p>It's called pulling lots of MOBs because the content is faceroll.  When you pull small packs of MOBs it gets boring, and I'll most likely just log off since it would [Removed for Content] near put me to sleep, anyways.</p><p>WoW isn't the only game that has pet auto-assist.  DAoC has (or had) this as well.  It's in almost any other decent MMORPG game that has a serious pet class in them.</p><p>I didn't say fix it because it is broken.  I said fix it to make more sense i.e. be less tedious.  Right now, I have no options but to cope, so I won't mention coping like it's some change I've come to by way of enlightenment.</p><p>Changing the two defense toggles to one Defense toggle (both you and your pet) and adding an Assist Toggle doesn't do anything by add another option and remove some redundancy, IMO.  It would be a great QoL change, IMO.</p>

[Trensharo]

<p><cite>steoff wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>you can always make your crystal blast button a macro and add /pet attack.  you should be spamming crystal blast regularly in a group.</p></blockquote><p>That's quite a sloppy workaround.  Anytime someone has to macro /pet attack into all their spells to compensate for something, the developers should realize that there is a problem and something should be fixed/modified/enhanced/whatever.</p>

[Xalmat]

<p>Honestly this isn't even an issue. It's worked fine this way for the last 11 years (EQ1 since launch + EQ2 since launch) and there's no reason to change it.</p><p>I don't even want it changed, I <em>prefer</em> to have to manage my pet. It's part of what separates the good summoners from the bad ones.</p>

[steoff]

<p>I have no problem the way it is.  My pet attack button is the first button on my hotbar and I manually control my pet.   I do not want some program deciding when my pet should attack something.  I mentioned adding a macro to crystal blast to assist those people who think manually controlling their pet is to much trouble.  The only time i have an issue is when the mobs are dying faster than i can send my pet in.  In that case, the fights are so easy it does not matter.</p>

[Lady Shai]

<p>It's not broken.</p><p>It's part and parcel of being a pet class within the parameters of the EQ games. Using it effectively is the key between the summoners and the GOOD summoners. You should not have to macro the pet attack into your spells...thats just looking for trouble imho.</p><p>My pet is never on defend me/defend self unless soloing. When I call my pet it is set to appear in non-defensive stances.</p><p>I have 3 pet keys on my keyboard and hotbar. 1= pet attack, 2= pet back off and 3=pet insta-call to me. I have 2 tank assist buttons...Left Alt+1= MT , Left Alt +2= the OT.</p><p>Its very easy to do this... my 1 and 2 and left Alt buttons are easy to reach and to use, and you get used to it very quickly.</p><p>For me? Its very ergonomic and makes me a rather effective player. Others I have talked to who do not do this and have tried it have found it easier as well.</p><p>Practice makes perfect...it is not a broken mechanic and doesn't need to be changed.</p>