Ibis
06-22-2005, 10:37 PM
<DIV>As a guardian, I don't have much of this. Basically my job is to hold aggro, and that by spamming certain skills repeatedly. I think its very dull. The enemy can unleash physical damage in several ways, and I believe we should be given the ability to counter various physical attacks and help refine the development of hate throughout the fight despite our position in the raid. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>One thing I'd like to change is the idea of our buffs not wearing off. I would prefer they work through a raid, and one of the benefits of upgrading them is the increase in relatively short durations. App1 of an ability might only last 30 seconds, but master 1 might last 90 seconds. This means that several fighters could apply various aids despite their group position, and the improvement of these aids lessens the amount of fighters in each rotation. In a situation where multiple tanks are necessary your rotation would be further stressed by having to assist two, three, four, or more tanks. This gives every fighter the ability to critically adjust the current state of the event throughout the duration, and not simply those within the primary tank's six player group.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Another thing I'm interested in is what type of reactive capabilites we should get. One thing I think every fighter agrees are bad, are ripostes. They're spikey and therefore dangerous. Guardians are the greatest physical mitigation tank at the moment, and I doubt that will change. Lessening the spikes is any fighter's job and I think it should apply directly to the rate at which we're riposted. One way to influence ripostes could be shields. Simply wearing a shield could have a small benefit to dodge ripostes, specifically. This chance would be superior to the normal block rate of melee attacks. Another way to assist this is the use of the Vigilance line of buffs. These buffs, when cast on an ally, provide a % chance to avoid for that ally (or so they claim). For guardians I don't believe it is uncalled for to require a shield in improving the quality of their use. If I posess an 894 factor shield I believe that should directly influence the capability of the vigilance spell line. At app1 the ability might last 30 seconds and lend 75% of my shield's effectiveness toward blocking attacks from my target, and at master 1 it might lend 125% for 90 seconds with a 3 minute re-cast. Alright, but the point here being that shield factor is especially useful against ripostes, so when I grant more shield factor to my ally, I am also protecting him mostly from ripostes. This gives the primary tank more confidence when attacking a target which a high melee hit, such as Darathar.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Other ways to adjust the fight, as tertiary tanks and primary tanks, would be to control the mob's resilence to being taunted. We might be able to pull off HOs in a fashion so that the next taunting blow that lands on the target strikes for 5 times more hate than listed. This then takes into account the quality of the taunting blow that is going to be used because a 400 turning into a 2000 is less than a 500 turning into a 3000. Perhaps there are several different combinations that go toward similar effects. You might be able to persist a 75% slow, a -40% chance to riposte, a -80% mana and hitpoint regeneration, etc. all on one target while the main group tries to boost the hate delivered by the primary tank. Then if you have to have two tanks for two targets simultaneously, you might be unable to land as many degenerative effects onto each target. There might be other distractions and your DPS might constantly be tasked with adds, rarely able to focus on the "main" target, but some of those HOs are completely necessary to kill the mob and would be very difficult to be maintained by only 1 or 2 groups.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>We also might make certain abilities less noticeable or more noticeable for a time. Perhaps the raid is going to unleash "ballz out" DPS onto the mob soon, we might be able to actively work to make certain damage types more noticeable than others by using specific HOs or abilities with specific weapons. If every fighter equips a crushing weapon and begins to use taunting blows, then perhaps the mob for a short time, becomes more interested in crushing weapons entirely. Aggro produced by crushing weapons might be able to be upheld at 150% of the normal while piercing and slashing are producing only 75% each. Perhaps this would be a persistent effect all tertiary tanks attempt to preserve. This would not only help to cloak the more deadly of your force but grant the primary tank a weapon of choice. Should the primary tank die, it is also more likely that a fighter, having been using crushing weapons, would be able to use the HO to critically adjust the level of his taunting blows, and capture aggro from the rest of the raid.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Furthermore perhaps we could create positional blind spots in aggro for a moment, and motion for everyone to strike then. The moment a positional blind spot is no longer effective though, aggro produced in that area might be 300% of normal for a duration. This would require some form of feedback to the player to know when time might be up, but not when time actually is up. So with education and understanding of your abilities you can estimate the total duration, but you won't be warned when the effect ends, only when you succeed initially to create this effect.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I'd appreciate any other feedback on what kind of activity you'd like to be able to pursue to improve either your or another's tanking or hate generation while IN combat. How can you help when you're not tanking? How would you like to adjust your actions when you are tanking? The activity needs a more tactical feel. Short lived buffs with potent effects are one way to go. Every fighter on the raid, throughout the archetype, should be able to lend a hand towards mitigation, avoidance, and hate generation at any point in the fight. Perhaps not all at once, but being in group 3 shouldn't keep you from performing your role as a tank. As guardians I believe we should excel in physical damage and little else. I'm comfortable with the self mental resistance buff granted by Vindication, as mental attacks usually include mez, stun, charm, and fear, but beyond that limited application I believe crusaders and brawlers should have more talent in providing magical protections to warriors, themselves, and others.</DIV>