Assist

[ShashLigai]

<DIV>OK, I'm level 21 newbie Monk and I'm struggling a little to maximize my char's effectiveness. I read the Forum, alot. I solo and I group, I keep my eq and skills up. What I would like to know about is the assist command. What is it, how is it used (generally)? and how do Monks assist and in what situations?</DIV>

[Koro]

<DIV>assisting isn't really a command. all you need to do for that is target the MT and then use autoattack/skills and you'll automatically attack the MT's target. the only time you should assist is when you're not the MT.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>i usually assist at the beginning of a fight when there's 4 or more mobs and we all need to attack the same target, but when the mobs get fewer in number i just attack the closest target. i usually don't like assisting as it requires me to wait for the MT to pick a target and i switch targets much faster than most of the people who've been MT's.</DIV>

[Sotaudi]

<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE> <HR> korosu74 wrote:<BR> <DIV>assisting isn't really a command. all you need to do for that is target the MT and then use autoattack/skills and you'll automatically attack the MT's target. the only time you should assist is when you're not the MT.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>i usually assist at the beginning of a fight when there's 4 or more mobs and we all need to attack the same target, but when the mobs get fewer in number i just attack the closest target. i usually don't like assisting as it requires me to wait for the MT to pick a target and i switch targets much faster than most of the people who've been MT's.</DIV><BR> <HR> </BLOCKQUOTE> <P><BR>That is not exactly true, Korosu.  There is a /Assist command, and it has some distinct advantages over autoassisting through implied targeting.</P> <P>When you target a member of your party who is targetting something else, the system assumes any attacks are intended to hit the "implied" target, the one that your group member is targeting.  The advantage of this system is that, as your actual target (your group member) changes targets, so do you.  On the other hand, that is also the disadvantage.</P> <P>Imagine this situation.  You (a mage) and a tank are out questing.  You come across a mob, and the tank pulls it, and you assist through implied targeting.  Then an add comes and attacks you.  Right as you cast your ubber nuke, the tank turns to the add to taunt it.  Right after he taunts it, your nuke, through implied targeting, hits the add, putting you right back at the top of his hate list.  As the tank continues to try to draw aggro from the add, you continue to attack the add through implied targeting.   In all likelihood, the tank will never be able to drag aggro off of you, and now you have the add attacking you and no one is paying attention to the original mob who continues to pound on the tank uncontested.</P> <P>The /Assist command is designed to help alleviate this problem.  When you /assist the tank, the command makes your tank's target your actual target.  If you are targetting the tank and do /assist, your target changes from the tank to what the tank was targetting.  So taking the same situation as above:</P> <P>You and the tank are out questing, he pulls, you do an /assist, and the pulled mob becomes your target.  An add comes, and attacks you.  You cast your nuke right as the tank turns to taunt the add.  This time, however, because you are not targeting the tank anymore, your nuke hits the original mob, and the tank's taunt pulls the add off of you on to him.  He can then turn back to the original mob or switch between targets as necessary while you concentrate on the original target as you should.  When the first target dies, you can then simply /assist the tank again, and you are now targeting the add.  And in larger group situation, with everyone assisting through implied targeting, the situation can quickly become very difficult for the tank to maintain aggro as different people steal aggro from him as he changes targets.</P> <P>The assist comman works two ways.  You can target a group member and type /assist, and it will make that person's target your target.  You can also type /assist followed by the person's name.  If you do this, your target will change to the named person's target no matter what you currently have targeted.</P> <P>Some people prefer to have a macro that they change each time they join a group.  They simply identify the main tank when they join a group, then they edit the macro to /assist that person.  This allows them to quickly /assist the tank in one keypress.</P> <P>Since you can be in multiple groups in a specifid period of time and since a group's makeup can change without notice, I prefer to map the assist command to a key, then simply target the tank by pressing the F-key associated with his positionin the group, then press the mapped key to assist him.  This also allows me to /assist anyone in the group, and it does not require me to remember to change my macro each time I join a group or each time the main tank changes.</P> <P>Implied targetting is a legitimate way of assisting.  However, it can lead to problems.  Thus, the safer method is to use the /assist command.</P> <P> </P><p>Message Edited by Sotaudi on <span class=date_text>06-22-2005</span> <span class=time_text>11:20 AM</span>

[ArivenGemini]

<span><blockquote><hr>korosu74 wrote:<div>assisting isn't really a command. all you need to do for that is target the MT and then use autoattack/skills and you'll automatically attack the MT's target. the only time you should assist is when you're not the MT.</div> <div> </div> <div>i usually assist at the beginning of a fight when there's 4 or more mobs and we all need to attack the same target, but when the mobs get fewer in number i just attack the closest target. i usually don't like assisting as it requires me to wait for the MT to pick a target and i switch targets much faster than most of the people who've been MT's.</div><hr></blockquote>the /assist  command will switch your current target to your targets target.  If I am currently targetting "Fred" and he is looking at "Martha"  using /assist will make me target Martha. If I use /assist Fred     instead, then I will switch targets to martha regardless of who I have targetted. As a MT, the only person I want using passthru targetting (i.e. what you described above) is the main healer.  I want everyone else to drop off on my first target of the pull.. and switch only when it is dead or I instruct a switch.   If you set up a macro with /assist (tanks name)   it makes it easy to swap to the MTs target. The reason I dont want anyone but the main heal blindly hitting what I look at is I do not just stay on one target during a multi mob encounter.. I switch around to ensure agro control.  If everyone switches with me it negates my agro building by letting them do damage to the mobs plus it makes encounters take longer since they are no longer concentrating damage on a single mob.</span><div></div>

[Gaige]

We just use a MA and then /assist him, but then again we raid a lot.

[ArivenGemini]

<span><blockquote><hr>Gage-Mikel wrote:We just use a MA and then /assist him, but then again we raid a lot. <div></div><hr></blockquote> I am just now getting into introducing the MA into my groups, there is some resistance "switch targets faster" to the concept, but I think it will work better for us in the long run.</span><div></div>

[Jenj]

<P>Hm a few comments:</P> <UL> <LI>I dont think /assist works for MA outside your group (e.g.in raids). In that case you have to click on their name instead.</LI> <LI>If you are have already started to cast a nuke and your MA switches targets, your spell will still hit the original target. </LI> <LI>In most situations, having the MT or MA always targeted is the safest and easiest way to battle. Now if you are targeting the MT this way, youll need to know if the MT wants you switch when they do or just stay on the original mod. In the latter case, you will need to use /assist or create a macro /assist [INSERT TANK NAME]. In anycase, if you use the macro, you will have to use it every time the MT switches including, mob deaths, etc. It could get quite tedious versus just targeting them.</LI> <LI>Targeting the MT versus using the /assist command also has the nice benefit of keeping your autoattack engaged allowing for quicker engagements on switches. If you use /assist, you will need to /assist at every switch and also engage auto-attack.</LI></UL> <P>To be more efficient in DPS role</P> <UL> <LI>Assist properly either /assist or MT targeting</LI> <LI>Position yourself quickly during the beginning of the engagement. Hopefully the MT is turning the mob, but if they arent, quickly run to the mob's flank and youll end-up doing more damage while receiving less damage from riposte and specials.</LI> <LI>Use all your high-damage combat arts. At your level, that might be rapid swings and bruising strike, the 2-kicks, etc. Make sure to use rapid swings from the flanks or you wont likely get very many hits from it.</LI> <LI>Eqiup some nice weapons.</LI> <LI>Keep Wisdom of Zephyl and Dragon Stance active. The both will give you 10-20% improvement in damage while making you hit a few levels higher than are currently.</LI> <LI>Drink some decent tier-3 drinks. if you dont, youll be running-out of power very quickly.</LI></UL> <P>-Jenjer</P>

[Jenj]

<P>double post</P><p>Message Edited by Jenjer on <span class=date_text>06-22-2005</span> <span class=time_text>02:32 PM</span>

[Koro]

ahh...i knew there was a /assist command but i never used it since they redid how implied targetting works. whenever i used it before it would look just like i attacked the MT's mob, but never saw the difference between the implied and /assist.