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Level 28 Guardian Fighter out tanked by rank 6 companion

jeffnsylmarjeffnsylmar Member Posts: 8 Arc User
edited May 2013 in PvE Discussion
Just did the Storming the Keep skirmish on my lvl 28 Guardian Fighter, specced for taunts and tanking. Was consistently out taunted and tanked by a lvl 25 Trickster Rogues' Rank 6 Man-At-Arms companion. The first time I did this skirmish, I easily took twice the damage of everyone else in the party. This time I barely topped the list.

The only time I could consistently taunt the end boss was when the companion took a dirt nap. Within 60 seconds of it being rezzed, it was back on the top of the threat list.

There is something seriously wrong with that.

So the best way to roll a tank in this game is to pick a damage class and level up an NPC companion?
Post edited by jeffnsylmar on

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    vfibsuxvfibsux Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Guardian Users Posts: 38
    edited April 2013
    I like that my tank companion is effective, but out tanking a player? That's not working as intended.
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    notdrizztnotdrizzt Member Posts: 123 Bounty Hunter
    edited April 2013
    Just did the Storming the Keep skirmish on my lvl 28 Guardian Fighter, specced for taunts and tanking. Was consistently out taunted and tanked by a lvl 25 Trickster Rogues' Rank 6 Man-At-Arms companion. The first time I did this skirmish, I easily took twice the damage of everyone else in the party. This time I barely topped the list.

    The only time I could consistently taunt the end boss was when the companion took a dirt nap. Within 60 seconds of it being rezzed, it was back on the top of the threat list.

    There is something seriously wrong with that.

    So the best way to roll a tank in this game is to pick a damage class and level up an NPC companion?

    As a GF I can confirm that we need some sort of aggro buff. Everyone pulls it way too easily.
    Its nice that I can take about a billion hits to die, but it's not at all nice if a wet noodle can pull aggro from me and make it virtually impossible to get back.
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    ugibugibugiugibugibugi Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Guardian Users Posts: 40
    edited April 2013
    keep aggro as it is. its fun to have a challenge ^^, but would love aggro to be more "spottable", hard to see when you are loosing aggro till its too late (or am im missing some secret technique?)
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    joeldgnjoeldgn Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Guardian Users Posts: 76
    edited April 2013
    TIL: As a cleric I need to invest in a man-at-arms companion!
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    dtrain69dtrain69 Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Guardian Users Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited April 2013
    Man at arms is great for solo, Put it away in a group and get a healer or a dps pet out.
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    jeffnsylmarjeffnsylmar Member Posts: 8 Arc User
    edited April 2013
    dtrain69 wrote: »
    Man at arms is great for solo, Put it away in a group and get a healer or a dps pet out.

    So if a tank companion can out tank a GF, it would follow that a healer or dps companion should out-heal or out-dps the equivalent player class. You would be okay with that?
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    kleeziekleezie Member Posts: 10 Arc User
    edited April 2013
    Having companions in an instance is just imbalanced imo. As the OP notes the problems with tank pets taking a player's role away in a group as well as having say 4-5 healer pets keeping up with the dungeons seems OP. I would vote for removing companions all together.
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    jetahjetah Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Hero Users, Neverwinter Guardian Users Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited April 2013
    kleezie wrote: »
    Having companions in an instance is just imbalanced imo. As the OP notes the problems with tank pets taking a player's role away in a group as well as having say 4-5 healer pets keeping up with the dungeons seems OP. I would vote for removing companions all together.

    companions die pretty easily (save for the Zen tank one). and from some testing with a group i run with, we get more silver (yeah not even a gold) without companions in elite dungeons.
    Open the Launcher. Click Options near the top. Check Disable on-demand patching. This will download another couple of gigs.

    Ability Scores || All Attribute Roll Combinations || My Cleric Stream \o/
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    diablomuertodiablomuerto Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited April 2013
    Well from what the D&D veterans tell me this is working as intended. I actually had this exact same experience in this very same skirmish map (as well as other places) and when I griped about it what I was told is that in the D&D rules there is really no such thing as a tank, at least not in the sense that we're used to from other MMO's. In D&D there's no standard threat, which is to say mobs will sort of hop threat so you can't just hold threat indefinitely even as a tank. It was at this point I stopped playing my GF and rolled a wizard. I have no desire to play a tank that can't tank, why give up having high dps if I can't even fill the role my class is slotted for.

    I'm actually hopeful they will change this at some point simply b/c I don't see too many people wanting to play tank as it is in its current form. While they might be trying to stay true to D&D rules, in this particular case the rules are stupid and they should break them.

    But yeah, right now GF threat is just <font color="orange">HAMSTER</font> I gave up on mine at 25. If they ever change it so they're more of an actual tank I'll probably pick it back up but them being so horrid at tanking coupled with the content at this level being so laughably easy I didn't really see the point of sticking with GF.
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    unjustbladeunjustblade Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Guardian Users Posts: 91
    edited April 2013
    Well from what the D&D veterans tell me this is working as intended. I actually had this exact same experience in this very same skirmish map (as well as other places) and when I griped about it what I was told is that in the D&D rules there is really no such thing as a tank, at least not in the sense that we're used to from other MMO's. In D&D there's no standard threat, which is to say mobs will sort of hop threat so you can't just hold threat indefinitely even as a tank. It was at this point I stopped playing my GF and rolled a wizard. I have no desire to play a tank that can't tank, why give up having high dps if I can't even fill the role my class is slotted for.

    I'm actually hopeful they will change this at some point simply b/c I don't see too many people wanting to play tank as it is in its current form. While they might be trying to stay true to D&D rules, in this particular case the rules are stupid and they should break them.

    But yeah, right now GF threat is just <font color="orange">HAMSTER</font> I gave up on mine at 25. If they ever change it so they're more of an actual tank I'll probably pick it back up but them being so horrid at tanking coupled with the content at this level being so laughably easy I didn't really see the point of sticking with GF.

    That's D&D PnP. Not Neverwinter. Also, if what they said was true, why is the tank companion able to hold threat? Threat exists, and it's meant to be held. However threat generation for the GF is broken, while the rogue's damage and DC's heals throw up too much.
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    jeffnsylmarjeffnsylmar Member Posts: 8 Arc User
    edited April 2013
    But yeah, right now GF threat is just <font color="orange">HAMSTER</font> I gave up on mine at 25. If they ever change it so they're more of an actual tank I'll probably pick it back up but them being so horrid at tanking coupled with the content at this level being so laughably easy I didn't really see the point of sticking with GF.

    Well, I guess its good to know I'm not crazy. I've primarily played tank characters for a number of mmo's and this is the worst I've ever seen it. I'll shelve this tank for a while and see if they change it.
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    vlyxnolvlyxnol Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Hero Users Posts: 12 Arc User
    edited April 2013
    The healer companion can outheal all but a completely heal specced DC. That doesnt mean I would choose a companion healer over a player healer - it just means that the companion healers heals are percentage based so scale indefinitely.

    In the same way, threat is not all there is to a tank, and im sure that the tank companion was not more survivable than you were. Infact maybe having the tank companions have as much threat as they do is so that they can still be a viable choice of companion for a tank player. Consider it just an additional level of damage mitigation.

    That said, unrelated to companions in general, threat in this game definitely needs to be adjusted.
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    vlyxnolvlyxnol Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Hero Users Posts: 12 Arc User
    edited April 2013
    But yeah, right now GF threat is just <font color="orange">HAMSTER</font> I gave up on mine at 25. If they ever change it so they're more of an actual tank I'll probably pick it back up but them being so horrid at tanking coupled with the content at this level being so laughably easy I didn't really see the point of sticking with GF.

    From my experience GFs can at least hold threat on one or two targets and later on thats important.

    Late game bosses can make pasties out of other classes in only 2 or 3 hits, having someone to tank the bosses is rather important.

    Considering how easy trash is relative to boss fights in my experience so far thats what matters anyway, you hardly need a tank on general trash pulls between bosses.
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    soanvalckesoanvalcke Member Posts: 30 Arc User
    edited April 2013
    From my experiences in instances, the tank is really there to just hold the big boss and not the smaller adds. The DPS need to be killing those as quickly as possible.
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    arktourosxarktourosx Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Guardian Users Posts: 177 Bounty Hunter
    edited April 2013
    vlyxnol wrote: »
    From my experience GFs can at least hold threat on one or two targets and later on thats important.

    Late game bosses can make pasties out of other classes in only 2 or 3 hits, having someone to tank the bosses is rather important.

    Considering how easy trash is relative to boss fights in my experience so far thats what matters anyway, you hardly need a tank on general trash pulls between bosses.

    This is kinda what I am hoping for with my Guardian Fighter and the only thing keeping me going on him instead of making a Control Wizard. I look at the end boss in Cragmire Crypts as the penultimate example of how encounters can go (I'm sure there's one rougher). It's basically a boss that hits ultra hard (1000-2000 a hit/ability which is a lot at around 25) with a large amount of other trash in the room at the same time. Most people are dealing with the trash while the Guardian's job is to basically keep the boss on them rather than running down your Cleric. Most cases that will utterly destroy basic Companions.

    My main concern with Companions aren't the Man At Arms who caps out pretty quickly at level 15 and won't scale in power after that. It's the ones like the Rock Golem from the Zen store which has a spammable hard taunt which with it's survivability can completely replace our role entirely. Sure it lacks AOE tanking, but we can't AOE tank very long either because of how the Guard/Mark mechanic works.
    nwsignature.jpg
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    alphastrikealphastrike Member, Neverwinter Beta Users Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited April 2013
    I think they should add a mark ability to the defender role, that would add -2% chance to hit any other target and +5% extra dps the character can do when the monster is not attacking the defender role characters. The extra dps should shift the threat back to the tanks.
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    karremaniakarremania Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Guardian Users Posts: 3
    edited April 2013
    Well, I guess its good to know I'm not crazy. I've primarily played tank characters for a number of mmo's and this is the worst I've ever seen it. I'll shelve this tank for a while and see if they change it.
    Simple, this is Cryptic. Though they made 1 of the best tanks initialy in CoH, they totaly screwed it up in CO, leaving the 'tank' in this game (by trinity standards it should be tank) indeed among the worst i've played.

    Even though can pull just a few sec of agro, either the boss spawns to another spot and leave u kinda useless (if you charge is on cooldown) or someone else grabs agro in seconds.

    The second time it was a rogue, he even died because of nonstop gaining agro, he get back up his feet and poof, he got agro again.
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    slavezero0slavezero0 Member Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    kleezie wrote: »
    Having companions in an instance is just imbalanced imo. As the OP notes the problems with tank pets taking a player's role away in a group as well as having say 4-5 healer pets keeping up with the dungeons seems OP. I would vote for removing companions all together.

    Can't agree with you more. It is harder to tank in nw then in other mmo games,and that makes it fun but that constant aggro losing,and companions can make more threat then tanks is just stupid. And it would be nice to see some kind of indicator that you are about to lose your aggro.
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    lawionslawions Member Posts: 13 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    I'm currently level 25 Guardian Fighter and I really enjoy it. We do have a skill to lock the target in 1on1, we have to keep up the mark etc. It's working fine so far. If I could improve one thing it would be the response of guard, as mentioned many times by me, I think it's a ping issue/lack of european servers, but I think it's in game as well, if it would be possible to just throw up the shield in an instant and drop it as quick, it would make things even more awesome and skill dependant.
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    towelthetanktowelthetank Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Guardian Users Posts: 1 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    I treat tanking in NW like SWTOR. I let my group know you can go ham on all mobs but if there is an elite or boss the rules are simple

    KILL ADDS, while I tank the boss. If the boss has no aggro table then I will tank adds. I think alot of the players playing NW treat dungeons like WoW or other mainstream games where they believe we can hold aggro by auto attacking, which is not the case in NW.

    My suggestion would be to generate threat off of blocking, some sort of counter dmg measure besides spec talents.
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    sonictribladesonictriblade Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Guardian Users Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited May 2013
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    cihuacoatlcihuacoatl Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Guardian Users Posts: 1 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    It is because NPC do not make mistakes... you do.

    Threat will become easier to manage after level 36 (pending your feats). Though TR and CW will still be very hard to pull off of... if not impossible. I think it is all depends on feats you take and they take.

    DC can have issues too however my real partner built with threat reduction and i can pull MOBs off him 100% of the time. Poorly built clerics will get more attention. Though the more and more I play I start to question if their is even a need for a GF at all. If you can keep out of red stuff... there is little need at least up to level 50 content.
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    xervaixervai Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Hero Users Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    The class gets extreme amounts of aggro holding. You just don't know how to use it. 30+ is when you get all of your AE buff skills that get aggro, give you guard back, take damage, etc. Not to mention that shield bash leap that marks all mobs around the one you hit.

    So much whining on a class without playing it fully. Takes 5-6 days of casual play to get to 60 where everything opens up for you. Who cares if you can't tank at 26. What would kill you at 26 that's so hard? Nothing.

    I completely agree that it isn't the sexiest class to play, but it does it's job really well.
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    symonhumbleuksymonhumbleuk Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Guardian Users Posts: 89
    edited May 2013
    Tanking is much better from 30+ and once u get threating rush aswell it is a little better.
    Some of the later dungeons, those level 15 tank companions don't last very long at all.
    My Web: http://www.symonator.net
    Toons:
    New: CW Level 60
    GF = Level 60
    DC = Level 60
    TR = Level 60
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    therealkyrielltherealkyriell Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Guardian Users Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    The GF does not generate enough threat. Period. At level 30, my cleric is tank, heals, AND third dps in every instance I run with him. The guardian fighter is usually 2nd tank, bottom dps.
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    therealkyrielltherealkyriell Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Guardian Users Posts: 0 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    xervai wrote: »
    Takes 5-6 days of casual play to get to 60 where everything opens up for you.

    For many, the journey is far more important than the destination. I don't WANT to rush to 60 for end game content. I want to be an effective tank at level 10, so my level 10 cleric friend doesn't take all the aggro.
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    symonhumbleuksymonhumbleuk Member, Neverwinter Beta Users, Neverwinter Guardian Users Posts: 89
    edited May 2013
    I have no problems, personally.
    Cleric pulls aggro with the healing alot, but you can pull it back if you do it right.

    Alot of players are forgetting that if you take lots of damage as tank, without blocking, the threat just vanishes.
    Just constantly keeping yourself busy, also remember not quite the true tank and it's possible to get off the boss now and again to grab those adds.

    Also a later dungeon where you fight an ice troll (it's all i'll say for spoilers) tank will need to get off the boss and kite alot of those adds that spawn.
    My Web: http://www.symonator.net
    Toons:
    New: CW Level 60
    GF = Level 60
    DC = Level 60
    TR = Level 60
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    colluzioncolluzion Member Posts: 61
    edited May 2013
    The way I see it is the tank should at least be able to keep aggro of the most threatening mob on the battlefield, otherwise there's relatively no point in playing a tank. However, I don't feel that a tank should be able to tank the entire room without contest. While adds and other large mobs attack CW's clerics and rogues, I feel that the tank should be able to control the largest or scariest mob in the room.
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    vladiusvladius Member Posts: 6 Arc User
    edited May 2013
    I agree with some ppl here that GF aggro it's ok but lets not forget about the main theme here which is GF vs GF companion aggro.

    I have same issue and is very frustrating.When I was learning to tank in this game 1st my issue was with dps players doing a lot of aggro,I dont mind loosing aggro to another player cause that may means I need to learn a few things.And thats what I did. I was missing some knowledge,I learned, and now dps aggro is not a big issue most of the time.Now,tank companions looks like they have some kind of permanent taunt lol.Doing all I learned to keep aggro from DPS players wont work for tank companions.Only time I can take aggro from them is when I taunt(just for a few secs) and when I use the 1 on 1 challenge ability.Other than that I cant take aggro from those tank companions.Really not being able to do your role because a AI npc is very frustrating.I was very happy for the mechanics of being able to use companions in dungeons, but after that bad experience with tank companion I dont want companions in instances.Of course thats not the proper way to fix the issue.I suggest that the devs take a look at tank companions and maybe nerf a bit their aggro gain.
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