Im trying to tank for a friend as we only really do missions and the like, and he isnt that good, so he gets killed alot. But he's running Escort and Im running Cruiser. Are there aggro generating abilities Im missing for the tanks to pull it off the DPSsers with?
Ive also hear there are certain races that pull more aggro than others, like Klingon and Gorn.
What Federations ones pull better aggro? Im running a Klingon currently, an my friend in the escort is running a Alien, but I cant get aggro for anything. Ive even hit a ship for no less that 75% of its health in a single volley, only to have the ship in question go flying off after my friend instead of me. Clearly, Im missing something.
And yes, I realize that playing tank in this game is somewhat wortrhless, but I like trying it anyways, I just need some info on how to do it better.
hopefully someone has figured out a formula, but I would consider first inital damage as a way of grabing aggro, maybe you attack for 5-8 seconds then the DPSers join in.with additional damage and debuffs you should hold it.. as you work with your DPSer you will see what works and what doesnt.
perhaps there is a science officer skill that is awesome at holding aggro?
as long as your ahead DPS wise and have more debuffs on the mob, you got your aggro.
try it and see how long you can hold aggro. you can start with your power lvls directed to weapons then go shield..I let others tank all the time and rarely get aggro but I wait 6-8 secs before engaging.
I sure would love to know the answer to this myself, since I can fly in after EVERYONE else in the instance has engaged the group(s) of enemies and get my shields ripped a new one from all the incoming fire.
I know this to be true, I tested it again and again and again on my last Fleet Action, which I won, got some blue cannons out of it. Nice, but I am a Science vessel. Oh well.
Anyways. What influences the agro on these ships? Sure, I could make them switch (one at a time, I don't have the AoJ yet), but I feel they shouldn't decide to suddenly try to rip me open instead of the guy that was beating on them until they are at 20% of their health. :eek:
I can take the hits, but after awhile it gets kinds of bad.
Go the ships themselves create different aggro? I know races do, and it seems that maybe the races each have a threat number attached to them, with Klingons on the high end and Orions on the low end.
Id really like to see someone come up with an explanation to the threat mechanic here
Try Cruiser in first, do some damage, then have the Escort enter the firing range of one of the targets, work on that target. Then move on to next.
If he's going to get in the middle of things insight of everyone outdamaging you he is going to achieve something.
Should other ships that he is not targeting move in his direction attack them to pull them back to you.
Try it, it might work, threat in Cryptic Games is done my doing the most effect over distance meaning the closer you are the more of a threatening status you should achieve. Partly because of the risk reward thing, the closer you are the more damage you do if you can't be any tougher than you need to be.
Speaking as an escort, I believe aggro is mostly a group thing, not just individual. I can let a cruiser go in for 6-10 seconds and shoot the main target in a group of enemies, and then I move into range and start shooting, and all the rest of the ships almost immediately aggro onto me no matter which target I open up DPS on. They all seem to target the biggest threat to the group, rather than them each as individuals
I also suspect that aggro is based almost entirely on DPS, not total damage. Because even if the Cruiser has more total damage on a Target, it almost always switches to me as soon as I start tearing into it.
Or maybe they just are programmed to see Escorts and Science vessels as higher priority targets than Cruisers. Kind of like what happens in PvP.
EDIT: Distance DEFINITELY has an effect on aggro, because distance has a significant effect on damage (not including torpedoes and mines). At max range beam weapons only do ~65% damage, and Cannons drop to ~35%, and only get up to 100% at ranges of 1km and 2km respectively.
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perhaps there is a science officer skill that is awesome at holding aggro?
as long as your ahead DPS wise and have more debuffs on the mob, you got your aggro.
I know this to be true, I tested it again and again and again on my last Fleet Action, which I won, got some blue cannons out of it. Nice, but I am a Science vessel. Oh well.
Anyways. What influences the agro on these ships? Sure, I could make them switch (one at a time, I don't have the AoJ yet), but I feel they shouldn't decide to suddenly try to rip me open instead of the guy that was beating on them until they are at 20% of their health.
I can take the hits, but after awhile it gets kinds of bad.
Then aggro is shifted to the person with the most Damage; as long as nobody is healing.
Healing causes aggro... (not sure how much) but anything not actively attacked seems to attack a healing ship.
Ship class does not seem to matter.
Id really like to see someone come up with an explanation to the threat mechanic here
If he's going to get in the middle of things insight of everyone outdamaging you he is going to achieve something.
Should other ships that he is not targeting move in his direction attack them to pull them back to you.
Try it, it might work, threat in Cryptic Games is done my doing the most effect over distance meaning the closer you are the more of a threatening status you should achieve. Partly because of the risk reward thing, the closer you are the more damage you do if you can't be any tougher than you need to be.
I also suspect that aggro is based almost entirely on DPS, not total damage. Because even if the Cruiser has more total damage on a Target, it almost always switches to me as soon as I start tearing into it.
Or maybe they just are programmed to see Escorts and Science vessels as higher priority targets than Cruisers. Kind of like what happens in PvP.
EDIT: Distance DEFINITELY has an effect on aggro, because distance has a significant effect on damage (not including torpedoes and mines). At max range beam weapons only do ~65% damage, and Cannons drop to ~35%, and only get up to 100% at ranges of 1km and 2km respectively.
That would be bad cause that would be essentially PROGRAMMING tanking out of the game