Curse

Mistress Eyahl · May 20, 2005, 08:47 PM // 20:47

I did a quick search for a thread about this, and didn't come across as many as I thought I would. None actually about JUST this, but it is SO important.

(Forgive me if there are loads like this and if this is in the wrong forum section.. Mods feel free to delete it if I'm takin up space)

Okay, Im writing this in the middle of playing. Basically I've just failed The Wilds AGAIN with a real people team. I've attempted this mission twice with the henchmen and both times got further with them.

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Okay, Auto assisting. The word "noob" I think is unfair. Everyone needs to learn someone. For all those who learn this THEN argue that it's "pointless".. YOU'RE the noobs

3 enemies. Fighting 2v1 1v1 3v1.. the fight takes longer
6v1 6v1 6v1 will take MUCH less time, not to mention it's easier for healers to manage

Before you enter ANY quest or mission, pick a caller. This person will select targets (however they wish, but using the TAB button will allow you to scroll through the enemies without clicking on them) and then press the SPACE BAR while holding down CRTL. This will automatically make them run and attack them. The rest of the party presses T (doesn't have to be capital, just makin sure you don't mistake it for a typo

) and will automatically assist. Always look for when the caller has changed target. A new line of "I'm attacking -----" will appear AND you will hear a noise. This makes a fight go smoothly. A lot of the time your enemy will be able to self heal and this will need ALL the firepower your group has to offer.

Few tips:
- Pick ONE caller. Lots of times people have decided on a caller, and then someone thinks they can do better or "that looks like fun" and starts calling themselves. Just pick one.
- Pick someone who has knowledge of which enemies are healers, or ASKS. The best person in a party is the one who wants to learn.
- Don't start on the caller if they mess up. It can be scary. Being responsible for eveyone else is a dauting task (I get butterflies sometimes

) and you just KNOW everyone else is judging you. I actually got called a noob once cos the team died while trying to kill the mob.
- If you've picked a caller, and you're sitting there thinking "I can do a MUCH better job than this" DO IT! The worst thing ever is people saying, "Naaa I don't want to be caller" cos they're lazy, and then dissing the person who shouldered the responsibility.

Remember mistakes happen. Sometimes the caller will call and they themselves will get stuck behind something. A lot of the time they accidently click a team mate. Here's where vigilance and common sence crop up. A selfless caller is always willing to assist another on the target he was aiming for anyway, so if you know what needs to be killed and the caller's standin about.. go do it. Just be ready to auto assist if he calls.

Veterans of MMORPG who use this tactic know it's benefits. It's not the ONLY way to fight. You don't ALWAYS have to do it. But lets use The Wilds as an example:

At the beginning lots of little lowish level spiders appear. They may not require assitance.
Life pods are healers. These need at least three members on them to be killed quickly.
Centaurs NEED auto assistance to kill. There is no way each member of the party can solo one each. Especially if your party has pulled more than 4 at a time. I wiped these at lvl 17 with the henchmen because I pulled 4 at a time and the henchmen auto assist 70% of the time. I died cos I got stuck in a corner and two groups of centaurs went past inside my circle. Man I was pissed lol.

So anyway, this is a post for lots of people. People who didn't know what it was. People who did but didn't know it's benefits. Even people who knew about it but just needed a confirmation on which keys to use. Oh, and please please please, if you AGREE to use auto assist, then for god's sake use it. Everyone wants to complete missions and everyone wants to do it a certain way. Don't waste people's time but agreeing to do it one way and then sodding off to do it your own way.

One more tip. If at all possible, select the healer as the caller. I found this works best because even in this game (which doesn't have any solid way of holding aggro) it's the healer you want to live and if they attack something, there's a high chance it'll attack them back. At least if you're all surrounding the healer, you'll know what's killin em.

Apologies again if people read this and think "Well I know all that" or like I said if this in the ten MILLIONTH post about it, but it needed to be said. Of course not everyone comes to these forums but SPREAD THE WORD! Share your knowledge and let people know. For me, Auto Assisting is the optimum way for your TEAM to succede. If you like soloing.. go Solo

Xavz · May 20, 2005, 10:32 PM // 22:32

In PvP, you'd be nuts to have a healer calling. Healers need to have all of their attention focused on those little red bars that represent whether or not the target caller can continue to do his job. Someone who is attacking anyways (usually an elementalist, ranger, or warrior) should be target calling.

Duality · May 20, 2005, 10:52 PM // 22:52

if you do see that your healer(s) have just target called, you might want to figure out why. it's usually a non TS/Vent way for them to tell you to come peel these multiple enemies off of them.

TheZoologist · May 20, 2005, 11:19 PM // 23:19

Is there are way to re-map the "call target" command? I find it rather retarded that I have to use the left CTRL key (whether it be CTRL + double-click or CTRL+Spacebar) considering I use my mouse with my left hand.

Mistress Eyahl · May 20, 2005, 11:42 PM // 23:42

Course the healer needs to have their attention on healing. I suggest healers as the callers cos whatever's attacking the healer needs to go down. The healer's the best judge of what's attacking them soo.. sometimes it's best if they can call it.

Akasha · May 20, 2005, 11:46 PM // 23:46

Does the right CTRL key not work or something? Either the call target key is a non re-mappable key, in which case I'd think both CTRL keys would work, or it is a re-mappable key, in which case you can make it whatever u want.

Eos · May 21, 2005, 04:56 AM // 04:56

Calling a target is an effect of holding down the "show targets" command and executing an offensive action. By default "show targets" is mapped to left control. I'm a lefty myself, and I've remapped show targets to right ctrl, which has made my life easier.

Xavz · May 21, 2005, 05:22 AM // 05:22

The priority for attack in PvP is not whatever is attacking the healer (not even in PvE). It's the opposing side's healer. Whichever side has their healing support removed first loses, making it essential to quickly eliminate healers while mitigating your opponent's damage by disruption and denial.

DavisMarkin · May 21, 2005, 07:17 AM // 07:17

Hrm. Our guild has our Ranger call targets (at least in Fissure). I can see a good reason for Rangers to call though, as they aren't worried about healing and such, so they have the ability to spend a moment to coordinate the group.

Mistress Eyahl · May 21, 2005, 03:53 PM // 15:53

I guess I speak from bad experience. Calling targets in the proper order (healer, caster, fighter), people can get carried away. When a healer is dying, most are gonna use their heals for themselves. I don't think there's a right and wrong way. Sometimes the healer(s) can manage themselves and everyone else leaving the group free to bring down the mob, and other times the healer needs to call what's attacking them cos they can't keep themselves alive long enough to heal anyone else.

Bitter experience doing this so that's the only reason I suggest. Sounds odd, but it's worked. No better or worse than any other way, but it was suited to the situation.

I guess this is why you need two healers per group

Oh, and I have noted that screams of "ON ME ON ME ON ME!!!" Are usually followed with a "Wtf?!" cos no-one noticed the healer died. But that's the player not the class. Good saying that, blame the pilot, not the class lol.

TheZoologist · May 21, 2005, 04:39 PM // 16:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eos

Calling a target is an effect of holding down the "show targets" command and executing an offensive action. By default "show targets" is mapped to left control. I'm a lefty myself, and I've remapped show targets to right ctrl, which has made my life easier.

Edit: wait, I see now. *angelic voices*

Vusak · May 21, 2005, 05:24 PM // 17:24

im a big fan of rangers calling targets.

as a ranger i will typically be spamming poison on each enemy, ie. TAB, SPACE, TAB, SPACE etc.

so cycling through all the enemies is what im usually doing.

hence im almost always aware of which of the enemy is at low health.

further im also wielding interrupts (R/Me), so when i call an enemy, im already spamming distracting/savage shots, and that enemy will most likely have been pinned. pinned enemy healers who cant cast a spell to save themselves are best called when the ranger knows he has the energy to keep up the onslaught, nothing worse as a ranger than having a target called for you and you cant interrupt/pin because you just spammed it all on another target.

and the final reason is because the ranger is usually on the lowest priority list for being killed by the enemy, they are usually sitting back out of the big battle melee viewing the fight with a broader view on things (ie. is that an enemy monk trying to heal from range, is that an enemy caster trying to flee, etc.)

sybban · May 21, 2005, 05:54 PM // 17:54

what?!!!! you mean everyone attacking different things doesn't work?!! Poppy****

What the hell? I can't say poppy****? that word is older than jesus

mostro · May 21, 2005, 06:30 PM // 18:30

In PvP assisting is crucial and your group needs to designate a primary caller and a backup caller. Most of the group member should assist and attack the called target, however if your team has disrupters then they can be excluded from this. When your team is focusing on one of the enemy healer for example, your designated disrupter is better off attacking the other healers on the enemy team to prevent them from healing the focused target. It all depends on the group strategy of course and should be communicated before hand especially if you are in a PUG.

Mistress Eyahl · May 21, 2005, 11:36 PM // 23:36

Wow, people have made some really good suggestions and strategies on how to take down mobs. It's so unfair that I seem to get stuck in groups who, once we have a full party, scream GOGOGOGOGOGO!!! and we're off. No quick mention as to what we're doin or how.. just going and DOING it. *Sigh*

I'm guessing towards the end of the game (and against the new monsters they'll hopefully introduce into expansion packs) you really DO need to use strategy like people have mentioned here to actually get results. Unfortunately I think a lot of people make it well into the game through sheer dumb luck.
My example was a lvl 12 I saw in The Wilds (not the problem).. who was asking what a mission was *_*

It's interesting that most of the people are talking about PvP whereas I actually meant CHOOSING people for groups in the normal game. Obviously things are easier in PvP than in Role Playing, but remember they give you some time at the start of PvP. I bet it's to pick a caller

Gerbill · May 22, 2005, 01:00 AM // 01:00

in PvP assisting is defenitly needed and calling targets is really really handy and needed.

though.. on some occasions.. hardly ever happens.. but it happened like twice with me
in parties of 4vs4 I play as a Me/N
and I've had it happen to me twice that the other 3 members were fighting 3 others and that I was having a 1 on 1 duel with the opponents Mesmer, to keep him busy, during this the other 3 party members just kept fighting as if it was 3vs3..
of course it's easier to have a warrior or something similair to support in the attack on the Mesmer.. but they were needed there, and it in these 2 cases it was better this way than have the Mesmer disrupt the party while the other party had 3 other monks to deal which who were top of the list.

Ringoduk · May 22, 2005, 06:50 AM // 06:50

Actually, I used to be a big fan of calling. But the more I play, and ever since post-ascension especially, it seems to be less and less useful.

Also, I've PvPed a little bit. And while in some PvP we have a caller and all that, but in most of the best groups I've been with we don't have a caller really.

In group PvE, it seems that most people get a sense of what needs killing, especially in the later missions. For example, "Go for the healer" is so ingrained in me that I'm constantly searching for the healer anyway. It seems that in the end game, each person knows his or her task and hops to it.

I've been really impressed by my pickup group experience in general.

Nowadays, I really use calling just to highlight something that needs highlighting, not in every battle. In PvE, if we are beating on some guys and I realize there is a healer hiding behind a tree, I will call that guy.

And in PvP, it seems like every person has to constantly be aware of the enemies health, their own team's health, and where everyone else is. People pretty naturally congregate on targets of oppertunity. It's so fluid and fast, it's hard to call targets. If everyone has their eye on the battlefield and are constantly reassessing the situation, then each person will go to whichever task is most important. If some people aren't really aware of what's going on, you are dead anyways.

Lastly, be aware that some people won't necessarily follow the targets you call. I play a fire elementalist for example, and oftentimes my energy needs to be directed at some large group of guys a little bit away from the main battle.

So just don't be a nazi about calling is my main point. It can be helpful at times, but it's not always necessary and sometimes it's not even helpful.

Sablerune · May 25, 2005, 10:34 PM // 22:34

As a pure healer myself I agree, the healer NEEDS to be focused on healing not calling targets. Heck most the time I am only half aware of anything besides those little red bars, what spells were cast on me and how close the enemy is to my position.
There is ONLY one instance in which the healer should call out a target, that is ion the case of needing an enemy peeled off so that the healer can continue to keep the rest of the group alive. Yes, healer CAN stay alive for a little while, but that is not efficient since the party is suddenly not getting heals. What I like to do is clarify that one person, not the war will assist me in this event. My favorites are rangers because they can snare the enemy war so I can get away and slip some heals in. Time...just a little bit is all thats needed. The great part about rangers is that they don't have to run back to me since I hang back..they can just turn and to the job. Once the warrior or whoever is the main caller has finished with their target he/she can come and finish off the enemy (usually war) that is harrassing me. Another thinng I like about rangers is that if needed I can request some interrupts on an opposing mesmer...makes it easier to slip those heals through.
Thats just my two cents and unfortunately this obviously is a rare thing in pickup pvp groups.

Mistress Eyahl · May 26, 2005, 12:10 AM // 00:10

Whether a group decides to call targets or not I'll tell you one that p*sses me off to the point of clawing at the screen.

All deciding and agreeing to one thing.. then doing another. Ffs people, make up your minds!

P.s. I love the henchmen

Zyuu · May 26, 2005, 05:16 AM // 05:16

lol yeah I found quickly that henchmen were a lot easier to manage/cooperate with than most players up until after ascension. I did just about every mission/quest with either full hench or my rl friend until fire islands

then just make some friends in tombs, where u are inevitably to end up unless you keep remaking chars for pve

Z