Assist Rework - Phoenix Freeshard

Alright, I think most people were happy about this recent gtassist change, which made it so earth wizard/siege bobbleheads need half a brain to play now instead of none.

I recently took a break from DAoC this last week because of frustrations built around that issue! I started playing SWGemu(starwars game) which was always my second love. From that game I noticed an ability that caught my eye and maybe thought it could change up the dynamic of this server based around /assist.

This ability made it so one person can force their party to change target to theirs and start attacking. What about adding something like that to the classes that don't get picked as much in RvR and remove /assist from the game as well?

Before too much hateful thoughts from healer/cc classes come in, it would have to be adapted ofc to keep certain people in group from retargeting. I was thinking the class that get this ability have a tag ability, like guard, prot, intercept, where they place it on people in group and only those people tagged by that ability will have their target shifted when force assist is used.

This might take awhile to get used to or may not be desirable at all! I think it sounds interesting and brings more classes out of the 8v8 closet.

Mon 23 Nov 2020 2:07 PM by Sepplord

If i understand you correctly, you want to remove assist completely, outside of specific classes having abilities that trigger an assist-command onto them?
I don't think many would like that on a completely new shard that has this mechanic from the get go...although i can see how it might be intresting.

On a running shard as old as phoenix though? You would completely piss off almost everyone:

Which classes would you give this to? And why do they deserve a "must have"-slot suddenly in group-RvR?
Which classes will be the new "not sought after"-classes if another slot in the group goes to the must-have main-assist-class
Which realm would benefit the most / be punished the least from such a change?

All those "fears" apply to a new shard too, but at least there players can prepare. What do you do on phoenix if your high-RR char is suddenly not picked anymore because of the change?
What do you do if you want to play main-assist but don't play the char that gets the assist ability?

Mon 23 Nov 2020 2:30 PM by opossum12

This is a terrible idea.

Mon 23 Nov 2020 3:11 PM by Bradekes

Sepplord wrote: ↑
Mon 23 Nov 2020 2:07 PM
If i understand you correctly, you want to remove assist completely, outside of specific classes having abilities that trigger an assist-command onto them?
I don't think many would like that on a completely new shard that has this mechanic from the get go...although i can see how it might be intresting.

On a running shard as old as phoenix though? You would completely piss off almost everyone:

Which classes would you give this to? And why do they deserve a "must have"-slot suddenly in group-RvR?
Which classes will be the new "not sought after"-classes if another slot in the group goes to the must-have main-assist-class
Which realm would benefit the most / be punished the least from such a change?

All those "fears" apply to a new shard too, but at least there players can prepare. What do you do on phoenix if your high-RR char is suddenly not picked anymore because of the change?
What do you do if you want to play main-assist but don't play the char that gets the assist ability?

So I also think most won't like the idea as it's a huge paradigm shift to how things currently work. I am not implying the current assist system of being flawed as I don't see a big issue with how things currently work but I do think it would bring more to the group dynamic. I see the assist command useful for pve though I think it's a bit too easily used in rvr/pvp.

The classes I think that should have it are Pala, Champ, Thane. This would add more to melee groups as I think a big complaint on this server is it being dark age of castalot and debuff trains being an issue. Thane is caster too so it might make mid more balanced to have an assist with both capabilities.

Mon 23 Nov 2020 4:52 PM by Sepplord

in that example though, it would pidgeonhole groups even more
For example alb castergroups currently work without a peeler, or they choose to take one and have multiple options
with pala being the only one to enable assisting, that would make pala the must have and leave all other peelers in the trash

Just as example, it is similar for the other realms.

Mon 23 Nov 2020 5:15 PM by Bradekes

Sepplord wrote: ↑
Mon 23 Nov 2020 4:52 PM
in that example though, it would pidgeonhole groups even more
For example alb castergroups currently work without a peeler, or they choose to take one and have multiple options
with pala being the only one to enable assisting, that would make pala the must have and leave all other peelers in the trash

Just as example, it is similar for the other realms.

Who's to say groups will take a class just because they have the ability to force assist? My opinion, if a /command is making or breaking this games rvr then it needs to be an ability instead. Giving classes useful utility and abilities makes a game better.

If a group decides to invite a paladin giving up a ranged dps or arms peeler that's their decision. They have 8 slots to fill and more diverse groups should be a vision all players have not one to be fought against. If you're saying /assist is so strong of a tool then it should need to be monitored or mitigated into a form that isn't so prevalent and that can bring value to under-valued classes.