Some questions about WARs...

[Tnekmeister]

Most topics around the job boards are about "wich sub is the best for my main", tho being a pretty much of a n00b, those questions really doesn't concern me quite yet... want to learn the main job first... Coming from other MMO games before FFxi, I do know the terms tank, pull etc... it's just the way it's done that is different or may be different.

Tho, I'm still confuzed in how provoke works... an example: The puller who was set to not be the main tanker brings a mob towards the team, I who was given the task to tank casts provoke on the mob, I get aggro... do I build up the hate even more on that mob if I provoke him again while I've already got aggro, or is that just a waste of a provoke? Many ppl say that one should save the provoke if the aggro goes to the mages wich I totally understand. Don't want the poor ones to take the hits...

Just started to understand the "macros", I've noted that there are several critical macros that one should have... "/ja "Provoke" <t>" and so on...

Any good pointer are very welcomed... tho I appologize if these questions have been answered before, it may be my eyes playing trix on me but almost every post conserns about wich main/sub is the best...

[Baradak]

From what i've seen and experienced (28war/mnk):

Provoke spikes your hate value. This value decreases as you are hit. Your normal hits increase your agro. I myself prefer to chain provoke. I find fights go much smoother. I even had a 4 group stretch where I was the only voker in the group. I enjoyed it thoroughly.

[Bean Bandit]

25 war/mnk here. In a party with 2 BLMs, 1 RDM and 1 WHM - with one PLD, I was able to assist in tanking duties for the PLD and at times even surpassed the PLD in tanking due to the damage I dealt (with 2H Swd + Boost) and increasing DEF when necessary (with Defender) and careful usage of Provoke. When I was the main tanker in same party with a MNK replacing the PLD, I used Provoke as soon as my macro told me (through /echo) when I could use it. This way, I kept the hate on me and with Defender (it softens the blows so the enmity won't dissipate as quickly, yet my atks don't suffer as much either, although the damage dealt is noticeably lower).

I was able to do this effectively when we were fighting a VT wight and a Giant Ranger spawned on us. My tanking the Giant kept problems to a minimum and allowed the rest of the party to finish up the wight and come back to me. I was surprised though that for a VT Giant, he kept missing me :D That was sweet, since his first attack dropped my hp to 230 and I was kind of worried ...

[Negorath]

Ok, your down town, and spot a niggah and his gang hanging on the corner.

Provoke Nr 1:
Action: You walk up, and make some jokes about the colour of his skin.
Result: Aight, you just pissed the fella off, good job!

Provoke Nr 2:
Action: You follow up with some insults, and then pull out your pocket knife!
Result: Ooooh! Is that a 9mm?

Provoke Nr 3:
Action: Now it's personal! You make some jokes about his mama, and what you and her was doing last night.
Result: Dead as a result of you waiting for the WHM to Heal you. Sadly enough the WHM left the party an hour ago.

[Negorath]

On a more serious note, yes, the hate Provoke generates stacks, think of it as a hidden 100-200 damage attack, with a recharge of 30sec.

Provoke macro:
/party Provoking <t>!
/ja "Provoke" <t>
/wait 15
/wait 15
/echo Provoke has recharged

That is what I use myself anyways..

[ichnob]

Ah, I should look into using the /echo command. My 'voke macro is similar to that, except I have this:
/p Provoke ready!

This way, my party can see it, and since they know that I just got 'voke refreshed they won't be too angry when I couldn't 'voke when the mob went aggro to a mage.

[Tnekmeister]

Ah thanx for clearing that up... Really apprichiate the help.

I stopped the "exploring of Vana'Diel" for some time yesterday and started to setup some macros... My provoke macro looks like:

/party Provoking <t>!
/ja "Provoke" <t>
/wait 15
/wait 8
/party Provoke ready in 7 secs
/wait 7
/echo Provoke has recharged

So, as a main tanker you really want to rebuild that aggro against you as soon and as much as possible... therefor pretty much spam Provokes when they're rdy (this is of course if the circumstances are that you've got a backup tanker who can Provoke if needed when someone else happens to draw aggro).

Okay, maybe I'm getting ready to join a party and not being a headless chicken.

[Amaterasu]

Originally posted by ichnob
Ah, I should look into using the /echo command. My 'voke macro is similar to that, except I have this:
/p Provoke ready!

This way, my party can see it, and since they know that I just got 'voke refreshed they won't be too angry when I couldn't 'voke when the mob went aggro to a mage.

I voke every thirty seconds, reguardless...

if a mob aggros the mage its their fault.

I use echo.

the party doesn't have to know when i have provoke because i use it the instant i have it. Thats the way it should be, in my opinion. Its funny because back up tanks ask me "Why couldn't I voke it off you?"

uhh.. cuz i was voking it every 30seconds and I have a neckchopper and high acc. =P i also have +45hp (bloodbead amulet, two shield earrings) so im almost a galka.. interesting for a hume war/mnk

thats how a tank should work anyway.. nothing can get the mob off you except maybe benediction and divine seal + curaga (which is were being a paladin and using invincibility becomes important)

[Aeynrieus]

I thought the maximum number of lines you could have in one macro was six? :confused:

[Arnda]

There are two ways to 'voke:

1) Rotated Provoking: I am the main tank, I provoke first, and smack the mob around hoping to hold aggro. If it goes for a mage and I have it back up, I provoke it back to me. If not, the next tank/melee in line does it. This isn't an elegant way to do things, but it works at lower levels.

2) Chained Provoking: I am the main tank. I provoke whenever it is available. I use Boost, spells, Warcry, ninjutsu, Sentinel, whatever I have from my main and subjobs to supplement provoke and keep the hate. After a few provokes in a sequence, and provided I keep the damage up, the mob sticks to me and will rarely get off me unless a WHM winds up having to heal me a ton (and even then, I can recover it). SOP for most parties, but it's dependent on having a good or decent tank handy (PLD/WAR, WAR/NIN, NIN/WAR, WAR/MNK, SAM/WAR whatever), with a preference for PLDs or a NIN, with a WAR main in a pinch.

[joey_pizz]

Few things,

1. Taunt stacks on itself: Use it every 30 seconds.

2. Some abilities create hate, some dont. Heres a quick list off the top of my head.
-Meditate (very small amount)
-Warcry (large amount)
-All PLD abilities.
-To my knowledge, no ninjutsu creates hate.

3. Although DMG output does play a factor, normally at lower levels having mulitple taunters and back up tanks works wonders, seems that the monster runs for the mages quicker than at higher levels.

[davidmmmm9]

ninjutsu creates hate, but not much.