How Taunt Works

[Tpyo]

I was just wondering if anyone knows the specific mechanics on how taunt functions.

Back when I played classic, I never played a tank, therefor, I was always under the assumption that taunt was just a means for building aggro.

However, recently, I have been told that taunt simply resets a mobs aggro and sets the taunter to +1 above everyone else.

With this latter information in mind, wouldn't that mean a tank would only taunt when they lose aggro? I had always believed that taunt was spammed to keep aggro high...

I don't have a tank still... but really curious about the matter.

[Qaedain]

Taunt does indeed move the user's position on the hate list to the very top +1. Just make sure to plow all of your high-threat/high-damage abilities into the boss AFTER you hit taunt, not before. This will allow you to extend the threat buffer you have between you and your party. If you unload all of those abilities BEFORE you hit taunt, it's possible that you've wasted a big opportunity to generate threat by following it with a taunt that merely puts you at PARTY+1, rather than PARTY+1+ABILITIES.

[Zordana]

taunt puts you on #1 of the hatelist..
hatelist:
1. Test1 has 1500
2. Warrior has 5
-> successful taunt:
1. Warrior has 1501
2. Test1 has 1500

taunt works on mobs which are lower level than you == blue/lightblue or green con
and it doesnt have a fail message
thats about it with taunt

[Cogwell]

If Taunt only worked on mobs lower level than you, how we're tank switches possible? Not that I'm saying I know you're wrong, it just seems that couldn't be the case.

[Spirell]

If Taunt only worked on mobs lower level than you, how we're tank switches possible? Not that I'm saying I know you're wrong, it just seems that couldn't be the case.

He is talking at this era in the game... They revamped taunt march 6, 2001 they patched it:
-- Level 60 players with the taunt skill will now have a chance to
taunt creatures that are level 60 to 65. Previously, players could only
taunt creatures below their level.

Then AE taunt was added in luclin with AA points, and it allowed a no-fail(not 100% sure of that) way to get taunt from a mob.

[Omnimorph]

Tank switches came in for velious i think.

The way i assumed taunt worked was that it could still work on even and higher cons, but just failed a lot more. Usually with tank switching the other tank would start building aggro whilst the other tank's defensive was winding down, when it wound down either the mob would switch to the new tank via taunt, or the current tank would die and the new tank would be the mobs next target based on the aggro list.

But yeah, spamming taunt doesn't seem to be the way to go, taunt to get aggro, bash , kick or w/e afterwards.

[Omnimorph]

Then AE taunt was added in luclin with AA points, and it allowed a no-fail(not 100% sure of that) way to get taunt from a mob.

Yep, AE taunt was instant no fail aggro on all mobs in the vicinity. had a 15 min reuse iirc. It was a very useful ability.

[Cogwell]

So then with the version of the game we have, Taunt can work against any level mob or no?

[Qaedain]

Taunt only works on mobs that are lower level on P99.

[Spirell]

So then with the version of the game we have, Taunt can work against any level mob or no?

When the timeline hits march 6, 2001, I imagine the devs will change the code on Taunt... but since they are trying to be true to classic, right now taunt only works on lower level mobs.

Velious went live December 6, 2000, so about 4 months after velious releases if they are being 100% accurate.

[Cogwell]

I was wondering why the pet would taunt very well sometimes and not well at all at others. Thanks for the 411 guys.

[Akame]

However, recently, I have been told that taunt simply resets a mobs aggro and sets the taunter to +1 above everyone else.

This is correct, Taunt, if successful places you at the top of the hate list by 1. If you are already there, the taunt button does nothing, so don't use it when you've got aggro unless you are trying to skill it up.




If Taunt only worked on mobs lower level than you, how we're tank switches possible? Not that I'm saying I know you're wrong, it just seems that couldn't be the case.

Currently, Taunt only works on mobs equal or lower level than the tank, yellow cons or higher are auto fails. You can have some history buff back me up on this but I believe that was/will be changed near kunark launch.

This tank switching you are talking about is usually what is called cycling tanks or piggy backing.

Piggy backing aggro: You throw in an sk with harmshield up, he throws everything he has on the boss to piss him off in the 5-10 seconds of invulnerability he has, and then the main tank steps in, taunts off and the raid engages with the warrior on a nice high hate cushion. < -- Currently I do not think this is viable A because of taunt not working on higher levels and B, I don't think SK's have harmshield in the game right now.

Cycling tanks was done to rotate warriors through a boss while using their defensive discipline the whole time. I think Defensive stays up for 3 minutes and has a 10 minute cool down timer so you'd need 3+ tanks on a cycle on long fights to keep the damage halved. <--- This also is not currently viable because I don't think warriors get defensive discipline any time soon.

So at the moment it's an "Get SSOYs and pray it procs and depend on your AC and the RNG" to tank right now.

[Akame]

Found the old post I was thinking of when I read this, if you want an effective explanation of how taunt works, read this post:

http://www.thesteelwarrior.org/forum/showthread.php?postid=32130#post32130

[Cogwell]

You can't do anything but move with invuln up, and you're also the last target a mob will choose to target, so I'm guessing that's not going to be a very effective tactic.

[Akame]

You can't do anything but move with invuln up, and you're also the last target a mob will choose to target, so I'm guessing that's not going to be a very effective tactic.

Perhaps they used a different skill then, but that is what piggy backing was.

[Audacious93c]

Slam and ykesha's are really your only prayer when it comes to personal aggro. However, as you level; the best thing for you to do to tank is to depend on your group. My personal favorite was having a Ranger in my group at all times. Rangers have a sword thats pretty good and cheap for them that procs root. From there, just make sure that you are the only one standing on top of the mobs feet (closest to the mob) and you will have proximity aggro. If not ranger, just have someone in the group keep the mobs rooted. Most classes have root, you just want the "beefiest" ones to be the one casting it for resists.

Pertaining to how taunt works, everything thats been said about the +1 is correct.

- Daidraco :rolleyes:

[logiktrip]

Perhaps they used a different skill then, but that is what piggy backing was.

We generally used rangers with weaponshield if it was an unrooted npc - you are given much more time and the ranger can continue to build your head start. Without area taunt this becomes quite a bit less useful.

[Akame]

Weaponsheild! Thats what I was thinking of. Sorry, been out of the raiding scene really since 2007.

[Dumesh Uhl'Belk]

Weaponsheild! Thats what I was thinking of. Sorry, been out of the raiding scene really since 2007.

We used that trick on a few mobs. It wasn't really until after Luclin was around that it was reliable though. The AE taunt AA mentioned earlier was what made it viable.

Defensive discipline came out with Kunark when warriors hit level 55 and I want to say it lasted 3min. Also, back in the day, the reuse timer was 30 min. and all disciplines were locked out when one was used.

[guineapig]

You are correct:
http://www.everquest-online.com/spells/defensive-discipline-id4499.php

[Qaedain]

Just to provide some background...

NOVEMBER 15, 2000
Taunt: Increased effectiveness above level 50. Previously, creatures above level 50 could not be taunted by means of the taunt skill. Now, most creatures below the character's level can now be successfully taunted. As a note, the chance to taunt a creature above 50th level is smaller than that of a creature below 50th.

MARCH 6, 2001
Level 60 players with the taunt skill will now have a chance to taunt creatures that are level 60 to 65. Previously, players could only taunt creatures below their level.

To me, it looks like MOBs below level 50 could be taunted by anyone, while raid bosses were untauntable until November, 2000. After that point, taunt had a small chance of succeeding against these targets. The cap was raised in 2001 to taunt bosses from levels 60-65.

[Dumesh Uhl'Belk]

You are correct:
http://www.everquest-online.com/spells/defensive-discipline-id4499.php

Originally disciplines were innate. As soon as you gained the required level, you had the ability and you could activate it with a chat line command like /discipline defensive. It was only later that they removed that functionality and added the tomes that you had to purchase. This was done to facilitate the new endurance based abilities and to allow certain disciplines to be on different timers.