Healers as the default boss target?

DigiAngel

I recently had the misfortune to be in Castle Thorn today with a true fake tank...no taunt, no nothing (honestly a rare thing, for me at least). I noticed that every boss had me, the healer, as their target, even though I'd not attacked. Is this..normal? Anyone else experience this?

RealLoveBVB

Usually a boss is targeting the dd with the most dps. Not sure if there is a target mechanic or just random. But usually I experience the dd- target mostly.

HatchetHaro

Untaunted enemy targeting is not random; just obfuscated. It is a bug that has existed since forever. Run with the same group on the same characters with the same comp in the same dungeon, and you will be targeted almost every time.

Only solution? Kick the fake tank.

Paramedicus

I guess you used HoTs and a lot of bosses there have breaks in the fight. So you either got aggro from "pre-healing" or it was being increased by constantly healing when others couldn't attack. I don't remember if aggro resets during these breaks or if the threat level simply drops over time because the boss is invulnerable to damage.

ssewallb14_ESO

An enemy that is untaunted and undamaged will tend to target the back of the group, which is usually where the healer is.

Renato90085

when i am dps or healer this alway happen to me
but if i am tank and someone start combat ,it never happen to me

Soarora

Yes, that is normal. My understanding on aggro is that it’ll target either the healer because of their healing or the DPS with the most damage. I’m not sure on the math as to how much healing makes aggro go to the healer. When I was a healer main, I tended to feel very targeted by dungeons haha (once even had a moongrave fane cube land on me, but that’s coincidence).

DigiAngel

Huh..yea this was even before pre-healing...like...just approaching the boss and I was it. Was just curious really As for kicking the fake tank...nah. I mean...I get it...he/she isn't "doing their job", but at the same time, not gonna lie, I like the challenge and stimulation of having to adjust my play...spices up those dungeons

Frayton

Healers have to be the default target or something bc this always happens to me too. Maybe it has something to do with the most casts or dots.

It seems like the default aggro order is, taunt > healer > highest DPS.

Pixiepumpkin

I cant say for ESO, but traditionally high healing and high DPS pull aggro. If the DPS are doing doing so well, you migbht be pulling heal aggro (as heals are a lot stronger).

I dunna, just my thoughts on it.

frogthroat

I'm not sure if this game has any mechanic as "high dps pulls aggro" but what I have seen is that if the boss is not aggroed, the first one to do direct damage gets the aggro, but if it aggroes by other means it goes for the one farthest away.

But even that doesn't seem to apply every time. So I am not certain if there is any such thing. Might be just random since the tank is supposed to use a taunt ability to keep the aggro. It is not like in some games where you do damage with taunt ability and as long as your dps with those abilities is high enough the taunt remains.

DigiAngel

Furthest away seems to make sense in my situation at least..thanks @frogthroat .

sarahthes

ESO has a threat mechanic with hard taunts and "soft" taunts (pulls, some scribed skills) having the highest priority. High healing and high DPS both generate threat as well, and this is why the highest DPS or one of the healers becomes the target if for example the tank dies.

Orbital78

The "tank" should have had aggro if they had decent dps, but it sounds like the whole group was lacking, but I assume you knew that by the end. I've been working on setting all my supports up with at least an off tanky setup for those situations, if you're not gonna kick the bad, might as well slot a taunt and just block and dodge. Lady Thorn is kind of mostly roleplaying ring around the rosy.

Ragnarok0130

DigiAngel wrote: »

I recently had the misfortune to be in Castle Thorn today with a true fake tank...no taunt, no nothing (honestly a rare thing, for me at least). I noticed that every boss had me, the healer, as their target, even though I'd not attacked. Is this..normal? Anyone else experience this?

Healer main here, I've never seen any official confirmation from ZoS but healers seem to be the default boss aggro magnet if there's no tank. It's why I refuse to run DLC dungeons with a fake tank. If I phase in and see a fake tank I ask him if he wants me to pop an armory assistant to put on his tank spec. If he refuses or doesn't answer I either leave the group and take the time penalty or I try to vote kick him and if it works I pull out a tank spec companion and they always work better than a fake tank. I have no time for fake tanks that want to waster other's time to skip the DPS queue.

BXR_Lonestar

DigiAngel wrote: »

I recently had the misfortune to be in Castle Thorn today with a true fake tank...no taunt, no nothing (honestly a rare thing, for me at least). I noticed that every boss had me, the healer, as their target, even though I'd not attacked. Is this..normal? Anyone else experience this?

There may be something to this. Whenever I'm on my main character (a healer), and I go fishing or do overland content with my group, I can be far away from the target, I can take no aggressive action against the target, and unless the target is taunted, upon taking damage, the target will come after me. I have seen crocodiles and other trashmobs literally run across several screens after one of my group members light attacked it, only to have it default target me while I'm fishing. It's become one of my group's favorite ways to troll me, but it really seems to be a thing.