Taunt mechanic for PVP - what do you think?

ElliottXO · January 2017

Hi fellas,

Playing a tank in most games I have always felt incomplete in PVP because you are pretty much ignored until everyone else is dead.
This could also be one of the reasons why there is a tank shortage in almost every game. They simply have no real place in organized group PVP because there are no taunts or aggro.

So what do you think if this game would have a taunt mechanic against other players?

I could think of something like: if you get taunted you can only do 100% damage against the player who taunted you, and the taunter will be have a strong visual indication. And against other players your damage is reduced by e.g. 30% while you are taunted.

What do you think? How would you imagine a taunt mechanic could make sense?

Cheers

NBrookus · January 2017

I'm a human, not an NPC, and as such I can choose who to attack and who not to. Sometimes that means ignoring the tanks; the ones that don't accomplish anything other than being hard to kill. Any mechanic that takes away player autonomy would be very detrimental to game health.

On the other hand, good tanks are a major PITA. They are CCing, interrupting, draining opponent resources, guarding healers and squishy DPSers and taking the brunt of attacks (or retreats) by positioning.

The other kind of pvp tanking -- just being hard to kill -- can also be effective by tying up players and resources. But those players that do that successfully are proficient at psychological tanking by virtue of being so annoying and desirable a target that people potato on them.

Stannum · January 2017

The only way i see how to make PvP taunt is putting on taut skills CC-effect (somewhat like fear but run in another direction) so it should be effected by break free and CC-immunity. And really i do not see any need for such thing.

Brrrofski · January 2017

No thanks, I like being in control of my character.

You want people to go or the tank? Don't just stand there holding blok. Add useful things into your build so you're a worthwhile investment to kill. CCs, roots, group buffs, enemy debuffs etc

Beardimus · January 2017

I agree, taunts to work like fear but running towards. So easy to code, and give tanks a reason to PvP.

Also a cone of protection behind them when they block, like a shield wall

Prabooo · January 2017

There is an MMO where there is a resource called "clear mind state", upon activation, you and your target will be warped into oblivion. All surrounding enemies/allies will disappear momentarily and you can fight with the target in 1v1 mode.

Just an idea.

Bandit1215 · January 2017

No, just no...

FleetwoodSmack · January 2017

NBrookus wrote: »

I'm a human, not an NPC, and as such I can choose who to attack and who not to. Sometimes that means ignoring the tanks; the ones that don't accomplish anything other than being hard to kill. Any mechanic that takes away player autonomy would be very detrimental to game health.

On the other hand, good tanks are a major PITA. They are CCing, interrupting, draining opponent resources, guarding healers and squishy DPSers and taking the brunt of attacks (or retreats) by positioning.

The other kind of pvp tanking -- just being hard to kill -- can also be effective by tying up players and resources. But those players that do that successfully are proficient at psychological tanking by virtue of being so annoying and desirable a target that people potato on them.

To be fair, most people will potato on anything anymore.

What's really funny are the tanks that just up and EotS out of nowhere.

Kutsuu · January 2017

This taunt mechanic is not uncommon in other games. However, if you combine this with Guard and the fact that there are literally UNKILLABLE permablocking trolltanks in this game you're going to run into way too many issues when they can reduce your damage against a player by more than 50%.

Waffennacht · January 2017

What you want is to create a viable damage redirect tank.

You cannot make a literal taunt in PvP for this game, even incentivizing (yes I just made that a word lol) your opponent to attack you wouldn't change much. So you want to tank but through your control, the only way to do this is to use armor and abilities that redirect damage to you.

The only problem is the fact you'd have to reduce tankiness for the redirection armor (kinda counter productive no?) So you should be a strong advocate for the creation of viable redirection armors

Right off the top of my head is guard, I know I've read a few armors, but irc they are all very circumstantial

alephthiago · January 2017

So....basically, you want to make the game less fun to other players because you want feel more usefull in pvp? (apart from the support tanks can already provide).

DeadlyRecluse · January 2017

If you bring something of value to a team fight, you won't be ignored as a tank.

If you hold block while your friends die, you will be.