Guild Wars 2

Was wondering how the aggro system in dungeons work. I notice there are not taunts or hate modifiers, at least none that I can see, so is there a way to hold aggro on a boss? And if so, is there a way to possibly aggro swap with someone else?

Was planning on building a tanky guard for dungeons, but if i cant hold aggro with him id just be a wasted spot.

The exact formula for aggro is currently unknown. However it is discovered that its based on variety of factors mainly including the following: Damage done (perhaps snap shot of current DPS over a short timeframe), player proximity, player’s toughness. This might vary between bosses and trash.

it would indeed be a wasted spot. aggro http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Aggro works mainly off of proximity, and past and present DPS output. if you’re forgoing DPS for the sake of defenses, you’ll struggle to maintain a bosses aggro, and the damage that you mitigate will most likely be splash runoff.

if you want to manipulate aggro, i’d take someone who can sustain DPS at a range while also mitigating damage significantly (especially against bosses that can also sustain range). kites are pretty useful in lots of dungeon encounters, but if you’re a guardian, you probably want to focus on your own DPS as well as team support, which you can do offensively or defensively, especially since the guardian’s only ranged weapon is the support/control scepter, which will not let you deal significant DPS.

The dodge is mostly a way to lower your threat. If 4 players keep dodging not hitting a mob, and the “tank” is the only one damaging adds/boss, he will keep sooner or later the aggro. Until his team fight again, and adds move out attacking others again. No, this game is not programmed to allow “roles” , so no tank, no healer, no dps only roles.

Ah. Very nice replies. Thanks guys, just what i needed.

Lucas Ashrock.8675:

The dodge is mostly a way to lower your threat. If 4 players keep dodging not hitting a mob, and the “tank” is the only one damaging adds/boss, he will keep sooner or later the aggro. Until his team fight again, and adds move out attacking others again. No, this game is not programmed to allow “roles” , so no tank, no healer, no dps only roles.

there are roles, you just never minimize anything all the way. you’re still going to be focusing on DPS, focusing on support, or focusing on control. but removing any of those entirely will make what you are bringing to the table rather ineffectual (can’t hold aggro without substantial DPS, so no true tanks; enemies will do a tremendous amount of damage so no glass cannons; and there simply is not a movepool for adequate healing, so no healer).

in my own opinion, it’s usually best to try to spread aggro around your party, so as to spread damage around your party. anyone who can’t reliably shake an aggro is probably going to be downed. that’s why pugs tend to work best if everyone can chip into everything (DPS, support, and control) on their own. don’t think “how can i min/max,” but “what do i want to focus on, and what other characteristics are going to help me with that?”

Agree, a dynamic role will always work better. With the word “role” i meant the old famous trinity, finally dead. Obiouvsly a player can improve a bit more his toughtness and vitality. Appears as a tank build. It’s not. It’s just a player with higher survavibility , even revving a full bar of players downed while hit, and a terrible dps and heal.

A ‘Controller’ Type build on guardian would be a better use of a group spot. This is essentially a similar ‘role’ to a tank in other games in some ways which is what your obviously after…
Your role is not quite the same as a tank in other games though, the ability to soak up damage and take all the hits is simply never going to be present really in GW2 by anyone, no matter how survivable you make yourself.

However a controller build guardian (or some other classes too can do similar) will immobilise/cripple the melee guys to stop them chasing others in the group thus keeping them away from squishier people… you will knockdown or reflect ranged guys to again, keep them off the squishier. Knockbacks for similar result…. Walls/Rings that block npc movements.

Your role is that of preventing damage being done rather than absorbing it, but essentially i view that as similar type of role to a tank in other games.

Except a controller type doesn’t work very well on most boss’ as they all have a form a stability permanently…