Teras Kasi Archive

I didn't see a lot of threads on this in the TKA forums, so I wanted to ask if anyone else finds that groups prefer to have pets tank rather than brawlers. Basically the argument is that a) pets can take a lot more punishment than I can b) they can put the tanking petaway at the end of the fight and swapit out for a fresh, healedone, minimizing downtime c) they do more damage. It's hard to argue with any of these points. Why heal a brawler with 1100 health when a pet has 5k and does more damage?

Are there any brawlers/TKA's here that are being asked to step aside in favor of pets?

Ive neevr been outright asked to, however I agree with A and B but not totally with C.

TKAs can really dish it out and put the specials on em.

Not all fights are just pure tanking...you need to have brains for some and pets dont have one. But I must agree that pets make one hell of a tank.

Personally, no one has EVER asked me if I would leave so they could use their pet. I would tell them to bugger off! As someone who enjoys hunting big game on remote worlds like Rori, Dathomir, Lok, etc., I am personally THANKFUL for the creature handlers that bring those bad boys. As a tank, I find it much safer, and I live a lot longer, when a bigger, more kick #$%&! tank is right there taking the damage that the Rancor could be dealing me.

The only time I EVER ask if pets may be stowed (in the overhead compartment, or under the seat in front of you please) is if we are hunting low-level game, and then you shouldn't be in a group anyway.

I'd say the problem is more the people you are grouping with, than the role of TKAs and Pets in the game.

Well, I am a master Teras Kasi Artist, and I cannot recall being considered a tank since I was in my first days working my way up Unarmed. I am a killer. Why would you ever want to sell yourself as a meat shield? I guess I am a little confused by your question. Are you excluded from groups because they 'already have a pet for a tank'? Or are you just making it up because you want to absorb more damage before dying? Or are you jealous of the neat creature handler profession?

I agree with boobooq5425

Considering tanking (i.e. absorbing damage) has never been a "role" of any profession in this game (though asbrawlerswe feel like it should exist and belong to us), it's kind of hard for pets to steal this role from us.

Well I have a pet, so no I'm not jealous. Grim I would challenge you to prove that there's no tank role in SWG. Sounds like empty words to me. Tanking does the following:

1. Keeps the mob still

2. Debuffs him with intimidate, stun, blind, etc

3. Allows the medics to heal one target rather than running around healing several

4. Keeps the mob at ideal range for best ranged dps.

To name just a few. So you tell me how these arent important to SWG, or are you just talking out of your ass? I suspect the latter.

People aren't rejecting me in groups, theyre just asking me not to tank,to jump in after the pets are engaged. The pets are doing all the work, and the medics just stand around. That's all my point was. It's less jealously and more boredom, like why I am I here? I'm just jumping in to help a bunch of giant cats and dogs. What is the vision for melee in this game?

No, they aren't.

You have to get away from the classical tank we all know from other online games like EverQuest etc. SWG isn't like them.

You also have to consider that there is A LOT more ranged users and CH's then melee classes, so a lot of people use pets to tank for them most of the times. However many times when I am in a group, people do notice a lot more damage output. Also with skills like Intimidate, stun, blind and dizy etc. we make a lot of difference.

I have never been asked not to do what I do. Sometimes however I do step back when there is no medic present for example. But it's always been my own choice.

Well, let me chime in here with a Creature Handlers point of view. First, let me get this out of my system... no pet does/has/will ever do, as much damage as any halfway intelligent combat class.... let alone a Teras Kasi artist.

Ahem .... ok, moving on.

Ok, I have wondered about this from the other side of the fence, and I have seen some of my questions answered here. The thing that you have to bear in mind is that an intelligent CH will have an assortment of pets for various situations.

Those of you who find yourselves in a group with a critter handler need to examine your styles. Figure out what you do in terms of debuffs, i.e. do you use stun, blind, or what have you. Then talk to the CH for a second and find a pet that compliments that. Odds are, any high level CH will look atyou and go "hmmm.... well I have one that stuns, one that blinds, one with posture change, one with poison... " etc..

Just ask what special attacks the Creature Handlers pet does, and find a way to milk it for all it's worth! I group with a TKA in my PA sometimes, and it works quite nicely. He likes to use dizzy attacks a lot.... so I use pets that cause posture change a lot. Just work together. You don't need to feel put out because a CH has a pet in a group .... use your head and figure out how to make it an asset.

Of course, that's just my opinion. I could be completely wrong.

I'll concede the damage point, since I haven't really looked at it closely enough to be sure.

I wasn't trying to pick on Creature Handlers. It would probably be ok if only CH's had pets and, as you suggest, we could justwork cooperatively.

However, right now everyone is a CH. Everyone in my PA including mehas at least one pet, even the entertainers, and most have several. When we go out hunting in groups of 10 or more we have 8-10 pets following the non-CH's, plus 2-3 eachfor our 2 CH's. The point is that the melee is being upstaged by the better tanking performance of the pets, and I was surprised that there were no threads on this topic on this board. The typical fight pattern is send in pets, then fire at will. Instead of taunting the mob and tanking it for the group, I do support damage for the various cats, dogs, goats, giant birds and apelike beaststhat are sent in a horde after the target. I was surprised that TKA's (melees ingeneral)didn't view this as an infringement.

Laotse

you are absolutely correct not only are there pets with more ham than a tkm will ever have, there are also many chs that act like pokemon trainers and just think that themselves and their pets are all anyone will ever need. however obviously not all chs are like this, many are great players that will work with you to achieve the best possible damage vrs. defense scenario. That Being Said: overall as a personal pet peeve i hate seeing all these pets around. nothing against chs, nothing against how they work in the game...i just dont think it feels very star warsy. id like to see a lot more droids and a lot fewer pets.

Laotse,

Go try even landing those special moves on the "high end" content in this game. Sure you can tank xp mobs, but you'll be dead in no time what so ever if you tried to "tank" dark jedi, kryats, kimos, etc even in a considerable group. Wow, you can tank a friggen nym or two. Big whoop. Add to that the fact that aggro in this game is a joke, and you're honestly telling me I'm talking out of my ass? Give me a break. You reek of fanboism.

Reguardless, I should have clarified in my initial post that due to comparatively low HAM bars for PCs, lack of aggro control mechanism (/assist? /laugh is more like it), high resist rate of specials on the laughable end game pvm content, there was never any role for PCs for tanking in SWG. The smart people ALWAYS used pets to tank.

You yourself say it best when you say...

"People aren't rejecting me in groups, theyre just asking me not to tank..."

Thanks for proving my point for me.