Profession roles and Encounters

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Elrojo
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Profession roles and Encounters

Post by Elrojo »

Hello,

by request from Polvarish I am attempting to compile a (very) brief guide to how professions are *expected* to operate in teams and raids. Even though I am familiar with most toons, I am not 100% right on all the aspects.

Foreword on damage

Many people will assert that all professions should be capable of dealing great damage. Though I feel that this often makes people *lazy* on their actual roles. I now see many raids where the crat wont debuff because this lowers DPS output, or the doc doesnt spam heals due to DoTs etc. Your number 1 priority in all raids should be to do your job, not to top the DD list.

Crats

Your main tool set is based on 3 things.
1) Crowd control - this is to mezz mobs so they don't attack others
2) Debuff - this is to slow mobs down from hitting the tank or other players
3) AAO/AAD or Crit auras

Crats will deal damage very consistently at most levels if you can find good high level pets to whack mobs with. Your nukes can also be great DD, but careful of dong a whole lot of DD, unless you can tank a few hits

Docs

Your main tool set is based on 2 things.
1) Debuffs - Init debuffs, in the form of nanos and procs
2) Heal (duh!) - you should focus on 2 types of healing a) Heals over time b) direct healing

Docs can rack up DPS, especially in raids with many targets as DoTs will stack. BUT never let people die at the expense of DPS. No one will really care if you ar 6th on the DPS list, if no one dies.

Fixers

Generally fixers are useful for a few reasons
1) NCU - make sure you collect several nanos so you can cast for lower people also
2) HoTs - heals are very helpful in reducing work load on the docs
3) DPS - properly set up fixers will do great DD. End game espcially
4) Speed/Evades - Auras on SL and direct nanos on RK
5) Crowd control - snares are very good in many encounters

Often not a *needed* profession, but a good fixer will justify their own spot

MPs

Once again no set duty, but handy for the following reasons
1) NSD (Nano Shut Down: massive nanoskills debuff)- always try NSD any nuking mob (that' won't work on some mobs that don't really cast they nukes though)
2) Debuffs - not as effective as crat or Doc's, but handy in their absence
3) Pets - heal/mezz/DD says it all
4) Nano regen and sklls - handy for tanks and other casting profs

Again, not a needed profession per se, but a good one will justify their position. Even be the president one day...

Trader

Another support prof that can be handy for the following reasons
1) Debuffs - drains will debuff mobs
2) Off-Heals - traders have 1-2 good heals that can help out a doc, not usually sufficient to replace, especially in high lvl raids
3) Umbrals - auras that increase nano skills and attack ratings
4) Crowd control - can do mezzes also

NTs

Supports for the following reasons
1) Nano regen - handy for all casting profs
2) Debuffs - nano resist debuffs and blinds to reduce AAO
3) Crowd control - roots/calms
4) DPS - DoTs and nukes can be very effective, at endgame is very hard to OD a fully set up NT

Shade

1) Pretty much a lump of DPS meat.
2) Tank - some encounters can be tanked with evades

A good shade will normally deal huge amounts of DPS, and really thats all they can do.

Keeper

Keepers are handy for many reasons, and the use will depend on the raid
1) Auras - very good auras for HoT or Nano Deltas, AAD procs, DPS boosts, Blockers
2) Tanking - a good keeper can tank many bosses
3) DPS - can be very high
4) Anti-Fear - great for 12man Instance and PvP

Enf

Essential prof for many reasons
1) Tanking - most effective tank for multi-mob raids
2) DPS - not hugely high in DPS but can get up there

Soldier

Soldiers are becoming more and more the preferred toons for many instances

1) tanking (but mostly vs one mob) - AMS tanking is incredibly effective as you take almost no damage for 100 seconds every 130 seconds. So essentially on vulnerable for 30 seconds.
2) DPS - very high DPS if done well.
3) Reflects - auras and direct nanos

Engis

Engineers roles are very complicated and change depending on the raid
1) DPS - can be very high in DPS in raids
2) Reflects - can be hugely advantageous to have reflects in team
3) ACs - especially for tanks
4) Debuffs - Especally AAO debuffs with blind auras

MAs

MA's sort of go in and out of favour depending on the raid
1) DPS - MAs can be very high in DPS if set up properly
2) Tanking - can tank with evades
3) Heals - MAs probably 3rd best outright healer behind doc and Advy

Advy

Advy's are like the allrounder in the team that doesn't often get play time because the specialist players get preference. They do a bit of everything
1) Heal - 2nd best healer in game, but a distant 2nd to doc
2) Morphs - wolf = AAD, sabre = AAO leet = annoying and conceal, parrot = runspeed
3) Auras - AAD
5) DPS - can be very effective DPS especially ranged
6) tanking - advy tanking relies on evades, cocoons and heals

Agent

Agents are also complicated. Due to the ability to use other profs nanos the role may evolve
1) DPS - agents can whack out a bunch of DPS if needed and working for it
2) false professions - mainly the agent will go doc/crat/trader but even advy can be useful. when FPd you normally assume the role of that profession
Elrojo
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Re: Profession roles and Encounters

Post by Elrojo »

Raids

Foreword

Most end game raids now can be done with the "core" professions and then extra can be gravy. I would say that for the most part you need at least the core professions to be 220 and well set up, or 218+ and extremely well set up. However when the profession is mentioned I am assuming they have the full tool set at their disposal and that what they can do is needed.

Inferno Easy Missions

You need at least a 220 roller. Ideally no more than 2 people should be under 200. You need to have at least 3/6 of your util/Huds occupied with good items and you should be in symbiants of at least ql200. NCU should be 450 minimum.

I dont really deal in raw numbers of DPS, but if you are a DPS profession you should be top 3. Unless other DPS profs are much higher level than you. If you are a Doc you should be able to keep people alive while they take hits from 2-3 mobs. At at least have 15K HP to keep yourself alive if you get agg. Crats should be able to mezz mobs with a resist % of less than 10%. Enfs should have 20K HP at least and be able to cast mongo easily (its tl5) and have a good single taunt.

nothing is typically needed for inf easies, but if everyone does their job its smooth regardless of professions that attend

Inferno Hard Missions

Different story. As a rule dont attempt to join hards unless you are regularly top 2-3 of your DPS lists in easies. You can tank 2-3 mobs easily in easies. You can heal the easies without ppl dying or dying yourself.

DPS is key in hards as the longer mobs are alive the slower it is and more risk of random agg and dying. debuffs and crowd control is also super handy. So crats need to have the red tape nanos and the highest malaise for your level.

Hards are usually for those who are 210+ who have at least 1/2 their gear as end game. That is Ofab in places where it is best. Alba HUD/Utils where needed, a ql 300 weapon, ideally the beast weapon, or the next best alternative.

As bad as it sounds inf hards are a bit of an epeen arena, so don't do your reputation the disservice by going before you are ready.

Dust Brigade Instances (dungeons) 1 & 2

Ok this is the first of the raids that are generally reserved for 220s.

Core professions needed are healer, DPS & tank Crat.
Healer = Doc
DPS = anyone capable
Tank = Enf/Soldi/Keeper/MA

Really there isnt room for slacking on those 3 professions. All should be in 270ish symbs, have all end game nanos, have 90% finished armour/utils/weaps.

Other professions can be lower than 220, but in the spirit of fairness and equal contribution you should also be able to handle an inf hard before you try this.

Collector

Located in iPande, this is a raid that needs a full team for maximum effectiveness.
Doc, tank, crat, DPSx3

Really collector is for 220's only who are in a set up that is basically finished. This is like the encounter end game people do because there isnt much else to do and you might get a randomly uber drop like ELLTS, Supple etc.

APF's
(Alien Play Fields: common name of alien-invaded out-zones sectors 13, 28, and 35)


All need essentially the same thing. All 3 can be done in a 6 man end-game set up team, but usually done as a raid. The PF is open from 180+, but ideally 200 should be the minimum. You should be able to handle your business in an inf easy to be a contributing team member in a raid.

Essential profs like Enf/doc/Crat should be practically finished. That is 90% of gear will work at endgame. Such as 300 ofab, Alien armour, beast weapons etc.

to be continued....
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Chrisax
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Re: Profession roles and Encounters

Post by Chrisax »

Great great work Rojo. Made it sticky, and added a handful of small precisions. (Meaning of APF, precision on NSD,... small things.)

(I'll delete this post when you add content so your thread is still clean: think of making "reserved" posts in advance to allow people to add replies without messing your thread. :)
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