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ETIQUETTE - a guide to group behaviour and etiquette in flashpoints and OPs


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1. As a tank, guard whoever u want before first pull. After first couple of pulls, switch it to whoever generates the most threat. Also. Watch your healers health bar. U have other threat generators than your taunts. On my 50 assassin tank, I open trash pulls with overload. ((only if it won't break cc)). Then single taunt the strongest mob, wait 5 sec, area taunt. If fight lasts longer, I re-use overload, single taunt, shock ((this generates a ton of threat)), and force pull for distant mobs that like to shoot at healer. ((also, force speed isn't just for speeding up, it's great for grabbing that pesky healer killer when pull is on cd)). Other tank classes can all keep aggro as well, it's just about knowing your class.

 

I hope you never tank for me. I absolutely hate when people throw around knockbacks during trash pulls. Totally annoying thing to do to your dps and/or your healers that are trying to help dps.

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Actually, it seems to have a good deal of basis to it.

What I mean is that while it's true of textbook trash pulls, it's generally not true of any fights with notable mechanics.

 

If they pulled aggro from something they couldn't handle, it's hardly the tank's or healer's fault, isn't it?

Well, this can very much be the tank's fault. As always there are exceptions, but generally the attitude that "it's the DPS' job to manage their threat" is wrong.

Edited by Aurojiin
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What I mean is that while it's true of textbook trash pulls, it's generally not true of any fights with notable mechanics.

 

 

Well, this can very much be the tank's fault. As always there are exceptions, but generally the attitude that "it's the DPS' job to manage their job" is wrong.

 

True. It did come from a game where the bulk of the gameplay was textbook trash pulls. Notable mechanics didn't come into it until much later in development.

 

And it was also a game where a DPS could not accidentally pull aggro off a tank, because the taunt mechanics didn't have threat ratings. Scrappers had the defenses to handle any damage from the targets they mark, whereas blasters had the range to ensure that the other guy was dead before they could close the distance. And all the guys standing next to him. If a blaster pulled aggro, it generally meant that they either (A) attacked before the tanker got in, or (B) knocked the target out of the tanks aggro aura, and so they deserved what they got either way.

 

Here, there's a lot more to fights than that. So while that idea does have some merit, by no means is it a mantra you should chant before every fight.

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"1. Aforementioned comment about spacebar and skipping conversations.

2. Wear level appropriate gear. Nothing ticks me off more than people being in FPs with gear way too far below level. "

I have recently gone through the long road of building up my first lvl 50. I have always played Fantasy and first person shooters, but did not paly mmo. Why because I had other hobbies.

 

I state this because, when the game waits until I am at a level to do a flashpoint I assumed I was at that level. I am baffled by the number of players who do not even realize that u do not know there is a group around the corner. Or else they are truly upset that u set off an easy kill of a couple of minor minions.

 

I have started another character on the same server and guess what.? It is nothing for a lvl 50 character to email his buddy the credits or craft the goodies they need to have premium rare gear the second they hit that lvl. Also that character can farm the crafting supplies to let their buddy go back and build incredible low end equipment. So now every slot I have is filled to capacity with the best gear the second I hit that level. We all remember those kids in school who got the best of everything with out ever investing in time in learning or earning it. I have also been kicked from group for stating that this is the first time through this flashpoint or for not knowing when to respawn and join the battle or just lay there. My involvement with outdoor sports and instruments taught me that in any gathering of folks of different skills - like the group finder, the newer folks need to demonstrate the will to learn and others need to anticipate their weakness and use all of their skill and knowledge to lead effectively.

 

I have been on some wonderful encounters where it was tragic game play the whole way through but still fun. I also got kicked for backpedaling from a boss that had killed the rest of the party and My Merc needed to cool down and pop a medpack. I could see the rest of the party was almost there after respawning and I was trying to buy time. Military tactics are set that the machine gun is useless if it is over run.

 

I also do not understand why people do not call the CC's or worse CC in the middle of a group that could be blasted with an AOE. As a merc I could proc my AOE the tank would still hit first and then we could cc the real threats. We did this on DDay. But this would take one leader about 15 secs to set up or say not needed.

 

So as far as group finder it is open to everybody, and why would someone purposely take a knife to a gun fight. If you do a LFG please be politely specific, and please do not kick somebody after adding them to your group or op while they are transitioning from an instance. If I know I am holding a group up and they have been helpful I will be the first to say this is not working thnx. If I get a notice of being booted without an explanation, I will queue for the same mission, because why should I care about when SWOTOR says I have a right to be there, and how will anybody learn.

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Even though this is aimed at people who are learning about MMOs and are new to grouping up with people to complete dungeons (or "flashpoints" for those who are anal) the real people who need to read this are not the ones who read forums or ask questions.

 

I've played with a lot of people that need a lot of help, but those people do not say it's their first time in the dungeon or say it's their first time healing or tanking or dpsing. Instead they pretend to know what they're doing even if they are doing as good as a job of tanking as a companion tank tanking a group...

 

I'm all for being respectful of someone's first time, but if that someone pretends to know what they are doing even though they clearly don't, and said person refuses help. Then I have no patience for them.

 

This really needs to get to those bone-headed people that think they can play and do their roles even when they obviously aren't.

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What Chiramu said.

 

Not informing your group that you're doing the flashpoint (or even operation) for the first time or that you're just inexprienced REALLY gimps the group and hurts it's chances of progress. And, to make matters worse, when you *do* come out after doing some dumb stuff and/or causing a few wipes - none of the group members will have the patience and understanding they would have had you informed them about your inexperience right at the start. There's nothing to be scared of and the vast majority of players will respond to your "I'm first time tanking/healing here" or "Guys, I haven't done this one before, can you show me the basics" with patience and willingness to sincerely help you.

 

So, please, inform your team. Communication is key.

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I have recently gone through the long road of building up my first lvl 50. I have always played Fantasy and first person shooters, but did not paly mmo. Why because I had other hobbies.

 

I state this because, when the game waits until I am at a level to do a flashpoint I assumed I was at that level. I am baffled by the number of players who do not even realize that u do not know there is a group around the corner. Or else they are truly upset that u set off an easy kill of a couple of minor minions.

 

Big difference between being at level and being appropriately geared. If you're a level 35, have no relics, no implants and are wearing level 12 green armor then you are hurting the entire partly. I don't expect godly gear. Just have something that is relatively level appropriate.

I have started another character on the same server and guess what.? It is nothing for a lvl 50 character to email his buddy the credits or craft the goodies they need to have premium rare gear the second they hit that lvl. Also that character can farm the crafting supplies to let their buddy go back and build incredible low end equipment. So now every slot I have is filled to capacity with the best gear the second I hit that level. We all remember those kids in school who got the best of everything with out ever investing in time in learning or earning it. I have also been kicked from group for stating that this is the first time through this flashpoint or for not knowing when to respawn and join the battle or just lay there. My involvement with outdoor sports and instruments taught me that in any gathering of folks of different skills - like the group finder, the newer folks need to demonstrate the will to learn and others need to anticipate their weakness and use all of their skill and knowledge to lead effectively.

 

I have never and will never kick someone for saying they don't know the flashpoint. I have and will kick people in Hard modes if they don't have the gear to survive it. I have and will kick people that don't know the flashpoint and are idiots. Case in point. Running Collocoid over the weekend. Had two different groups both with a person who was in there for first time.

 

Player 1 (a marauder) kept attacking marked CCs. Refused to attack what tank was attacking. Rushed ahead when we told him to wait and almost got the party killed. If not for an overgeared tank, over leveled and over geared healer it would easily have been a party wipe. Player 1 was kicked. Not for not knowing the FP, but for being an idiot.

 

Player 2 (a sorc DPS) also didn't know the FP. He marked CC's listened to instructions on the fights and we sailed through.

 

I feel for you if you've been kicked for just saying you don't know a FP. That should never happen. I would never vote kick someone just for not knowing the FP, and if the vote passed despite my voting no I'd probably quit group, invite that person and requeue. People should be allowed to learn the game and I'm very willing to help them. If it's a new player I'll go out of my way to help them, up to and including logging on a 50 to run them through content to get gear, give them pointers on playstyle or if they are really showing promise offer them a guild invite. It's in my best interest to have people that are new and want to learn how to play the game to have good experiences. That is what will keep the game alive.

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I feel for you if you've been kicked for just saying you don't know a FP. That should never happen. I would never vote kick someone just for not knowing the FP, and if the vote passed despite my voting no I'd probably quit group, invite that person and requeue. People should be allowed to learn the game and I'm very willing to help them. If it's a new player I'll go out of my way to help them, up to and including logging on a 50 to run them through content to get gear, give them pointers on playstyle or if they are really showing promise offer them a guild invite. It's in my best interest to have people that are new and want to learn how to play the game to have good experiences. That is what will keep the game alive.

 

Unfortunately I've been kicked several times by anouncing myself as a FP first timer. One guy even said, "CYA, I'm not doing this with you." But, I do understand how important it is to let everyone know so I'll continue to do it. My biggest fear is when I hit lvl 50. I heard people have little patients for first timers, even if they're geared correctly. This is my first MMO every so I'm a little intimidatied to begin with. The encouraging part is, I've never been the cause of a wipe!:D:D

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Unfortunately I've been kicked several times by anouncing myself as a FP first timer. One guy even said, "CYA, I'm not doing this with you." But, I do understand how important it is to let everyone know so I'll continue to do it. My biggest fear is when I hit lvl 50. I heard people have little patients for first timers, even if they're geared correctly. This is my first MMO every so I'm a little intimidatied to begin with. The encouraging part is, I've never been the cause of a wipe!:D:D

 

And that is when you find a good guild to run Ops with on the reg

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Unfortunately I've been kicked several times by anouncing myself as a FP first timer. One guy even said, "CYA, I'm not doing this with you." But, I do understand how important it is to let everyone know so I'll continue to do it. My biggest fear is when I hit lvl 50. I heard people have little patients for first timers, even if they're geared correctly. This is my first MMO every so I'm a little intimidatied to begin with. The encouraging part is, I've never been the cause of a wipe!:D:D

 

99% of all group content I have ran with pugs have been fair to great....it is just you remember the 1% because they are so bad.

 

Say hello, say you are new and everyone should say thank you at the end.

 

Thus far I have never been kicked, had a shadow try to kick me once on my dps infiltration shadow because I used Double Strike to finish off a weak at 2% health and I use force breach to one shot a weak that he had CC'ed before running across the room to get the rest of the mob. Fortuniately for me the Tank and Healer didn't care that I was playing lazy as long as I was killing weak and strongs trash in 1 to 3 hits.

 

I knew double strike was wrong, but I didn't care when it was the last NPC standing and I knew that anything would kill it. I also know not to break CC's, but seriously who CC's weaks and I was not going to run accross the room take out the rest and then run back to kill a CC weak when I can one-shot it and then go kill the others.

 

See I have been on maybe 100 flashpoints and I still remember that one because that guy raged on me and the rest of the group the entire flashpoint. At least I believe he did, I put him on ignore about 1/3 of the way through. :p

Edited by mikebevo
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I remember one FP I ran, Maelstrom Prison HM. I had never done it before, but it's fairly straightforward. We were skipping all the convos, which was fine, I figured i'll go through it later for the story. But when "the reveal" came up I was like "Holy *****" and the group was like "You should have said you never did this one before, we would have listened to the convos for you!" They were all pretty nice.

 

But on topic. Not sure if it's been said but if you are a DPS with a secondary skill, i.e you have taunts or heals, don't be afraid to use em if things start to go south. We had a situation where the tank went down, I switched my Guardian to soresu and held the boss long enough for the survivors to take him down. Or i'll throw out some heals on my scoundrel if i'm queued as DPS. I do understand that if your role is DPS, you should DPS, but I don't agree with the players that outright refuse to off-tank/off-heal even when things are looking bad.

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Unfortunately I've been kicked several times by anouncing myself as a FP first timer. One guy even said, "CYA, I'm not doing this with you." But, I do understand how important it is to let everyone know so I'll continue to do it. My biggest fear is when I hit lvl 50. I heard people have little patients for first timers, even if they're geared correctly. This is my first MMO every so I'm a little intimidatied to begin with. The encouraging part is, I've never been the cause of a wipe!:D:D

 

Move your characters to a European server. We're much nicer here.

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Move your characters to a European server. We're much nicer here.

 

haha I remember playing on an EU server in WoW with friends from another game. I did a pug group running in a WOTLK heroic as a druid healer and the rogue in my group kept blasting me for being american. It was difficult to bear at first, but afterwards he said he was just giving me a hard time. that doesn't happen on US servers at all... heh.

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haha I remember playing on an EU server in WoW with friends from another game. I did a pug group running in a WOTLK heroic as a druid healer and the rogue in my group kept blasting me for being american. It was difficult to bear at first, but afterwards he said he was just giving me a hard time. that doesn't happen on US servers at all... heh.

 

How would I break this to you...

This isn't wow...

 

Been playing in Red Eclipse since the server transfer (in Dxun Battle Circle before that) and haven't seen a single person teased in fp/ops/heroic for being from some certain country.

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Defer to the tank***

 

No.

 

The tank is not the default group leader. Many tanks are the group leader, but it's not because they're the tank.

 

It's because they choose to lead the group. The group leader can just as easily be a DPS or a healer.

 

99% of all planning and instructing happens out of combat. The requirements to successfully lead a group is knowledge of pulls and mechanics, the ability to explain said pulls and mechanics, and a way to make sure people are ready.

 

The only necessary equipment is a mouse, a keyboard, and a brain. Not tanking gear, not a tanking spec.

 

Leading a group has nothing to do with tanking.

 

"Tanks are expected to know all the fight mechanics! That's why they lead!"

 

Anyone who has DPSed AND Tanked before can tell you that tanking is really just DPSing, except that your awareness of mob position is reversed. Everyone should know all the mechanics. The only difference is which mechanics you need to pay attention to.

 

"Tanks have the most responsibility! That's why they lead!"

 

BS. Everyone is equally responsible in a flashpoint or OP, and nobody should be tunnel-visioned. Not even the DPS.

 

If the tank doesn't do his job, the boss gets lose and everybody dies.

If the healer doesn't do his job, the tank dies, the boss gets lose, and everybody dies.

If the dps doesn't do his job, the boss enrages, the tank dies, the boss gets lose, and everybody dies.

 

See a pattern here? The only reason the tank feels special is because there are generally less tanks overall.

 

It's a job. Not a calling. Being tank only makes you as special as your spec and gear. It doesn't make you leader automatically.

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Been playing in Red Eclipse since the server transfer (in Dxun Battle Circle before that) and haven't seen a single person teased in fp/ops/heroic for being from some certain country.

 

That's only because the French have their own servers. :D

 

The tank is not the default group leader.

Yes, he is. Especially in pugfest flashpoints.

Edited by slafko
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First off, very nice write up. Looks very well and I agree with much of it. I appreciate the breaking down of the roles and what not.

 

When I started playing SWTOR, I started as a Sorc Healer. Felt I did the job well, and what not. Then when the Double XP weekends started, I leveled my Powertech Tank as fast as I could. I started doing some FPs and Ops on my tank and I decided that I enjoyed that more. However, I tend to Off-tank Ops, when I do this I keep an eye on wandering mobs. I know the healers pain and try to grab it as quick as I can.

 

I am currently leveling a Marauder and about 10 lvls or so back, I ran Hammer Station in a PUG. When I got in, I looked at the the tanks HP and he had like 3k HP less than me. I did a gear check, and he had a level 9 lightsaber, and other level 9-11 pcs. I said something about his gear, and he got kind of crappy. We had a rough time during the first fight, so I said I was going to leave. He ended up leaving the group, and cussed a little. We didn't end up queuing again, we just 3 manned it. Went very smooth.

 

I respecced my Sorc the other day to DPS from heals. I ran Battle of Ilum and he got to one boss, and the healer just wasn't keeping up on heals. I kept having to stop DPSing and healing to try to stay alive. We still wiped, and than the tank left. Than I left.

 

Again, very nice guide.

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