Basic Party Strategy

[bkelly1984]

A general summary of what other classes are expected to do in a party situation would be great. 

One thing I think any basic party strategy guide should have is a list of things not to do. Not everyone is going to pick up the finer aspects of group play, but I would still be happy to adventure with them if they don't sabotage everyone else. Perhaps I should mail myself a copy of this list and hand it out to the really clueless ones.

As a warrior, a few examples of don'ts quickly come to mind:

Never Start a Fight – It's important for a group to handle one group of monsters at a time, so to prevent two people attacking two different groups, a “puller” is designated. If this is done in your group, and it is not you, then you should never initiate combat.

Mind Your Aggro – Wandering around a dungeon for ore, herbs or sightseeing is asking for a wipe. Everyone needs to stay together and preferably behind the tank. If you want to go a direction, ask. Also keep in mind that a lower level characters have a larger aggro radius and should hang back a little towards safer areas.

Let the Puller Work – The puller's job is to bring as few monsters as possible to everyone else. Not only can this break up challenging groups but allows the fight to occur in already cleared areas where there will be no “adds” even if the monster runs. Running forward and attacking the beast en-route will short-circuit the pull, requiring the group to move up as well and fight in a more dangerous area.

Pick Your Target Carefully – A tank can keep the attention of a large number of monsters, provided they are not being attacked by someone else. So, don't open fire on one of the beasts around the tank at random as it will likely turn its attention to you. This not only creates more work for the tank and healer but confusion for all. Instead, assist another party member with their target. Since more people are attacking the same monster, it is less likely to attack you, and even if it does, it will die sooner.

Kill One at a Time – I know the large group of monsters around the tank is just begging to be Flamestriked or Multi-Shot. Resist the urge. The last thing you may see through the ensuing chaos is the tank scrambling to pull all the monsters off you while the healers exhaust their mana trying to keep you alive. Pick one target, kill it and then move on to the next.

You'll Get No Cheese Either – Don't whine. None of us always win the roll for the equipment we want and we all get stuck following a plan we know is doomed to fail. Express your desire or concern once, and then shut up and do your best for the group. There may be a better piece of equipment on the next monster and the plan might actually work.

Any additions from the other classes?

Brian