Dearest SKlug,

Whorl Blade is an AE Agro tool.  It is NOT DPS.  Warrior Mercs should not be using this while set to assist....it causes problems.  Can you please change this?

Good luck...

From this thread, you posted on 4/9/09:

http://forums.station.sony.com/eq/p...topic_id=149628

Hulkling wrote:

Whorl Blade is most definetly an AGRO tool.  Mercs on assist should NOT be using Whorl Blade. 

SKlug can you fix this please?

From this thread:  http://forums.station.sony.com/eq/p...topic_id=145181

SKlug wrote:

Merc tanks in assist stance do not taunt or use hate increasing abilities.

Same thread...

SKlug wrote:

Well, I just looked at it again.  Had a J5 merc up with my level 85 test char.  Tried various combinations of me being MT/MA/Puller, tried rooting mobs out of range, etc.  In all cases the merc in assist mode simply attacked what I was targetting (if I was MA) or whatever it was previously attacking.  It never used Bazu Bellow or any other disc for that matter (though it may use AE dmg ones like cyclone with more mobs around...it's possible I could change the AI designation for that desc to be taunt rather than dmg if it's a problem).

So is there something I'm missing?  I can easily see them generating more aggro just due to being NPCs, but as far as I can tell they are not using taunt skills when in assist mode.  Just remember that if you set them to be Main Tank, they pretty much ignore the assist stance and behave aggressively. 

As far as endurance regen.  Yeah, it's pretty slow, just as it is for players.  There's no real endurance regen mods in the game.  And sitting, as has been stated before, is just for show, even for the healer mercs.  NPCs don't get any bonus from sitting in mana regen or endurance regen.

meh disreguard this.  thats what I get for taking other people's word and not testing myself.  Merc don't Whorl Blade ever, even when main tank and agresive with 4 mobs in camp.

ya dont let someone fool you, if it uses any kind of agro the owner is flatout wrong about its setting.  had that happen inside unrest. that was fun.

My 65 necro kites with a warrior merc.  And it definitely uses Whirlwind Blade while I do this.  That's with the necro set to MT and MA.  Puller unset. Merc in assist mode.  Mob chasing necro, Pet and Merc on mob, no other mobs aggroed or close.  I am usually out of range of the messages, but when I am close I do see "xxx is struck by a cyclone attack."

I got excited when I saw Hulkling started a thread named AE Agro

I've seen J1 tanks use whorl when set to assist but have not seen a J5 tank do it. Haven't been in a group with anything other then those two so not sure about other levels.

Tineren_Prexus wrote:

My 65 necro kites with a warrior merc.  And it definitely uses Whirlwind Blade while I do this.  That's with the necro set to MT and MA.  Puller unset. Merc in assist mode.  Mob chasing necro, Pet and Merc on mob, no other mobs aggroed or close.  I am usualy out of range of the messages, but when I am close I do see "xxx is struck by a cyclone attack."

Since you are level 65, I am assuming you are using the J1 tank merc.  I am level 80 and using the J1 tank merc set to assist.

I am still wondering if the problem is only with the J1 merc while the J5 works fine.  Sklug has only posted that the J5 was tested, not the J1.

I will have to test with my J4 merc on shammy. I'm certain J1 mercs do tho.

Pinzarn wrote:

Tineren_Prexus wrote:

My 65 necro kites with a warrior merc.  And it definitely uses Whirlwind Blade while I do this.  That's with the necro set to MT and MA.  Puller unset. Merc in assist mode.  Mob chasing necro, Pet and Merc on mob, no other mobs aggroed or close.  I am usualy out of range of the messages, but when I am close I do see "xxx is struck by a cyclone attack."

Since you are level 65, I am assuming you are using the J1 tank merc.  I am level 80 and using the J1 tank merc set to assist.

I am still wondering if the problem is only with the J1 merc while the J5 works fine.  Sklug has only posted that the J5 was tested, not the J1.

Yes, using J1.

Pinzarn wrote:

Good luck...

From this thread, you posted on 4/9/09:

http://forums.station.sony.com/eq/p...topic_id=149628

Hulkling wrote:

Whorl Blade is most definetly an AGRO tool.  Mercs on assist should NOT be using Whorl Blade. 

SKlug can you fix this please?

From this thread:  http://forums.station.sony.com/eq/p...topic_id=145181

SKlug wrote:

Merc tanks in assist stance do not taunt or use hate increasing abilities.

Same thread...

SKlug wrote:

Well, I just looked at it again.  Had a J5 merc up with my level 85 test char.  Tried various combinations of me being MT/MA/Puller, tried rooting mobs out of range, etc.  In all cases the merc in assist mode simply attacked what I was targetting (if I was MA) or whatever it was previously attacking.  It never used Bazu Bellow or any other disc for that matter (though it may use AE dmg ones like cyclone with more mobs around...it's possible I could change the AI designation for that desc to be taunt rather than dmg if it's a problem).

So is there something I'm missing?  I can easily see them generating more aggro just due to being NPCs, but as far as I can tell they are not using taunt skills when in assist mode.  Just remember that if you set them to be Main Tank, they pretty much ignore the assist stance and behave aggressively. 

As far as endurance regen.  Yeah, it's pretty slow, just as it is for players.  There's no real endurance regen mods in the game.  And sitting, as has been stated before, is just for show, even for the healer mercs.  NPCs don't get any bonus from sitting in mana regen or endurance regen.

What's freak me out is why he have to reproduce it himself? I can understand now why all things going so slow for the bugs corrections, man hire a guy at 8$ hours to do the turn around please .... if you don't have money just exchange xp potion for players time I am sure you will find someone to make this for you.

You can't fix a problem you can't reproduce.  How would you test to see if you had it right?

I've had a tank merc on my 3-box team of Warrior+Healer merc, Shaman+Healer merc, and Druid+tank merc. I set warrior to puller & main tank, set shaman to main assist, and set the merc tank to Assist mode. Not only does the merc use the ae whorl type attacks, I swear that it taunts as well. As there is no emote type message, I can't verify, but I lose aggro to it alot.

Currently my mercs are at t3, I've been upgrading as I complete progression. The tank merc has done this at all 3 levels so far. The Warrior and Shaman started out at 70 with their mercs and are now 85 (war) and 82 (shm). I leveled the druid seperately and did some powerleveling to get to a level range to group with the other 2, so has always been behind the warriors level. The tank merc has always used the ae attack while on assist...even on single pulls. I don't understand how this can't be duplicated as I have never seen it work otherwise in my combo.

Falamil wrote:

You can't fix a problem you can't reproduce.  How would you test to see if you had it right?

That's is the frustrating part.  I can reproduce it a will, but I don't have the power to correct the issue.

There should be a white disc/ability message each time a tank merc uses a Disc or AA.  You can see them using defensive, fortitude, and op strike....but I never once saw the message for Whorl Blade.

"Someone is struck by a whorl blade"

I also brought 4 mobs to camp on several occations, and looked for a melee round where the Merc struck all 4 mobs in the same round...never happened.  Now, this was somewhat limited testing, because I only used a T5 lvl 85 Journeyman tank.

ThyrmJarlson wrote:

I've had a tank merc on my 3-box team of Warrior+Healer merc, Shaman+Healer merc, and Druid+tank merc. I set warrior to puller & main tank, set shaman to main assist, and set the merc tank to Assist mode. Not only does the merc use the ae whorl type attacks, I swear that it taunts as well. As there is no emote type message, I can't verify, but I lose aggro to it alot.

Currently my mercs are at t3, I've been upgrading as I complete progression. The tank merc has done this at all 3 levels so far. The Warrior and Shaman started out at 70 with their mercs and are now 85 (war) and 82 (shm). I leveled the druid seperately and did some powerleveling to get to a level range to group with the other 2, so has always been behind the warriors level. The tank merc has always used the ae attack while on assist...even on single pulls. I don't understand how this can't be duplicated as I have never seen it work otherwise in my combo.

Since I can't edit, I'll just quote and add...I meant to say that I started out with my warrior set to MT/Puller and shaman to MA. As the merc was using the ae attack, even on single pulls, I thought maybe it was trying to "off-tank" my shaman's target. I currently run the warrior now in all 3 roles MA/MT/Puller, but it makes no difference.

The t3 mercs are Journeyman as well.

Maybe it'll go away at t5, but it will be some time before I'm there, lol.

Hulkling wrote:

There should be a white disc/ability message each time a tank merc uses a Disc or AA.  You can see them using defensive, fortitude, and op strike....but I never once saw the message for Whorl Blade.

"Someone is struck by a whorl blade"

I also brought 4 mobs to camp on several occations, and looked for a melee round where the Merc struck all 4 mobs in the same round...never happened.  Now, this was somewhat limited testing, because I only used a T5 lvl 85 Journeyman tank.

Although others have mentioned that the J5's don't use it, I am curious where you tested.  I've noticed that they won't use the ae discs if there are unaggroed mobs above or below you in zones with multiple levels.  AKA close on x and y axis, but not on z.