/assist

The Sterling | home

Grouping Basics | Grouping Strategy | /assist

/assist

The assist command is one of the most important functions in the game for multiple-encounter group combat, yet it is either unknown to most or dismissed as a non-essential aspect of group battle. Many who are aware of /assist disregard it and it is not uncommon to see some reach level 40 without being aware of its existence. I hope this mini-FAQ will not only teach you how to use /assist but also help you understand why this function is so important and why it is important for all classes instead of just melee classes.

-What does /assist do?

After targeting a person and using the /assist command you automatically target and attack the mob the person you are assisting is attacking.

-Does it have to automatically attack, can it just target the mob?

Yes, in your eqclient.ini file there is a line that reads: AttackOnAssist=TRUE. If you change it to AttackOnAssist=FALSE it will target the NPC without switching you into attack mode. TRUE mode is usually used by people who plan to melee the mob where as FALSE mode is usually used by casters and those who do not plan to be within melee range of the mob. The default setting is TRUE.

-Should I have it set to TRUE or FALSE?

If you are a melee type character or spend a lot of time in melee combat you should have it set to TRUE. If you are a caster or character that hangs back out of battle it should be set to FALSE, if anything else to prevent the "Target is too far away" message from flooding your screen.

-How do I use /assist?

Simply select a person and type /assist. You will automatically target and attack the mob if you are running in TRUE mode.

-Ugh. Is there an easier way?

Yes, I strongly recommend creating a hot key for this function. Since I learned of /assist just after attaining level 10 I have used it in almost every multi-mob encounter when with a group.

-How do I set up the hotkey?

In your Socials menu find an empty slot and right click on it. You are presented with several fields. I named mine Assist for simplicity. As for the actual command mine reads like this:

Line 1: /g Fear not, brave %t, I shall assist ye in battle!

Line 2: /pause 2

Line 3: /assist

The first line is to let the group know you are assisting and who you are assisting. It can be as simple as /g Assisting. However, I feel it should be there as it is important to let the group know who you are assisting so they can do the same and adjust their tactics accordingly. The %t will report the name of the target you are assisting. I added the pause line because sometimes the /assist didn't seem to work. /pause 2 is not two seconds, it is a very brief delay but seems to help out a great deal.

With this hotkey set up you just have to target someone and hit the button and you will be targeting the mob they are currently fighting.

-Why again is this so important?

It becomes apparent early in our grouping lives that everyone concentrating and attacking one mob is the quickest way to defeat a group of foes. This function helps focus the groups efforts on that one creature in the event of multi-mob confrontations. If the puller comes back with 4 mobs on their tail then it is imperative to take them down one by one or the puller or tanks taunting off of the puller have a much greater chance of dying.

It is also important that all are attacking one creature in the event of having a character in the group that is good at crowd control, such as an enchanter. Mesmerizing a mob is only effective if that mob is not attacked. Many chanters become greatly frustrated when their efforts to do their job are foiled by their own group. In many circumstances if a mob is not controlled it could spell death for the entire party.

-Hey, I just nuke things and bufferz my peoples. I don't need this.

I feel that casters should use this function with the mode set to FALSE.. It is the tanks job to keep the mobs off of the casters so the magically inclined can do their jobs. If a tank has successfully kept the creatures at bay, they can only effectively rise on the hate list of the mob they are currently engaged in combat with. If a caster was to nuke a different mob that mob could peel off the tank and head towards the caster. That is where the problems start. In most cases the inherent physical weaknesses of most casters (low AC and HPs) make them vulnerable to a melee encounter. The tank is then forced to decide whether or not to break his stand and assist the caster or stay put. In some situations you are damned if you do and damned if you don't. Crowd control is very important in multi-mob group combat. If the group puts on a united front then the mobs can be contained at a safe distance from the casters. As soon as that united front is compromised a real threat exists. If the casters use assist and concentrate on the mob that is currently being fought then there are good chances the front can be maintained. It is also advantageous for the caster to wait a bit before nuking or healing, that way the mob has time to hate the tank more and a big spell is less likely to get the mobs attention.

And again, the chanter would be greatly appreciative if the mesmerize is not broken.

-Any tactics that go along with this?

Before entering combat you should ask who the main assist is. This is the person you should target when using the button. It is usually the puller but can sometimes be the main tank if the puller is a monk or another class. This way if things get crazy the group can fall back and use the Assist button to re-double their efforts and get things under control.

-Any other benefits from the assist button?

I have come across another benefit for this button. In an area where there is large spawn and many corpses it can sometimes be hard to select a mob to attack once one is down. If you target another player and hit assist then it will automatically select the mob for you.

-Bah. I am not interested in battle tactics, I just wanna kill things for the phat lewtz and xps!

If used effectively this will bring up efficiency of group. The more efficient the more you can kill, the more you can kill the more uber things you can get and the more experience you can gain so you can go out and get more better uber things. ;)

-Conclusion

The assist command not only helps make the group more efficient but makes your group a well-oiled fighting machine. Six people fighting as one is exciting and adds to the richness of the grouping experience. As a paladin my job is to save lives and nothing is more frustrating than seeing deaths that could have been prevented. As a warrior it is my job to hold the front line and protect those behind me. As a necromancer it is my job to crush and kill as many pathetic life forms as humanly possible. The assist command is an important part to accomplish all of those goals, and the goals of the group. To stay alive and kill stuff.

This article was found some where on Eqrealms.


	The Sterling \| home Grouping Basics \| Grouping Strategy \| /assist /assist The assist command is one of the most important functions in the game for multiple-encounter group combat, yet it is either unknown to most or dismissed as a non-essential aspect of group battle. Many who are aware of /assist disregard it and it is not uncommon to see some reach level 40 without being aware of its existence. I hope this mini-FAQ will not only teach you how to use /assist but also help you understand why this function is so important and why it is important for all classes instead of just melee classes. -What does /assist do? After targeting a person and using the /assist command you automatically target and attack the mob the person you are assisting is attacking. -Does it have to automatically attack, can it just target the mob? Yes, in your eqclient.ini file there is a line that reads: AttackOnAssist=TRUE. If you change it to AttackOnAssist=FALSE it will target the NPC without switching you into attack mode. TRUE mode is usually used by people who plan to melee the mob where as FALSE mode is usually used by casters and those who do not plan to be within melee range of the mob. The default setting is TRUE. -Should I have it set to TRUE or FALSE? If you are a melee type character or spend a lot of time in melee combat you should have it set to TRUE. If you are a caster or character that hangs back out of battle it should be set to FALSE, if anything else to prevent the "Target is too far away" message from flooding your screen. -How do I use /assist? Simply select a person and type /assist. You will automatically target and attack the mob if you are running in TRUE mode. -Ugh. Is there an easier way? Yes, I strongly recommend creating a hot key for this function. Since I learned of /assist just after attaining level 10 I have used it in almost every multi-mob encounter when with a group. -How do I set up the hotkey? In your Socials menu find an empty slot and right click on it. You are presented with several fields. I named mine Assist for simplicity. As for the actual command mine reads like this: Line 1: /g Fear not, brave %t, I shall assist ye in battle! Line 2: /pause 2 Line 3: /assist The first line is to let the group know you are assisting and who you are assisting. It can be as simple as /g Assisting. However, I feel it should be there as it is important to let the group know who you are assisting so they can do the same and adjust their tactics accordingly. The %t will report the name of the target you are assisting. I added the pause line because sometimes the /assist didn't seem to work. /pause 2 is not two seconds, it is a very brief delay but seems to help out a great deal. With this hotkey set up you just have to target someone and hit the button and you will be targeting the mob they are currently fighting. -Why again is this so important? It becomes apparent early in our grouping lives that everyone concentrating and attacking one mob is the quickest way to defeat a group of foes. This function helps focus the groups efforts on that one creature in the event of multi-mob confrontations. If the puller comes back with 4 mobs on their tail then it is imperative to take them down one by one or the puller or tanks taunting off of the puller have a much greater chance of dying. It is also important that all are attacking one creature in the event of having a character in the group that is good at crowd control, such as an enchanter. Mesmerizing a mob is only effective if that mob is not attacked. Many chanters become greatly frustrated when their efforts to do their job are foiled by their own group. In many circumstances if a mob is not controlled it could spell death for the entire party. -Hey, I just nuke things and bufferz my peoples. I don't need this. I feel that casters should use this function with the mode set to FALSE.. It is the tanks job to keep the mobs off of the casters so the magically inclined can do their jobs. If a tank has successfully kept the creatures at bay, they can only effectively rise on the hate list of the mob they are currently engaged in combat with. If a caster was to nuke a different mob that mob could peel off the tank and head towards the caster. That is where the problems start. In most cases the inherent physical weaknesses of most casters (low AC and HPs) make them vulnerable to a melee encounter. The tank is then forced to decide whether or not to break his stand and assist the caster or stay put. In some situations you are damned if you do and damned if you don't. Crowd control is very important in multi-mob group combat. If the group puts on a united front then the mobs can be contained at a safe distance from the casters. As soon as that united front is compromised a real threat exists. If the casters use assist and concentrate on the mob that is currently being fought then there are good chances the front can be maintained. It is also advantageous for the caster to wait a bit before nuking or healing, that way the mob has time to hate the tank more and a big spell is less likely to get the mobs attention. And again, the chanter would be greatly appreciative if the mesmerize is not broken. -Any tactics that go along with this? Before entering combat you should ask who the main assist is. This is the person you should target when using the button. It is usually the puller but can sometimes be the main tank if the puller is a monk or another class. This way if things get crazy the group can fall back and use the Assist button to re-double their efforts and get things under control. -Any other benefits from the assist button? I have come across another benefit for this button. In an area where there is large spawn and many corpses it can sometimes be hard to select a mob to attack once one is down. If you target another player and hit assist then it will automatically select the mob for you. -Bah. I am not interested in battle tactics, I just wanna kill things for the phat lewtz and xps! If used effectively this will bring up efficiency of group. The more efficient the more you can kill, the more you can kill the more uber things you can get and the more experience you can gain so you can go out and get more better uber things. ;) -Conclusion The assist command not only helps make the group more efficient but makes your group a well-oiled fighting machine. Six people fighting as one is exciting and adds to the richness of the grouping experience. As a paladin my job is to save lives and nothing is more frustrating than seeing deaths that could have been prevented. As a warrior it is my job to hold the front line and protect those behind me. As a necromancer it is my job to crush and kill as many pathetic life forms as humanly possible. The assist command is an important part to accomplish all of those goals, and the goals of the group. To stay alive and kill stuff. This article was found some where on Eqrealms.