How Does PvP Work?

[Kerplode]

I know when it comes to PvE (Player vs. Environment), you basically have Tanks, DPS, and Healers.

 

Your Tanks gather all the enemies so the DPS can do what they do best, kill some beasts, and then the Healers make sure the Tank and DPS stay alive.

 

So how does PvP work?

 

Tanks are only Tanks in PvE because they use their Taunts to get aggro.

Against a player, there is no aggro.

 

So if you've got a Tank, some DPS, and Healers, what's making the enemy attack a Tank instead of the Healer and/or DPS?

 

Sorry, I've never done PvP in my MMO days

 

Thanks in advance

Edited January 26, 2012 by Kerplode

[Jellison]

Well, first, you go into a warzone and ask in all caps "HOW DO I SHOOT?" at level 10. That'll get you all the answers you need :>

 

Okay, okay, I'll be serious.

 

Tanks absorb damage by placing a "Guard" on other players, causing them to take a bunch less damage and transferring it to the tank. If you become really good at it, you might make MvP one day. That is, if your team isn't a bunch of dead-headed scrubs that only look at the damage portion of a person's round record.

[Kerplode]

So instead of using Taunts, Tanks use Shields (?) that reflect Allies' damage back to the Tank?

[eeCyaJ]

From a vanguard tank perspective:

 

Tanks get a shielding ability that transfers 50% of the damage of the player they're shielding to them as well as some added bonuses. Their taunts also lower damage on players, so if I were to taunt, say, a Sith Sorcerer and she continued to focus her attacks on the Scoundrel, she'd do far less damage than if she were to attack me directly.

 

Tanks can also put out respectable damage if played well. They survive a lot longer in the heat of combat and can hold capture points until help arrives against overwhelming odds. The job doesn't change. Just the strategy that's applied.

[Orgo]

Tanks have several abilities in PvP.

First of all, they "Guard" their mates, what means they take 50%(?) damage from their guarded teammate. They also use their spotting abilities which work differently in PvE and PvP. In PvE it's forced Aggro, in PvP the spotted enemy will do 30% less damage on any targets except the tank.

So, a spotted DD will do 80% less damage on a healer thats guarded by a tank then he would normally.

 

Thats the main difference from Tank to DD. Except of that, the Tank does what he always does. Dishing out some damage, interrupts and CC.

Edited January 26, 2012 by Orgo

[Varcan]

Well in most mmos there was nothing keeping player aggo.

 

SWTOR has a few mechanics.

 

Gaurd - Tank skill reduces dmg to player you place it on by 50%.

 

Taunt(and AoE version) - Reduces enemies dmg by 30% to all players except yourself.

 

Aside from that DPS and tanks(which are still DPS in PvP) try to stun/kill anyone who attacks the healer. Assumming you even have a healer. That or your healer must fend for himself while you try to take out the other teams healer if they have one. Typically, a balance of both.

 

There is a rythm to PvP fights, though the first time you play it, you likely wont know down from up, and it'll all be over in a matter of seconds.

 

There a lot to learn to become a even simi-competant PvPer. All those PvE skill rotations can be thrown out the window. Yes, you need to have an ideal rotation of what you want to do, but there will be a ton of stuns, roots, snares, def cooldowns, knockbacks, stealth, re-stealth, positionals, strafing-movement, focus and non-focus target that all need to be used at specific times that cannot be predicted.

 

And last but certainly not least, you need to develop excellent map awarness.

 

Do it right and you won't be dying in seconds. You might barely be dying at all. Please allow 3-6months for results;).

 

 

Edit: Just to be clear from the answers you got above. If you're a tank in PvP you are still DPS. Yes you use guard and taunts where appropriate, but you will not be filling a tanking role with any relation to how you previously thought of it in PvE. Also, do not use tank gear in PvP, or you are seriously gimping yourself. Tanks should wear DPS gear. Because your role in PvP is survivable DPS with added utility.

Edited January 26, 2012 by Varcan

[Amdramnar]

I believe guard is a little bit better than people are saying, perhaps this only applies to the Jedi Guardian.

 

First, it lowers the damage the guarded target takes by like 10-20%.

Then it transfers 50% of that lowered damage to the tank.

 

So it actually does a bit better than 50%, closer to 55-60% I beleive.