I know, everyone knows this...
Ok here's the scenario: I had never had a real tank so I got my J5 merc and used it. Everyone told me not to, but I did it anyway, fuck em. It's my game, I don't have a tank, so there it is.
And then I encounter strange behavior, I tried numerous setting and resetting of INI entries, numerous who targets who at KA launch. I tried various MercAssistAt settings, merc Auto-Assist on/off, various campradius settings to try and stop 'camp creep' (which is where the merc tank will slowly but surely continue to address the incoming mob further and further from camp until finally it is out of campradius for the rest of the grp and no one joins in - causing deaths), and so on.
I'd post about some of the strange behavior, sometimes people scratching their heads until they find out I'm using a merc tank. They'd tell me things like 'don't do that' and 'mercs suck' and 'I feel sorry for anyone having to use a merc' etc. Thing is, outside of KA/MQ2 at mid levels (for me that's 80 to 90) the merc tank with a decent amount of AA performs well, better than the other members of my grp (non-tanks - hybrids/priests/rangers/monks etc). Problem really lies with the inability to control it, I mean really control it, like being unable to run it from MQ2/KA. That really is the crux, it's controlled by EQ.
So... if you are like I was (because now I have a real tank - warrior, not mentioning the 105 Raz Pally), you can use the merc tank if you don't use it like you would a toon-tank from the perspective of KA. Regarding who assists who, and what roles you are going to assign, ignore the merc tank. Simply set everything up as if it wasn't in group, do the best you can, go ahead and use your plate wearers (bard/cleric etc) as tank/pullertank from the eyes of KA. This will remove myriad 'strange' behaviors and still allow the merc to do what it does: it will steal aggro, attack mobs, has decent dmg relative to your non-tanks, thus saving your plate wearer(s) from unnecessary dmg. With enough merc AA's it has decent HP and AC, and dmg mitigation. Mine had a good amount of AA since it was always out, even when PLing a youngin, and those AA's made a difference. Of course post 90 I would expect it's usefulness to dwindle but it is still good for helping your youngins or when you are out soloing/moloing/questing/item whoring etc.
To conclude; ignore you have it in regards to your KA setup, and it will perform fine. I still have to play with the assistat and campradius settings on the merc owner but by following my own advice I get acceptable use out of my tank merc.
Ok here's the scenario: I had never had a real tank so I got my J5 merc and used it. Everyone told me not to, but I did it anyway, fuck em. It's my game, I don't have a tank, so there it is.
And then I encounter strange behavior, I tried numerous setting and resetting of INI entries, numerous who targets who at KA launch. I tried various MercAssistAt settings, merc Auto-Assist on/off, various campradius settings to try and stop 'camp creep' (which is where the merc tank will slowly but surely continue to address the incoming mob further and further from camp until finally it is out of campradius for the rest of the grp and no one joins in - causing deaths), and so on.
I'd post about some of the strange behavior, sometimes people scratching their heads until they find out I'm using a merc tank. They'd tell me things like 'don't do that' and 'mercs suck' and 'I feel sorry for anyone having to use a merc' etc. Thing is, outside of KA/MQ2 at mid levels (for me that's 80 to 90) the merc tank with a decent amount of AA performs well, better than the other members of my grp (non-tanks - hybrids/priests/rangers/monks etc). Problem really lies with the inability to control it, I mean really control it, like being unable to run it from MQ2/KA. That really is the crux, it's controlled by EQ.
So... if you are like I was (because now I have a real tank - warrior, not mentioning the 105 Raz Pally), you can use the merc tank if you don't use it like you would a toon-tank from the perspective of KA. Regarding who assists who, and what roles you are going to assign, ignore the merc tank. Simply set everything up as if it wasn't in group, do the best you can, go ahead and use your plate wearers (bard/cleric etc) as tank/pullertank from the eyes of KA. This will remove myriad 'strange' behaviors and still allow the merc to do what it does: it will steal aggro, attack mobs, has decent dmg relative to your non-tanks, thus saving your plate wearer(s) from unnecessary dmg. With enough merc AA's it has decent HP and AC, and dmg mitigation. Mine had a good amount of AA since it was always out, even when PLing a youngin, and those AA's made a difference. Of course post 90 I would expect it's usefulness to dwindle but it is still good for helping your youngins or when you are out soloing/moloing/questing/item whoring etc.
To conclude; ignore you have it in regards to your KA setup, and it will perform fine. I still have to play with the assistat and campradius settings on the merc owner but by following my own advice I get acceptable use out of my tank merc.
