/assist like EQ2?

I just left the academy. The 2-min group fight there seemed incredibly disorganized (my team got waxed, is that normal?).

Regarding large group-on-group PvE:

How is the group combat similar/different than EQ2, i.e. tanking, taunting, assisting, etc? When I'm level 15 or 20 down the road....do strict roles (i.e. main tank, off tank, DPS, straight healer, etc, etc) emerge in the group dynamic?

Yeah, they need a much better system, cause the current one sucks. Pick up groups are usually very crappy cause you have moronic casters running around, people aggroing extra groups, communication isnt that great, I have never seen anything like..ok youre the main tank, youre the main healer, assist this guy, whatever....EQ2 there were informal rules most people followed for a smooth group. I like this game better, but I would love to see those improvements above, better market system, more customizable/variants of armor, bags, etc. Also commands like /tell, pet commands, etc.

I've been trying to figure this out, too. Seeing as one chracter can play so many rolls, I don't think there is a true aggro system like you would see on, say, an EQ game. I havn't been able to tell why a mob attacks what. I do know they usually go for healers first, though.

If you ask me, I think its better the way it is. A healer isnt just sitting back and healing one person, which is boring as hell. Healers have to stay on their toes or their group is done for. Don't forget that their are more than just chracter builds, their are also group build. If you take a peek in the back of the book that came with the beta box, there are a few back there.

Don't know if that helps, but it can't hurt.

that area u left is more or less a basic introduction to the rvr system...a serious grp will have set roles planned out ahead of time such as calling targets ,main tanks, protection healers ect...alot of good teams will plan as far ahead as to what skills will be taken into a battle and the whole the grp is usually stacked around a fighting strategy. Example the team sets up the bar with armor penetration skills that stack with each other to create a major AP bonus ( was during beta but one team i fought against used skills that stacked the Ap bonus they gained up to 75%...)there are a ton of different combinations that can work for teams...it basically depends upon how well organized that team is...this works for pve as well as pvp tactics.

As far as random arenas are concerned just hope that the group you recieve is team oriented rather than the typical i am god players who think they can run around and kill everything resulting in their grp getting wiped.

For PVE, I just ask the general questions for my group, such as "Are you bringing Reserection Signet?" or "Who wants to be the main/protective healer?". I try to make sure that almost everyone has Reserection Signent before we do a mission.

Oh god yes. If I get "I'm not a monk, I'm not bringing a res signet" I press the Hasta La Vista button. (Kick if I'm leader, leave if I'm not)
Heh I hear so many people Cursing their arses of in the thristy river and other ascention quests. That's because you really need to plan ahead for these missions and it takes some players about 10 re-trys to figure this out

You do have a call target system. Just hold control. You call the monster you're atatcking. A player has to only press T to assist. You can draw out routes on the map, ping critical locations, Call out that your poisoned, blinded has no energey left to heal (All by holding cntrl and click the icon/energy bar.)
I have to say that i think this interface is FAR superious to Eq2's. None of that having to stuff around making macros for things that are so nessesary.

The effect / hp / energy /target spam system is great, but i wish more people knew how to use it effectively in battle.

Warriors who dont call targets (even with constant reminders), dmg dealers who dont follow target calling, groups who run off and agro another mob when I'm yelling out "I have 10 of 57 energy", monks / mesmers who dont respond when you're under conditions/hex's, etc.

Did I mention PUG's are all bad?

not all pugs. . .most, its like the lottery, finding a good pug depends on as much lucks as getting a max dmg fire dmg crystalline sword drop from a sand wurm. . .not gonna happen

Is there some manner of write-up explaining the call/assist keys/commands in GW? This has been a real issue for me as well, and there isn't much in the way of in-game help for commands that I've found (granted, I may be suffering 'n00b' syndrome yet).

My partner and I duo most of the time (roleplay) and trying to keep up with a jumpy-arsed ranger is a real chore now and then.