Combat

**Combat** refers to in-game mechanics which dictate how a character engages a target. While in this state, the character is restricted from some specific actions.

## Combat Flag

When a character attacks or is attacked, they become flagged by the game and enter the **in combat** state. During this time, health and mana will regenerate at a slower rate compared to when out of combat or sitting. Under most circumstances in PvE, once all enemies have lost interest, the character will be removed from combat.

### Combat Actions

* Auto Attacking.
* Casting an offensive spell.
* Casting a buff or a healing spell on a unit that is in combat.
* Getting on a enemy's threat list.
* Being hit by an area-of-effect (AOE) spell or ability.
* Certain enemies always put everyone in the group (or raid) in combat when engaged, regardless their distance from the boss.

### Locked Abilities

WIP

When in combat, the following actions are unavailable:

* Eating and drinking.

### Leaving Combat

Some classes have abilities which remove them from combat instantly. However, they will re-enter combat the next time they take damage.

* Feign Death

## General Combat

### Aggro and Adds

Immediately unleashing high-damage on a recently pulled enemy is advised against. It makes it difficult for the tank to gain enough threat on the target, and increases the likelihood the higher threat character will pull threat and strain the healer, or die. Additionally, other nearby enemies (adds) may also engage upon being attacked, which can be dangerous for the group. In most cases, the group will have a designated puller responsible for safely bringing enemies to the group.

It's best to focus on the tank's main target until they switch to another target. The primary target can often be found by pressing the tab key to cycle through nearby enemies, and seeing which one has lower health.

If playing a character which usually generates a high amount of threat, it's best to wait until the tank has established sufficient threat before attacking. This can mean waiting until the creature has 90% health before attacking.

The most effective way to reduce threat is to stop attacking for a while, or use an ability or spell to reduce threat.

Do not run away from an foe, as it's likely to aggro more nearby enemies. The best course of action is to run toward the tank and let them taunt the creature. It's always better to risk one character dying than wiping the entire group. Your party will thank you and do their best to retrieve your corpse or resurrect you.

### Mana and Health

Monitoring health and mana before, during, and after battle can be the difference between life and death. Notify the group if the healer is running low on mana, or if a mana break is needed. Not calling out low mana after the tank has pulled can put the group at risk of a wipe.

### Running away

Don't disregard the option of running away if a battle becomes unmanageable. A tactical retreat is sometimes the best option if the group is at risk of a wipe due to overpulling, a strong enemy, low mana, or other complications. Ensure everyone in the group is aware as to not leave anyone behind.

* Jumping forward grants a small amount of speed to create an opportunity to escape from enemies.
* Many water creatures won't pursue characters on land, but beware amphibious mobs.
* Beware mobs that have a ranged attack. They can attack from afar with spells.
* Run to friendly guard NPCs as they tend to provide aid, and there aren't other enemy creatures in the area.
* Other player characters not fighting who are around the area may lend aid, but be careful not to overrun them. It is considered poor etiquette to "train" mobs to another player or group.
* If death is inevitable, it's helpful to consider where to die to make it easier to drag a corpse or resurrect, such as near the zone line or a safe area.

Things not to do when running:

* Don't run toward other mobs who might aggro.
* Don't run off a cliff which could inflict high fall damage.
* Don't make a lot of turns to try and dodge a mob. AI pathing will often catch up much faster.

Useful things to do before or during running:

* Send in a pet to taunt and distract.
* Ask for help in chat (/say, /shout, etc.).
* Avoid obstacles like buildings and walls. These will slow or stop a player without affecting a pursuing mob.
* If health allows, use a movement impairing effect like a fear, stun, root, or snare effect on the enemy, then continue running.
* Use an invulnerability spell or ability.

## Physical combat

### Melee vs Ranged

The choice between melee and ranged combat mostly depends on the class. Most classes focus on close quarters engagement, however hybrid classes may utilize both.

### Dual Wielding

Total damage output when fighting with two weapons should be higher than fighting with one weapon and a shield, but roughly equal to fighting with a two-handed weapon. Off-hand weapon attacks usually deal less of the weapon's designated damage, therefore, it's better to put the overall higher damage weapon in the main hand.

## Magic

### Resistance

Opponents of a much higher level have an increased chance of resisting magical attacks, making it more difficult to crowd control or damage them. Consider specific types of spells against targets that might have specific types of resistances. For example, a magical cold or water creature may have increased cold resistance and take less damage from cold magic spells.

### Casting

The longer the spell casting time, the more times a character will receive damage, delaying the spell or outright interrupting it. Be mindful of distance when engaging foes, and make use of movement impairing abilities to avoid melee when playing a ranged class.

## Damage Mitigation

Melee combat is resolved using a chart of possible results for each attack. Whether a player hits, misses, dodges, parries, or blocks is dependent on their skills and the opponent's level. Some classes have abilities which allow them to mitigate a percentage of incoming damage, or outright deflect it.