Stick with Controller or...

[zieg]

Hey, guys. I've got a grav/time controller. I picked that because a) I wanted a lock down character, and b) the character is a Dr. Strange homage and I thought that was the least "lethal"/most "heroic" thing to pick without gimping myself. He does great with lock downs as intended, but I find in TFs I have to hold back because I don't want to disrupt what the tank is doing, plus I obviously have less attack options. I guess the question is, would I better serve a group as a grav/(dark or psi) dominator, or maybe a (dark or psi)/time corruptor? I do like the lockdown and playing the support role, but with the controller it seems like I have all these lock down, but have to be careful when to use it.

[Tath99]

Can you clarify what you mean by "disrupt what the tank is doing"?

 

On the surface, it sounds like there is a miscommunication in playstyles between you and the tank.  Was the Tank trying to pull several mobs groups into one big herd?

 

 

[zieg]

Sure. Yes, I'm trying to give the tank time to herd the surrounding mobs. That usually entails the outlaying mobs taking a ranged shot (going through the attack animation), then moving to melee. In which time I'm waiting patiently in the wings to let that happen. I can attack a single straggler to fill that time, but that's not really the role I'm going for. I haven't had anyone complain, but I do try to be aware of what's going on and let the tank to his thing. Otherwise I've snared/slowed or frozen them a little spread out.

Edited August 27, 2019 by zieg

[Tath99]

I don't believe you are doing anything wrong in a TF or team situation led by a dominant tank.  Patience is required to allow the tank to herd groups together.

 

That said, once the tank has herded into one place, there may well be a situation where he has pulled more than he can hit and maintain aggro upon.  This is where any Controller can shine.

 

•  You can lock down the main group of minions around the tank.
•  You can lock down threats close to the tank like lieutenants or bosses which might be in danger of hitting him too hard.
•  You can look for stragglers, especially those threatening yourself or other squishy team-mates.
•  Switch to using your secondary powers.

Gravity/Time is an excellent combination for controlling locations of your choice and playing in a style of your choice.  Tank players can sometimes be overconfident / too driven towards mission efficiency.  Be the hero/player to respond to any threat that arises when that overconfidence strikes.

 

 

 

 

Edited August 27, 2019 by Tath99

[Without_Pause]

I would focus on doing debuffs and such from /time if you think attacking is disrupting things. Case in point, for my /dark controller, I use Darkest Night on a tougher target as the mobs slowly bunch together and then lay down Tar Patch to further keep them bunched up. Granted, on my Dark/dark controller I can fill in for handling alpha strike on my own depending upon the situation. 😀 I was doing that on a team last night against +2s while being 28 with common IOs.

[Justisaur]

You're pretty much doing it right.  Save the big lock-down for when you don't have a tank, your tank can't deal with the alpha, or you get ads.  Part of the reason I like plant so much as a controller/dom, you can lead off with confusion and the mobs clump together naturally, you're still better off letting a tank do their job if you've got one so you don't risk the alpha yourself though.  Unfortunately I don't find controls that useful anymore, unless you find yourself in the odd situation of mid level with no-one higher level exemplaring, and no agro management, or when you can position to hard mez special annoyances like sappers before they act (stealth is great for that.)   Fortunately grav has pretty good ST damage too, so killing off stranglers is a a good choice, and time has good buffs eventually.

[Snakebit]

Having lockdown available with a full end bar is better than having no lockdown availabe and no end.

 

Be patient. Let things develop and be ready to take control. Its very easy for a single player to feel marginalized on a good team.

[Kendalls]

As a player who plays controllers 95% of the time, I absolutely LOVE tanks. I have to say, i'm very surprised by your issue. Consider the tank your best friend. His/her friendship should be #1, and you should listen to his or her requests/directions. He herds them up into a big pile and then you step in to lock-down and slowly degrade the herd. He/she is actually going out of his way to make your job easier! When done correctly it's a beautiful thing. And if you ever find yourself struggling to find a team, (which can happen quite often), consider searching for a tank or brute to "duo" with. You would be shocked at what the two of you are capable of!

Edited August 27, 2019 by Kendalls

[zieg]

Thanks for all the helpful replies. It's not so much that I felt I was being sidelined or neglected, but more that I was wondering if there was another choice where I could do more for whatever team I'm in. But it sounds like I'm on the right track being reactive rather than forcing my way into a situation. Again, thanks for the help.

[William Valence]

No Idea what level you are, but once you get wormhole you can be much more forceful. Especially with tanks. Just wormhole a group onto the group the tank is herding and lockdown both.