Advanced Aggro System
EliteMobs tracks two separate values for every player who damages an Elite: the raw damage each player has dealt, and an aggro value (raw damage multiplied by the player's Loud Strikes bonus).
Note: aggro is the name given to the mechanic that determines which player the boss targets for their attacks
EliteMobs does override mob targeting: whenever an Elite with two or more attackers is hit, it retargets to the nearby attacking player who has dealt the most raw damage (within 35 blocks). So in current builds, dealing the most damage generally does pull the boss onto you — targeting is not plain vanilla.
What is not active yet is the Loud-Strikes-weighted aggro value. The separate aggro map (raw damage × Loud Strikes bonus) is tracked but not read by the targeting code. Decoupling aggro from raw damage so tanks can hold threat with lower damage is a planned feature ("decoupling aggro from damage to allow for tanking mechanics" in the source). The Loud Strikes enchantment exists and already feeds the aggro tracker, but it does not yet change which player a boss attacks.
The intended design: all Elites will target the player with the highest aggro among the group of players attacking them. The Loud Strikes enchantment multiplies aggro generation, allowing tanks to build threat even when dealing lower damage than DPS players.
This is intended for our Instanced Dungeons where the players are expected to assume roles of Tanks and DPS. Instanced Dungeons will even have loot drops made specifically for Tank roles. These loot drops carry a special enchantment called Loud Strikes that increases the aggro generated from any Elites the player hits.
How Loud Strikes Works
The Loud Strikes enchantment increases the aggro generated on hit for entities spawned by EliteMobs. Each item's Loud Strikes bonus equals its enchantment level divided by 3, and the bonuses are summed across all 6 equipment slots (helmet, chestplate, leggings, boots, main hand, and off-hand).
Formula: Aggro Generated = Damage Dealt × Total Loud Strikes Bonus
Per-Item Calculation: Loud Strikes Bonus = Enchantment Level ÷ 3
Examples:
- Loud Strikes III on one item = 3 ÷ 3 = 1.0 bonus
- Loud Strikes III on all 6 equipment slots = 6 × 1.0 = 6.0 total bonus
- Dealing 100 damage with a 6.0 total bonus = 100 × 6.0 = 600 aggro points generated
This is intended to let tanks build aggro even when dealing significantly less damage than DPS players. Note that with no Loud Strikes equipped the bonus is 0, so the aggro tracker is driven entirely by tank gear (raw damage is tracked separately). Because targeting currently reads the raw-damage map and not this aggro value, Loud Strikes does not yet affect who the boss attacks.
Technical Details
For each player attacking an Elite, EliteMobs records two separate values:
- Damage dealt: The pure damage numbers without any modifiers
- Aggro generated: The damage multiplied by that player's total Loud Strikes bonus (sum of
level / 3across all 6 equipment slots)
The Loud-Strikes-weighted aggro value is currently stored but not read by the targeting code, so it does not yet change which player a boss attacks. Targeting today is driven by the raw damage map: when an Elite with two or more attackers is hit, it retargets to the nearby attacker with the highest cumulative raw damage. Once the tank-targeting feature is finished, bosses will use the aggro value instead, letting Loud Strikes gear hold threat even when DPS players deal higher damage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: If I deal the most damage, will the boss always target me? A: In current builds, when an Elite has two or more attackers it retargets to the nearby player who has dealt the most raw damage, so dealing the most damage generally does pull the boss onto you. Loud Strikes does not yet override this — the Loud-Strikes-weighted aggro value is tracked but not used for targeting. That aggro-based override is a planned feature.
Q: How much Loud Strikes do I need to tank effectively? A: Once aggro targeting is active, this will depend on the damage gap between tank and DPS players. A full set of Loud Strikes III across all 6 slots produces a 6.0× aggro bonus. For now, Loud Strikes feeds the aggro tracker but does not change targeting.
Q: Can I see my current aggro level? A: No. Aggro values are not displayed in-game.