How do aggro mechanics work in this game? Is it based on damage done or something as simple as whoever is closest to the creature gets to tank?

I am new to the game and I have not grouped yet. I am very interested in fighter class as a tank and as a damage dealer. I have two different ideas for builds but I don't want to go down one path if it isnt necessary.

I also just came from playing WoW. This game feels like a mix between WoW and Diablo. It has the simplicity of Diablo's point-and-click fighting with an interface similar to WoW.

I hope to keep playing this game for a while because of it's soloability. The class system in this game seems like it limits the group mechanics so it isn't possible to have large, frustrating, elitists-only, 8-hour raids. That said, it seems as if tanks only need to concentrate on holding aggro and having enough hit points to take the beating while their group kills it. How hard is it to make an effective tank in this game? Can just about any fighter build put on a sword and shield and expect to be successful?

I'm a lvl 22 Fighter and when I'm in group with another 18 Fighter, he gets all the aggro even though I'm doing all the damage.
So it looks like targets atack the one who is the lowest lvl .

Mobs aim for the easiest target to kill. I keep Cleave and Righteous Stomp handy when my Mage friend pulls. It knocks them away from him and most of the time they come back to me.

Yeah, kinda sucks that they go for the easiest kill.
Not fair that they are that clever

Should instead atack the one that inflicts the most damage.

A dev said something about how they go for either the fighter, or whoever has the least HP. But I'm not sure in which order, and they never said if least HP meant least actual HP, or least percentage of their own total. It looks like the former, since lower lvls seem to attract mobs like whoah.

So basically, its impossible to "tank." All you can do is kill stuff before it kills you.

I was considering some sort of Intellect and Endurance heavy build to do high AOE damage, but it sounds like that might not be worth trying. I'm better off just going heavy Strength to smash stuff faster.

What if you made a high str LOW health fighter who used a shield and carried around tons of health potions and kept mostly resistance buffs on the hotkey bar? Since low hps seems to be the way to 'aggro' then thats what a tanking fighter should have right? The high str and shield and resistance gear/buffs would mediate the dmg taken, and spaming health pots should keep you alive. Plus the high str would let you do some dmg. Preferably with a high % health steal. then the mages could focus solely on dmg output and health (so as to avoid aggro).

totally not a solo viable build, I'm just curious whats possible for the group minded ppl out there.

I've successfully pulled aggro of casters by wacking a mob as it ran after the caster.

But it's not consistent.

I suspect the aggro logic is a little more complicated than just lowest HP.

the difference in DR from many other MMOs seems to be that a fighter in this game can actually fight and put a hurting on the bad guys. Where as in games like EQ the fighters job is to sit ( yes I have literally sat my character to gain aggro.) there and press a taunt key until your hand cramps.

One of the best ways to tank imo is to have blood agro. Get your hp to 50% and click a potion at 20 ish and you can lock them down.

Its not 100% guaranteed but I use it when PL'n and grouping and never lose agro.