back in my younger days playing final fantasy 11, I form a party and when the puller leave I replaced him with anyone. I tank and pull. The only problem I had was the meta player suggesting how things should be but I was like....umm we're killing faster and getting exp . what's the problem?
I agree that you can make any class work. it may take longer but it can be done. However there are issues when squishy classes try to pull (i.e. lack of hp/armour and getting a big hit or low resistance and getting rooted) and it is easier to pull with classes that are more suitable to the task. It doesn't always have to be the most heavily armoured, but it should be someone who can take a hit and not notice it too much.
I would say, find a guild who is open to partying with friends and trying things out. Pickup groups are generally "...lets do this as quickly as possible..." and wont like experimentation. Smaller guilds tend to be more family and fun orientated than the larger guilds that are more task orientated (not always though).
As for Pantheon, it remains to be seen which classes are most adept at the task, but I presume that the usual suspects will probably claim the role. We shall see.
Personally, I love pulling as a ranger.
What classes work or don't work or if all classes can is totally up to VR and the many mechanics they can employ.
There have been so many vids and comments in various places from devs plus pre-alpha sessions we aren't allowed to talk about that it's tought to comment and know we are allowed... but I would say that I am very confident there will be a wide variety of pulling methods and possibilities.
As with most aspects, VR appear to be folding in an ambitious amount of complex mechanics, but doing so with robust flexible systems underpinning them so they can be tweaked and tuned later.
We've seen a lot in pre-alpha already. Can't wait for alpha! (Or indeed more pre-alpha).
As I said a couple of years ago in this thread, it was excellent in EQ and games like it that you had quite complex and tricky pulling techniques at all. Back then, even, there were multiple ways to pull and split monsters up and multiple classes could do it.
As with most aspects, it appears Pantheon will take that level of complexity and challenge and up the ante some.
I am late to the party for this thread, however...I played a bard in EQ with the FD AAs, and IMO no one was as well-rounded for splitting, pulling, and parking all while performing other support tasks and dps-ing than that class. The tank, or whoever was kiting never had to stop doing their thing.
When I moved over to WOW when it first launched, (in raids like Molten Core or 10 man UBRS) the hunter with EotB utilizing an ultra-fast pet (wolf tame from Alterac Valley) and FD with traps and whatnot was a superb puller.
As of this moment, I will be playing a human enchanter and their toolkit seems well suited to pulling. Will be interesting to get a full list of spells and abilities and see who can also slip into the puller roll, perhaps even two classes in tandem. I am all about managing the flow and achieving maximum efficiency.