Please see this only as a suggestion for an assistance system. The current function is not very effective in my opinion. You have always to target someone and then hit the assist button, this makes the function basically useless to me. I was once used to right click a hot button and then I could simple apply the command /assist #name. And if a character was close to me with this name I assisted him. (I want to make a suggestion to make something similar in DDO possible, but not here).
But I think it can be made even better than this, so I try here.
I hope I made no logical errors additional to my bad English and it is understandable what I want.



To Assist one Party member:
An additional function of the current assist button could be the option if you click on the class symbol of a party member and have the option assist in the drop-down menu. It could also be a small square, similar to the circle for the voice-chat (with colors for unset, assisted and not assisted). If you click this square, the color turns from black(unset) -> red (don't assist) -> green (assist)
If you hit the assist button after this setting you assist the selected party member. If you don't select any party member, the assist button has just the current function.

Or you assist a party member you selected automatically.
This option could be chosen in the drop-down menu or in a drop-down menu if you right-click the described small square.
If you have no hard target selected, your target changes automatically to the hard target of the assisted. If you and the assisted got the same hard target and the assisted changes his target you change your target to his new target.
But if you select another target (click on it or hit select next target button etc.), this hard target remains until the target disappears (if the monster dies e.g.) or you remove your selected hard target (I hit the Esc button for this).

If you assist automatically or only with an assist button could also be set in the UI settings

And to not assist one or several party members:
if you hit the next target key or nearest target it simply selects a target not selected by someone you don't want to assist. As if this target would not exist.
Optionally it could even automatically change your current target if someone hard target it you don't want to assist.
But if only targets remain, already selected by party members you don't want to assist, your targeting works as usual.

Party leader options
The party leader could make a presetting for the whole party.
Additional small circles could appear only on the party leader UI, on each party member class symbol circles with a star in it for a setting applying to the whole group.
It is, of course, the question if the party leader set should only apply if a party member doesn't do his own seting or if they apply even if a party member does his own settings.
The party leader could have the right to do only a presetting for the party as a kind of suggestion or as a command (the party leader setting overwrites the normal party member setting or only apply if the party member does not his own setting).
This setting could be made by clicking on the party leader symbol by the party leader (current color for suggestion and red for command)
In the UI setting could be an option to deactivate all this (but this deactivation doesn't work if the party leader set his presetting as a command)

If you right click your own class symbol you could have the options assist me or don't assist me.
Or a small circle appear also on your circle (black (unset)-> red (don't assist me)-> green (assist me))
This is suggestions only apply to the party leader settings and the settings of a group member.
And also here, only the party leader could have the option, his setting always apply before all other settings.

My intention is, this is changes that make things work better if you use them and if not, you maybe not even notice the settings of other party members.
Just if the party leader would have the right to do his settings as a command it might bother you, but in this case, you could leave the group. (the party leader option for command could only apply to you with this setting before you enter a quest) If the party leader symbol is normal you know things are as usual and if it is red before you enter a quest, you know your targeting might be influenced by your party leader.

This could also affect hirelings.