Hardest Class for a New Player

[Samoht]

Originally Posted by Triiz [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Bard is often asked to substitute CC when there is no Enchanter

That is literally the role of a Bard...

[Tann]

Originally Posted by Samoht [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

That is literally the role of a Bard...

[Snaggles]

Originally Posted by Baler [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Rogues get hide and sneak though. So,. They have that over a warrior.
Plus it's way easier to transition into a group as a brand new player with a rogue vs a warrior who is under fit. Especially given backstab.

I spent a fortune on classic live trying to solo as a rogue. Poison, clickies, later carrying slow proc weapons. The worst equipped warriors were still on par or better per level. They had...
More hps per level/stamina
Higher defense caps
Access to better races
Access to cheap 2 handers
Berserk at low health
This makes bind wound efficient if you have enough hps to solo the next mob

The only time I could catch a break was a caster blue. Assuming I got lucky with backstab circle straffing (I still missed too many backstabs to count). Even later in velious when I had an epic, Fungi and Willsapper I'd put money on the budget warrior with a staff of battle and FBSS. Heck, a gnome warrior can buy armor that has 40% spell haste and you can recharge it with a mana battery.

Mobility wise a rogue is easy. Hide/sneak/numlock and walk away...if you didn't fall in lava you likely wouldn't die. Groups were trivially easy; few rogues do the pulling. Besides a Bard on a raid I'm not sure there is an easier game than a grouped rogue. That bard example was only because my friend spent most his raids playing a song while afk, drunk and high. [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

All the new EQ player needs to play a rogue is a partner. A healer, tank, fear'er. Toe to toe they better have good gear and a prayer.

[Cecily]

I'd argue rogues aren't gear dependent at all. Out of all the melee classes, we're the most efficient with low end weapons. The class is just a walking DoT. Worse equipment means a few extra ticks, but the job gets done all the same.

Warriors can cripple a group with a gear and/or skill deficit, so I'd pick them.

[Vallanor]

Wizards deserve a shout-out for being difficult to stick with through early levels. They're the most shunned from groups while only being like the sixth or seventh best soloer prior to getting their aoe snare at 29. Sure, they're easy in the sense that they push fewer buttons than almost any other class, but they have it incredibly rough if starting out untwinked.

[Snaggles]

Originally Posted by Cecily [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I'd argue rogues aren't gear dependent at all. Out of all the melee classes, we're the most efficient with low end weapons. The class is just a walking DoT. Worse equipment means a few extra ticks, but the job gets done all the same.

Warriors can cripple a group with a gear and/or skill deficit, so I'd pick them.

Yea but all a rogue does is dmg and corpse retrievals. Nobody gives you points for doing more dps than a warrior, it's an assumption.

I remember soloing with two SBD's. That is a rough life. High end rogue primaries are usually slow so your melee dps is even worse and you can't get the BS perk. Warriors with two Ykeshas or even a mith 2h were breezing kobolds in Sol B. I can't imagine that same warrior with a 31/37 staff you can buy for a few hundred plat.

But yes, in a group a warrior has to be geared better. They also have to understand aggro and pulling dynamics which isn't exactly EQ101. Good proc weapons with good ratios aren't cheap. If a new player is going to group most the time I wouldn't push them that direction.

[Tuurin]

Hardest to play, or hardest to play well? There's a difference.

[Triiz]

Originally Posted by Samoht [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

That is literally the role of a Bard...

Literally the role of a bard when there is no enchanter, thanks for reaffirming my statement I guess? But if there is no enchanter or shaman, groups will ask bard to CC, mana song, slow, and maybe haste if it's a group with just a cleric for heals.

Even for a bard solely doing CC, CCing as a bard requires a lot more attention than enchanter. Puller brings 4 mob to group with Enchanter CC? Enchanter casts 1 AOE mez and has 4 ticks to decide what to do next.

Puller brings 4 mobs to group with bard for CC? Bard better start tabbing his ass off and spamming single target mez that lasts 3 ticks, maybe charm one mob for 3 ticks if it's manageable.

I'm not saying Enchanter is an easy class to play well, but even a shitty enchanter can manage a bad pull easily in a group setting.

[Samoht]

Originally Posted by Triiz [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Literally the role of a bard when there is no enchanter, thanks for reaffirming my statement I guess? But if there is no enchanter or shaman, groups will ask bard to CC, mana song, slow, and maybe haste if it's a group with just a cleric for heals.

Even for a bard solely doing CC, CCing as a bard requires a lot more attention than enchanter. Puller brings 4 mob to group with Enchanter CC? Enchanter casts 1 AOE mez and has 4 ticks to decide what to do next.

Puller brings 4 mobs to group with bard for CC? Bard better start tabbing his ass off and spamming single target mez that lasts 3 ticks, maybe charm one mob for 3 ticks if it's manageable.

I'm not saying Enchanter is an easy class to play well, but even a shitty enchanter can manage a bad pull easily in a group setting.

The Bard and the Enchanter fill the same in a group. That's like having a Paladin and an SK at the same time. If you already have an Enchanter, then there's not much contribution from a Bard. But if you do not have an Enchanter, it should be expected that the Bard play his role.

[Triiz]

Originally Posted by Samoht [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

But if you do not have an Enchanter, it should be expected that the Bard play his role.

Thanks for reaffirming my statement again.