Are Druids Useless for Groups and Raids?

[Snaggles]

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

those ds's can be quite nasty =P but ya i prefer a druid in melee groups on raids, the regen, buffs, and wolf form make them perfect for dps groups =D

That's how we always used them. Great to put with melee dps and come Velious they only get better.

My little rant with Pickled aside I'm sure for some fights druids charm fight. I mean, use the tools and resources you have available. If you're a dumbass (sadly a large percentage of the entire gaming community) don't be micro managing a hasted chicken and trying to keep 5 dps alive. It's a bullshit tactic waiting to implode.

[Silentone]

I read everything everyone said and for the most part everyone is right..however from my experience the truth is you will always be passed up as a healer for a cleric or shaman and you will always be passed up by dps. So if you have friends whom you group with constantly your fine if you like to solo your fine. If you want dungeons and group play you arent going to get too many group invities. Thats been my experience, and as far as raids go, you are great for ports and random stuff but your class wont be missed if you dont show up.

[Daldaen]

Druids are an excellent duo partner with many classes however. Rangers, Monks, Shadowknights, Paladins, Enchanters and a few others.

Full groups as I said before, there is always a class that can do the role they need you to do 'better'. But if your pick is between a shitty enchanter and a great druid, a great druid will be able to CC mobs with root and snare and speed buffs better than a tardboat enchanter will. And with the use of snare, root, harmony and speed buffs, we can be excellent pullers.

[usedtobejubaloftorv]

As I get more experience grouping with my druid I am coming to understand how to play it as a min-maxing powergamer... since you can do so many things (if none as well as a specialist, and not all at once) you need to configure yourself for the group you are with and how the players operate together.

For example, I joined a group with a SK, war, rog, bard, cleric. To start, I picked up the snare role, freeing the bard to do something more productive. Then I picked up the patch heal role so the cleric could use her mana more efficiently on larger heals, throwing in pack regen to lighten the heal load further. After that, the best I could add value was to add damage, so up went DS on the puller/tank, STR on melee dps, and finally surplus mana went to straight up nuking.

Now when we moved camp, cleric couldn't handle the extra healing... so I switched from nuking to cast more heals instead, which enabled the group to more easily adjust to fighting higher level mobs at the new camp.

So I'm figuring out that, as the utility guy in a group (more so than even a bard), my druid's job is first to analyze the group's strengths and weaknesses, patch up any potentially fatal weakness first and then take over roles that free up more specialized classes to concentrate on what they are good at. That way my actions can be translated into maximum effect, if only through the second-order effect of enabling another class to optimize its efficiency in a given situation. The implication of this is that given a different group configuration, my role within it could be completely different.

This kind of approach accepts at the outset that your abilities are duplicated by so many classes that the only unique ability you are likely to have in any given group is evac, and to work that overlap to optimize what others can do.

I'm still working this out here but I think I'm on the right track...

[Flunklesnarkin]

I like druids just for back up heals and ports alone... how can you not like that... never seems like there are enough porters at raids xD

[Fryhole]

The druid is mobile and can solo extremely well, which is worth something at least in this game. If they were required for raids, you'd have the definition of an OP class IMO. Mobility matters, especially if there is no one else to port you around. Most of you would say the Wizard is a worthless class as well, however, they're required to get into Sky & Hate, and are priceless when you need to move around the world in a hurry.

[Softcore PK]

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

As I get more experience grouping with my druid I am coming to understand how to play it as a min-maxing powergamer... since you can do so many things (if none as well as a specialist, and not all at once) you need to configure yourself for the group you are with and how the players operate together.

For example, I joined a group with a SK, war, rog, bard, cleric. To start, I picked up the snare role, freeing the bard to do something more productive. Then I picked up the patch heal role so the cleric could use her mana more efficiently on larger heals, throwing in pack regen to lighten the heal load further. After that, the best I could add value was to add damage, so up went DS on the puller/tank, STR on melee dps, and finally surplus mana went to straight up nuking.

Now when we moved camp, cleric couldn't handle the extra healing... so I switched from nuking to cast more heals instead, which enabled the group to more easily adjust to fighting higher level mobs at the new camp.

So I'm figuring out that, as the utility guy in a group (more so than even a bard), my druid's job is first to analyze the group's strengths and weaknesses, patch up any potentially fatal weakness first and then take over roles that free up more specialized classes to concentrate on what they are good at. That way my actions can be translated into maximum effect, if only through the second-order effect of enabling another class to optimize its efficiency in a given situation. The implication of this is that given a different group configuration, my role within it could be completely different.

This kind of approach accepts at the outset that your abilities are duplicated by so many classes that the only unique ability you are likely to have in any given group is evac, and to work that overlap to optimize what others can do.

I'm still working this out here but I think I'm on the right track...

This is a very good post [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

[Nagash]

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

So I'm figuring out that, as the utility guy in a group (more so than even a bard), my druid's job is first to analyze the group's strengths and weaknesses, patch up any potentially fatal weakness first and then take over roles that free up more specialized classes to concentrate on what they are good at. That way my actions can be translated into maximum effect, if only through the second-order effect of enabling another class to optimize its efficiency in a given situation. The implication of this is that given a different group configuration, my role within it could be completely different.

This...

[rafaone]

need to deal with real life for a sec? nuke away until oom and the raid can go on and no one will really miss you too much

Rofl

[Vondra]

I think black and yellow checkered robes and hats should be added to the game and both be required worn components to cast any druid spell.