Monk a Classic class?

[Sorkail]

I think I know the answer to this question, but just can't lay it to rest without asking once and for all: was Monk an original class in the game, or was it introduced with Kunark?

I started playing in Summer 2001 when Velious was out, I bought the Kunark+original install along with the corresponding Prima guide - still have it! I think that my impressionable 13-year-old self made the assumption somewhere along the line that since Iksar could be Monks, and Iksar was released with Kunark, then Monks also were released with Kunark. Or maybe the first Monk I ever met was an Iksar. Yes, I know that that same logic would imply that I should've assumed Necros, Shamans etc were also released with Kunark, but idk. Just one of those little things that I started questioning at some point and never really looked into.

For the record, my guess now is that Monks were in the game from the start as a Human-only class. Only piece of quasi-evidence I have: I can't remember ever actually reading anything saying that Monks were a later addition.

[dealicious]

100% classic.

[Ele]

Only human monks were around for the first year, then Iksar were added with monk as a playable class for them with Kunark.

First new class since original release was Beastlord in Shadows of Luclin.

[Nuggie]

Classic

[Lojik]

Got prof? I played classic and I don't remember any monks

[Kika Maslyaka]

humans monks guilds in Qeynos and FP existed since day 1.
Also around December 99 there was a famous monks sit out outside Freeport, when monk players were protesting to massive nerf to their class by Verant

Proof: http://www.eqclerics.org/forums/showthread.php?t=9755

[Deckk]

Got prof? I played classic and I don't remember any monks

Bad troll attempt.

[indiscriminate_hater]

Not classic

[Cecily]

I support removing monks.

[Bboboo]

There were no Iksar Monks in original EQ. Monks not 100% OG Classic

[Ivory]

I don't remember Qeynos and Freeport existing in classic. I think it was added after kunark. Actually, anything outside of the wood elf city I don't remember.

The first year of live, I played a naked wood elf ranger that just sat in the inn.

This needs to be looked at. From what I remember, Kunark added everything outside of the wood elf city inn.

[Lune]

I support removing monks.

This. I'd finally be able to play my ranger in peace

[Itap]

Remove all classes except Warrior, Cleric, and Wizard

[indiscriminate_hater]

Give bards FD and rez

[iruinedyourday]

I don't remember Qeynos and Freeport existing in classic. I think it was added after kunark. Actually, anything outside of the wood elf city I don't remember.

The first year of live, I played a naked wood elf ranger that just sat in the inn.

This needs to be looked at. From what I remember, Kunark added everything outside of the wood elf city inn.

:D

[Swish]

This. I'd finally be able to play my ranger in peace

Beat me to it, was just thinking "yeah... that'd make rangers way more viable" :p

[86753o9]

Never quite understood why the creators thought that kung fu monks were swords and sorcery appropriate.

[Jimjam]

There is something I don't understand with monks.

In classic a big part of the class balance was itemisation; it was hard for monks to stack AC items and their improved damage tables were offset by 1hb/2hb weapons having worse ratios than their slashing equivalents.

Come Kunark they get a big boost as for some reason they now get to have better ratio than every other class and by velious they could easily hit the AC hardcap resulting in a class that mitigates better than even warriors, has better avoidance than any other class, pumps out huge DPS with autoattack (and even more with their kicks)...

Was this just really bad planning, or was there someone on the dev/itemisation team that had a monk they really wanted to be massively twinked out?

[myriverse]

Never quite understood why the creators thought that kung fu monks were swords and sorcery appropriate.
Um... sword & sorcery doesn't just mean European. And even the Euro genre arguably has Friar Tuck and/or Little John. [insert argument for ogre monks here]

D&D had monks going back to 1975, based on the Destroyer/Remo Williams novels, but they were pretty weak. Still, they've been a staple of the gaming genre since then.

[blondeattk]

Never quite understood why the creators thought that kung fu monks were swords and sorcery appropriate.

...cos they copied them from AD&D manuals

[fiveeauxfour]

Monks are like rogue/war hybrids

We can dps well but not as good as rogues.
We can tank but only in spurts when it comes to raid targets in kunark with ss/mend. With buffs to NPCs in velious, it's not feasible for monks to tank in group content. Sirens grotto mobs hurt.

In terms of pulling, Yea monks can do it well but with FTE engage and trainfest culture on this server it don't matter who "pulls". In velious monk pulling might get better, but we'll see how things will play out

Monks are only op because of ss/mend. If they didn't have that then I bet their numbers wouldn't be so high. Yea FD is nice and all but I've seen so many people fail at fding though casters. Best part of FD is the sick parkour we can pull off (only available to female humans due to animation speed).

Rangers get weaponshield which will elevate them to monk levels IMO. Not to mention upped DMG tables and sick weaps.

Yes monks are classic, and they are balanced.

[Deadmantis]

I played AD&D in high school back in the 80s. When the DM gave me descriptions of the different classes I chose the monk as my first character. Don't remember why. His gear sucked and leveling was slow and painful in my regular group. Never did make it to lvl 17 for the overpowered Quivering Palm skill.

I also played a human monk in beta and still have one on live. As others have stated, they are very much classic and they fit in quite well with the lore of Norrath.

[Sorkail]

Thanks all for the replies! Suspicions confirmed.

[86753o9]

Monks embrace celibacy as a means to cope with their own ambiguous sexuality.

[Omnifiend]

Human monks 100% classic. Was totally butthurt cus it was my main and then iksar came out with that totally baller regen, no way I was gonna reroll from level 1.

[manguard]

Monks have been removed from the game. If you were a monk you are now a ranger.

[Lady Julae]

There were no Iksar Monks in original EQ. Monks not 100% OG Classic

There were no Iksar in the original EQ either. :)

[Lady Julae]

...We can dps well but not as good as rogues...

You are doing it wrong, then.


...In terms of pulling, Yea monks can do it well but with FTE engage and trainfest culture on this server it don't matter who "pulls"...

Again, you are doing it wrong if you are being equaled in pull skills.


...Monks are only op because of ss/mend. If they didn't have that then I bet their numbers wouldn't be so high...

You should never really need Mend if you are doing it right. Mend is your "Oh crap! I just been jumped by a re-pop!" button. That said, if you are soloing IN the re-spawn area, you are of course, doing it wrong.


...Yea FD is nice and all but I've seen so many people fail at fding though casters...

Guess what? They are doing it wrong. :)


Rangers get weaponshield which will elevate them to monk levels IMO. Not to mention upped DMG tables and sick weaps...

LOL, what? Lay off the ganja.

[fiveeauxfour]

teach me your ways, julae senpai

[curtischoy]

apparently he hits autoattack better

[Korain]

Human Monk master race. Iksar Monks were (and still are) an abomination.

[Swish]

Human Monk master race. Iksar Monks were (and still are) an abomination.

I still prefer the iksar monk kick :)

[GinnasP99]

I still prefer the iksar monk kick :)

Iksar robe sleeves ain't half bad either

[Thiefboy777]

Iksar 2hb best animation ever

[indiscriminate_hater]

You are doing it wrong, then.




Again, you are doing it wrong if you are being equaled in pull skills.




You should never really need Mend if you are doing it right. Mend is your "Oh crap! I just been jumped by a re-pop!" button. That said, if you are soloing IN the re-spawn area, you are of course, doing it wrong.




Guess what? They are doing it wrong. :)




LOL, what? Lay off the ganja.

forumquest: the immersion is real

[Korain]

Iksar robe sleeves ain't half bad either

I'll admit and agree that I love their flying kick animation. Flying, and the idle "raaawwwr, I'm a lizard" animation are sick. Other than that, I hate the model. It's stiff, and they run like they have something wedged up their rear.

[Waedawen]

Guess what? They are doing it wrong.

plz teach me how to play eq plz

[Waedawen]

Was this just really bad planning, or was there someone on the dev/itemisation team that had a monk they really wanted to be massively twinked out?

If you think it's bad now, just see the Velious Boss drops. And the answer is yes, it's just horrible horrible fucking awful oversight.

AND the person who was 'In charge' of Monks, his name was Abashi, was your typical crybaby neckbeard 'Monk Player' and yes he did show massive favoritism to the class by adding specific items and making specific changes to monks as well as OTHER classes because of his massive ego. Items like Abashi's Rod of Disempowerment, Flayed Barb Legs, are a direct result of his "monk player" persona.

With the super duper dope drops, Monks are going to be equipping essentially the same items Warriors are in most slots, with just as much AC etc etc. It's purely a mistake.

[fiveeauxfour]

#monklife