So, umm, do mana stones still exist in this version? and a few other ?'s

[DMN]

I think they were removed as a drop around kunark but I don't trust my memory that well. Nothing quite as humorous as watching your cleric friend kill themselves-- repeatedly-- with one.

Also, are there any late game roles for necros/shamans/druid? beyond "one is all you need"?

Are evil races/classes still petty much KOS everywhere?

Is the leveling rate the same as it was?

Do boats still randomly dump you into the OOT and sometimes not even show up when they should?

[mev]

Manastones don't drop, but the ones that already dropped are still in game.

If "late game" means grouping to XP up to 60, then I have had plenty of groups with multiple necros / shamans / druids. It might not be optimal, but most folks are okay with slightly suboptimal groups.

If "late game" means high end raids, I have only done a bit of raiding myself, but I think that necros are useful for twitching even if you have a bunch, and shamans and druids are useful if the raid doesn't have enough clerics. Druids are also useful for porting over, and shamans are useful for buffing -- one shaman to buff a whole raid can be a bit brutal.

For faction, everyone is in the same boat for Velious. On Kunark, good, evil, and Iksar each get one city, though you'll probably lose your faction in the OT outpost in your 50s if you level in KC or HS. In the classic continents, Iksar start out KoS everywhere, though it's not too hard to work around that or get faction up. Evil races have a few cities (Ogre, Troll, and Dark Elf cities) plus places in other cities (Qeynos sewers, Freeport tunnels, etc). As an Iksar monk, I haven't been too annoyed by faction problems.

The leveling rate should be in line with the classic timeline. Right now, that means that there are small bonuses for grouping (detailed in the game mechanics wiki page), that there are no class penalties, but that there are race penalties and class and race bonuses. P99 Red (the PvP server) also has pretty significant bonuses.

Unless you take a really long time zoning, boats shouldn't dump you into OOT. They levitate you now, so you don't usually fall through them. They can take a while to show up -- I don't know if this is a bug or not.

[Trungep99]

regarding the needed for the classes you mentioned

necros are very needed at high end raids since they are mana batteries for the other casters.
multiple shaman are needed before spells get resisted at raids and if one shaman dies you have back ups. plus multiple people to buff decreases the time for the raid to get fully buffed.
druids are needed for the same reasons as shaman when it comes to buffing. they are also needed for the extra spot heals & the more you have helps a raid port to a new location quickly.

and yes about boats, but rarely, it has happened to me once when i was a newb on this server and a GM teleported me out of the ocean since i am not a class that can gate.

[Spyder73]

Druids and shamans are welcome on raids to heal DPS...Clerics typically are put in the CH chain and can't heal anyone but tanks. Necros are less useful...basically mana batteries for the clerics...But honestly all classes are needed/welcome and no guild will turn you away because you are a turd class (Bard...Druid...Ranger...Ect)

[DMN]

Ya i rolled up a necro and am already leveling ep pretty well. Bit burnt out though. I had completely forgot about the idiotic RNGesus research skill.


My kingdom for a gdamn call of bones and/or positive RNG roll. sign.