How do people rate druids?

[Warnie]

Are druids a desired class for healing groups? Or are clerics the kings of healing and druids are only taken if there is no other choice? Is there a significant server population of druids? Just asking because they seem pretty cool to play what with buffs / heals / ports / sow and capable solo.

If I wanted to play a healer, would I be better off playing a cleric vis a vis group love?

Cheers

[Kika Maslyaka]

druid are great solo class
druids can offer ton of utility options to a group
druids are capable casual healer, but raid healing is better left up to a cleric
there are shit load of druids all around us =)
if you want to be a TRUE dedicated healer, cleric is the way to go - druids will not step into serious healing powers without their PoP+ era spells, which won't happen on this server, or at least any time soon...
for anything else - druids are better ;)

[Ennoia]

Are druids a desired class for healing groups? Or are clerics the kings of healing and druids are only taken if there is no other choice? Is there a significant server population of druids? Just asking because they seem pretty cool to play what with buffs / heals / ports / sow and capable solo.

If I wanted to play a healer, would I be better off playing a cleric vis a vis group love?

Cheers

From personal experience on P99 and on live, Druids are kinda useless in groups. Even in PoP I saw Druids who had trouble keeping people alive, even with those big heals. Go root something that doesn't summon, dot it, then go afk until it's dead.

[Kika Maslyaka]

From personal experience on P99 and on live, Druids are kinda useless in groups. Even in PoP I saw Druids who had trouble keeping people alive, even with those big heals. Go root something that doesn't summon, dot it, then go afk until it's dead.

in 60+ solo wasn't a decent XP anymore, and my druid on live was a 100% group healer, and with some decent gear, FT and 100+ AAs - I was standing next a cleric in CCH on raids in tiers 1-3, Ssra, and VT no problem.
Of course my gear was significantly better than those of a "casual" lev 65 druid ;)

[Mardur]

Mardur rates Druids http://www.filmmusicmedia.com/_/rsrc/1286348053148/ratings/HalfStar.png

[Mardur]

wow that was bigger than expected

[Mardur]

that's what she said.

[Torven]

Ok so, I'm a 60 druid and I'll give my two cents.

Druids are not primary healers after like level 40. CH is essentially the only tank heal late game. Basically if my friends give me charity by grouping me, my sole job is to cast every non-CH heal on non-tanks so the cleric does not have to waste mana on non-CH heals to eliminate downtime. DDs and dots are way too expensive in this game (for any class) to be a form of viable DPS.

If you want to play a druid at the higher levels, learn how to charm and quad kite, because finding groups will be difficult. If you don't intend to play one to a high level, then go nuts.

Essentially I made a druid to help my friends out by porting them and powerleveling them. Druids are also really handy for misc chores like selling in EC and camping green dungeons. They are a great supplementary character. I really would not recommend the class to somebody who wouldn't make other characters to do things with, though. I have a 56 magician and 52 warrior to play when my friends need a class for serious content.

[Ennoia]

that's what she said.

You can't 'that's what she said' your own comments. That's against the rules.

Ok so, I'm a 60 druid and I'll give my two cents.

Druids are not primary healers after like level 40. CH is essentially the only tank heal late game. Basically if my friends give me charity by grouping me, my sole job is to cast every non-CH heal on non-tanks so the cleric does not have to waste mana on non-CH heals to eliminate downtime. DDs and dots are way too expensive in this game (for any class) to be a form of viable DPS.

If you want to play a druid at the higher levels, learn how to charm and quad kite, because finding groups will be difficult. If you don't intend to play one to a high level, then go nuts.

Essentially I made a druid to help my friends out by porting them and powerleveling them. Druids are also really handy for misc chores like selling in EC and camping green dungeons. They are a great supplementary character. I really would not recommend the class to somebody who wouldn't make other characters to do things with, though. I have a 56 magician and 52 warrior to play when my friends need a class for serious content.

DoTs are fucking amazing. The only class DoTs suck for is the Shadowknight, because they just get recycled Necromancer spells until like after PoP (in terms of DoTs).

Edit: With the SK snare spell being the exception, but it's meant for aggro, not DPS.

[Estu]

DDs and dots are way too expensive in this game (for any class) to be a form of viable DPS.

So wizards are shit outta luck, then?

[Rasah]

So wizards are shit outta luck, then?I'm afraid so. At least in the general group sense. However, AE groups rock, and quad kiting is effective. Any they are always sought after in raids. Just traditional single pull groups are not where wizards shine.

[Jigga]

Dots are great if the mob survives long enough to eat a full dot but in group if the mob is alive long enough to eat a full WD or something than it means you are not killing fast enough.

Wiz can nuke and help a group drop a bunch of mobs at first real quick, but then they are out for a while to med

[MegamanXZOBMV]

Can't say anything about raid groups, as I have no experience there, but from what I went through on live, Druids are a ''good enough'' healer. Yeah, they don't have the Cleric's CH, or the Shaman's attribute buffs, but I think they do many things well. To be honest, I consider the Druid more of a ''jack-of-all-trades'' than the Bard. That's not to say that your group is going to need you to cover as a Wizard half the time or anything. It's just nice to know that if, for whatever reason that may arise, you can do a little bit of everything in terms of spellcasting.

I say, if you enjoy having a versatile character, especially one that can solo well, make yourself a Druid.

[Manticorps]

I played with a druid through Kunark, Vellious and beyond. As an enchanter, I found our classes complemented each other quite well. The druid was able to solo heal dungeon groups just fine if the tank was decently geared.

I always liked having a druid in the group. The utility to contribute heals, damage, buffs and the ability to quickly travel to "greener pastures" made them desirable in my groups. There are better choices for pure dps, or pure heals, but the utility made them worthwhile in my mind.

Edit: I want to add the druid I grouped with did make a Cleric and preferred using the cleric for pure heals or solo heals.

[MelxDruid]

Level 53 (Superior heal) is the game changer for druid healing ability in Kunark. There have been many times my group lost our cleric and I was able to cover MH for 1 hour+.

Although at more difficult camps, and especially in Sebilis, CH is usually necessary.

Overall, if you know how to harness and correctly use the wide range of druid skills/spells, you will be a great asset to both soloing and groups.

[Torven]

Sup heal takes 10% of my mana a cast and heals 524 damage. Tanks in Kunark have 4k hp buffed. If a druid is your only healer, then your group is not going to kill much.

[gnomishfirework]

At lower levels, druids heal ok, but mid 30s on, clerics are where it's at.

You can go with a druid or shaman healer in some circumstances, but clerics are intended to be THE healer.

[Auvdar]

Your better off throwing on your best DoT and nuking. Or just nuking and DSing/random buffs.

Healing is really only a "if needed" type thing for a druid 50+ from every group I've been in. Also, you heal anyone who gets dmg besides the tank, or help spot heal the MT if the Cheal is coming off slow or the tank just got spiked. Otherwise, I spend most of my time in groups DPSing. You can do wonderful things in places like Chardok if you can get a charmed pet to actually hold :D

[YendorLootmonkey]

You can't 'that's what she said' your own comments. That's against the rules.

Yeah, that's like calling "shotgun" when it's just you and the driver of the vehicle.

[Doors]

Kinda a shame only clerics can really heal hard camps/groups in kunark. Makes forming groups all the more difficult.

[ByronosaurusRex]

Kinda a shame only clerics can really heal hard camps/groups in kunark. Makes forming groups all the more difficult.

Cleric/Chanter/Warrior. Everything else is optional.

[Shrubwise]

Are druids a desired class for healing groups? Or are clerics the kings of healing and druids are only taken if there is no other choice? Is there a significant server population of druids? Just asking because they seem pretty cool to play what with buffs / heals / ports / sow and capable solo.

If I wanted to play a healer, would I be better off playing a cleric vis a vis group love?

Cheers

play a cleric

[Shadey]

I see lots of negative remarks here as to Druids healing capabilities. As I played EQ for 7+ years druids are in fact great healers. Spot healers for the most part in raids, taking up slack between complete heals from the cleric heal chains and keeping their groups alive. With proper gear a druid can heal VERY well. Even play main healer in a group with good gear and a good player. Clerics are the best healers but druids do have their place as a good healer as well.

And the bonus you get is a very competent solo class to play.

Oh and I played a cleric main in high end raid guilds and ran healers for many years (from classic up to Omens).

[gnomishfirework]

I see lots of negative remarks here as to Druids healing capabilities. As I played EQ for 7+ years druids are in fact great healers. Spot healers for the most part in raids, taking up slack between complete heals from the cleric heal chains and keeping their groups alive. With proper gear a druid can heal VERY well. Even play main healer in a group with good gear and a good player. Clerics are the best healers but druids do have their place as a good healer as well.

And the bonus you get is a very competent solo class to play.

Oh and I played a cleric main in high end raid guilds and ran healers for many years (from classic up to Omens).

You must not be remembering classic-velious (really up to pop) very well.

People would sit LFG over using a Druid healer. I remember how frustrating it could be if you didn't have a warrior, cleric, and shaman or enchanter. A lot of that wasn't as bad as people made it out, but Druids/shamans on their own aren't great healers at all.

It's worst case scenario (they are great back-up healers).

This person wants a healer. If healing is what you want, you go cleric. Druids jobs as healers doesn't get much easier in velious.

I wouldn't recommend a druid as a healer. It's just not how everquest operates at this time frame.

[Kingofqueens123]

You can't 'that's what she said' your own comments. That's against the rules.

pwnd

[Messianic]

The way I remember it was Druid + Shaman or Cleric. You could manage with a shaman and druid, but it wasn't near as efficient.

[Messianic]

Essentially I made a druid to help my friends out by porting them and powerleveling them. Druids are also really handy for misc chores like selling in EC and camping green dungeons. They are a great supplementary character.

Truth

Druids make the absolute best tradeskill/vendor/banking secondary characters. Misty port is the closest portal to a bank, and druids have far better port locations than the only other porting class - wizards. Tracking helps them farm the garbage out of tradeskill material mobs...

Built-in sow, good PLing ability, questing class armor for alts (I hate that druids have Lava portal and us wizards don't - it's right next to the friggin temple of sol ro, THE wizard deity), farming, etc... But not a nuclear grouping class.

[Shadey]

You must not be remembering classic-velious (really up to pop) very well.

People would sit LFG over using a Druid healer. I remember how frustrating it could be if you didn't have a warrior, cleric, and shaman or enchanter. A lot of that wasn't as bad as people made it out, but Druids/shamans on their own aren't great healers at all.

It's worst case scenario (they are great back-up healers).

This person wants a healer. If healing is what you want, you go cleric. Druids jobs as healers doesn't get much easier in velious.

I wouldn't recommend a druid as a healer. It's just not how everquest operates at this time frame.

I remember just fine. It seams that you do not. Did I say they were the best choice as a primary healer. No I did not. But they do have their place and they do do a decent job healing when geared and played right. Those that "Think" they have to have a certain group make up all the time will want just that. But those that are willing to try different things will do ok with a good geared/played druid in their group. They do have their place in the order of things in EQ up to this point and beyond.

Oh and with the invent of AA's with Luclin the druids got a big bump in their healing abilities. So it was before PoP that they had more stuff in their favor to make them better healers then with just gear. Nuff said. :D

[Ele]

I played a druid on live through Sleepers, VT, and PoP.

I play a cleric this time around.

/thread

[Kika Maslyaka]

Druid became potent high end healer once Luclin came out and we got that 3.5k heal, +heal focus items, +healing AAs really made a difference.
in PoP this gets upgraded to 4.6k heal + some more healing AAs + some high FT gear (Judgement set from VT gets you to Ft 15 with only 3 items) - and I could heal Hard LDON missions before even having elemental gear.
This of course depend of your tank's AC alot

[Reodd]

Druids could heal just fine in xp/farm groups. The thing is that you had to prove that you could do it and build a reputation for it. I MH'd Lguk in classic and Sebilis groups all the time on my druid in live. You had to use your regen spells to keep everyone's hp ticking and then main heal the tank only. It was stressful, but it was fun.

I did switch over to cleric in late Kunark/early Velious because it was bonanza fun to Complete Heal and wear plate though.

[Messianic]

Druid became potent high end healer once Luclin came out and we got that 3.5k heal, +heal focus items, +healing AAs really made a difference.
in PoP this gets upgraded to 4.6k heal + some more healing AAs + some high FT gear (Judgement set from VT gets you to Ft 15 with only 3 items) - and I could heal Hard LDON missions before even having elemental gear.
This of course depend of your tank's AC alot

You know this server isn't going past velious, right?

[Shadey]

You know this server isn't going past velious, right?

Well now thats just sad. :( Since luclin was one of the best expac's IMO and my personal fav. Is there a timeline posted of what they are going to be doing with this server and how long its going to be up? Thanks in advance.

[Messianic]

Well now thats just sad. :( Since luclin was one of the best expac's IMO and my personal fav. Is there a timeline posted of what they are going to be doing with this server and how long its going to be up? Thanks in advance.

Only the devs have the official timeline, but it's not a secret. Basically through Velious, but stopping there. No Luclin.


I certainly hope they eventually decide to add it - maybe with some modifications, since I never got to experience Luclin - but no biggie if not.

[baalzy]

I think the majority* of players here believe classic-Velious had the right idea.

Luclin onward.. I just can't get onboard with. I played the expansions up to like omens of war. It was all right, but mostly just a big waste of my time.

I'd rather have a completely custom game after Velious than rebuild that fail. Cats on the moon not happening on my watch.

[Kika Maslyaka]

You know this server isn't going past velious, right?

that is beside the point of what i was saying. I was replying to the notion that "druid NEVER was a good healer even in PoP+ era", which isn't true

[Daywolf]

Bah to healing. The root and dot stack ability is just sick. This is the class that you can pretty much run around naked in, and still drop giants left and right staying at full mana. Best duo is 2 drui's imo. Full groups you wan to keep an evaq ready. Back up the cleric, but do damage, or have 2 drui's which works really well. Keep everyone buffed including sow. If you are just starting out and have no access to real gear, this is a plus-plus.

Cleric, you are a heal bot, that's about it. You can solo, but mainly undead which is pretty fun at that while grinding. Gear up or die - get enough groups killed here and probably get a bad rep real quick with the low population. Some people really cant do cleric even with the best gear.

Have played both classes extensively on live and peq for years, including multi-boxing various combos. Don't bother comparing them and knocking one or the other over a single ability, only shows ones noobness to eq. Either is a good pick, but cleric if you want to be a heal bot or drui if you want to do everything else pretty well.

[baalzy]

Cleric, you are a heal bot, that's about it. You can solo, but mainly undead which is pretty fun at that while grinding. Gear up or die - get enough groups killed here and probably get a bad rep real quick with the low population. Some people really cant do cleric even with the best gear.



Chantel got to 50 before kunark.

Xosire is still getting groups on his cleric.


Just saying.

[Dalien]

Your job as a druid in a group is really to figure out your job.

No mage in group? You're on thorns duty, keep it up on the tank at all times, it's your most efficient damage spell by far.

If you're in a dungeon you're on snare duty to keep mobs from running to get reinforcements (unless a ranger, sk, or necro is in the group that wants to do it).

If those are covered then you're backup healer, always keep some extra mana to spot heal the cleric or enchanter or whatever if they start getting pounded on, they'll appreciate it.

If you're outdoors keep SoW on everyone. Put STR buff on melee if it isn't covered. And so on.

If you have absolutely nothing else to do with your mana, then start nuking away on mobs. You're not DPS though, and your DPS will always be weak on this server. You're utility and the key to being a good druid groupmate is covering whatever roles may be missing.

[Messianic]

Chantel got to 50 before kunark.

Xosire is still getting groups on his cleric.


Just saying.

I think part of that is people just not visiting the forums frequently enough to know the chatter about some of the worst players on the server...