What's with all the druids?

[rikustrength]

Seriously, they were about the most unpopular class on live at any given time... So, why is it that it seems like there are TONS of them here? Do people just finally realize how good they can be? Or is it that they're a reasonable easy solo class? Cuz I know for a fact that to play a grouping druid the right way, it isn't at all easy. Switching carelessly between nuking and healing IS easy, and sometimes thats all it is. But a really good druid can fall into whatever niche their group needs at any moment's notice. A really good druid is a really REALLY hard class to play.

So what gives? O-o Should I just expect to see a lot of clueless druids running around as I level up? I don't mean this as a stab at anyone, truthfully the only other druids in game I've met seemed intelligent so far. I guess I'm just worried is all. I so loved playing a druid on live, I just feel afraid I'll get lost in the sea of them here, and I'de be comforted to know the reason they're so popular is that people are playing them well and not that they're sitting in a corner soloing all the time. In other words, I'll have a lot more fun trying to be as good as a high standard than I will trying to prove I'm the only one who isn't a total retard (aka classic live).

[azxten]

Druids can port for money and power level alts.

[snifs]

At least half the druid population on this server is clueless on how to properly play a druid.

They're just a simple class to level in classic, with ports, sow, power leveling and solo capability. It's a really good first lvl 50 to have, to help make money.

[Spud]

Druids are like the Cadillac of classes in classic EQ. We can solo very well, group, farm stuff, power level, track, and of course travel around norrath very easily. We do a bit of everything and have lots of utility.

I think its why alot have chosen to play a druid. Also the flexbility a druid provides when exping may be more suitable for people's schedules these days. (They desired for groups as back up healers and also easy to solo with.)

[Elendae]

Can you guys start taking shifts in EC? Like set-up a schedule at your next tree council or w/e and have a druid there at all times. That'd be great. Thanks.

- p99

[soup]

I made my druid because I wanted to be able to port and buff people. The money is nice sometimes, but really, I just like to help people out whenever possible. Nothing beats going to a noob zone and passing out SOWs and damage shields, or porting people around for corpse runs.

[rikustrength]

I see, kinda what I was dreading to hear... Well, hopefully the rest of us edumacated druids can help the rest of the druidic community lrn2drood.

[eqdruid76]

I made my druid because I wanted to be able to port and buff people. The money is nice sometimes, but really, I just like to help people out whenever possible. Nothing beats going to a noob zone and passing out SOWs and damage shields, or porting people around for corpse runs.

Until they start expecting all the rest of us to drop what we're doing and play the game for them as well. :P

[Eastwood]

Seriously, they were about the most unpopular class on live at any given time... So, why is it that it seems like there are TONS of them here?

Hope I quoted right, i'm not a message board pro,

When I played EQ classic I remember there actually was way too many druids for the reasons people mentioned. I think they were nerfed, or I should say, out paced by the other classes during Kunark, and that reduced them later.

But pre-kunark druids were everywhere.

[rioisk]

Solo = xp = farm = $$$ = don't have to depend on others = win

[kariden]

I can be in a group with people that crazy ninjaloot and I get nothing or be forced to ninjaloot and end up on blacklists OR can play a druid and solo my xp and money.

[Prospect]

Druid is the easiest class to play, I enjoy just mashing my face against the keyboard and still look good while doing it.

[JaVeDK]

Druid is the easiest class to play, I enjoy just mashing my face against the keyboard and still look good while doing it.

I disagree. Wizard is by far the easiest class to play - I should know, played one for 4 years on live :p

[Malrubius]

Druids are like the Cadillac of classes in classic EQ.

Cadillacs are not that common and do not have a lot of utility. Druids are more like the VW Bug of the 1960s. Great starter car and they're everywhere. :p

[Uaellaen]

foooook VW :p

[Tallenn]

Anyone that made a druid in the hopes of getting rich by porting people is likely to end up disappointed. Honestly, there are much faster and FAR less boring ways to make money than playing taxi.

So why make a druid? I have one, and am playing him right now (posting while i med :p). They aren't the best soloers- that goes to necros or mages, depending on who you ask, and both of those classes can solo stuff that would be suicide for a druid. Mages and necros are also both more wanted in a group- at least for DPS. Druids have decent DPS, and also add considerable other utility to a group, but can't touch a mage or necro for DPS. Also for groups, there are just so many druids out there that there just aren't going to be as many spots available as there are druids who want to group.

So again, why make a druid? Just ports? Wizards can port, can solo, and also beat druids in group DPS. So why not wiz?

That's just it- it's not any one thing that makes druids so popular to play, but a combination of all of them. SoW, ports, ability to solo, usefulness in a group, good at farming stuff, good at power-leveling others. Really, the only thing druids are best at is getting from one place to another, and not really by a whole lot over wizards.

Being a druid is just plain convenient.

[Omnimorph]

As mentioned, druids just have nice things :p Heals, dots, ports, sow etc. nice versatility and relatively easy to gear.

[Arkanjil]

Like any class that has quite a bit of versatility, they lack being experts at any one thing, especially as far as a raid is concerned. Sure, they are arguably the best power-levelers, but they aren't the best healers, damage dealers, buffers....they are just medium...but they have a large array of tricks.

[Tseng]

I did it because we can summon food and water. Best spells ever.

[kai4785]

I rolled a Druid for SoW + Teleport. Period. The two things that I felt like I couldn't live with out this time around.

I did it because we can summon food and water. Best spells ever.

What about Forage? Also, Clerics and Mages summon food and water.

[Spud]

My old main char was a cleric and i was always so jealous of all the things a druid could do. They have better nukes AND they get dots? and they can regen? and teleport and sow?? and snare kite red mobs all day long without even getting hit once?

It was a pretty easy choice for me two roll a druid this second time around.

True, druids will never be as in demand as clerics. Clerics are far better healers and can rez, they are specialists. Druids are stuck using lvl 29 spell Greater heal untill Kunark comes out lol. But they are STILL pretty damn valued (as compared to let's say a ranger, sorry rangers)... They are valued in pickup groups for their healing as well as their utility. They are valued in guilds for ports and are valued during raids for buffing/snaring/back up heals.

Ok so Unrest is packed but none of the groups need a druid? just port to North Karana and kite some griffs till a spot opens and gate back.

Their versatility and utility far outweigh the fact that they arent specialists or arent REALLY good in one thing. Thats why they are the most popular class on the server because they are (imo) the best class.

And what about track?? You cant underrated track!

Its so useful for farming items, even when you dont even really want to farm. Just passing through a dungeon and want to see if a rare mob just hit the track button.

[Spud]

What about Forage? Also, Clerics and Mages summon food and water.

LOOK AT THAT UTILITY!

I think the fact that druids have TWO different ways of getting food and drink reinforces the fact that they are the best class in the game.

[Tseng]

What about Forage? Also, Clerics and Mages summon food and water.

I'm a human. :cool:

I was also being entirely sarcastic. Sometimes that doesn't come across well on the internet. SoW, teleports, money making abilities make it an ideal starter char. Plus healers are always helpful in groups. They aren't part of the holy trinity, but most pick up groups are going to be looking for the first player available who can fulfill a role, and druids can join to heal or deal damage, sure it'll never be the most efficient, but it still works.

[rikustrength]

Druid dps really depends on the druid. It depends what spells they're using and how well they know how to play their class. I knew a lot of people on live that played druids that NEVER used certain spells, and they wondered why their dps was so low in comparism. We get a LOT in the way of dps that can really turn the tide, and using the right spells in tandem can put a really REALLY big hurting on stuff.

On the polar opposite end of things, we're really only as good of healers as the heals we get, which until kunark are mediocre at best. I'm actually really sad to see that we'll probably never get tunare's renewal on p99. even though it's only lvl 57, it came out with PoP (I think). I really, really liked that spell...

I know druids aren't the best at anything, but I still find it interesting to see exactly what a druid is capable of when they know what spells to use and they know how to use them.

[Taluvill]

I think, partially because of the population now, and partially because of the population when the project started, Everyone was afraid they wouldn't get ports or find a bunch of groups (much much better now, you have to have played here since release to understand this). Druids can solo and get anywhere they want to the fastest in the game, so it was an easy choice for most when the server population was at 150-250 people.

I played a Druid because I mained a druid on live for 8 years, and I have yet to find a druid class in any game thats anything near as awesome or fun as the EQ Druid. Partially for nastalgia because there isn't anything like this class, but a lot of it came easy because of what i mentioned earlier, solo capabilities and the ability to move around. I played when there were only 150+ people on the server, and it helped a ton to be able to root/rot mobs in my 20's and such.

As someone said a second ago, Druids will fall off a bit in Kunark. I'd image about 50% will fall off or just use the druid as a farmer class.

[Tetrian]

Soloing gorienaire at 60 ftw :P