Altoholism
 

Fair warning this post will seem kinda weird and unnecessary.

My name is Midoo and I'm an altoholic. I've had two accounts on Blue that are all completely full of characters. When I started playing Everquest in 2017 I figured the best way to get a proper sense of the game is to try every race and every class, and so I did. But as a result I wasted a lot of time just bouncing between character and never got any of them past 20 that year. So I swore off the practice of playing every single class but mastering none. Come 2018 I decided to main a BAR SHM and I'm still very happy with that decision.

The issue remains that I'm both an altoholic AND have mild obsessive compulsive behavior, so I want to figure a way to experience a wide array of playstyles with the least amount of characters possible. In other words, I want to have different alts with completely different roles to play when I'm sick of the others but don't have the patience to level every class I suddenly get the urge to play. So now I'm plotting what my "toon setup" should be

I already experienced support buffing/healing through my Shaman so I can take Druid and Cleric off that list. I have a Shadow Knight tank so I can take Paladin and Warrior off as well.

So I still need to try 1 caster and 1 melee class, at least one of them Iksar so I don't miss out on having an Iksar alt, so the question is what would be less effort to level, Dark Elf Enchanter + Iksar Monk? Or Iksar Necromancer + Barbarian Rogue?

Of these two "toon setups" which would be the least effort overall to level together? Will any of these become obsolete in later expansions?
BAR SHM, OGR SHD, DEF ENC, IKS MNK
BAR SHM, OGR SHD, IKS NEC, BAR ROG

It's 5:39 in the morning. Should I just see a therapist?

All of these classes play significantly differently, its quite unfair to lump them together as just "tanking" or simply "buffing/healing".

Iksar necro by far the least "effort to level". I'm assuming by your talk of later expansions you are doing this on green, so you avoid the extra monk class penalty + Iksar race penalty and you aren't going to be twinking with a fungi and weapons to make a monk easy solo mode.

What do you mean "level together"? Boxing? Playing with a friend to duo? Keep them at the same level while switching between them, that would simply be on you to manage your playtimes and maximize your XP choices. By alt-o-holic it sounds like you mean you mostly are bad at budgeting time and/or don't have a ton of playtime or you would have more toons well over 20 by now.

When asking which classes become "obsolete" do you mean for leveling or end game raiding? Shaman gains the most power overall as the expansions come but you need those rare spells. Rogue gains great power in raiding and grouping if you can get your epic done. Shadowknight may be the only class that steadily gets worse as the expansions roll in, plus hybrid penalty on green, not great for raiding, but if you are just leveling and grouping they will still be desired tanks. Monk gets better and better and is great for groups and for raids, but you'll have a hybrid level penalty until Velious as an Iksar monk in green. Enchanters are always powerful and useful, but can be frustrating and feel a bit less crucial in expansion raid scenarios.

You and all the rest of us. And if they give you a cure for altaholism, share with the class, yeah?

Thank you Fammaden.

By least effort to play together I mean rotating through my 3 alts, taking each of them through the next bracket every time I don't feel like playing my main.

Like if my favorite grouping spots on my Shaman are way too crowded I'd look at my three other alts, pick one and level them until the next spell tier/ability unlock. And then some other day I'd look at one of the other two alts I haven't leveled yet and work on that, and again after a while until all three of them are the same level. Then it's back to the Shammy. Rinse and repeat if I get bored of him again.

What's the consensus on Rogues? I'm actually thinking of going BAR ROG and waiting until Kunark drops to make an IKS NEC. I should be able to afford a couple of cheap weapons and STR twinking gear off the tunnel. Any suggesions?

Make a rogue definitely. Apparently there's a lot who struggle for groups here but I know their percentage of server population is low... and they really come alive for Kunark with the epic etc.

Lots of fun, the only thing that will catch you out is if you take a lot of mini-afks.

Dats what hide is for :o

Remember EPIC won't come to green till near the end of kunark. I think it's 2-4 months before velious.

I agree with rogue, rogue is a very fun class to sit out and wait with, you just get to enjoy Pug groups the whole time you play, its very rewarding casual play. Youll always want to go back to it after a rough week with another class, and by the time you get to 60 they are a super asset to raids, so you get to just tag along for those too!

Also they are fun to gear! Wearing cool armor and looking neat :)

Update:

I made dorf a rogue earlier this morning. Took him to 10 today and I absolutely love him. I bought Pugius and Thex and a few cheap Splitpaw items and completely wrecked every single blue and white con mob while leveling. Hide->Sneak is also very useful (when it works) and skills pretty fast.

When I'm not beating blue cons to death I also do crazy DPS in groups which is unusual and positively shocking to me. I've been conditioned to sloooowly and agonizingly watch health bars drain down as a root/rotting Shaman and fighting for my life to take a light blue con down but looks like killing stuff comes effortlessly to a rogue. Of course I imagine a healer and a raw DPS class to play offense very differently but I didn't know it would feel this good.

Looks like I found my new favorite alt. Can't wait till Kunark drops to epic him, I hear the rogue one is a piece of cake.

oh sure, nobody has see invis gear and won't spot you stood there for half the combat :o

If you afk a lot, pick a class that meds... the best groups have constant pulls and quick dps