Shaman Creation

[Destan]

So I think I'm ready to start a second toon and add some spice to my EverQuesting, and I always enjoyed my shaman on live. However, I played much later than our timeline here (post-PoP) so my experience isn't in-line with our 'current' enviornment. AFter some research through the search function here and some questionably time-irrelevant research through google, I think I have a good understanding of how I'm going to build this character. I just wanted to engage some of you shaman pros who are playing now, on this server (with anything not 100% classic), to get your take before I pull the trigger.

Ogre vs Troll:

I've done both an Ikky and Barb shaman, and each time I wished I'd gone for one of the big guys. Now a post here goes into some detail regarding which to choose, however, it ends inconclusively. I'm aware it boils down to Ogre frontal stun immunity and greater stat spread vs Troll regen and (if chosen) snare neck.

If this were live, I would be inclined to take Ogre. However, past posts suggest that the frontal stun immunity doesn't work the same here as it did on live. From what I understand, the coding implemented here mimics the racial ability to give the 'feel' of it, but you can still be interrupted whereas in live you were able to be 100% protected if you backed into a corner. Is this still the case? And does this affect the value of that attribute in determining which is the better choice?

Starting Stats:

I'm big on long-term vision, so I do put a value on these starting points keeping in mind that: A) I prefer the most efficient build option for solo as well as grouping and B) This server will not progress past Velious, so itemizations ends with that expansion. During the era I played this toon, you could max everything so easily and quickly it wasn't really an issue. In classic-velious, slotting points into Stamina was generally the rule of thumb. So, on that note, where did you guys throw your starting points into? Stamina with remaining in Wisdom? Vice-versa? Or something else entirely (for instance, with an Ogre's agility of 70 I could see 5 points there).

I appreciate your guy's input. I don't half-ass anything, and while I'm aware I could play either, anyway I want, and still be 'okay' I will enjoy my experience just that much more if I pick the generally more ideal race, with the more ideal build, for a (even if only slightly) more efficient time with that character within this server's structure.

[Egil]

Originally Posted by Destan [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

If this were live, I would be inclined to take Ogre. However, past posts suggest that the frontal stun immunity doesn't work the same here as it did on live. From what I understand, the coding implemented here mimics the racial ability to give the 'feel' of it, but you can still be interrupted whereas in live you were able to be 100% protected if you backed into a corner.

Ogre frontal stun immunity never prevented all interrupts. It only works against non-magical effects. So any sort of stun cast or proc by an NPC gets through the immunity.

I have strong affections for the snare neck having used it on a DE cleric on live progression and then on a Troll Shaman here. It was great on p99 before the run speed changes and now it's even better. The ability to aggro kite while leveling up and then to have a snare effect when capped is a solid benefit.

Troll regen is also the stronger of the two abilities when grouped and on raids.

;tldr Ogre for solo, Troll for groups/raids

[godbox]

ogre>all

no offense to egil but snare neck is meh since you dont fear kite and dot effectiveness sucks when mobs arnt rooted or feared.
Ive played troll (and other race) casters and casting through bashes and kicks is a life saver and imo super OP while regen is absolutely a great racial you can really easily get items and spells for it and due to the hp/mana conversion rate it ends up amounting to a minuscule amount of mana regen each fight until your a 50+ big boy

snare neck makes up for lack of sow in dungeon i guess if you gotta run although i would rather root down and gate seems safer

personally I think troll look better and +regen is super good. = great choice

Ogre stun is just kinda nuts how good it is. especially at times when I try to break up large camps by rooting all the mobs down one at a time or have to heal myself because I am solo or pulled agro with slow while low on health. I have never ever doing this gotten a series of interupts which caused me to take a massive health drop or die I always get everything off and I have to assume that's due to being ogre since I know that has not been my experience with other casters/hybrids that are not ogre

[Destan]

Originally Posted by Egil [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Ogre frontal stun immunity never prevented all interrupts. It only works against non-magical effects. So any sort of stun cast or proc by an NPC gets through the immunity.

Yeah I should have been more clear here. I meant that on live, melee attacks would not interrupt your casting as an ogre..but the pushback would. So stand in a corner and cast with 100% safety while fighting a basic melee mob.

I read somewhere here though while searching that it wasn't working at one point, and to simulate it they just gave a general immunity but periodically melee attacks would interrupt (unlike live) so it wasn't quite as useful as it is supposed to.

However, since the search function brings up quite a bit and I didn't sort by date, it could been corrected since then and work identically to live now?

[godbox]

http://wiki.project1999.org/index.php/Shaman

for numbers on the sta vs wis

my take on the numbers is Wis>sta hard I went wis dont regret it at all

[Triangle]

As a barb sham, go with Ogre. The frontal immunity may not be perfect but if the mob has not been slowed and you are trying to slow it solo frontal immunity will be make or break whereas regen will not be.

Secondly go with +25wis. If you stack HP gear, as you should, then it will not be as easy as you think to break 200wis. Whereas at lvl 60 you will have a +65 sta buff.

Put it this way, on raids, my stamina is regularly higher than my wis. Now this is mostly because I stack HP gear but you also have to realize that the return on wis is a lot better than the return on sta.

[Triangle]

Also note that I recommend stacking HP gear which is not the same as stacking STA gear. STA is simply too little of a benefit and, as an ogre at 60, you will likely be 200+ simply with the buff anyway.

[Destan]

Awesome, thanks for the help guys. That was the nudge I needed to really cement what I'd been thinking. Now if I can just find someone selling a low-level shaman kit, I'm set!

[Danyelle]

I have an idea...roll the race/class combos you think would be fun and not base everything solely on starting stats that, for the most part, get evened out late game anyway!

I dream of a world where doing a '/who Warrior all' doesn't return 963847239086329832 Ogres.

[somnia]

Originally Posted by Danyelle [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I have an idea...roll the race/class combos you think would be fun and not base everything solely on starting stats that, for the most part, get evened out late game anyway!

I dream of a world where doing a '/who Warrior all' doesn't return 963847239086329832 Ogres.

The only world is the world where you number crunch your way to victory.