New Druid Advice from the experts

[DeathsSilkyMist]

I'll trust the markets. If Goblin Ring wasn't rare, higher level druids with track would have gotten good at the camp and min/maxed it for quick cash, especially on Blue before Green came out when you had 1000+ players online at the same time. People didn't leave good cash camps unattended with that many players online, especially Druid camps since Druids can port around checking for open camps.

Druids got good at Forager Cycle and Peggi Cloak as well. Both of those are camps require a lot of tracking and running around too.

Ceremonial Iksar Chestplate (from forager cycle) went from around 15k in 2015 to 5k now on Blue:

https://www.project1999.com/forums/s...sar+chestplate

Remember that Goblin Ring was still 6k when Pre-Nerf Circlet of Shadow was selling for 3.5k in 2015:

https://www.project1999.com/forums/s...Circlet+Shadow

Only two classes were using Goblin Ring for Charm at the time, yet the price didn't go down on Goblin Ring even temporarily. Necros picked up a Pre-Nerf Circlet of Shadow for their invis clickie back then since it was cheap.

Droppable items do not maintain their price for 9 years for no reason, especially items that could be heavily camped on Blue years before Green came out.

[Snaggles]

The OP has enough plat to buy a ring as I recall from like page 4.

I get the academic conundrum of how to level a class in EQ without any plat. Some people with melees in 1999 had it rough. Others just started a necro for 30 or 40 levels and funded the melee with passable gear. Half a decade ago my 51 necro on hill giants funded like four of my characters with the essentials.

People can peel, slice, dice, or blend this onion. They can fry it, bake it, or eat it raw. There isn’t a “right way” to play EQ. It’s different shades of painfully slow no matter how you cut it. The only important thing is you have fun and keep going. Or maybe the smarter call it to just quit.

[Jimjam]

I'm finding it a fun, entertaining and informative discussion [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Definitely we need to consider beyond the needs of OP, but the hundreds and hundreds of other potential druid newbs which will stumble upon this 18 page discussion and want to make an educated decision(!)

[Snaggles]

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

I'm finding it a fun, entertaining and informative discussion [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Definitely we need to consider beyond the needs of OP, but the hundreds and hundreds of other potential druid newbs which will stumble upon this 18 page discussion and want to make an educated decision(!)

Outside pushing the goblin gazughi ring there is very little here to benefit a new or seasoned player. It’s just a bunch of philosophers arguing over what to do in the late 40’s.

If we can’t stay on topic and help people in the Starting Zone section I’m not sure what we are accomplishing but stroking our egos. Have fun nerds, I’ll argue with you another day in the Classes section. Let me know who wins between Loramin and DSM [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

[kjs86z2]

i swear DSM is a high functioning AI

[kjs86z2]

at least new players can see what ultimately happens after too much time here

[kjs86z2]

as helpful as a fungi

lmao ya ok bub

[Jimjam]

Fungi plummeting while ggr stonks hold firm.

Trade your fungis for ggr while markets are still favourable.

[DeathsSilkyMist]

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

Fungi plummeting while ggr stonks hold firm.

Trade your fungis for ggr while markets are still favourable.

WTT my Enchanter's Goblin Ring for Fungi Tunic. PST!

[loramin]

Let's be honest: very few people are masochistic enough to read to this point in the thread [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

If they are, they just see (what looks like) two sides of "experts" disagreeing. They've never used the ring, so they have no basis to judge.

I could reference other threads (this forum is full of praise for the goblin ring), or I could respond point by point ... but it would just create more noise. No matter what I write, the disingenuous among us will keep responding, and the argument won't end.

Instead, I'll attempt to bring clarity to our imagined masochist reader. Either I'm wrong, and so are all of these people ...

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

It's a super item, too bad it's relatively expensive.

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

The goblin ring is clearly really good and if you choose to start with that and nothing else, you'll have a great time charming on the druid.

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

Invisibility vs animals is 30 mana (and 3 second cast time), you save way more than 30 mana by letting mobs get lower health with an instant cast invis. The spell slot/mana cost of invis is just a bonus, not the focus. You can't predict consistently enough to get the same efficiency as an instant cast, because there are combat rounds where mob hp doesn't move at all, and sometimes consecutive rounds where it spikes.

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

The ring gives you more control on charm breaks which means you can break with the mob at a sliver of life consistently. This lets you finish mobs with less mana intensive nukes and nuking is often the most mana intensive part of the ordeal. I routinely finish mobs in their mid-high 40s with a sub 300dd nuke, which is sub 5% hp ...

It is also absolutely easier to not lose mobs when they're a hair away from death, that is not even up for debate. With my keybinds, its 2 strokes and its done, almost instant. You can claim you have S-tier invis timing but when you're juggling a 5 mobs reverse charm your pet is basically losing anywhere between 5-20% hp per round. That 2 seconds delay is bound to miss the mark more often than not as it can be tricky even with a ring. It doesn't have to be that extreme though, just 2 rounds with double attacks and max hits can make you lose your mob.

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

The ring trivializes leveling any charm class ... Few items have an immediate result of making a class much easier to level. This is at least as helpful as a fungi is for all who can wear it but 1/5th the cost. If you see one for sale you don’t haggle…you are just glad you don’t have to rot your life away in LoIO.

Or DSM is wrong ...

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

Main benefit to goblin ring is the spell slot and mana it saves

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

I've seen no evidence that shows instant casting specifically for invis is significant for charm breaks.

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

Like the other posters, you have no evidence to suggest the 2 second difference in charm break is significant. If I can predict when to break charm 2 seconds early, you can too.