Best starting stats for a Wood Elf Ranger?

[maskedmelon]

Stamina arguments are like saying you don't have time for grooming because you need to cardio for 3 hours at the gym so you last longer in bed. It's going to be much more difficult if getting in bed without looking good. You may not even make it.

Ultimately depends on what your priorities are. Do you want to enjoy the whole game or just a sliver?

[Vallanor]

Max your INT, throw up /role, and tell everyone they're doing everything wrong while you play your smart little know-it-all ranger. You'll have about 2℅ fewer hit points at end game than a min-maxer, but you'll only be half as annoying.

[mr_jon3s]

Sta and Dex. Str is really easy to max with a buff and some velious gear.

[Ravager]

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

Stamina arguments are like saying you don't have time for grooming because you need to cardio for 3 hours at the gym so you last longer in bed. It's going to be much more difficult if getting in bed without looking good. You may not even make it.

Ultimately depends on what your priorities are. Do you want to enjoy the whole game or just a sliver?

Putting all of your points into STA doesn't make the game unenjoyable, or even that difficult and to say it ruins all but a sliver of the game is hyperbole.

[Ravager]

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

I believe melon is pointing out the fact stamina provides negligible HP per STA point until you get to what, 50? Putting all points into Stam is pretty much a min/max move only useful for people who can afford to twink their chars, or for those who are aiming for raiding.

OP, I'd say if you don't have a lot of plat, want to enjoy the journey of leveling a little better, like grouping with other players, or plan on making alt characters, put them all into STR. It's really not that big a deal not having the STA.

If you have plat to get the good stat gear or want to do raids end game, put them into STA. It's definitely true that STA is harder to gear then STR, and STR is easy to max, and the STA from starter points is better in the long run. But it's just that, the long run.

I myself didn't make any character with all points into STA until I leveled my farmer to twink.

All of my melee alts get STA. I typically play them from scratch, no twinking whatsoever, not even with a cheap EC weapon. For the first 10-15 levels there is frequent banking and what-not, but any new character banks frequently because every copper counts. It's really no more of a chore than it is for casters who typically dump all of their points into INT/WIS. By level 13 or 14 you can camp Shralok packs for WR. In your teens if you've been saving your plat, you can buy some cheap str jewelry or a Hero Bracer.

If this is a person's first char here, and it typically is when they ask this question, it's a char they will most likely play to 50+ and the fact is they'll probably wish they had the extra HP when they get there. I know I dumped all of my points into STR on my first melee char and when I did get to 50+ I was wishing I had gone STA instead and I was never a heavy raider. More HP is always better as a melee.

[Cecily]

I did 5 str, 5 dex, 5 sta, 5 wis and I'm happy with it. My STR is nearly capped unbuffed, 255 with my own buffs. Pretty far from capping DEX and stamina anytime soon. 10 STA / 10 DEX would be my suggestion. Hard to gear for and important later on. But honestly, you're fine if you go +20 CHA. Stats don't matter in EQ.

[Cecily]

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

More HP is always better as a melee.

Naw. You're a +25 str rogue like myself, and as a heavy raider, I've always found the extra str incredibly useful. It affords you flexibility in gear choices you otherwise wouldn't have. All throughout Kunark, I tanked my HP / STR for resists and survived through anything. I didn't miss the extra HP. Still don't.

[Jontheripper]

80hp is literally nothing at lvl 60.

[paulgiamatti]

I didn't want to go full nerd on this thread, but you nerds leave a nerd little option.

I put exactly 0 points into dex and with a few pieces of extra gear I can easily surpass 180 dex unbuffed. You don't need to put starting points into dex, even if you're soloing 100% of the time. I also put exactly 0 points into str and I'm at 200 unbuffed with normal gear. I have never been encumbered - I hate being encumbered, so I planned in advance to always avoid it, and because of this I never have to experience it. You don't need to put starting points into str.

Ranger is a hybrid class, not a caster - spellcasting should always be secondary to melee, even when soloing. The minuscule different a couple points of wisdom or dexterity will make in your solo game is simply not worth the sacrifice to your most crucial stat: hit points. Lots of people argue it's a preference of playstyle - that you should put some points into these stats if you want to solo, or put some points into these stats if you just want to tank or raid, etc. I don't buy that line - HP is most important, 100% of the time, in 100% of situations.

Dump the points into sta and thank me later. Or you know, don't, and listen to these other people.

[paulgiamatti]

And I mean, I'm a complete min-maxer, but I don't see that as some ghastly, atrocious offense to the well-being of P99 nerdiculture or killing the enjoyment of the game or something. I like to play the game in the smartest way possible to allow for the best gameplay experience on all fronts. Some people don't care about being efficient - that's fine, but in a thread where someone is asking what the best starting stats are, I'm absolutely going to take a giant min-maxed dump all over the thread because I'd like the OP to receive good advice.

So do other things, I don't care - I'm just telling you what I would do and unpacking the reasoning behind it, just as others are. And as a self-proclaimed frothing rabid min-maxer, I can also confidently say that I'm a fun person to play the game with and I never shove my ideas down anyone else's throat.