Picking a class for real!

[Lucia Moonglow]

Okay, so I'm stuck in a rut here and really need some advice. I need to stop jumping from one class to another and stick with one.

Some time ago, before Kunark was released on the server...hell, before planes raids even became a thing...I created a ranger. Yeah, I'm a long-time EQ veteran, and I stupidly created a ranger on a server that's emulating Pre-Luclin gameplay, experience penalties and all. That was a mistake. I currently have a 35 rogue, who seems more useful than the ranger, but finding groups is a CHORE.

So, here's the deal. I enjoy melee classes more than other class types, but the problem I'm really seeing is that I have trouble finding a group unless it's a fear kite group, which I find to be somewhat tedious. I just want a normal, ordinary group. Tank, healer, DPS. The ability to solo is essentially a "necessary evil" of sorts given the server's very sporadic population. To help you help me make a decision, here's a list of classes and how I generally feel about playing them.

Melee Classes
Warrior: I actually like playing warriors, but unless something is different here than it was in classic, warriors traditionally have a hard time holding agro. Also, as with all tanks, warriors are basically 100% group dependent, so I'd pretty much be completely screwed on XP. Also, warriors have no utility, so no sowing myself, no stealth, etc. A fun class for me IF I can find a group, though. I love gear, after all!

Paladin/SK: Like warriors, but with spells! I don't know if this server includes the low-end class improvements that were made where knights can tank almost as well as warriors, but since I see a lot of pally/SK tanks, I have to assume they did. I wouldn't mind playing either of these, but again, they are pretty much entirely group dependent, so that leaves me in the same rut as earlier.

Bard: Noooooooo. I respect the skill needed to play a bard, but if I wanted to rhythmically mash buttons in sequence, I'd be playing WoW.

Ranger: I absolutely love rangers, but thanks to pre-Luclin mechanics, they're a terribly gimped class right now that offer little benefit in exchange for their drawbacks.

Rogue: I also love rogues. Hide/sneak is really fun, and being able to provide a service to my group by doing corpse recoveries is also a plus. However, once again it's a 100% group dependent class.

Monk: Meh. Monks are really awesome, and that's cool. They can also solo, which is a rarity for a melee class, so that's another plus since they don't require a group. The big drawback for me, though, is that I don't enjoy pulling. Especially in dungeons. And that's what monks are expected to do.

Healer Classes
Cleric: It's nice to be wanted. Being the most in-demand healer class is certainly a plus, and even though they're totally group dependent, finding a group is usually pretty easy since everyone enjoys a healer. However, as I mentioned before, I really love being able to jump in and beat stuff up, or at least do some auxiliary damage.

Shaman: Shamans are pretty fun, but they're large race only, and I'm not a big fan of playing large races. That's not an entirely big deal, but it is there. I do like that shamans are decent healers and they can slow, dot, buff, and do damage if they need to. They can also solo reasonably well.

Druid: The ability to port would make finding groups extremely easy, and druids have decent heals, nukes, buffs, damage shields, and they're great for powerleveling and porting others, too. Honestly, when it comes to non-melee classes, druids are a fairly attractive option for me.

Caster Classes
Wizard: Ports, yay! Only being useful for one thing? Not so yay. Being able to blow things up is nice, but I'd like to have a little more variety if I'm going to play a spell-caster.

Magician: Pet classes are certainly fun, and mages can nuke, too! Obviously, I could get a job as DPS in a group, I could also solo if no groups could be found, and fear kite groups would basically amount to "Send pet, get XP", but again, caster classes, while fun, aren't my preferred cup of tea.

Enchanter: Whew. Chanters are extremely useful, and with care, they can solo, so that's good. However, being shoved into a role where I'm basically helping everyone and not directly contributing to the fight would feel a little awkward to me, same as with a cleric.

Necromancer: Basically, I feel the same about them as I do about mages. Fear kiting is a more economical, efficient way of soloing than using your pet to tank, and FD makes survival much easier, but I'd feel so stereotypical!

I also want to point out that I very much prefer grouping over soloing, so while the ability to solo is a plus, being useful and desirable in a group takes a little more priority, as does being able to settle in and get XP within 30 or so minutes of loading the game up, as I don't have hours every day to invest in the game.

I love this server and don't want to leave in frustration again, so please help make a suggestion that I will like, or at least try! I won't blame anyone if they suggest something and I don't enjoy it!

[susvain0362]

Warriors are boring. Auto attack and taunt? And the occasional kick? dont do it. Everyones so twinked and they dont give you time to get aggro they just go all out right away.

I have a 32 paladin and its the greatest tank ever. You will never lose aggro. Pull with a bow and cast a few blinds and the mob will never get off your nuts. I dont even bother with stun unless its a caster. I dont know how blind works for aggro past 32, but so far its like an I-Win button for tanking. As long as you are on the mobs aggro list it wont run/be feared from blind. Pally gear is cheap as hell too. You can get all the Deepwater minus legs/bp for 300p a pop. For DPS staff of baton is 30/40 2hb sells for 200p, pally only. Ghoulbane isnt that expensive, Sword of the Mourning you can get for 500-700ish if you find the right person and that weapons awesome. Or just get a green jade broadswod 11/25 for 200p.

IF you roll the best paladin race - ERUDITE - you can get a godly shield that exclusive to them. 20 str/20sta, 30 ac + ultravision. for 300-400p.

[susvain0362]

Dont worry about groups. Just start the group everytime and itll be the best choice youll ever make. You are already a bosstank leveling as a pally. I dont know how 50+ is but before that youll be fantastic for sure. Anyway, so you already have a tank, all you gotta do is go to the dungeon you want and see what camps open, do some /who searched for the class/level healer/cc you want, then /who for the dps classes and you're good to go. People never make groups and dont like sitting around in zones lfg but almost everyone is always super excited to get a random tell for a dungeon group. Paladins are super fun man im tellin you, follow this advice and youll like it alot. Dont go warrior youll regret it, 3 buttons ftl

[Lune]

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

Ranger: I absolutely love rangers, but thanks to pre-Luclin mechanics, they're a terribly gimped class right now that offer little benefit in exchange for their drawbacks.

They are not a really strong class, but they are also undeserving of such a negative reputation. There are a lot of people who gear and play rangers like idiots and they tarnish the class more than should be the case.

So you don't like to solo nearly as much as group, and you prefer melee, but you'd like to be able to solo when you need to. Sounds like monk might be the right choice if you can overcome your distaste for pulling.

If you are having a really hard time finding groups as a rogue, you may need to do a bit more research on where to go, or put more effort into relationships. Find out where people your level are, or send tells and make your own group.

[myriverse]

I'm a complete slacker, but I've found it quite cheap and easy to twink my main warrior and solo her entirely to about 30th level. Not quickly, mind you, but easily. So, don't believe that propaganda about them being 100% group dependent. You don't need top gear to be effective, and there's a lot of great gear that's not that expensive.

And if some people won't let you build aggro, screw 'em.

But Pallies and SKs are great, and aren't nearly as group dependent. I do miss having lifetaps.

[Thulack]

By your reactions to each class sounds like you need to play another game.

[citizen1080]

Shaman at 60 is arguably the best solo class in game along with enchanter and necro.

As far as enchanter not directly contributing. With a charmed pet you do more dps than any person in the group. With a good pet sometimes I do more dps than the group combined. That is along with providing great buffs and cc to group. But it is not a lazy mans class. Same as bard

[Lucia Moonglow]

Originally Posted by susvain0362 [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Warriors are boring. Auto attack and taunt? And the occasional kick? dont do it. Everyones so twinked and they dont give you time to get aggro they just go all out right away.

I have a 32 paladin and its the greatest tank ever. You will never lose aggro. Pull with a bow and cast a few blinds and the mob will never get off your nuts. I dont even bother with stun unless its a caster. I dont know how blind works for aggro past 32, but so far its like an I-Win button for tanking. As long as you are on the mobs aggro list it wont run/be feared from blind. Pally gear is cheap as hell too. You can get all the Deepwater minus legs/bp for 300p a pop. For DPS staff of baton is 30/40 2hb sells for 200p, pally only. Ghoulbane isnt that expensive, Sword of the Mourning you can get for 500-700ish if you find the right person and that weapons awesome. Or just get a green jade broadswod 11/25 for 200p.

IF you roll the best paladin race - ERUDITE - you can get a godly shield that exclusive to them. 20 str/20sta, 30 ac + ultravision. for 300-400p.

I may choose paladin, then. That sounds like it might work well for me. What's your opinion on shadow knights? I have a 28 SK that would help me avoid trudging through some of the early levels.

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

[Rangers] are not a really strong class, but they are also undeserving of such a negative reputation. There are a lot of people who gear and play rangers like idiots and they tarnish the class more than should be the case.

So you don't like to solo nearly as much as group, and you prefer melee, but you'd like to be able to solo when you need to. Sounds like monk might be the right choice if you can overcome your distaste for pulling.

If you are having a really hard time finding groups as a rogue, you may need to do a bit more research on where to go, or put more effort into relationships. Find out where people your level are, or send tells and make your own group.

Well, I have a 46 ranger, and my biggest irk with them is that they receive that nasty experience penalty without much to show for it.

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

I'm a complete slacker, but I've found it quite cheap and easy to twink my main warrior and solo her entirely to about 30th level. Not quickly, mind you, but easily. So, don't believe that propaganda about them being 100% group dependent. You don't need top gear to be effective, and there's a lot of great gear that's not that expensive.

And if some people won't let you build aggro, screw 'em.

But Pallies and SKs are great, and aren't nearly as group dependent. I do miss having lifetaps.

Another plus for paladin, then! I actually have an SK that I started leveling up but then stopped on. I may go back to her if that's the case.

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

By your reactions to each class sounds like you need to play another game.

Thanks! It's handy when people just come right out and demonstrate why I should completely disregard their opinion like that. Much appreciated!

Originally Posted by citizen1080 [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Shaman at 60 is arguably the best solo class in game along with enchanter and necro.

As far as enchanter not directly contributing. With a charmed pet you do more dps than any person in the group. With a good pet sometimes I do more dps than the group combined. That is along with providing great buffs and cc to group. But it is not a lazy mans class. Same as bard

True, though I would live with the constant fear of being eaten by my pet when it breaks charm.


Lots of input so far. I find myself leaning towards either Paladin or SK, MAYBE warrior? The agro thing is meh...Shaman maybe, too. Still deciding, but thank you to everyone that's provided useful input so far!

[Thulack]

Your problem is you think about all the negatives that a class brings instead of thinking of the good things. Your basically talked down every class in the game in 1 way or another why would i not say that EQ doesnt sound like a game you would enjoy if you thought of each class exactly how you wrote it out. No class is perfect all classes have a downside you just have to choose which perks you actually like about the class and live with the negatives. I played a halfling ranger on live from 2003 to 2012 dont have to tell me about people giving you shit or having downsides of a toon. Also my main here is a 50 ranger.

[Lucia Moonglow]

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

Your problem is you think about all the negatives that a class brings instead of thinking of the good things. Your basically talked down every class in the game in 1 way or another why would i not say that EQ doesnt sound like a game you would enjoy if you thought of each class exactly how you wrote it out. No class is perfect all classes have a downside you just have to choose which perks you actually like about the class and live with the negatives. I played a halfling ranger on live from 2003 to 2012 dont have to tell me about people giving you shit or having downsides of a toon. Also my main here is a 50 ranger.

I started my ranger in 1999 and eventually reached level 80 with over a thousand AAs before I quit, so I have some insight into how the class has evolved, what the downsides were, and where things got balanced out. You don't need to defend rangers to me, they're my favorite class. Rangers and Warriors both got shafted when the game came out because, at the time, the concept of MMO class dynamics were still unknown.

For Warriors, the Taunt skill really doesn't work like it should, and it wasn't until weapons like the Blade of Carnage and the Berate/Incite/etc. skill line that Warriors became viable threat generators. Paladins and SKs can generate instant agro, while warriors need time to build agro. That would be fine if warriors brought something to the table to offset that, like a ton more HP or significantly higher damage mitigation, but they don't.

For Rangers, they couldn't adequately fulfill any of the group roles sufficiently enough most of the time. They were good DPS, but still not as good as warriors, monks, or rogues. They could snare, but then so could druids, and the latter could also work as a backup healer. It wasn't until things like double archery damage, autofire (to prevent DPS clipping), and ranger-specific buffs were brought into the game that rangers really found a valuable role in groups. Up until Luclin and beyond, a Ranger was basically the person you grabbed if you had a spare slot and nobody else was available.

Maybe you missed it, but the entire point of giving my take on the classes was so that someone could step in and say "Hold on! You're wrong, this is why <insert class here> is actually really fun!"

The response to my interpretation of how classes work should be "here's where you're wrong", not "If you don't like it, go play something else."