Class/Race Rant

[ccs88]

After getting back into the game I'm kind of amazed how imbalanced the class/race combos are. Perhaps WoW ruined my MMO ideals, but I can't create a character anymore without thinking about numbers and end game use.

For example, why would anyone in their right mind play a human monk over an iksar?
Why are Barbarians even able to be rogues, and why are the arguably the best race for a rogue? They're not stealthy. They're a big loud race. Makes no sense! Why do rangers suck so bad, yet it's the class a lot of people want to play the most. The advantage ogres/troll have for warriors and shadowknights are ridiculous over other races. And more stuff. And more stuff.

I just needed to put this in writing somewhere. I'm not really too pissed and I'll still play.
I have to remind myself that EQ was about roleplaying more so than elitism to a point.

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[Adrieth]

From a min/max standpoint, sure.

Best thing I like about EQ: Barely anybody gives a shit about min/maxing. [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

[Tarathiel]

its because of the "RPG" that follows MMORPG, unfortunately that part seems to be left out these days. any table top D&D player can tell you that races and classes were not always designed with balance in mind, and since eq was created by a bunch of dnd nerds i assume that mentality carried over. my most memorable d&d charaters were some of the more wacky class and race combo's. tbh i wish there werent any race or class restrictions in eq, how cool would it be to actually play a dark elf ranger???

[arcanebrain]

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

its because of the "RPG" that follows MMORPG, unfortunately that part seems to be left out these days. any table top D&D player can tell you that races and classes were not always designed with balance in mind, and since eq was created by a bunch of dnd nerds i assume that mentality carried over. my most memorable d&d charaters were some of the more wacky class and race combo's. tbh i wish there werent any race or class restrictions in eq, how cool would it be to actually play a dark elf ranger???

This is exactly it. That's one thing I love about EQ. Of course a Troll or an Ogre will be a much better warrior than, say, a Wood Elf. It's just logical! But sometimes the fun is in playing characters that go against the grain.

[Psionide]

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

tbh i wish there werent any race or class restrictions in eq, how cool would it be to actually play a dark elf ranger???

This is Everquest 2 and one of the biggest reasons I thought EQ2 was so dumb. Granted a dark elf ranger would be cool if they all weren't running around with some variation of drizzt but I think you need to have some restrictions. C'mon an ogre bard?

Also, its ironic to see all the people talking about how great RPing is but whenever a thread or guild thread pops up about a roleplaying guild everyone goes on to make fun of people who want to RP.

[Danth]

Everquest was made during the 90's when the concept of virtual worlds was still in vogue. This thread highlights a difference between a world simulator and a simple game. The latter will try to make everything equal due to wanting to be fair. In the former, life isn't always fair and the Ogre is a stronger Warrior than the Wood Elf because the Ogre is a 9 foot tall behemoth and the Woof Elf is some prancing 98-pound weakling. I don't play as Ogres or Trolls and I'm fine with that. I even prefer it. The best race for a given class doesn't have so much advantage as to make the other races useless, and in general your gear and the class you pick both matter far more than your starting race. The non-optimal races usually have advantages of their own anyway, ranging from ease of use to appearance.

Human monks level more quickly than Iksars and have vastly superior starting faction. These two factors combine to make the Human require less of the player's time than the Iksar. That serves as a useful advantage for players with restrictive schedules.

Danth

[Picked]

Danth hit the nail on the head. You guys are comparing a game made back in 1999 to a game that was made light years in technology later. Of course there are going to be differences that are better in a game that was developed later.

People fail to realize that EQ was essentially the first of it's kind. Sure there was a couple other games, UO comes to mind, but none to the scale of EQ. It is that reason alone that makes it so nostalgic, and one of the main reasons a server like P99 even exists.

[Teppler]

Dark elf necromancer ftw. Yeah that Iksar regen would of been pretty great at level 59 now but those scaled eyes oars just don't have dark elf style and that matters [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

[godbox]

some ppl dont wanna lvl twice as long for lvl 60 to have extra regen on a char (monk) that is only tankin with healers that keep them at full or dead. also dont forget human monk at 60 win on the dps with the (what i think is the best combo) fist/sos (or some VP crap i know nothin about)
Ikky regen adds to the solo ability of a monk yes but then you are grinding alot longer as well. I feel like only necro is ikky or die because it increases there mana to health to mana abilities. but for all else troll wars/sks/shams ikky monks its like what 270 hp heal every minute *shrug ya its that much less damage your takin and you might ocasionally avoid a death by the health u regened but thats alot of extra grindin for it.



i personally go for looks over all else except stun immunity is game changing.

[formallydickman]

Hide, faction, and lower XP rates fit well with my playstyle. Regen, stun immunity do not even play a factor for me.