Garurumon (9/15/00)

AC was a fun game and I am glad I played it, my problem was the game did not have enough depth for me. EQ is a fun game and I am glad I play it and I hope to play it til I make lv60, which could take a long darn time, also I find more depth(things to do, things to see, places to explore, quests to do, monsters to see/kill, usable first person view, races/classes, class and race specific armors and weapons, classes that have pets, classes that polymorph into to other things, the size differences in monsters and PCs, faction, underwater dungeons, huge boats to ride on, monsters that move around the zones(like walk on patrol and run to attack if thier place gets invaded), monsters have faction too so sometimes you see goblins and sarnaks killing each other, the ablity to charm monsters and make them fight for you, weapons that cast spells when they hit, GM run events, the ability to Duel to the death(with anyone and anyplace), different planes of existance to visit, great dragons to slay, gods to do battle with, fishing off the dock and catching a rusty dagger.

Laters all, Thad

Garurumon (9/19/00)

I saw this post and I liked it so I stole it and posted it here :-) (also there are many mistakes in it, but the ideas are good)

"I'll give MY basic run-down. There are some classes where I lack a bit (a lot) of knowledge on, and that'll be readily apparent. Feel free to criticize my thoughts.

Cleric:
Pros - Some say they are THE best support class (group-friendly), and those that feel they aren't #1 will most likely list them as #2. You will rarely have trouble finding a group. You are the absolute ruler of healing power with no competition.
Cons - 99% of your time will be spent with your face in the meditate book. The other 1% is when you stand up to cast a spell (which is usually a buff or heal), then sit again to open that book. Oh, and don't think of soloing after about level 15 unless you choose your camp very carefully. You need a group...but then again, you excel at grouping.
Warrior:
Pros - Do you enjoy beating the crud out of everything? Do you enjoy being in the middle of fights and having the group depend on you to pull the evil baddies off the casters who lack your hit points? Go with a warrior. Warriors are often termed "meat shields" because their designated role in a group is to take the beatings of the mobs while the casters kill them off.
Cons - You have no ability to heal yourself so without a healer in the group, if things go bad, you're SoL. Oh, and much like clerics, don't think about soloing after about level 15 and even if you choose your camp carefully, to regen full hit points again to find a new mob, find a safe place to rest, sit, walk afk and watch a movie. When you get back after a nice two-hour flick, you MIGHT be back to full hit points. You need a group, but then again, you excel at grouping.

Enchanter:
Pros - Possibly THE most sought-after spell in the game belongs only to enchanters (Clarity, baybee) and they also pretty much own the jewelry-crafting market if you're into trade skills at all. They are the crowd-control experts of EQ. Their Mezmerize line of spells make them an absolute necessity for most dungeon crawls or camps. I always try to keep an enchanter in my groups.
Cons - You can't take a beating worth a darn. You have to pray there are no resists to Mez, and if there are, beg your group's meat shield to pull it off you so you can attempt to re-Mez. Oh, and at the lower levels, no one understands how to effectively work with an enchanter.

Druid:
Pros - You would be able to do a little of everything. Healing, buffing, nuking, DoT'ing, and druids are also one of only two classes that can teleport themselves and others around the happy lands of Norrath. Druids are also one of three classes that receive the ever-begged for spell, SoW (Spirit of Wolf) so you will never be at the mercy of mobs that aggro you unless they are some of the rare ones that also travel with SoW. While druids are not the ruling masters of any of their given tasks, they usually rank within the top three of them all. Druids are also one of very few classes that can efficiently solo, if they choose to do so.
Cons - The class has a relatively bad reputation. They are a nice, relaxing class to play, but because of this, many dr00ds were born who used a druid's abilities to exploit every possible game flaw, and generally irritate every non-druid in the game. Expect a bad reputation before you even meet anyone. You can NOT tank. Very limited on armor possibilities. Most other classes have at least four or five styles to choose from, at a minimum, while druids can wear only leather (there are some exceptions to that rule, but most of the exceptions cost 1k pp or more). There are a LOT of druids out there, so you'll be one face in the crowd.

Shaman:
Pros - Extremely handy in groups. Shaman can buff pretty much any stat you want, turning an average party into one of efficiency. Shaman have the Togor's line of spells that slows down the damage a mob can do, therefore making a healer's life much easier. Shaman can also heal, DoT, and nuke a little. At level 35, shaman receive pets (wolfies).
Cons - I'm not overly sure, the class never really appealed to me. With exception to Barbarians, the only races allowed to be shaman are evil, so unless you don't mind being KoS nearly everywhere or doing some serious faction work, your life will be extremely difficult. Barbarians make nice shaman, but they're a dime a dozen these days. With exception to iksar, the other shaman races are large, so until you get your shrink spell, you run the possibility of getting yourself stuck in doorways and needing GM assistance to get out.

Necromancer:
Pros - Eh. Heh. I don't know. I don't really like the class. They're good at what they do, I suppose. They're usually ranked as either #1 or #2 in solo ability. They get pets that some say are the best (they're either #1 or #2 at pets). They can feign. Cons - Much like druids, necromancers also have a very bad overall reputation for many of the same reasons as druids. You're evil-aligned, no matter what race you select so either expect to be KoS nearly everywhere, or plan on spending a lot of time fixing factions.

Bard:
Pros - They're just NEAT! Their songs are...neat! Okay, redundant, but they are, dangit. God, I love bards. Healing, speed travel, invisibility, MANA SONG, speeding damage output of the melees, tracking at 35, Mez song, Fear song, etc. etc. etc. They can do it ALL.
Cons - If you're at all prone to carpal tunnel syndrome, don't even think about it. If you like chatting during down-time, don't think about it. Bards are the #1 class to reduce a group's down-time, but this is only because they get absolutely none - they're constantly working. Most groups will expect you to twist at least two songs at once, therefore requiring your concentration...WHILE you're melee'ing. Bards CAN do it all, and are expected to at the same time, all the time.

Paladins:
Pros - If the idea of cleric and warrior appeal to you and you only have time for one character, you may want to play a paladin since those are a paladin's parent classes. Most rank a paladin as the 4th best healer in the game, in addition to being the 2nd or 3rd best tank. Their Lay of Hands ability (it's an ability more or less, not a spell - there is no casting time and serves as a Complete Heal) is invaluable and has saved many, many, many people. The role of a paladin in a group with both a warrior and a cleric is usually secondary tank and back-up (possibly tertiary) healer. Paladins are also expected to eliminate down-time between fights by healing the party back to full while your healer(s) meditate, so they can conserve their mana for in-battle heals.
Cons - The paladin class arguably has the most quests overall, but 90% of their quests could be called sadistic in their difficulty. If you are not the type of person that likes a CHALLENGE, then look elsewhere. Paladins are also costly on the platinum since they not only wear plate armor like both their parent classes, but they also require the purchasing of top-of-the-line weapons (like warriors) and need to keep up with their spell lines (clerics).

Rangers:
Pros - Many of the handy utility spells that druids receive are given to rangers. Rangers are also the only class that receives the ability to track at level 1, and I consider that SUCH a handy tool. They rank in the top three for damage-doers in melee combat, and are the undisputed champions of archery.
Cons - Some say that rangers have a problem at the 50+ levels (I haven't met anyone who said they personally had this problem, but...some say it exists). Rangers are restricted to leather or chain armor and are not allowed to wear plate options (with some occasional exceptions), therefore making their overall AC lower than other "tank" classes. Rangers are also costly on the platinum for many of the same reasons as paladins.

Shadowknights:
Pros - Okay, shadowknights are cool. They're ranked up there as either #2 or #3 tanks (depending on what people rank paladin), and while a paladin tends to lend the group a hand on the defensive side with heals/buffs, a shadowknight assists the group with offense in the form of DoT's, Harm Touch (an "ability", much like the paladin's LoH, the SK's HT has no casting time...and can it be resisted? I don't remember if they fixed that), etc. They're also one of three classes (monk, necromancer, shadowknight) that has the feign death ability which is extremely handy for if the rest of the group gets plowed over, saving your own rear.
Cons - Evil aligned like their necromancer parent class, so they'll either be KoS nearly everywhere or will require serious faction work. Other than that, I'm not sure.

Monk:
Pros - Probably THE best at melee damage in the game. While rogues are nice with their backstab, a monk is consistently pounding the chosen target with numerous attacks per round that will often rival a caster's nuke...and they do it every round. They also are one of three classes that can Feign Death, and in my opinion, are the absolute best at it because the other two classes have it in spell form whereas a monk has it as simply an ability. FD makes monks rank as some of the best pullers (depending on who you ask - I rank them as #1 in many situations, but see a thread entitled something like "Who is the best pullers/tanks?" for a debate on the subject).
Cons - Monks have a serious limitation in that they can carry 10 weight TOTAL without suffering an AC penalty. This 10 weight includes the armor, weapons they may choose to use (although fists are usually best), and food as well as any loot they pick up. Make absolutely certain you work your Agility up because monks do not take hits well. Monks are also restricted on their armor selections, generally due to their weight restriction.

Rogue:
Pros - Backstab, pickpocket, sneak, hide, evade, pick locks, safe fall... Rogues are neat, although the class does have many problems. Many of the newer dungeons have made it necessary to have a rogue to assist in entry.
Cons - Much like a monk, you don't take hits well when you do get smacked, and backstab (a serious damage doer, so don't overlook it) is a serious taunt. Pray that both your group's tank and healer are on the ball when you land a really impressive BS. Some also have bad opinions of rogues due to bad past experiences (I'm in this catagory) because some rogues tend to pickpocket while in groups, therefore lowering the loot that the rest of the group receives and being accused of theft (imagine that, a rogue).

Mage:
Pros - Most say the #2 nuker (second to wizards - and some will say druid is the #2 nuker, depending on the level being discussed but even then, they'll list mage right after them - I'd say mage is #2, generally), and the #1 pet class (some say #2 since necro pets are so nice). Mages can summon pretty much anything under the sun. Is your puller out of arrows? No problem, hand him a few stacks. Does someone need bandages? Not anymore, you can summon them. Is someone in your group night-blind? Summon them a heat or cold stone. Going to an underwater area? Summon your group a few water stones to make sure no one drowns. You can pass your summoned goodies out like candy.
Cons - Mages are often underestimated in their usefulness so you may not be as welcomed if someone is not aware of the full benefits that a mage brings to the group. They're a caster so they lack the hit points and will take a serious beating if they become the object of the mob's affection, however.

Wizard:
Pros - THE absolute, undisputed, best nuker in the game. Wizards can out-nuke any class, so if your group is taking a serious beating and that mob needs to go down NOW, it is the wizzie's job to make sure that happens.
Cons - OVERBURN. With all of my healer characters, I tend to cringe when a wizard is entering my group until I'm certain that s/he knows the definite problems relating to overburn. While it is nice to take a mob down quickly, it also really really sucks if the mob wasn't quite as low on life as you thought it was and that big 'ol nuke you drop on it makes him beat the living bejeezus out of you, therefore eating away the healer mana and frustrating your group's tanks.

Okay, I'm done. God, that was longer than I thought it would've been."

Mutt (9/20/00)

> I printed the beginner guides for each class off
> castersrealm and read them on the train last night and
> I have a couple questions:
>
> 1) Shaman looks pretty cool with decent stuff with
> which to solo or support, he has healing, can wear
> plate, and even gets a trade skill which could be a
> kind of fun change. But it didn't seem like he got
> mentioned a lot in the conversation here. So whats the
> deal? Does the Shaman bite or is he just overlooked?
>
> 2) Does being evil (or a KOS class like Necro) really
> matter? How much does it suck to be KOS some places?
> Do you end up traveling to different places and
> saying, "Damn, I wish I could go into this town but I
> can't...thats it, I'm rerolling." I could imagine it
> becoming less important once you know the landscape
> and know where you will be welcomed, but I could see
> it being annoying for a first char. Just wondering if
> this was accurate.
>
> 3) It seems like the emphasis is really on group stuff
> and that soloing is hard. Is it easy to get into a
> group if you don't know anyone on? I used to just do
> some pickup hunting in AC, but that was just about the
> dawn of time and I pretty much always play solo at odd
> hours anymore, often not seeing more than a couple
> people let alone hunting with someone. And especially
> because I'd want to play some kind of support caster
> who is going to suck without a tank. Is the EQ culture
> different just because the game forces you to join
> forces with others?
>
> 4) Do some races suck? When I look at the starting
> stats, natural abilities, and XP penalties of
> different races it seems like there must be some other
> benefit I can't see that would make people want to
> play them. Like why wouldn't you play an Erudite (and
> max your Int) if you were one of the spellcaster
> classes? What advice would you all give about race
> selection? And what difference does it make to be big
> (Trolls, Ogres, etc.)?
>
> -Chris the curious

1) Shamen's Rule, thats what Chanda is (Aka Ai Renshai)Very powerful and if She wasnt playing one I would have had one as an ALT. EQ is a game of teamwork and cooperation for the most part, and with that being said, there are many "niches" to fill... Classes are a big part of the game, and grouping a Balance of these classes is what makes or breaks groups. Shamens are a MUST in my honoest opinion for a group. Very strong Heals, strong DD spells (Direct dmg) and great DOT (Dmg over time) and can buff EVERY STAT

2) Faction is what were talking here, You can go into any town EVENTUALLY. WOrk on faction by killing baddies that would give you GOOD FACTION in one of those towns and eventually you will be able to walk thru that town without problem. Faction is one of my favorite things in the game, it MAKES an ORc fight a Goblin and you can sit and watch, its fun!

3) /shout The Muttmarines are taking Group applicants for an Assult on Sarnak Castle send tells! <------- Its that easy, but with all of us on the server you will not need to look hard. BUT, you CAN SOLO. Its slower but can be done! Im level 30 and I was SOLOing in Frontier Mountain last night on monsters 26-30 Levels (I am level 30) It CAN be done and by MOST classes. (Clerics are obvious support to mention the main class that has trouble soloing)

4) Let me tell you, Races for stats dont matter much. Lets take the Human Ranger vs. the Wood Elf Ranger. Wood Elves have great night vision, and get FOraging, and Hiding, and other SKILLS. Seeing at night is a BIG plus tho. So you see you get certain advantages indirectly ,if you will, rather then directly, as it relates to your class.

Ravenwood (9/20/00)

I highly recomend that if you haven't tried EQ, you do, at least for the month. Mutt will spoil you rotten, and you'll fall in love.

Now don't fret, I'm not giving up AC, just spreading my love around a bit.

Ravenwood - AC
Sedan - DT
John (Call me T.Bone if you want to irritate Rachelle)

P.S.

I saw an Ogre killing everything in site, and it scared the shit out of me because it was heading right for me. It turned out it was just another player, totally cool.

He buffed me with all sorts of spells, the coolest being a spell that damages your opponent every time you dodge their attack, and I was killing everything around me.

Everything is fine, then Mutt suggests we go to a little more difficult zone, so I can really rack up the experience. So we arrive in this new zone and Mutt buffs the hell out of me again.

"Go Kill" Mutt Says
"Attack anything?" I asked.
"Yes what ever you can't handle I can"

So I start attacking some low level beasts and doing well, then I see a big ass snake. I start attacking and it starts yomping me, but Mutt's got my back and he is slinging the heals like there is not tomorrow. But, I just can't do any decent damage and after about 10 heals and getting severely poisoned Mutt finally has to kill it for me. He then spoke the wisest words of the night:

"No more snakes"

Ravenwood

Khali (9/22/00)

Today's new favorite class is: Enchanter. Oh man do these guys look cool.

Crowd control. Who doesn't want to own those mobs? With Mesmerize, Enthrall, Color Spray (or whatever those things are called) you have at least three different lines that can stop whole groups in their tracks. You decided who fights when. You stop the train. I read several very good strategy guides describing how to rotate and round robin spells while regaining mana to keep a whole spawn in check while your group or your pet dishes out some lovin.

Charming. You get the baddie to fight on your side. Oh that is too cool. Yes dangerous, but it just seems so evil and devious. Plus, as a bonus, you can summon a pet and have some decent DOT spells.

Oh, did I mention that the illusion spells are about the neatest thing I've read about in the game. I mean just changing your appearance is cool enough, but they mess with faction which sounds like a really neat game mechanic, at least for a newb just exploring. I love the idea of being welcomed or shuned in a certain town. I love the idea of certain creatures being indifferent to me. I mean the idea of doing a quest for a Halfling somewhere and then having halflings like me -- that's cool. This would make me really want to play Dark Elf just so I could mess around with faction and play with illusion to try and get into "good" places.

Right now, Enchanter looks like the most fun I could have playing EQ.

But of course that is just today. Hmmm, what about Bards? That whole thing about weaving multiple songs sounds cool...hmm....

-Chris, Having fun exploring EQ during his commute