EQ Live Servers Underpowered Classes

[PeteyPablo]

I have been playing TLP since I came back (quit ~2006)and got 1 group to 50 and another group to 45. Anyways poopsocking and camping Savant Caps is horrendously boring so I decided to level a group on a live server. They are 57-58 now in a day and half of played time.

That being said, I am running WAR CLE ENC SHM WIZ MAG. (Casters are easier to use when I use ISBoxer in more populated areas). I feel that my shaman horribly underpowered and useless. I figured in HoT I was going to need a backup healer for when I started doing group progression or something. I was thinking about dropping him for a monk/brd/sk if I won't need 2 healers.

Are shammy's under powered in HoT? Are two healers really necessary anymore for group content?

Oh, anyone have any luck using a holyshit to interrupt a gating mob with a caster?

 

[PeteSampras]

unless there is an animation associated with gate, you have to use an event similiar to what i made on the stun include today. it cant be made into a holyshit using any method that i know of.

and shammies are good enough to heal in hot without a cleric. or vice versa. you really dont need 2 healers. and 2 slowers. id change warrior for sk or paladin so tank can self heal some, and change sham to a bard or nec/mage if you want casters. bard would be major dps bump in caster group, enough to offset a single nec/mage probably.

 

[Brano11]

I would keep the sham, and drop the cleric and chanter for a bard and another dps class. I have shaman main healing my groups all the time

 

[Villageidiot]

I personally play , PAL/BRD/WIZ MERC DPS MERC DPS MERC CLR

and i can own any group content in HoT

Love pally because when i get in danger, i just have him twist a few group heals and win!

 

[Smarty]

Currently boxing War, Sham, Bard, Bst, Merc Clr, Merc dps, Never get into danger cause i kill stuff so fast, when i actually have time to play.

 

[Lorekeeper]

I personally did, Rogue, Rogue, Warrior, Monk, Ranger, Shaman, Cleric, Cleric, Enchanter, Wizard, Bard... was easily a grind in HoT.

 

[Beastdaddy]

Go Bst,Brd,Shm,Zerker,mage,cleric and do 30k dps and roll through anything.

 

[Zeta1]

Assuming full set of T4 group gear, AC augs, all relevant AAs, etc:

I definitely feel that SK is the superior group tank compared to Warrior / Pally. HA, DE, FD, ridiculous single target and AE agro abilities, etc.

The benefit of Warrior (defensive, flash of anger) isn't really needed in group content and certainly isn't worth more than what SKs bring to the table.

 

[camvyss]

Yeah all 3 main healers (DRU, SHM, CLR) can cope fine as a groups main healer nowadays.

I box War, Monk, Zerker, Enchanter, Cleric and have closed my Rogue account and popped a melee merc DPS in there to tie it all together. I haven't encountered anything in the group game that has given me pause. In T4 I am tanking 3 on my War and handling any unmezzable adds with my Monk.

 

[marius13dk]

I run sk, nec, cleric and bard. then im free to swap in two wizards or what ever in the last two spots, nec + bard is rock solid dps

-Marius

 

[warped]

I running sk/rogue/monk with cleric/cleric/rogue mercs. all basically t4 group geared tank 2 at once often in ss on a bad pull with no prob. the dps is ok just building the monk up now with some aa. i reckon rogue are the real under powered classes though because they are really just weapon based.

 

[camvyss]

I running sk/rogue/monk with cleric/cleric/rogue mercs. all basically t4 group geared tank 2 at once often in ss on a bad pull with no prob. the dps is ok just building the monk up now with some aa. i reckon rogue are the real under powered classes though because they are really just weapon based.

Most melee classes are "weapon" based. Throw a thousand or 2 AA onto your Rogue without changing his weapons and I will wager his DPS will quadruple easily. Same goes for any melee DPS really. Although in saying that Rogues have pretty crappy sustained DPS but for burns they are $$.

 

[Zeta1]

For purely macro-based DPS/usage, I've found that Berz > Monk > Rogue for melee DPS classes. I have boxed all 3 of these classes for hundreds of hours since the start of HOT. All are max AA, max T4 gear, etc.

Of course, individual mileage may vary. A lot depends on your macros/holys/mq2melee settings/etc.

 

[PeteyPablo]

Where do you think rangers fall in the equation for macroable melee'ish dps?

 

[Zeta1]

Where do you think rangers fall in the equation for macroable melee'ish dps?

I wish I could say. I've never boxed a Ranger.

 

[Sum1]

Rangers are rough because of how much of their dps is spell-based (when not bowing with big discs). It's certainly doable, and I like them for the ohter stuff they bring (buffs, snare, cc, etc), but I think the zerker is much easier to macro or use holyshits with.

I macro all melee dps toons with my sk and pwn shit like whoa. I've never tried adding a wiz or mage or something, but I suspect they're pretty good too. One advantage they have is they look less like bots since they can cast just standing still the whole time.

 

[Zeta1]

I've personally boxed the following DPS classes for hundreds, if not thousands, of hours. These are backed up by an SK main tank, Shaman and Cleric. Also, it is assuming max AA and max T4 group gear. In order from best to worst DPS in a standard group setting (T4 HOT):

Necro > Mage > Berz > Monk > Rogue > Wizard

I have no experience with Rangers or Beastlords.

This is just my personal opinion based on their combination of sustained and burn DPS. The melees aren't so great on your average trash pulls when compared to the casters, but they shine on nameds when you can unload their burn discs. That isn't to say the casters aren't useful on nameds; twincast and Necro robes make quick work of nameds as well.

I've read multiple times on this forum about Necros not being good group DPS, especially when compared to Mages. This is completely untrue and I attribute it to poorly written and inefficient Necro macros. I've had the Necro + 1 other DPS KS the main group (which was usually Shd/Wiz/Mag/Mnk/Shm/Cle for AA gaining purposes). They are that powerful with CoA robe + fast DoTs. Mages are still extremely strong group DPS, both for nameds and your average trash clears.

I'll be the first to admit my Wizard macro needs a bit of work (I use all of my own caster macros) as I have it leaning towards more efficiency than outright DPS. So it's possible Wizard should be higher on the list, especially for named burns. Also, none of my burns include the use of 7th Vet AA.

As I mentioned before, mileage will vary based on individual macros and settings. But I feel this is a pretty accurate assessment.

 

[Sum1]

If your wiz is coming up on the end you're doing it wrong. The necro, also, shouldn't be outperforming toons with better burst dps capabilities unless mobs are living longer than they should be.

One particular setup I've used in the past is SK, cleric, druid, bard, ranger, zerker ... and shit was dieing so fast in SS and MC that the ranger wasn't getting 2 focused arrows in... the mobs were like butter.

Now I'm not saying necros aren't good in their own right, but for 99.9% of boxers they won't experience the above dps ranking that you just described.

 

[Zeta1]

Well I did say my Wizard macro isn't setup to burn properly. I will say that manually burning him (chaining ethereals with twincast and DPS AAs running) is good DPS, but my macro isn't setup to do that automatically (my macro makes use of Wild lines + GOM for ethereals). I've just been too lazy to make the necessary changes.

I don't agree about your Necro statement at all, though. Necros are so overpowered, currently. Just browse EQLive to see statements by Mages and Wizards about Necros outburning them on raids. They aren't just sustained DPS now that they have fast DoTs. Even if a HoT named doesn't last that long, they can still get in both fast DoTs with DPS clicks/AAs and put out some serious damage. Pet DPS with panther and Resonant Elemental pots also contribute to my high ranking of them.

 

[JimJohnson]

Necros have been miss used for ever. Or used to be they were always utilized for mana vs dps. Now they are able to burn mana vs pump mana. We probably would have seen necro nerfs long ago if they dps vs healed.