First Time EQ Player, Please Explain This (spellsets)

[Vladgina]

First of all, this is my first time playing EverQuest at all, ever. I knew absolutely nothing about EQ before my friend recommended it to me a few days ago. Community seems really friendly, difficult albeit enjoyable game once you learn a few things (beginning was frustrating not knowing key things like right clicking bringing up trade window, simple stuff like that). I've been having fun.

I just hit level 5 as a Barbarian Shaman. Naturally I started buying all the level 5 spells. Now this is where I hit a problem that I cannot possibly fathom dealing with. The decision is just insane to me. You're seriously only allowed 8 spells?! SPELLSETS ARE DISABLED?! WHAT?! Is there some kind of work around to this? Is there something I am missing? Please tell me there is because it is incredibly disheartening if I'm only allowed 8 spells.

I'm only level 5 and I already have 6 buff spells! If I want to buff people do I REALLY need to sit there with my spellbook and rebind all the buffs, buff myself +strangers+friends/party members, then sit there with spellbook and rebind my healing/damage spells then finally continue playing? I hope so so incredibly much that this is not the case and if it is then I hope the cruel individual who decided to disable spellsets explains to me why this was decided.

I am baffled in disbelief and discouragement if this is real. This discourages buffing people, wtf? "Sorry, I'd buff you but I have to sit here and rebind all the buffs to my 8 slot only spellbar, then I have to rebind my normal spells afterward which is a huge hassle."

[Treefall]

First of all, this is my first time playing EverQuest at all, ever. I knew absolutely nothing about EQ before my friend recommended it to me a few days ago. Community seems really friendly, difficult albeit enjoyable game once you learn a few things (beginning was frustrating not knowing key things like right clicking bringing up trade window, simple stuff like that). I've been having fun.

I just hit level 5 as a Barbarian Shaman. Naturally I started buying all the level 5 spells. Now this is where I hit a problem that I cannot possibly fathom dealing with. The decision is just insane to me. You're seriously only allowed 8 spells?! SPELLSETS ARE DISABLED?! WHAT?! Is there some kind of work around to this? Is there something I am missing? Please tell me there is because it is incredibly disheartening if I'm only allowed 8 spells.

I'm only level 5 and I already have 6 buff spells! If I want to buff people do I REALLY need to sit there with my spellbook and rebind all the buffs, buff myself +strangers+friends/party members, then sit there with spellbook and rebind my healing/damage spells then finally continue playing? I hope so so incredibly much that this is not the case and if it is then I hope the cruel individual who decided to disable spellsets explains to me why this was decided.

I am baffled in disbelief and discouragement if this is real. This discourages buffing people, wtf? "Sorry, I'd buff you but I have to sit here and rebind all the buffs to my 8 slot only spellbar, then I have to rebind my normal spells afterward which is a huge hassle."

In classic EQ you are limited to eight spells at a time (future expansions expanded the number of spells and added one-click for changing spell sets).

Later on your buffs will be group spells and they will last for an hour or more. Really you can setup your keys for what you are doing. Buffbot, all buffs, dps dots/dds, healing spells/major buffs, etc.

It will seem more difficult at your level but as you go up in level you will memorize spells quickly, so it doesn't take that long - you just have to be efficient in managing your spell book and learning how to quickly key to specific spellbook pages.

A lot of spells are useless, so really you'll have like 3 sets of pages of spells that you consistently use. Also, part of the charm of EQ is finding items that cast spells so you don't waste a gem slot on them (not aware of what those are on a shaman).

[kgallowaypa]

If I want to buff people do I REALLY need to sit there with my spellbook and rebind all the buffs, buff myself +strangers+friends/party members, then sit there with spellbook and rebind my healing/damage spells then finally continue playing?

This guy would HATE being an enchanter rofllll

[Tupakk]

Memming get them gets faster as you level don't worry if you stick around past 45 you won't even notice it.

[Luminious]

You can make hotkeys for /book #
Where # is a number 1-50. This will open you spellbook to that page.

[snergle]

First of all, this is my first time playing EverQuest at all, ever. I knew absolutely nothing about EQ before my friend recommended it to me a few days ago. Community seems really friendly, difficult albeit enjoyable game once you learn a few things (beginning was frustrating not knowing key things like right clicking bringing up trade window, simple stuff like that). I've been having fun.

I just hit level 5 as a Barbarian Shaman. Naturally I started buying all the level 5 spells. Now this is where I hit a problem that I cannot possibly fathom dealing with. The decision is just insane to me. You're seriously only allowed 8 spells?! SPELLSETS ARE DISABLED?! WHAT?! Is there some kind of work around to this? Is there something I am missing? Please tell me there is because it is incredibly disheartening if I'm only allowed 8 spells.

I'm only level 5 and I already have 6 buff spells! If I want to buff people do I REALLY need to sit there with my spellbook and rebind all the buffs, buff myself +strangers+friends/party members, then sit there with spellbook and rebind my healing/damage spells then finally continue playing? I hope so so incredibly much that this is not the case and if it is then I hope the cruel individual who decided to disable spellsets explains to me why this was decided.

I am baffled in disbelief and discouragement if this is real. This discourages buffing people, wtf? "Sorry, I'd buff you but I have to sit here and rebind all the buffs to my 8 slot only spellbar, then I have to rebind my normal spells afterward which is a huge hassle."

most people dont need every buff. give them sow str dex and a hp buff if they are melee. if they are a caster just give them sow unless they ask otherwise. get used to using only 7 spells and constantly cycling the last one to what ever new spell you need

That said the reason is "thats classic" which imo is a dumb reason but w/e

[nirreln]

Hehehe just image what this guy's reaction would be if we still had to stare a spellbook to meditate like in classic.

[snead]

if you're mad at this... you might want to reconsider playing Everquest.

[Jimjam]

Your a shaman. At higher levels look forward to slowing mobs, stacking dots on them, forgetting spells mid combat and timing memorization of new spells between the mob's slow swings at you.

That is what I did on my live shaman at least!

[Baler]

I organize my spell book according to the class's requirements. So like page 29/30 is my main page, then 31/32 are my next important spells, 33/34 anything left over. 23/24 my oldest buffs, 25/26 my old buffs, 27/28 my newest buffs.

I could swap out my entire spellbar in the middle of combat, in seconds. I even have macro buttons for these pages on my 2nd hotbar.
Example: Main /book 29 | Buffs 3 /book 27


It stinks but just act like it's not there to begin with, problem solved.

[Videri]

Yeah, memming spells gets faster as you level up. For shamans, enchanters, and to a lesser extent all other spellcasters, you have to do it often. You just get used to it. It's part of the game. You can get good about it, create a system that helps you be efficient.

Be thankful you're on Blue and you don't have to keep Gate and Root on your bar in addition to Cannibalize, Torpor, and a heal! Or gate, rapture, tash, root, and Theft of Thought! /cackle

[Trungep99]

you dont have to buff them with every spell you have. only the useful ones for their class. such as a spell caster wont need melee buffs.

also you dont need to waste mana on buffing yourself in a group with buffs you wont really use for combat. if you stop meleeing and only go spell caster mode and leave the melee to others then only give them those melee buffs to help you save mana.

memorizing buffs becomes much quicker as you level too, the skill of meditate decreases the time to mem a spell.

id suggest always have your heal memorized, always have your slow or dmg spells memed too. and just change between the spell slots for buffs as needed. at high levels the spells last longer too so you wont have to buff as often.

[JurisDictum]

In the old days they used to consider enchanter a hard class. There is some truth to it when it comes to people new to the game.

[Xap]

This guy posted on Reddit too, and got super super salty at EQ as a game afterwards, it's quite a fun little read. I think WoW or something might be more up your alley mate.

- https://www.reddit.com/r/project1999/comments/4ljhf6/beginner_can_only_bind_8_spells/

'bs trying to cover poor design with "it's a good challenge!" Frick off with that nonsense. I'm not an idiot. I don't care if one buff is more useful than the other. When I see other players I want to give them all the buffs I have. The inability to do this without having to sit there for minutes rebinding spells constantly is shit design.'

lol.

[Oscillate]

Hehehe just image what this guy's reaction would be if we still had to stare a spellbook to meditate like in classic.

Being an Enchanter, I pretty much do that as it is. Its like holding your hand on your pistol, ready to draw that spell when you sense a bad pull. lol :D

[Cawas]

This guy would HATE being an enchanter rofllll

I was a chanter back in the day; now I'm playing a shammy and I don't know what to do with all my spell slots!

[Izmael]

First of all, this is my first time playing EverQuest at all, ever. .../... I've been having fun.

Welcome and congrats on discovering a game worth playing.

You're seriously only allowed 8 spells?!

Yes, only 8 spells at any given time and there's no work around I know other than acquiring items who can cast spells, ie: http://wiki.project1999.com/Jaundiced_Bone_Bracer

Spell selection for these 8 slots is actually an important skill for any caster and there's no one right way to do it. Everyone has its own theories and habits. As someone mentioned, memorizing a spell takes a while now that you're level 5, but it will be really really fast after a few levels. I think by level 20-25 you will barely see the memorization progress bar. Your only concern will be spell gem refresh, which ... well, you'll learn it soon enough. :)

cruel individual who decided to disable spellsets explains to me why this was decided.

The devs disabled it to make the game as close to classic EQ as possible. They disabled (or didn't implement) hundreds of other modern EQ features that were "unclassic" to their taste. Personally I agree with all their choices except maybe a couple such as how dispell works and buff duration removal. They did a world class job at recreating a museum-quality classic game of EQ.

Spell sets take a challenge (spell selection) out of the game at least partially, but classic EQ was good because it had many challenges, not because it was easy.


I am baffled in disbelief and discouragement if this is real. This discourages buffing people, wtf? "Sorry, I'd buff you but I have to sit here and rebind all the buffs to my 8 slot only spellbar, then I have to rebind my normal spells afterward which is a huge hassle."

Don't forget that by the time you reach level 60, you'll have about 200 memmable spells. You'll have to make choices anyway. 8 happens to be the number P99 uses but with, say, 12 slots, you'd still have the same problem to some extent.