I want to start a new toon shaman

[rotenvok]

Im bored of my lvl 23 shadow knight, I want to play a caster and only shaman gets my attention

I want to play a shaman but there are a lot of shamans already.

Would you play an overpopulated class?

[Doctor Jeff]

Yes. Play for fun.

[Yttrium]

I play a shaman, I look at the "overpopulation" theory as this:

Are there more shamans than other classes? Sure, they are popular.
Does the supply of shamans outpace the demand on the server? Not that I have seen.

As long as the class is still in demand I don't consider it overpopulated. For example, if there is a pickup group with 1 shaman already and they have an open spot, I will still have an easier time getting invited than a wizard will most days. I can't speak for how this translates 50+.

[rotenvok]

I can't speak for how this translates 50+.

Yes, im afraid of high end, maybe to do a raid you must fight for a slot between a lot of shamans...

[loramin]

It depends on what you want. If you're looking for one of the most powerful classes (arguably the most powerful) in this era, go Shaman. If you're looking for a class that can solo just fine pretty much without loot, go Shaman (the three main exceptions being the JBB, epic, and fungi tunic or Torpor, none of which you "need" until the 40's). If you're looking for a character you can level up and then farm gear for all your other characters, go Shaman.

But if you want to be needed by the high-end raid guilds, make a Cleric.

Of course, most important of all is:

Play for fun.

[Connecticut]

Yes, im afraid of high end, maybe to do a raid you must fight for a slot between a lot of shamans...

I don't see any guilds, end game or otherwise that have closed recruitment on shaman.

There aren't really "slots" because there is no cap/limit on bodies you can bring to kill raid targets. Have you ever seen 200 people bind rush AoW?

I think just about any guild would welcome another shaman who logs in and plays regularly.

[Lhancelot]

Im bored of my lvl 23 shadow knight, I want to play a caster and only shaman gets my attention

I want to play a shaman but there are a lot of shamans already.

Would you play an overpopulated class?

Just remember this. Later on you will need specific things if you want the shaman to really have a chance to meet it's ceiling of performance.

TORPOR AND EPIC

1. Epic. Epic is needed, the sooner the better. The problem? You will need to join a raid guild to have a chance to get a tear. If you cannot do so, you will have to buy a child's tear, and that cost is going up consistently over time. It's now 60-80k.

2. Torpor and other spells. You will not feel complete at lvl 60, if you do not have the spell Torpor and many other high lvl spells. Torpor alone will cost you 100-120k. The chances of you looting the spell is highly unlikely. The other high lvl spells are expensive too. Essentially I figure you will need 150-170k plats for all your spells.

Besides being a gigantic money sink, the shaman is not a fast leveling class either. Particularly when you choose any race besides barbarian.

RACES

My advice is if you decide to go shaman, pick the one race that appeals to you physically the most. If you enjoy how the shaman looks you will most likely go farther.

If you are a min/max kind of person, and know you will hit 60 and know you will be raiding I'd suggest ogre for frontal stun immunity.

If you are casual and probably will never have torpor and probably won't even hit 60 in 2-3 years, consider troll for the natural regen. If you don't have a fungi, by level 51+ this race will compliment the class well with it's natural regen ability.

Iksar are fine too, but they cannot use JBB and the bracer is highly useful especially while leveling to 60.

Barbarians enjoy the fact they are not usually KOS everywhere. They also win in fashionquest in most people's opinions, and level faster than the fatty ugly races. Barbs also can use the Barbarian Spiritist's Hammer, which is really a fun weapon that procs a frost nuke. JBB + this hammer is awesome especially when they both manage a back to back nuke.

GROUP PLAY

If you enjoy constantly spamming Canni and constantly buffing a group, and constantly slowing mobs this will be a fun class for you in groups. It's a very active class.

If you hate the sound of canni, and do not enjoy constantly having to answer requests for buffs this class will become an unbearable grind.

ENCHANTER?

My opinion is if you want a less expensive, more challenging class with an equally high ceiling of performance consider an enchanter. Enchanters do group buffs but not as many as a shaman. Enchanters are extremely powerful soloing or in groups. Enchanters also not only make melee happy with their uber hastes, they make casters happy with all their mana type buffs. I realize you asked about the shaman class, but I just wanted to plant the seed for you to realize Enchanter is a great class too.

[rotenvok]

Thanks for all your answers, very useful

I started a troll shaman