New group of players looking for advice.

[Landylil]

I'm part of a group of 4 looking to start up on the project1999 server. Two of us played EQ for many years, though we haven't touched the game in a while, and the other two are brand new to Norrath. I've been digging through my memory banks trying to remember how the game was during Kunark, and maybe get an idea for how our group setup should be, this is where I'd like some advice.

Do we need a cleric? One of the new players is wanting to play a druid. I figure if the server population is active enough, getting a rez shouldn't be awful, if the population is too low then we'll definitely want a legit rezzer/healer. Anyone have a feel for that?

Tank/early game equipment. I haven't had a weak character since... well 1999. I've been spoiled by AA's, top end raid loot, and years of item inflation. My group might make me tank, if that's the case I'd like to go DE sk or HE paladin. I would go troll/ogre SK if the server hadn't already nerfed the mask of deception =( Sorry guys can't do ugly. That said, how's the economy? I remember farming pelts and bone chips for people back in the day. Druids giving out SOW for tips and whatnot. Is the community pretty friendly in terms of pricing of low level type gear? I'm worried about failing my group because of my preference to be pretty.

The other old EQer is wanting to be a bard. I always ran with an enchanter back in the day, could a bard hold it down? I was a cleric leveling with an enchanter / warrior buddy, so that was our trinity. I never actually played much with bards til end game. Also, with a group of 4, bard/tank/druid/????. I feel like the druid pick might scorn us, but we need her to be happy or else what's the point =)

Any tips tricks feedback or advice is welcome!

[Nevarun Alwaysdie]

Just so you know the hybrid xp penalties are in effect. Bard is included in this. Clerics definitely help because of the superior healing and rezzes are nice. But all and all i would say play what you think you will enjoy. Kinda pointless to try to level a class that bores you. Goodluck and welcome back to Everquest.

[Cars]

I wouldn't worry about failing your group as a tank, even though pally's and SK's are pretty gear dependant all you need to do is get aggro and they both do that fine with or without gear. For picking classes you should listen to Nevarun, EQ is a grind and if you don't like your class then your not gonna make it. I trio'd from 1-50 with 2 rl friends and we went pally, chanter, Cleric and could accomplish pretty much anything we wanted

[Landylil]

Just so you know the hybrid xp penalties are in effect. Bard is included in this. Clerics definitely help because of the superior healing and rezzes are nice. But all and all i would say play what you think you will enjoy. Kinda pointless to try to level a class that bores you. Goodluck and welcome back to Everquest.

Yeah I saw the posts about the hybrid penalties. I disagree with the inclusion of them but respect the fact that the people behind this have apparently put together a solid server and community. We'll find classes we enjoy, no race to 60 for us. I'm hoping to get some good adventuring in, get lost a few times, have some awful corpse runs... things like that =)

[koros]

Loot here, especially good, but not best of the best items are extremely cheap. A pally can pick up a 30/40 2hb for 250pp. Paladin gear is especially cheap due to their rarity. Shadowknight/ranger is also quite affordable. With the classes you've mentioned so far, I'd suggest paladin, monk, druid, enchanter would be a great 4 man.

Otherwise if you opt in a cleric I'd say shadowknight, cleric, misc dps (rogue/monk/mage), and enchanter.

[Landylil]

Yeah I'd rather we had a cleric (I main'd a Cleric for many years), but if we end up with a druid Pally seems like the best option. Cleric just seems to give us better group composition options! wahhh hehe

[Landylil]

So the group has decided to go with a cleric, I'll tank, bard for CC / buffs, and then the other friend who's new to EQ wants to play a caster. I suggested Wizard, we have other input for Mage. Both classes have somewhat similar play styles, cast nukes, 1 has a pet, 1 has more utility. How would you guys rank them in old eq. I remember loving my Wizard friends for the teleports, but mages always had a weird aura about them. It seemed like their pets were actually strong back then ^_^

[Cars]

I have never been a fan of mages so I am definitely biased but if you guys have a wizard you will all be happy for the ports later.

[Autotune]

So the group has decided to go with a cleric, I'll tank, bard for CC / buffs, and then the other friend who's new to EQ wants to play a caster. I suggested Wizard, we have other input for Mage. Both classes have somewhat similar play styles, cast nukes, 1 has a pet, 1 has more utility. How would you guys rank them in old eq. I remember loving my Wizard friends for the teleports, but mages always had a weird aura about them. It seemed like their pets were actually strong back then ^_^

Wizard if you guys are always going to play together. You'll have good mana regen with a bard in the group, making the wizard more useful than a mage (mages are good for groups with little to no mana regen).

Cleric, Tank (sk/pally), Bard, Wizard is a good team. I'd go SK for dungeon pulling later on (FD is hard to beat).

Cleric, SK, Bard, Wizard is a good 4man group that would be pretty self sufficient.

[feanan]

Mage all the way! Only reason to get wizard is for ports. Or if your friend likes to afk 10 mins at a time after nuking down one mob ;)

I don't have any numbers to back it up, but I'd be willing to bet that mage pet + mage nukes > wizard nukes.

[Etris]

I made a post on the general forums about starting a noob party or guild. Check it out if interested.

[Etris]

No one responded to my thread :(

Any room for a newbie in your group? Make it 5? I've got Ventrillo!

[Landylil]

Hey! I think we'll be ramping up early next week. I'm more than willing to play with whoever when we're on. We aren't planning on being recluses, the whole point of old EQ was the community aspect =) My best memories are the people I met growing up.

*edit* though I hope to get us started up tomorrow, at least figure out a good place to level. Some of us are evil, some are good. DE Shadowknight here, the Wizard is a HE and so is our Cleric. Found out another friend joined the server yesterday... independently of me, him having no idea I was going to test out project99. We might actually have a nice little community of Austinites going.

[Etris]

Let me know what class you'd like to have on the team and I'll create it! Tomorrow you say?

Will you be forming a guild so we can keep in touch cross zone, or a ventrillo server?

[Landylil]

Hey, I don't know if we plan on starting our own guild, though we'd be more than up for joining one. I think it's just messages / group chat / skype and vent if we use. Should be fun, never played EQ with voice chat :D

[Durk]

Hey gang, check out R99 if you have not already done so. The server has a nice exp bonus that will help you guys breeze by and start enjoying the game faster. Also since you already have a nice group PVP will be fun brawling against other small parties.

[Dagwulf]

Or you could roll on the server with 500+ pop.

[theaetatus]

Head on over to the Freeport / Commonlands area and do orc camps, get buffs from the tunnel and snag some bargains or do Gfay / Crushbone. Both areas have decent newbie populations so you'll probably have some melee twinks around to fill the two gaps nicely.

You should definitely go Troll SK though, much prettier than the other choices.

[Swampfeet]

Hey gang, check out R99 if you have not already done so. The server has a nice exp bonus that will help you guys breeze by and start enjoying the game faster. Also since you already have a nice group PVP will be fun brawling against other small parties.

Much more fun then the super saturated end game "raiding" that goes on here at the end of the rainbow.

Try red99!

[beversami]

Let me know if you guys have room for a 6th and what you're looking for.

I just started on P99 and am rockin' a level 3 dwarf cleric, but I'm open to playing anything that's needed. Let me know what you might be looking to add to your group!

[Etris]

I've got a 9 rogue that's ripping it up in Misty Thicket - need to finish my Patchwork armor set.

I'll head to EC soon if you all want to get together. Name is Etris in game.

[Kyosai7]

Yo, I'm a lvl 3 Mage in EC, and a lvl 3 Monk in Kunark, up to get a group/guild going!