A tour of norrath, need some advice

[Coridan]

Me and my friends are all getting into P1999 and are planning on leveling together. We are more interested in experience a lot of the world rather than the best places to grind. I'm trying to put together an itinerary and could use some advice.

We'll have a group of Bard, Druid, Warrior, Monk, Wizard so travel will be easy eventually.

1-5 newbie areas
5-10 Blackburrow
10-15 Desert of Ro/Oasis/Befallen
15-20 Beholders/Lavastorm/Najena
20-25 Unrest
25-30 Cazic Thule
Around 30 we also travel around doing our class armor quests
30-35 Rathe Mountains
35-40 Mistmoore
40-45 SolA
45-50 SolB/Perma

Suggestions on modifying this would be welcome. We're also going to do other stuff along the way, such as Langseax of the Wolves for the warrior, Opalla for the druid and other misc quests/items we might wanna pick up.

[Picked]

I would throw SolA into the 20-30 range also. Some nice drops in there for all of your crew. Not to mention some nice cash along the way. It sounds like you will be old schooling it and questing most of your items, but a little PP never hurt either.

SolB is amazing even at 40. Lot of nice drops, good named camps as well.

Lower Guk is always nice, it's fairly dead other than the occasional farmer in there trying to earn some coin. Most camps are usually open. I know it's the cookie cutter zone that everyone has been too, but it's one of the best dungeons around still.

[Coridan]

I completely forgot about Guk, thanks. I'm sure we'll be splitting the level chunks up a bit more, especially the 30s and 40s

[Picked]

I completely forgot about Guk, thanks. I'm sure we'll be splitting the level chunks up a bit more, especially the 30s and 40s

Another place many people never go to is Runnyeye, I think it's a zone for 20+ once you get to the higher mobs. Pretty fun dungeon, excitement for sure.

[Xherez]

For the best exp and some of the best loots for the level you want to do this:
Upper guk 17-24
SolA around Kindle 24-30
SolA Bar/King/HighPriest 30-35
Lower Guk 35-40
SolB 40-50ish

How well you manage these will depends on how good your bard is, and to a lesser extent your monk.

Pro-tip: bard aoe mez is seriously OP at the lower levels.

[Ferok]

Forgetting Crushbone, bad move!

[Xherez]

Dalnir is also great exp in the 30s and good for gearing up your monk.

[Ephirith]

Don't forget the lonely Kunark dungeons nurga/droga/kaesora/dalnir.

These are some of my favorite dungeons in the game, and also some of the lesser visited.

[Swish]

Later levels you guys WILL need a regular slower...espeically without a cleric, be it an enchanter or shaman.

Great idea though, hope you have an excellent journey together :)

[Coridan]

We are sticking to classic, much as I love Kurn and LOIO.

It was BB or CB and since everyone else is starting in Qey, Halas and Erudin I ran my butt over from GFay. We might pop in to kill crush and dvinn though.

[falkun]

Later levels you guys WILL need a regular slower...espeically without a cleric, be it an enchanter or shaman.

The bard should have that covered. Honestly their biggest deficiency will be the lack of cleric.

[phobus]

Even if you don't spend much time there, Runnyeye deserves a visit simply for the experience of meeting the goblin banker and bartender. As EQ dungeons go, it always seemed quirky and unique because of those guys.

[SCB]

Don't skip out on Permafrost. It's out of the way, but it's a lot of fun and has some very decent drops for its level range.

[Darian]

Don't forget about Kedge Keep- nothing says exploring like buried treasure

[davedeck42]

replace the druid with a cleric..

[Slave]

replace the druid with a cleric..

And the wizard with anything else.

[Coridan]

The wizard is the least competent amongst us. He needs something with little responsibility. Druid and bard will be fine. If it means we go a bit slower as we level up, thats a good thing. We will probably be a bit undergeared anyway

[Slave]

The wizard is the least competent amongst us. He needs something with little responsibility. Druid and bard will be fine. If it means we go a bit slower as we level up, thats a good thing. We will probably be a bit undergeared anyway

A rogue is about ... literally more than five times the DPS? The best in the game. He'd have to sit in back of things and hit Stab. It's not too hard and DPS is what you're lacking. Plus it'd be up to 30% less experience depending on the race he chose.

[Slave]

The wizard is the least competent amongst us. He needs something with little responsibility. Druid and bard will be fine. If it means we go a bit slower as we level up, thats a good thing. We will probably be a bit undergeared anyway

And I mean, it's not the fact that you're slower as you level up, it's the fact that you could all nearly solo to the level that your group would be obsolete. Without good heals and dedicated slows, your bard is going to be tanking, but not for long. You are not going to be able to group together in areas that require groups. Which is kind of the whole point.

[davedeck42]

im telling the wizard you said that..

but seriously, you are going to want a cleric, druids heals wont cut it later on. Maybe druid plays a chanter and wiz plays a cleric?

[Tux]

You min/max'ers want to ruin everything. It's comical that you cannot even comprehend why somebody would chose something that isn't the mathematically optimal choice.

I say run with the odd ball group, much more fun when you may have to strategist how do an encounters/camps then usual dull tank/cleric/slows/blah that make up most people's EQ grouping experiences.

[Ferok]

Replace the wizard with an enchanter and you'll be fine.

Slowed mobs + C2 and bardsong means the druid should be fine healing, and it still gives you flexibility for porting.

[davedeck42]

i mean its diff if its a pug and you have to take what you can get but we are just trying to offer some advice that will lead to a LOT less downtime and faster killing in a game that takes hours and hours already to lvl.

[Coridan]

We might be getting a sixth to play as cleric or shaman. I think bard and druid would be sufficient for healing. Anyway I am looking more for suggestions on hunting where at what level.

[Llodd]

Replace the wizard with an enchanter and you'll be fine.

Slowed mobs + C2 and bardsong means the druid should be fine healing, and it still gives you flexibility for porting.

Like he said, the wiz is the least competent. Not sure having him be the chanter is a good thing.

Go with what you got. Oddball groups are always more interesting.

Don't forget the Gorge of King Xorbb and Runnyeye - those places are worth a visit.

[Coridan]

The idea of the wiz player being an enchanter terrifies me.

[Coridan]

Beholders (gorge) is def on the list so we can get some mino axes

[Ferok]

Like he said, the wiz is the least competent. Not sure having him be the chanter is a good thing.

Go with what you got. Oddball groups are always more interesting.

Don't forget the Gorge of King Xorbb and Runnyeye - those places are worth a visit.

Enchanter is duplicitous for crowd control with the bard. Serves as a buff class and someone able to slow at critical times. You learn to not depend on the enchanter, but expect he can perform some tasks when critical (tash, slow) and otherwise keep everyone fed with crack and haste.

Haste for melee and crack for casters and he's already worth it as an AFK class. Everything else is gravy.

[Ferok]

The idea of the wiz player being an enchanter terrifies me.

Better to have one you know you can't count on, than none at all.

[mwatt]

You definitely want a cleric to make all thngs possible. A Druid simply can not cut it for heals in many dungeon scenarios. You could dump the druid and let the cleric take that spot if you don't add another member to your cadre. This would leave the Wizard where he is and still leave you with port capability. Pity to loose the Druid though - lot of utility there. Maybe the Wizard could play a Druid and the Cleric could fill in for the vacated Wizard spot. You'd still have heals and a Druid can be played at begging or expert levels - room to grow. Of course, the guy that was gonna play the Druid might not be to happy playing a Cleric. I dunno. :)

[Ferok]

You definitely want a cleric to make all thngs possible. A Druid simply can not cut it for heals in many dungeon scenarios. You could dump the druid and let the cleric take that spot if you don't add another member to your cadre. This would leave the Wizard where he is and still leave you with port capability. Pity to loose the Druid though - lot of utility there. Maybe the Wizard could play a Druid and the Cleric could fill in for the vacated Wizard spot. You'd still have heals and a Druid can be played at begging or expert levels - room to grow. Of course, the guy that was gonna play the Druid might not be to happy playing a Cleric. I dunno. :)

Or a Shaman for the Druid. You need either enchanter/shaman slow or a cleric. You can't not have both. It won't be a cute fun 'different' group post-45. It will be awful.

[Slave]

Here's something that will put it into perspective: ask literally any Druid or Wizard who's played more than a few months how many groups they get. And they'll probably tell you they don't deserve them, either.

Because Druid and Wizard are not grouping classes. At all. They are probably the worst two classes for a group when compared to almost any replacement.

You're asking for advice? Well, the original group makeup is not going to be viable at higher levels with a Druid and Wizard taking up critical slots, without a Cleric and devoted slower. You will not gain experience in anything like a fun and efficient fashion.

The Bard and Druid are absolutely not capable of decently healing the party after level 40, period. The Bard will be primary target of any mob that he begins slowing, and you have no snap-aggro tank to take it off him. Your warrior is nothing but DPS at that point (or the mob is unslowed), you will have insufficient heals on a low-HP and low-AC tank because you have no good buffs... the list goes on.

It is an extremely problematic group makeup at any level over 39, in my opinion.

If the Druid became a Cleric and the Wizard became a Rogue, it would be a very STRONG group, conversely.

[SCB]

I don't understand where the "Druids can't heal" thing comes from. I could solo-heal groups on my druid through Velks on live without issue. Were they pulling as fast an a perfectly min/maxed group? No. Were we surviving just fine? Yep.

Again, not comparing Druid efficacy to that of a Cleric (or even Shaman, with his slow/etc), but the class can most assuredly keep a group up and running.


The Bard and Druid are absolutely not capable of decently healing the party after level 40, period. The Bard will be primary target of any mob that he begins slowing, and you have no snap-aggro tank to take it off him. Your warrior is nothing but DPS at that point (or the mob is unslowed), you will have insufficient heals on a low-HP and low-AC tank


This, for instance, is just flat-out, objectively wrong.

[Ephirith]

The only justification for that class makeup would be that they are playing the classes they like at the cost of efficiency and they are aware of it-- at which point any other choice would be the wrong one.

It's not a good combo but it's not completely terrible. If the monk can single pull even a little, their bard is good, and their melees wiggle into some decent gear the group will bump along satisfactorily until around 45 when mob HP goes nuts.

Unfortunately their reasoning seems misguided- a wizard because they are worried about somebody having responsibility? Having a lackluster combo is going to give every member more responsibility than if you just pick efficient classes and play them badly.

This, for instance, is just flat-out, objectively wrong.

Don't forget the bard isn't geared in full cultural or even lambent, more than likely. They don't have an ubertwinked fungi monk dps etc. Remember, druids are still using a 300 point heal all through the 30's, 40's and early 50's. Shamans too but at least they have canni and slows to make the situation halfway efficient. Especially in the later range, the bard IS going to have agro and he IS going to be taking major damage, and it's going to OOM the druid quickly.

[SCB]

Unfortunately their reasoning seems misguided- a wizard because they are worried about somebody having responsibility? Having a lackluster combo is going to give every member more responsibility than if you just pick efficient classes and play them badly.


This I agree with. Plus, "not having responsibility" in EverQuest is just code for "gonna wipe everyone nonstop".

Don't forget the bard isn't geared in full cultural or even lambent, more than likely. They don't have an ubertwinked fungi monk dps etc. Remember, druids are still using a 300 point heal all through the 30's, 40's and early 50's. Shamans too but at least they have canni and slows to make the situation halfway efficient. Especially in the later range, the bard IS going to have agro and he IS going to be taking major damage, and it's going to OOM the druid quickly.

I guess I can sort of understand that, but if theyre a group of buddies rolling together, not taking the time to do everyone's sol ro (and crafted) quests seems silly. Those quests, at the very least, send you all over the Classic-era zonelist which seems to be a priority for them. I'd recommend a Shaman at the very least for their specific group but if their buddy is dead-set on a Druid they can definitely make it work. Again, we're taking "optimal" completely out of the equation for "what I want to play".

[Slave]

I don't understand where the "Druids can't heal" thing comes from. I could solo-heal groups on my druid through Velks on live without issue. Were they pulling as fast an a perfectly min/maxed group? No. Were we surviving just fine? Yep.

Again, not comparing Druid efficacy to that of a Cleric (or even Shaman, with his slow/etc), but the class can most assuredly keep a group up and running.




This, for instance, is just flat-out, objectively wrong.

ITT: Druids can now MH for high level groups, even in Velious!

You are dead wrong. I'm shocked you actually typed this blatantly obvious falsehood, because in all fairness you should either be avalanched with ridicule or completely ignored now.

The only reason Shamans can do it is because 75% less damage is coming in. And their effectiveness as MH tails off dramatically as you climb the 50s. (until 60th and Torpor)

Everyone that has ever tried to group at these levels with a Druid knows this and it is not in any kind of question.

[Picked]

Lot of hate for the Wizards still I see. They are fairly problematic without clarity I will admit. If I was going to make the group up under these circumstances I would say keep the Wiz, have the bard or monk play an Enchanter and switch the Druid to Cleric. No sense in having two pullers.

Giving you Cleric, Ench, War, Wiz, Bard or Monk depending on which switches. Wizards get a bad rap. But with Ench and Bard in group later in levels? He will be as good DPS as anyone. Not to mention the burst when needed. With Ench charmed pet and Monk or Bard, DPS will be nice.

[SCB]

ITT: Druids can now MH for high level groups, even in Velious!

You are dead wrong. I'm shocked you actually typed this blatantly obvious falsehood, because in all fairness you should either be avalanched with ridicule or completely ignored now.

The only reason Shamans can do it is because 75% less damage is coming in. And their effectiveness as MH tails off dramatically as you climb the 50s. (until 60th and Torpor)

Everyone that has ever tried to group at these levels with a Druid knows this and it is not in any kind of question.

I did it first-hand, so no, you're wrong. I rolled with a group of Monk, Bard, Ranger, Druid, Wizard, Warrior, and we did fine. Definitely wasn't top-end xp or anything, but we wanted to play together and that's what we all happened to be. Only our bard was even super-geared at the time.

Don't know what to tell you, dude.

[Furniture]

Seriously, listen to the people in this thread, your group composition is seriously flawed and can not last, if you really want your group to be able to last by itself 40+ then do switch out the druid for a cleric and the wizard for a rogue or even a mage, id even say get rid of the shitty bard and insert an enchanter and your group will be amazing


Your group will die a lot, and you wont be able to res yourself or even kill at an enjoyable rewarding pace once you get high enough level. Your gear is going to be way below average since you wont really be able to take any of the profitable camps that require a proper group, so its just even more crap in this shit sandwich, so your really just dooming yourselves in all aspects of your experience here, Its going to take you half a year of like 4-5 hours a day to even get to high levels if this group is how you want to do things

[Ferok]

I don't understand where the "Druids can't heal" thing comes from. I could solo-heal groups on my druid through Velks on live without issue. Were they pulling as fast an a perfectly min/maxed group? No. Were we surviving just fine? Yep.

Again, not comparing Druid efficacy to that of a Cleric (or even Shaman, with his slow/etc), but the class can most assuredly keep a group up and running.

With an enchanter, sure. Otherwise, nope. Shaman have two things going for them: one is slow, the other is Canni - they just have more mana at their disposal. An enchanter can put you on an even or even positive playing field in this regard. Not going to cut it sitting at the wall outside of Karnors, let alone in Velks.

Edit: Velks is pretty trivial difficulty once you hit about 56 or 57 downstairs, so sure, at higher levels I can see that just about any group would work. Especially since melee classes solo in Velks. Grouping in velks I take to mean kobalds and gargoyles.

[Slave]

Enchanter slower + Druid healer = LESS THAN the slow/heal power of a Shaman. The Shaman heals better, and he also slows better. You'd be using twice the manpower for the same job.

THAT is why a Druid is bad for groups. THAT is why a Wizard is bad for groups. They simply cannot do the roles that they are nominally used for. You are getting literally half the effectiveness per user.

[SCB]

Enchanter slower + Druid healer = LESS THAN the slow/heal power of a Shaman. The Shaman heals better, and he also slows better. You'd be using twice the manpower for the same job.

THAT is why a Druid is bad for groups. THAT is why a Wizard is bad for groups. They simply cannot do the roles that they are nominally used for. You are getting literally half the effectiveness per user.

This isn't the topic of conversation at all. In fact, I even point out several times that they will not be nearly as effective as if they switch roles, but that if the guy doesn't want to he doesn't need to because a druid can feasibly heal it. Every single post I've made has contained some variation of the qualifier "someone else can do this better, but".

I'm starting to think you're argumentative just to have someone to argue with. Is it really bothering you that much that you're being shown that your math is bad in the enchanter thread?

[eqravenprince]

Sounds like a lot of fun, I'm jealous and wish I could be a part of it. You could go to Permafrost much earlier than 45, mobs start out at level 15. Splitpaw (level 26+), Runnyeye (7-30+), Qeynos Aqueducts (1-15), Highpass Hold (12-22), Highpass Keep (18-35), Kerra Island (15-35), Kedge Keep (35-50), Upper Guk (4-25).

As far as what others are saying about needing certain classes, they may be right. But rule #1 in my book is play what you enjoy. I don't know the end game well enough to say you need this class or that class, but levels 1-50 you will be just fine.

[Slave]

This isn't the topic of conversation at all. In fact, I even point out several times that they will not be nearly as effective as if they switch roles, but that if the guy doesn't want to he doesn't need to because a druid can feasibly heal it. Every single post I've made has contained some variation of the qualifier "someone else can do this better, but".

I'm starting to think you're argumentative just to have someone to argue with. Is it really bothering you that much that you're being shown that your math is bad in the enchanter thread?

Yes, it is the topic of conversation. Their group would end up with them not being able to take their tour of Norrath, which is the point of this thread. They would be locked out of all content 50+ in the opinion of most people in this thread, and be severely weakened to the point of futility at 40+. They will not get to take their tour. They will be tourless.

As for the Enchanter thread, keep reading! My information and analysis is for everyone, even those who fallaciously argue against it at first. You're very welcome!

[Tecmos Deception]

You min/max'ers want to ruin everything. It's comical that you cannot even comprehend why somebody would chose something that isn't the mathematically optimal choice.

I say run with the odd ball group, much more fun when you may have to strategist how do an encounters/camps then usual dull tank/cleric/slows/blah that make up most people's EQ grouping experiences.

You dumb players want to ruin everything. It's comical that you cannot even comprehend why someone would prefer something that is the mathematically optimal choice.

I say run with an ideal group, much more fun when you are able to handle killing stuff that's tougher than orc1 than trying to kite your way to 60 with a dru/rang/sk/pal/bard/wiz group.


I'm really just trying to be the devil's advocate here. I'm not against oddball groups or casual play, I just despise people who think that a minmaxer who suggests a more effective option is "ruining" things.

[fadetree]

I think people who generally only play in optimal groups eventually think that it's impossible to do otherwise. People who go ahead and play in non-optimal groups usually know that anything is possible, though it may take some extra effort. It's not an optimal group he's constructing, but I doubt it would render a 'tour of norrath' actually impossible.

[Picked]

I think people who generally only play in optimal groups eventually think that it's impossible to do otherwise. People who go ahead and play in non-optimal groups usually know that anything is possible, though it may take some extra effort. It's not an optimal group he's constructing, but I doubt it would render a 'tour of norrath' actually impossible.

I agree with this. While other setups would be far better as far as efficiency, I have grouped with a Druid in BnB camp in Solb and they did just fine. Had to stop pulling once in a great while but we had Enchanter and there was constantly two in camp at all times. Not to mention the Enchanters pet and the Druid himself had a bat charmed.

Was actually the best group I have ever had at BnB. Mobs died so fast with two epic rogues and two charmed bats and a Monk.

Not saying it will be this way everywhere, but if you got competent players you can make almost anything work.

[Furniture]

dieing in everquest and making the tedious exp grind even worse is not fun, whooping ass and playing with a good group and staying alive is fun however

[Slave]

but we had Enchanter... Not to mention the Enchanters pet

[fadetree]

dieing in everquest and making the tedious exp grind even worse is not fun, whooping ass and playing with a good group and staying alive is fun however

Man, if you aren't into tedious exp grinding you are playing the wrong game. And anyways, it's all relative, what you find unacceptable doesn't have any relation to how this group might feel about it.

And its interesting about dying...of course actually dying is no fun, but neither is never being in danger. What I enjoy most is almost dying. Sitting in a totally safe camp in a perfect group methodically pulling grind mobs for hours is boring as hell. Having to work hard and think smart is a lot more entertaining to me.

[Ferok]

I think people who generally only play in optimal groups eventually think that it's impossible to do otherwise. People who go ahead and play in non-optimal groups usually know that anything is possible, though it may take some extra effort. It's not an optimal group he's constructing, but I doubt it would render a 'tour of norrath' actually impossible.

I play in lots of "sub-optimal groups". I love groups of all flavors. I've run AOE groups as a paladin. I took a shaman rogue and bard to the bottom of Seb as a foursome. I've played in all pet groups. I've duo'ed with every class imaginable. This is just good everquesting, IMO.

However, when you're working with 3 melee classes (2 pure melee) there are some rules you're going to live by. One is that you're going to have a tank. If you're going to have a tank, you have to heal that tank adequately. There's not a lot of flexibility there.

This isn't about min maxxing. This is about filling a group with appropriate tools to do everquesting. If you're set on a Druid as your MH, okay, that can be done - you'll need slows. You want to use a Bard? Okay, that's a little weak, but maybe it can be done - but you'll want a high aggro tank. Oh, well you want to use a warrior... okay, now we're hitting a problem.

You don't have to min-max, but you do need the right tools.

Summary:
Switch Wizard for Enchanter OR
Switch Druid for Shaman OR
Switch Warrior for Paladin

[Tecmos Deception]

Lot of hate for the Wizards still I see. They are fairly problematic without clarity I will admit. If I was going to make the group up under these circumstances I would say keep the Wiz, have the bard or monk play an Enchanter and switch the Druid to Cleric. No sense in having two pullers.

Giving you Cleric, Ench, War, Wiz, Bard or Monk depending on which switches. Wizards get a bad rap. But with Ench and Bard in group later in levels? He will be as good DPS as anyone. Not to mention the burst when needed. With Ench charmed pet and Monk or Bard, DPS will be nice.

I like this idea if the group is up for it.

Wizards are, without a doubt, the worst sustained damage in the game. But with clarity and bardsong, they at least can hold steady with a tank's damage while supplying some help with roots and stuns. Plus if the druid switches to cleric, the utility of ports will be huge for a group that is playing together 100% of the time that also wants to see the whole world.

The wizard will NOT, however, "be as good DPS as anyone" ... ever. Even with c2 and 100% uptime on bard mana songs, the wizard will still do (much) less damage than any melee DPS, mage, or necro.

[SCB]

Slave, I'll see your quote of this:

but we had Enchanter .... Not to mention the Enchanters pet and the Druid himself had a bat charmed.

And raise you this:


if you got competent players you can make almost anything work.

Mmmm... context.

[Slave]

I think people who generally only play in optimal groups eventually think that it's impossible to do otherwise. People who go ahead and play in non-optimal groups usually know that anything is possible, though it may take some extra effort. It's not an optimal group he's constructing, but I doubt it would render a 'tour of norrath' actually impossible.

You feel that a

Warrior
Monk
Bard
Druid
Wizard

could successfully kill monsters at any kind of acceptable pace, level 50+? Please think about this for a second. It is not happening. Especially to players new to Everquest, who are used to the modern gaming model of instant gratification?! They're already pushing their luck just getting to 50 with a fun and validating balanced group. Add completely interminable leveling and the certainty that you can't even progress beyond a certain point.

Man, if you aren't into tedious exp grinding you are playing the wrong game. And anyways, it's all relative, what you find unacceptable doesn't have any relation to how this group might feel about it.

I find slow rates acceptable. I find devastatingly, off-the-charts molassassine leveling to be boring. I'm guessing that people without any EQ experience will find it less palatable than myself.

[Slave]

the utility of ports will be huge for a group that is playing together 100% of the time that also wants to see the whole world.

The utility of ports can be bribed from any Druid or Wizard in Norrath without having to give them 20% of your experience.

[Slave]

Slave, I'll see your quote of this:



And raise you this:




Mmmm... context.

I know players who have played for years and aren't competent. This is a group in their first Everquestian experience. And you want to stack the deck against them. For shame, sir.

[fadetree]

You feel that a .... could successfully kill monsters at any kind of acceptable pace

Yes. You realize 'any kind of acceptable pace' is pretty open territory.

[Slave]

Yes.

I dare you to make a poll on that.

[fadetree]

Lol. Who cares? By the way, where do they say they haven't played eq before? Sounds to me like they used to play.

[Tecmos Deception]

Slave, I can't deny that a group involving a wizard and a druid while simultaneously NOT having a shaman, an enchanter, or a cleric, is gonna be turrible.

I also can't deny that a group of tank + cleric + ench/sham + some combination of rogue/mage/necro/monk/(ench or sham, whichever wasn't picked earlier) is going to be pretty godly.

But YOU are the one being dumb here if you keep blindly ranting about what is ideal when the people doing this obviously don't want what is ideal. If you are going to make suggestions to help them make a group that is viable enough to do this tour without them all going insane trying to do it, then go ahead; it'll be constructive. But if you're just going to drag this out until it ends up in R&F because you can't stand the thought of someone else doing something that doesn't perfectly mesh with your idea of what the world of EQ should be... then just GTFO already.

[Slave]

But YOU are the one being dumb here if you keep blindly ranting about what is ideal when the people doing this obviously don't want what is ideal. If you are going to make suggestions to help them make a group that is viable enough to do this tour without them all going insane trying to do it, then go ahead; it'll be constructive. But if you're just going to drag this out until it ends up in R&F because you can't stand the thought of someone else doing something that doesn't perfectly mesh with your idea of what the world of EQ should be... then just GTFO already.

Off base and offensive as usual. I'm going to give this exactly what it deserves which is a permanent forum ignore.

[Nordenwatch]

Play what you want to play. If you run into problems later you can deal with them later. Life on this emulator is too short to worry about everything

[Coridan]

Fifty+ is not even remotely an issue for us. We are only gonna play like three nights a month. I am the only one with any experience (live 1999-2004, eq2 2004-2011) and will be playing the Bard. Excepting the wizard the others will easily get on the ball by level 15. Any group that has some healing, some tanking, some cc and some dps is fine for the casual stuff we will be doing. There is no must have class for casual play. If we have to hunt yellows instead of reds oh well.

[Ferok]

You're right, but the druid is still a waste. They have a lot of utility, but you won't get to see any of it because he'll be doing nothing but healing.

But at the low end, you've got a point. By 40 you'll be feeling it.

[Slave]

At the low end he's got every point in the world... just makes the tour a bit overambitious in more than one way.

Yeah, you're not going to want to use Cazic Thule as your hunting grounds. Waaay too many casters, extremely tough area for the level. You could do 25-30-35 in Mistmoore Castle. Very moody, cool zone.

[Picked]

At the low end he's got every point in the world... just makes the tour a bit overambitious in more than one way.

Yeah, you're not going to want to use Cazic Thule as your hunting grounds. Waaay too many casters, extremely tough area for the level. You could do 25-30-35 in Mistmoore Castle. Very moody, cool zone.

I wouldn't go to Mistmoore personally. These guys are wanting a different experience then the norm. Everyone and their dog hangs out in MM leveling. Too many groups, too many trains, and too many asshats running around for them to be able to enjoy it.


If you only play a few times a month I wouldn't spend the entire evening dodging someone elses mistake.

[Slave]

I wouldn't go to Mistmoore personally. These guys are wanting a different experience then the norm. Everyone and their dog hangs out in MM leveling. Too many groups, too many trains, and too many asshats running around for them to be able to enjoy it.


If you only play a few times a month I wouldn't spend the entire evening dodging someone elses mistake.

Hmmm maybe Splitpaw eh?

[Picked]

Ya or Highkeep or somewhere a little more secluded.

[Ferok]

Ya or Highkeep or somewhere a little more secluded.

Highkeep has some action, can even get crowded.

Reality is though, with free ports you should just go wherever a whim takes you on a given night.

[Slave]

There is probably nowhere in the game that is more remote and unused than Splitpaw other than maybe Runnyeye. I mean he's got them going to Mistmoore and Unrest and Oasis anyway, I don't think he's particularly overenamoured of crazy zones. There are really, really good reasons why places like Unrest and Mistmoore are more heavily populated, even to the point of a little chaos.

Highkeep sounds like a great suggestion.

[davedeck42]

dont forget sol a and cazic thule

[Tarathiel]

dont forget sol a and cazic thule

they would get absolutely murdered with that group set up in CT. dont wanna be debbie downer but for its level range CT is probably one of the toughest zones in the game. Virtually every mob in the zone is a Cleric, Chanter, or SK, and they can cast thru walls. Solid sustained dps is needed to get thru the cleric's chain casting heals.

[Ferok]

they would get absolutely murdered with that group set up in CT. dont wanna be debbie downer but for its level range CT is probably one of the toughest zones in the game. Virtually every mob in the zone is a Cleric, Chanter, or SK, and they can cast thru walls. Solid sustained dps is needed to get thru the cleric's chain casting heals.

Stuns also come in handy (something clerics, enchanters, and to a lesser extent at that level, paladins are handy for).

[Coridan]

I think paw will definitely be added. I was never a fan of highkeep for hunting, though we may spend a little time in highpass for SBH.

[Tecmos Deception]

There is probably nowhere in the game that is more remote and unused than Splitpaw other than maybe Runnyeye.

Kerra Isle is almost certainly the least-used zone in the entire game.

[Dantes]

Who cares what the optimal group is. The group will probably break up anyway, considering some of your buddies will either quit, level faster than you, or fall behind. By the time they get to CT they'll have "random other guy #1" tagging along.

[eqravenprince]

they would get absolutely murdered with that group set up in CT. dont wanna be debbie downer but for its level range CT is probably one of the toughest zones in the game. Virtually every mob in the zone is a Cleric, Chanter, or SK, and they can cast thru walls. Solid sustained dps is needed to get thru the cleric's chain casting heals.

True, CT is a bitch, unless you hunt gators. I don't understand why it doesn't have a regular group.

[eqravenprince]

I think paw will definitely be added. I was never a fan of highkeep for hunting, though we may spend a little time in highpass for SBH.

I wasn't a fan of Highkeep until I started hunting guards =)

[Coridan]

I could never hunt in Kerra, love the cat people. Wish they were playable instead of vah shir. Might go there and quest if it is revamped version. We can still go to CT just at a little higher level.

[Slave]

These weapons you're mentioning, Langseax of the Wolves, Shiny Brass Halberd... people give away better. Don't waste your time on them.

[pharmakos]

they would get absolutely murdered with that group set up in CT. dont wanna be debbie downer but for its level range CT is probably one of the toughest zones in the game. Virtually every mob in the zone is a Cleric, Chanter, or SK, and they can cast thru walls. Solid sustained dps is needed to get thru the cleric's chain casting heals.

we were doing cazic thule the other day with a 25 warrior, 26 enchanter, and 30 monk. also had a level 26 cleric for a bit, but we were handling it (albeit a little slowly) with just the first three.

[Ferok]

we were doing cazic thule the other day with a 25 warrior, 26 enchanter, and 30 monk. also had a level 26 cleric for a bit, but we were handling it (albeit a little slowly) with just the first three.

[eqravenprince]

These weapons you're mentioning, Langseax of the Wolves, Shiny Brass Halberd... people give away better. Don't waste your time on them.

It took me me no time at all to understand the original poster, maybe cause I feel like I have a lot in common with him. He doesn't care that he has a sub optimal group. He wants to earn items rather than have them handed to him. My guess is powerleveling isn't all that much fun to him either, he wants to do it the hard way. He probably doesn't enjoy grinding away at mobs just to get to the next level. Probably enjoys dungeon crawling rather than the most efficient way of gaining experience.

[Coridan]

They were Vah Shir you moron.

Artistically and culturally (lore wise) they were very different. As different as african and european. Kerra were vastly more interested than the bland moon cats.

And yes, the point is to do it all ourselves, we will probably trade for banded and bronze armor and stuff but mostly want to get our own gear.

[Tarathiel]

we were doing cazic thule the other day with a 25 warrior, 26 enchanter, and 30 monk. also had a level 26 cleric for a bit, but we were handling it (albeit a little slowly) with just the first three.

this is why you survived, if you dont mind me asking what camp were you guys at? crocs can be duoed/soloed if you can get down there safe, also the temple area where the templar and diviner spawn are slightly less difficult. i was mainly referring to an all out dungeon crawl which i assume is what the OP is going for rather than pick a camp and grind away. crawling a dungeon and dealing with all the adds and other surprises is a whole 'nother ball game when compared to just clearing whatever camp and grinding away. some of my fondest p99 memories are from sola and lguk crawls, personally thats the way i prefer to do dungeons, its just only really possible when you have the zone to yourselves.

[pharmakos]

tbh we just hunkered down in the front courtyard and had the monk pull from the maze. it was nice having the zone line right there (even tho we only needed to use it a couple times)

still, its possible to do alright in there at that level range with the right tactics *shrugs*

maybe not worth it in a min/max sense, but its possible to do.

[Woodcon Valor]

you should tour norrath on red99 theres a 75% permanent exp bonus so your leveling will go A LOT faster plus the server is growing daily with new players and groups! check us out

[Tarathiel]

tbh we just hunkered down in the front courtyard and had the monk pull from the maze. it was nice having the zone line right there (even tho we only needed to use it a couple times)

still, its possible to do alright in there at that level range with the right tactics *shrugs*

maybe not worth it in a min/max sense, but its possible to do.

man, i spent so many hours in that spot during live, unfortunately ive only been able to xp in CT a few times on p99 only one of which did i actually get anything accomplished most ended in wipe. now, i just go there to farm, and as a lvl 60 rogue its still kinda challenging, not to the point of dying, but learning where to pull mobs to avoid out of LOS healers is a must if you dont want to spend 10 minutes killing lvl 20 mobs

[Slave]

And yes, the point is to do it all ourselves, we will probably trade for banded and bronze armor and stuff but mostly want to get our own gear.

Well it really was a beautiful dream. It really was. But now you've just jumped the shark. To bring in a group unused to the difficult EQ paradigm, use weaker, quirky classes, and then handicap yourself on equipment as well? Just seems naive. Any one of these can be fun, but all three together is clearly the kiss of death.

Good luck, but silver will get you gold that not half of them make it through level 30.

[Llodd]

Enchanter is duplicitous for crowd control with the bard. Serves as a buff class and someone able to slow at critical times. You learn to not depend on the enchanter, but expect he can perform some tasks when critical (tash, slow) and otherwise keep everyone fed with crack and haste.

Haste for melee and crack for casters and he's already worth it as an AFK class. Everything else is gravy.

Sounds exciting for the fella.

More interesting making things go boom.

[Handull]

they should have a port class in the mix for sure since they want to explore and probably plan on dying here or there. that said, i'm biased towards druids. wiz/rog are both simple enough classes to learn for someone wanting something 'easy', and both have the same basic 'problem' in groups, dont out agro the tank. imo if your bard is good and your druid only heals, you'll level up just fine. as you get regen spells, bard regen song, and manasong, itll get easier and easier. with c2 and slow on mobs i was easily healing LCY on my druid a while ago. you've got 5 ppl, so you can also find a 6th at higher levels (enc/shaman/clr) and have a killer group. just play what you like and you'll find a way to make it work

[jerok88]

Well it really was a beautiful dream. It really was. But now you've just jumped the shark. To bring in a group unused to the difficult EQ paradigm, use weaker, quirky classes, and then handicap yourself on equipment as well? Just seems naive. Any one of these can be fun, but all three together is clearly the kiss of death.

Good luck, but silver will get you gold that not half of them make it through level 30.

Okay but... in 1999, this is what people did and it worked out fine for everyone.

What he is doing is classic right? He's trying to replicate the classic experience as best he can for his friends, letting them choose what classes they want, not twinking out, etc.

If I had four like-minded friends and a lot of time, I'd love to be a part of this kind of thing. I'd probably run with monk, bard, cleric, paladin, wiz, knowing me and my friends I'm thinking of. Man that'd be awesome.

Except I should switch out the bard with an enchanter, and the wizard with a mage right? Bc screw what people want to play and the classic experience. This is about progress, not adventure!

[webrunner5]

That is one big problem with P1999. Most people know what they are doing, what classes to pick, what zones to go to for better Zem, where the good loot is, etc, etc.

When most of first started playing we didn't know crap about any of the above and still had a lot of fun. Let the OP pick what ever 5 classes he wants and the hell with it. Big deal. Its just a game. :D Like one person said on here, have 6 Iksar Sk's in a group and they will loose XP every kill.

[godbox]

if all these guys didnt play on live during the era p99 is the group will not survive to lvl 12 and this conversation is moot.

[bulbousaur]

This is a good point - classic eq is hardmode, and people that aren't nostalgic for it may run out of patience for the slow leveling + other parts that we like but are not present in current MMOs.

[Malrubius]

Try to ignore the min/maxers, play what you want, and have a good time. You'll do fine - this ain't rocket science.

[godbox]

ya classic eq is definetly not rocket science its more like what I imagine being a railroad worker in the old west would be like.

[webrunner5]

if all these guys didnt play on live during the era p99 is the group will not survive to lvl 12 and this conversation is moot.

You make a good point God. I would imagine a lot of "Noobs" have given up playing this game early on because even if you know what to do this can be one hard ass, frustrating game at times.

[Slave]

And even if they're smart enough to ask for advice, they don't take it. I'm sure your experience will be different than literally every single other group that has tried this. lol