Complete Newb on P99. Help with Green class
 

Hello everyone, this is my first post here. I've played other MMOs but this is the first time I'm diving into EQ since I heard about Green launch some days ago. I've dabbled with the UI to get myself accustomed, read a couple of guides, tried out some of the classes, and I've narrowed my choices down to two: Druid and Shaman. My questions:


1. What are the more defining differences between the two classes, especially from a playstyle perspective?

2. With shaman, since I can only choose evil races or barb who starts at the end of the world, how much tougher or frustrating would normal play be, compared to Druid (or other good races in general)? I do have a background with tough MMOs, by the way (played a lot of Tibia back in the day).

Any other general tips for starting out would be extremely appreciated. I'm going in alone so I'd also like to join a guild soon or find a stable leveling group somehow. :) Thanks!

As a first timer I recommend the druid over the shaman. The druid has some really good spells, you can solo (kite), or group well (get heals, DS, etc) and you can port.

Both good classes. Druids are easier and generally more versatile, shamans more valuable in groups, generally. Druids can teleport and go into all good cities. Shamans need to be based near their shaman cities either evil or remote like halas.

Halas is close to qeynos though, just 3 zones way.

I agree with druid reccomendation, but any class that you think sounds cool will be a good choice here.

Shamans get health to mana conversion and the most power slow in the game which is needed for tough fights. Druids tend to have a harder time finding groups but can solo (so can shamans). Druids do get the ability to port all over Norrath which is very convenient and a source of income.

Playing an evil race isn't that big of a deal but being new, you might get whacked by some good-factioned NPCs while learning the game. Since you lose xp and ressers won't be around to restore your xp, you may have an easier time playing a druid.

Shamans get the best heal spell in the game later on at level 60.

Druid is definitely going to be the easier choice here for a noobie.

And welcome to Norrath! Hope you love the place as much as we do. Forgive the crowds.

They really are quite similar in a lot of ways in a BROAD sense. They're both versatile support classes in groups and raids, in general. They're both pretty potent soloers. Druid is more versatile solo (has different solo options) than shaman while leveling, but shaman is more strictly powerful at max level, especially in the expansions. In the small group settings, so like duos or trios, shaman is head and shoulders above druid.

Shamans are defined by buffs and debuffs, overall. They have BY FAR the best stat buffs (melee love you) and the best slow (massively reduces melee damage NPCs deal, which is most damage NPCs deal). They are secondary healers and only damage dealers when they have nothing else to do or by necessity. This isn't ALL they can do, but it's probably their defining features.

Druids are not as specialized I guess? They're just generally a support healer role with some special tricks: charming animals can be a big deal in some areas, and "quadding" (pulling 4 enemies at once and using special AOE spells you get to kill all 4 at once) as a solo activity, and teleports, and damage shields. They have a variety of respectable-but-not-amazing damage spells.

There's probably more nuance to playing a shaman than a druid. And shamans are generally a "busier" character to play in terms of actions per minute. I can't think of anything else. Druid is a good choice for a new player, but they're both great classes.

Both are great classes. Shamans tend to be more important in the 'end game' but also EQ is 99% about the journey and the 'end game' is kind of a mess so I wouldn't let that weight on me too heavily.

barb's are the best shaman fashion race so I think Everfrost is going to be teeming with them. You're also very close to the low level dungeon of Black Burrow there. By the time you want to go further into the world you'll have the speedbuff Spirit of Wolf.

Druids are extremely versatile. Their kind of middling-dps won't be considered so bad on a fresh server b/c you won't be competing with twinked warriors. Teleports (self ports starting at 19 I think) are a tremendous luxury. Thorns damage shield is great. you also get SoW. And its easier to solo or group. Probably a lot of groups will be happy to take you as a dps/buffer/backup-healer which is a nice amount of flexibility.

I would think at start that druid is the way to go. Unless half the server rolls druids anyway.

I recommend druid for starting. My reasons are simply because evil, always my go to, has to travel a lot to play with people since the majority will play good races. And being able to sell and bank takes longer to do in most places. Druids can bind at the group and port to druid ring vendors, sell, and gate back to the group. I do, however, like shaman more.

Thanks for all the responses! Damn, I was kinda getting behind the idea of a shaman but the conveniences of being a druid might just sway me in that direction.

I'll see you all in Green later today <3

You'll be good either way. Shaman is probably a stronger and more "necessary" class overall due to their amazing stat buffs and slows, but druid (especially in the classic era) is a very good class too and definitely gets the nod in terms of convenience and versatility, while probably also being somewhat easier to learn and play.

Most people who talk about how powerful a shaman is are picturing a level 60 shaman in Kunark+ when they get their capstone heal spell that really puts them over the top. But even a hardcore player is a year or more away from that point, and druids never stop being a solid class or lose any of their convenience or versatility (it may even go up in later expansions as teleports are more valuable and there are more areas to quad kite and charm animals in).