Why aren't rogues top DPS?
 

I found that slightly odd that rogues aren't the top damage class with their narrow skill-set. Usually there's some sort of compromise with a variety of factors. For a DPS class these are normally scaling DPS vs. Utility for inter-class balance.

In my opinion, and most of those that I've queried, rogues aren't considered to be in the top 3 of DPS dealers in classic. With Wiz, Mage, and Monk competing for the top 3. With exceptions of course based on skill levels and gear.

So then, why do rogues end up in the bottom of all of the DPS category?

Did Verant forget to include some skills that make rogues as much of a threat as the other DPS classes? Were rogues intended to be a primarily utility class to be used in dungeons to unlock key doors and disarm lethal traps that were never implemented?

Will this be improved at all in the near future, or are rogues put in the same category as rangers?

Whoever you're getting EQ advice from is retarded. I suggest you stop.

Rogues are the top DPS when it comes to raids, followed by monks then mages.

Who did you ask and in what situation are you referring to?

In short fights, mages/Wizards will out DPS a rogue, but when it comes to fighting mobs that are high cons (white>red) a rogue/monk will out DPS a wizard and even a mage in classic, and most certainly in kunark and velious. Mage DPS takes quite a hit during kunark and late classic, wizard gets boosted, but rogues are still your top DPS.

I was asking because I'm having a hard time seeing in what cases would inviting a rogue to group have a greater impact than say a monk, wiz, or mage.

Also, I understand what you're talking about in raids with sustained vs burst DPS. However, I wasn't sure as to how that all stacked up with Mages/Wizards being able to cast from outside AOE range, mages using a pet to supplement their med down-time, or the increased AC on raid mobs.

But then I looked at it from a utility aspect and in my opinion Rogues lose out big in all the departments of utility. For example nothing like ports, group beneficial spells (ports, invis, summons, mod rods), and feign death/mend.

Taking all of that into effect I would have guessed that rogues would clearly be top DPS and was surprised to learn that it might not be the case.

If classic rogues are somehow 'flawed' in that regard, why don't we try and buff the class by improving poisons, upping DPS, or doing something else to boost the class?

Because this is Project 1999 which is intended to mimic the original game experience as closely as possible to the original release back in 1999. Simple as that. That is the guiding principle/mission of the devs and this community.

Just be thankful poison is actually implemented and most rogue skills actually work... rogues got the complete shaft till Kunark on live.

Or keep talking, /shrug.

I can't argue against that. But we avoid all of the pitfalls, bugs, and exploits of the Classic Experience. Our previous experience of the game will tell us what the most useful drops are, where they can be gotten, what timers, etc. It'll also tell us what classes to avoid and why, what are the 'OP' classes, what's fundamentally wrong with the weaker classes, and in general a lot of the rougher patches of the Classic game.

I'd love to change the status quo where fully half the server seems to be playing solo classes who run circles around the rest up to level 50.

We have the opportunity here to make classic better, with less obvious imbalances. Why not take advantage of it?

You won't see ownage until Kunark, basically. Double backstabs at 55, discs, Ragebringer. They aren't substantially better DPS than every other class until that point. Once Kunark comes around they start laying it the fuck down though.

THIS

I'm constantly top-DPS along with other rogues in raids, sometimes only out-DPS'd by Monks. Not sure where you're getting your info from?