Here We Go Again.....
 

So.....long time EQ player here. I was there in 1999, where I mained a Shadow Knight as well as a Cleric and also leveled up a Bard to around 58 or so. I quit around Lost Dungeons of Norrath.

I am happy to be in all of your presence again!

I was also with this project ten years ago back at the "beta launch", as I understand it is being described currently. I helped with some of the pathing and loot over in the FP/NRO/EC/WC/Oasis area. I was in one of the first guilds created on this server, Rusty Broad Swords, then joined some good peeps in Bregan D'Aerth.

In Project 1999, I leveled a Cleric to level 25, before I died in Lavastorm and lost my body due to not being able to log back on. Then I started a Bard again, and got him to level 22 or so before I quit,

Long story short, I stopped playing due to time constraints. I was married to another woman at the time, and she was NOT understanding of me playing this game (or any game for that matter). I have since, remarried, and my current wife is pretty cool about all of this, but that only resolves one of my issues.

So, down to my entire reason for this thread:

I have a full time job, a house to take care of and a wife that enjoys spending time with me. I do not have a ton of time, but I do have some. I will be able to play about 3-4 hours on Tuesdays, 3-4 hours on Thursdays and a good deal during one of the weekend days, possibly two if my wife is doing other things during the weekend.

I love grouping and meeting/helping others, but I also understand that the time I have will not allow me to do much in this game. I just want to be able to play again. I never really played a "solo" class or a true DPS class, as my experience with soloing in EverQuest has always been a miserable encounter. Even though I leveled a bard up back in the day to a high level, I was never able to kite more than one or two MOBS at a time. My Shadow Knight and Cleric couldn't solo worth a damn.

So now comes the new MMORPG reality for me.....I want to choose a class that can group, but also has the ability to solo when I can only log on for an hour (I know, doesn't everyone?). I understand that I am going to be left behind again (level-wise) and will be a lower level than the majority of the population will be, so I will need to be able to log on and play the game when the lower level zones become empty.

So, I am reaching out to the community for some input and opinions. I have pretty much locked down the classes to the following. As far as my knowledge of EQ and my experience, these are the four classes that can solo effectively, meet my criteria for playing, and are also effective somewhat in groups, but, as EQ has done so successfully, there are pros and cons to each:

1. Druid

PROS:
Easy to solo
Get buffs, and I love being able to run by and buff other players.

CONS:
Not really needed/wanted by groups
Boring. I remember when I tried to level one up, I remember sitting around and letting DoTs tick while hoping to God that root didn't break so the MOB didn't tear me apart. Usually, it did break and I would get massacred.
Will be an overpopulated class, perhaps the most overpopulated class.

2. Necromancer

PROS:
I was always told one of the best solo classes.

CONS:
Looks boring to send your pet in and just have it kill stuff while you cast the occasional DoT.
Also, I have never played a caster class. I heard Research is hardcore difficult.
Will most likely be an overpopulated class.

3. Monk

PROS:
I never did a DPS class before, even in all of the other MMORPGs I played after EQ.
Have a lot of utility that makes soloing a viable option.
Always wanted in groups.

CONS:
Will be an overpopulated class.
The weight thing....ugh

4. Bard

PROS:
I know this class. I played it in EQ and in Project 1999. This may become a con though.
Needed/wanted in groups.

CONS:
I can never seem to get the soloing aspect of this class down.

If you are going to put your comments on this to assist me, please take into account my goals for this game:

1. I want to be able to play when I log on.
2. I like helping others. Whether that be a simple buff to a fellow player, or helping someone kill a MoB or get an item.
3. F-U-N
4. Meet good peeps

I really appreciate anyone taking the time to read this post, and I appreciate any and all responses. Have a great day!

If you want to solo and group and you're also worried about being bored. Sounds like you want to play enchanter 100%

Can promise you will never be bored.

You will be highly desired for groups.

Besides bard, enchanter is best solo in classic.

Thank you for replying. I am not too worried about being the "best" solo character. Just looking to be viable in both the solo and group environments.

About your class list:
1. Druids are great in groups up until higher levels until clerics outshine the other healers. You will very much be able to both group and solo as one.
2. Well-played necromancers contribute a lot to groups! The ones you saw just sending in their pets were bad/azy group mates :).

Also: Shaman, Enchanter, and Magician can all solo and are desirable in groups too :). Shaman in particular sounds like a good choice for you, with powerful buffs and good solo-ability. Ultimately, there are a lot of choices that meet your requirements, and this is really going to come down to you playing what sounds fun to you.

Thank you! I never played a Shaman, but the races available to play all have Experience penalties, no? regardless, I have heard (although it could be incorrect) that Shammies solo well later on, and early on it is very difficult to solo.

I can grind thru some levels, if that is what it takes. But if it is like 30 levels or so of pure non-ability to solo, then I would have an issue.

I mean... define best?

Leveling up, on a new server your CHA is not 200. if you are trying to mez solo, you're going to die a lot.

I feel like enchanter has capabilities to do great things, but it's also very risky, not the most consistent. relies on there being something to charm. Gets better later in the game as you get your CHA up.

For a very casual "log on for an hour and get some exp" enchanter is probably not the one I would pick.

Necro, druid, or mage for a more casual log on for an hour class?

May I please have your opinion on this?

I think it’s because for a brand new server, enchanters essentially will not be the solo powerhouse that they are on blue. Classic EQ items are limited in the amount of cha / int items you can reasonably get as a solo / casual player. I.e. you won’t be getting an SMR day 2 or a tranix crown by the end of the first weekend like some players may. This means your overall charisma / int will be relatively low resulting in more charm breaks and less overall mana to recharm, let alone control the tide of battle with roots, stuns and charm breaks.

I didn't think about mage. I will consider that. Thank you!