This is an excerpt of my view of the hybrid phenomenon that I posted in a Ranger thread -
In the broadest sense, there are two types of people who play EQ - those who would consider playing a caster class and those who wouldn't. For those who wouldn't play a caster, hybrid is completely out of the question. Not only are they "weaker" than pure melee classes, you have the spells to worry about as well.
Someone who wants to play a caster class has lots of options. Really all caster classes are played quite heavily, with Wizard and Mage being significantly less played than the rest. If you roll a Shaman, Cleric, or Enchanter you will always get a group. If you roll a Shaman or Enc (or Mage if you're not a nub) you will solo farm the best cash camps in the game.
Why would anybody roll a hybrid?
The reason why, as previously mentioned, a Hybrid will either be awesome or a total nub is because of the caster/melee dilemma. The nub will be either a "melee" player or a "caster" player that doesn't have a full knowledge of either side of the spectrum. The awesome players rolled their hybrid with the specific intent of taking advantage of everything the class offers. Not only does this player understand magic spells, he understands the "EQ 101" of mob placement (tanking) and mob behavior.
Why is SK the most popular hybrid? Its not the "best" hybrid. It is the most similar to a pure melee with the ability to feign death. This is the class that brings the most players from the "melee" side of the spectrum. Not to mention theyre evil, menacing, and "not gay" which also attracts a melee only player. Players from the "caster" side will consider all three and make a choice based on what he thinks would be the best suited to his play style.
Id say this is pretty accurate, and you can see it in this thread.
In the world of P99 with facerolling CH clerics who make you clinch your asshole waiting for a CH and Enchanters who don't even charm pets and AOE mez ugly trains all the way to 60, its nice to be able to split mobs yourself, as well as heal, LOH, etc. I played Warrior a bit and the whole time I just said "gee, I miss my magical powers, I'm sick of depending on other people to keep me alive" so I picked a hybrid with the ability set for my playstyle.
Many people get into hybrids with the wrong idea of what they're for - the DPS argument isn't even worth anyones time. Hybrid DPS sucks, period. No matter what.
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