Returned: Bards vs. Cleric vs. Enchanter?

[Cynosure]

I've returned to Project 1999 after hearing the sad news that Vanguard: Saga of Heroes is being shut down for good in July. ='(

It has been years since I've played here and even then I was only playing for the nostalgia factor. My main was a level 20 Iksar Shaman (level 21 now). I love my Shaman very much.. Shamans intrigue me IRL and I'm in love with herbalism, alchemy, and the likes. He is extremely fun to roleplay with. There have been a few issues with him, though:

• There aren't many roleplayers and I've really gotten into his character and don't want to break it.
• There are too many other shamans. Literally 3-7 in each zone I've been apart of so far.
• His ability to find a group is severely hindered by the above. In bats of frustration I broke character to /ooc & /lfg on with no luck quite a few times in the past week.
• He levels sooooooo slow. I actually put a good 10 hours into this character since coming back and I've only managed to gain a single level by killing as often as my health/mana allow.

I also have a level 15 bard that is also fun to play. I don't roleplay with her, but she has an easy time getting groups for the most part. I can't tell if it's natural or if it's because she has been in Crushbone for so long. My only issues with her is that I can't solo very well unless I kite (which is important to me for when I can't find a group due to my lack of play time) and that she hurts my fingers/brain quite a bit. She doesn't give me that satisfaction feeling as I'm not having to really pay attention to much.. I simply just hit the same 3-4 keys over and over in repetition. I'd rather be making tactical decisions hitting fewer buttons with more of an impact on the gameplay than spamming the same buffs over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over (get it?)

I've always been very interested in the Enchanter class (though, I rarely play full-on casters in games unless they are healers--never been too good at it) as well as the Cleric. They both seem to be sought after in groups. Healing has always been my *thing* but I've never played a healer that doesn't come with an assload of jack-of-all-trade utility spells.

In Everquest classic, I played a bard to level 20 or so before getting the expansion and rolling an Iksar Beastord which instantly became my main. I pretty much played that Beastlord solely to end game and quit.

Do you have any suggestions for me? Does the bard get less spamming and more tactical at higher levels? Does an enchanter off that much to a group to be worth dying in two hits? Is there any chance a Cleric can solo/offer more to a group than just healing?

I need halps. <3

[webrunner5]

no...yes...no...over and over and over etc. [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

[Harmonium]

As for bards, later on they take on more responsibilities. Pulling and cc are things every bard needs to master. As for soloing.. No class can level faster than a bard solo. Hands down.

[Calibix]

Originally Posted by Harmonium [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

As for bards, later on they take on more responsibilities. Pulling and cc are things every bard needs to master. As for soloing.. No class can level faster than a bard solo. Hands down.

With low HP gone idk about that anymore, at least not 50+. Once DL/EJ die up though yeah, aoe kites reign supreme.

@ OP

Bard does not get less spammy. You will forever be hitting a button twice every 3 seconds or more with interrupts or fizzles. There will be much equipment swapping and clickies. It does however get very tactical. High level bards, particularly epic bards, can do some seriously crazy shit.

Enchanters bring more to a group than any other class imo. They are an immensely powerful class played well. Great solo as well. I wouldn't call them traditional casters in an MMO sense as there has never really been caster classes similar to EQ Enchanters again.

Clerics will never really be a solo class, but being the supreme healer grouping is never an issue. In a group, often times you might need to root cc, or lull mobs for pull or safe passage. Outside of that its pretty much heal and buff.

[Shaniril]

Originally Posted by Calibix [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Bard does not get less spammy. You will forever be hitting a button twice every 3 seconds or more with interrupts or fizzles.

/stopsong
/pause 1
/cast #

Now you only hit every button once! [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

[Calibix]

Originally Posted by Shaniril [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

/stopsong
/pause 1
/cast #

Now you only hit every button once! [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I don't macro anything if I don't have to. I feel like I lose control by using this particular macro so I don't use them. I know people gripe about how spammy Bard can be but its essentially 2 keystrokes every 3s. That is nothing compared to most modern games that probably a lot of a us have played. No big deal to me. /corpse though!

[Harmonium]

I don't mind the 50-60 grind. That's where the bulk of players are, and the rewarding content. 1-50 is just a giant time sink.

[Calibix]

Originally Posted by Harmonium [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I don't mind the 50-60 grind. That's where the bulk of players are, and the rewarding content. 1-50 is just a giant time sink.

I agree with that, although I do enjoy doing some of the dungeons I haven't done with a group before.

[Clark]

Originally Posted by Harmonium [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I don't mind the 50-60 grind. That's where the bulk of players are, and the rewarding content. 1-50 is just a giant time sink.

Hey 1-50 isn't that bad!

[Sarajo]

It sounds like a bunch of alt-itis, and there's never an easy answer for this. It's a time-consuming disease you can only beat by trial and error and determination. I played up to level 12 on every class before I decided that the (probability of success)*(potental happiness payoff) of bard was the best for me.
But the point of my comment is actually just to tell you about the /stopsong macro trick. Instead of tapping 1, 12, 23, 34, 41[...] (or 1, 22, 33, 44, 11[...]) you can just make it so you only have to tap a button once to get your song on.

/stopsong
/cast 1


That's it. Then substitute "2" for "1" or whatever. Then drag it to your hotkeys. It takes a little to get used to not hitting things twice as often as you need to, and also not spazzing out and spamming a key (because spamming it is also spamming the /stopsong command so you have to actually watch for missed notes) but over the course of your life as a bard how many millions of keystrokes will this save you?

One more thing, out of curiosity: If you made a cleric, which race would you go and why?