Are Druids Useless for Groups and Raids?

[Overweight]

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

Druids are like my little brother when it came to playing contra or mario. He had a controller, it just wasn't plugged in.

This made me LOL lots...... well said sir. We're all guilty of doing this LOL.

[Snaggles]

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

confirmed for never raiding in velious.

rofl. If it happened it sure wasn't raid strategy. "Keep the mammoth alive! It's our only hope!"

How many Druids you raid with? 10, 20?

[Daldaen]

For groups druids *generally* aren't picked because another class can do it 'better'.

A Great druid can:
They can pull better than a mediocre monk.
CC better than a mediocre enchanter and a good bard (great bards still are better)
Heal better than a shaman pre torpor
Mitigate caster damage through Resist buffs
Regen a group to greatly reduce healing require (19 regen with Regrowth+Natureskin every 6 seconds lasting 15minutes adds up.)
DS a tank or an entire group to add nice passive/aggro free DPS
DPS in burst decently well
CHARM <3.

There are very few roles a great druid can't fill, aside from tank/slower basically, they can do almost everything else. And in Velious we get ATK debuffs which count as a pseudo 'slow' as it is passive DPS reduction.

I've been main heal, puller and CC in a basement KC group for probably 6-8 hours straight killing. So druids can get groups and do stuff, but you generally aren't picked for groups unless you are known as a skilled druid by a guildmate, friend, etc. But if you start em you can do pretty well. You won't be getting groups in Crypt or Spore King generally speaking by just putting up LFG. As those camps are usually optimized with the 'best' group setup as they are extremely lucrative and they have their pick of the lot (in terms of LFG people). But you can start groups for em.

[Taluvill]

Biggest thing is to mold yourself to the group's role/needs. If you have to heal, you have to be flexible and put your cleric hat on. If you have to dps, get your wizard hat out, etc, etc. A lot of it is just being flexible.

I charmed monkeys in Fear right when it came out. It's definitely a legit strategy, but while a monkey with full shaman buffs and druid haste can tank or just kill everything like a boss, when charm breaks, its really, really bad.

Edit: The problem with a druid charming is it is not as reliable as a chanter, even when you hit that 230-250 Cha mark. The only time that its good for a druid to charm is when you have a very, very stable group or raid, and at that point, you'd just have the chanter charm.

[pickled_heretic]

charming is probably the most efficient thing a druid could do in a raid, whenever possible. extra enchanters should be charming as well. more dps than a rogue.

[Szeth]

Taluvill, iirc did they not take our the druid charisma modifier to charming?

[Nirgon]

A vision'd zol knight that I charmed was doing just a bit less than a 58 monk with TStaff.

[Daldaen]

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

Taluvill, iirc did they not take our the druid charisma modifier to charming?

They did, he just hasn't played in awhile. Druid charm is pretty reliable like it was on live. Especially when Glamour of Tunare gets tossed into the mix.

Charmed shiverbacks in Fear and rats in Hate are excellent DPS additions to a raid/group force. 6 druids/enchanters could wreck hate or fear IMO :P.

[Snaggles]

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

keep stepping on your dick. it amuses me highly.

Just speak from my own experience. We didn't pick raid mobs due to proximity of the closest zoo. You're the one saying I never raided Velious. [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Oh and leave my dick out of this. Keep your fantasies in NSFW.

[Tarathiel]

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

Your role isn't less important because your babysitting rogues...they can't always stay alive by themselves.

those ds's can be quite nasty =P but ya i prefer a druid in melee groups on raids, the regen, buffs, and wolf form make them perfect for dps groups =D