Newb Druid. Is the class as bad as everyone says?

[Omsk]

Hey all. I've played EQ since the early days, with some dabbling in it off and on in live the past few years before I lost the taste for it's current state. I was a Shammy main in live until the end but I've always loved the Druid class and want to go that direction instead of Shaman this time around.

I have a mid teens Druid on p99 at the moment but everything I hear on the forums and elsewhere is that Druids are not very well loved in our current version and don't really have a place in current content. Are they really that bad? Is Druid really useless in our endgame right now?

[HeyNomad]

Yeah, druids don't get a lot of love here, but IMO it's mostly unjustified and anyway not as bad since the post-Velious changes (new buffs, heals, and debuffs). That attitude can make it hard to find a group while leveling, because it's true they're never going to be one of the "must have" classes. But druids aren't THAT low on the list of desired classes and they have good soloing options.

I think the problem comes from comparing druids with the other wis casters and expecting them to fill the same roles. Druids can't compete with the healing efficiency of complete heal or the ridiculous utility of slows, but they bring other things to the table. They're needed as patch healers in raids, they can out-dps rogues with a charmed pet, their damage shields and nukes are just about as good as a mage's, ports/evacs can help a guild mobilize for a target or save a raid from a wipe, PoTG is one of the best buffs in the game, etc. There are classes that can do some of those things, but none that can do all of them.

TL;DR I think the answers are no and no, if you like a kind of generalist class with a lot of (sometimes not obvious or glamorous) utility.

[Kowalski]

Helps if you are rollin' like this
http://wiki.project1999.com/Magelo_Blue[You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]aldaen

[damstraight4]

Think of druids as the jack of all trades, but master of none. They are definitely excellent soloers, but will find a difficult time getting a group because the other priest classes offer more (slows, CHeal). However, I personally believe druids make excellent duo/trio members. I prefer to have smaller groups, and as such am always looking for a druid to play with. I play Cleric/Necro/Enc

[isoka]

Velious brings a lot to druids, so the class is not that bad anymore. Used to be really bad in Vanilla and Kunark eras, so minds still have to change.

[Pyrion]

+1 for druids as a small group (or even duo) class. Druid + enchanter works really well (opens up fear kiting for all mobs). But actually druid can duo with any class.

[GreldorEQ]

You and your friends will decide what becomes of your class and your endgame experiences. Below are my pros and cons for adventuring as a Druid on p99.

Pros: (1) Druids are the epitome of quick fix solo adventures. I can travel anywhere quickly, checking camps, finding mobs, gathering TS materials. This is likely the single most reason why I continue to play the Druid. I don't always have the time and attention to devote to long stretches of play. I can immerse myself in a wide variety of adventures in a short period of time. (2) We have a TON of useful spells. These spells bolster the adventuring solo druid, a small or even full group in ANY circumstance. (3) At level 60 - you can kill any mob, or lock down any camp, without summoning mobs, with your epic and AE root and mana-regen self buffs. (4) My buffs are in constant demand on raids. I am always out of mana,

Cons: (1) I cannot solo almost all mobs that summon. (2) My spells are not efficient. (3) Being invited to groups in Seb, Velks, HS, ect. are not a common occurrence. (4) Limited solo opportunities at lvl 60 compared to a Shaman or Enchanter due to the summoning issue.

Necro and Druid content is similar, necros can solo a select few additional mobs/camps (like charming in CoM or HS) - but they do it MUCH faster. Shamans and Enchanters can solo camps with summoning mobs, which greatly increases the lvl 60 content available to the solo adventurer.

I find Druids to be very useful for raids and a lot of fun for adventures. Overall, they are fun to play but I wish I could adventure deeper into dungeons solo.

[poena.dare]

I went Druidical twice on Live. Doing it now on P99. I love it.

"Fun to play, not to level." is the way I look at it. I'm in my low 50s and I fart around, see the sights, do quests, farm a crapton of mid-level items. I'm in no hurry to hit 60.

Like GreldorEQ said: Ultimate quick fix. Port, run, kite, kill, port home. Fits my play style very well.

[Omsk]

Thanks for weighing in guys, I'm glad to see it's not all bad. The mobility and utility are definitely a huge plus, I'm not sure I could switch to a class that doesn't have on-demand SoW and I'm looking forward immensely to ports.

Looks like I'll be toughing it out!

[Bummey]

I still don't know what my druid's role is. I can port, I can solo, but in a group I can't really heal before 50 and even then Chloroblast is weak compared to Nature's Touch at 60, skin buffs don't stack with Heroic Bond, mobs don't last long enough for dots to do meaningful damage, nukes are like bixie stings... What I can do is cast strength, a damage shield which tanks click off anyways, and snare fleeing mobs.. Despite all this mediocre utility, I still find myself consistently low on mana, unsure what I spent it all on.

In a way, I made a druid because they're the exact opposite of a rogue. Rogues are wholly group dependent to do anything, while druids are the epitome of self sufficiency with little use for a group.