Questions for the experts.

[Macibaru]

<div></div>I just returned after a long hiatus, and to get back into the swing of things, I started up a Highelf Mystic. But, I hate the goody city, so I am in the process of betraying to Freeport (at 17 now) and switching over to Defiler. It's been since December of 04 since I played, and a lot has changed in that time, so I have a few questions.1. It looks like Mystics have more DD and Defilers have more DoT type spells (assuming the progression stickied in the forum is still correct). My solo style tactics tend to run along the lines of Pull, Debuff, Melee, and proc HO's until dead. I believe that this should still be the way to go with singles, just swtiching the DD spells for DoT's, but I just wanted to get the advise of people that play them more. I normally solo almost exclusively, and I will eventually figure it out myself I am sure, but I'd hate to have an unnecessary death because of some small difference between the two classes that I didn't notice.2. I have the opportunity now to buy almost a full suit of Rustic Brigandine to upgrade my char's armor at 20. It looks like from my own research that this armor is on par with the AQ set you get from Freeport. Are the AQ's even still done anymore, and if so, are they worth it, or should I just buy the relatively cheap (and good) armor available to me now and use it instead?3. When I finally switch over to Defiler, all my spells are going to revert to App1 (at least, I think so, not sure if the one's mystics have in common with defilers actually change or not). I have a relatively high level sage and some tier 1/2/3 rares available to make Adept III's and a little extra cash to buy some Adept I and/or Master I's. Which spells would you guys recommend upgrading, and to what extent for someone that mostly solo's in the high teens to mid 20's?Any advice or answers are appreciated.Thanks...<div></div><p>Message Edited by Macibaru on <span class=date_text>04-19-2006</span> <span class=time_text>10:13 AM</span>

[Raff]

<DIV>You summed up the differences between Mystic/Defiler well. Def's single debuff, aoe damage, and mystics aoe debuff, not so sure how strong their single damage spells are. Defilers get canni and thats a a great spell. Theres lots of threads on the topic you can search for for further details. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>One relevant piece of information might be, how fast do you intend to progress? Between levels 20-40 one can actually blow through levels pretty quick if you stick to grinding; especially with vitality storing up between game times. If you are extremely casual and don't intend to level quickly at all, you might see benefit from investing in t3-4 items to hold you over.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>What I'd do in your shoes... I'd priortize wards then heals for my upgrades to master 1 and ad3, but I wouldn't invest much money in them as you will outgrow them quickly. You can check our stickies regarding spell progression and master 2 choices to help keep you on track. Everything else would be adept 1 until I reached t6, where ancients are introduced and level ~57+ spells stop being replaced. Player made rare armor is typically better than AQ (been a while for me and I'd dbl check that in game for verification) Even still, I wouldn't invest much in armor as it is easily replaced through leveling, and replaced often. I'd target t3 and then t5 dolls for stats as they are cheap at those levels and will see longer usage. </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>You might also keep a look out on the broker for fabled gear at t3 and t5 as well, they tend to last longer before you replace them, and you can sometimes find fantastic deals on them. Once you hit t7, you will find great items to replace everything and can be found in normal xp groups and some relatively easy quests. Save that money for your final tier, when you will want to start upgrading to adept 3's and masters. IMO spells are far more important than gear in general, (from a what do I invest in first perspective). Buying lower tier app 4 and 1's will get you by and keep your bank account intact for more utilized spells at higher tiers.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Might be a thought for you to find a family guild as they usually have more exposure to loot and can help you gear yourself w/ out being broker dependant. Would help you find ppl to play with too.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Hope that helps, I'm sure others will pipe up w/ some fresh thoughts as well. And welcome to the dark side <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></DIV>

[Macibaru]

Thank you for the advice, I will do a search on threads about the spells and see if I can dig up more info.The solo play is more a 'lifestyle choice' than anything else. I am in a guild of RL friends and have little difficulty finding groups, I just don't enjoy playing in groups as much as soloing. For reference, I soloed from 1 to 54 in EQ1 as a cleric. It's just how I roll.I actually started the game at launch playing a darkelf, so I can't wait to get back to FP. Goodies have it too easy for my taste.<div></div>