Which class would you recommend based on my preferences?

[Ansbach]

<p>Second Chance EQ2 Noob from WoW.  EQ2 has WAY too many class choices (as if that is a bad thing)! <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p><p>Here are my MMORPG preferences, what do you think is the best fit for me?</p><ul><li>No cloth casters - I'd like to be able to at least <i>ocassionally</i> melee</li><li>No melee-only tanks - too one-dimensional in playstyle (Pal or SK is fine)</li><li>I am a casual player</li><li>I can't play that frequently and will probably never get to the end game or raids</li><li>I enjoy both solo and group play equally and probably split my playing time 50/50 that way </li><li>I probably won't join a guild, prefering pick up groups when I'm not in a solo mood</li><li>I enjoy being in two player groups more than big groups </li><li>I'll be lucky if I get to level 40 or 50 before I get tired of EQ2</li><li>I enjoy questing *much* more than just killing stuff</li><li>Going after AA heavy so I can further tweak my guy to be more balanced sounds very appealiing</li><li>I tend to prefer being more of a jack-of-all trades type than the best at one thing</li><li>I enjoy melee, casting, dps and healing all relatively equally</li><li>When soloing, I like to have play-style options in how I can defeat the encounter.</li><li>When grouping, I enjoy being in a support role and enjoy "filling the gap" needed by the party.</li><li>I like being the main healer occasionally, but I prefer to be able to contribute in other ways and heal occasionally when able.</li><li>I also enjoy crafting a lot, so a class that would help me out with that is a bonus - but not a primary consideration.</li><li>I'll be on that Luclan (sp?) RP PvE server.</li></ul><p>As you can probably guess, my favorite class in WoW, far-and-away, was the Druid.  However, I don't necessarily prefer to be a healer-type.  I really enjoy melee and sneaking around as much as healing.</p><p>From the classes in EQ2, many of them appeal to me - Paladin and SK, all of the healers and all of the scouts.  That's why I'm having a hard time deciding.  I think if there was a healing scout that would be my favorite.</p><p>Since I'm such a casual player, I would hate to get to 25 and find out I don't really like my class that much.  I really enjoy having options in play style, and having those options means I probably wouldn't get tired of playing my class nearly as fast.  Two options is enough, though - I don't need the three of the WoW druid to be happy.</p><p>I have done my homework and I think there is one class that is probably the front-runner, but I wanted to find out what others think and maybe get an angle on something different.</p><p>Thank you very much - your opinion means a lot!</p>

[chobitz]

<p>A fury might be up your alley. They have attack skills and spells. They can heal (and thats their role in group mainly). They are somewhat like druids in WoW as they can shapshift into other creatures. They solo terrifically and are wanted in groups.</p><p>My main is a fury. She is great <img src="/smilies/283a16da79f3aa23fe1025c96295f04f.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p>

[Gorpier]

I'd agree with the above poster.  I would thing Fury, Paladin, Shadowknight, or monk?  Pure melee with a monk but with an interesting little twist.  I really didn't enjoy playing a guardian or a berzerker, but loved the monk.  Im a lousy cloth caster, because I tend to try to tank... they die fast when tanking, or so I have found <img src="/smilies/69934afc394145350659cd7add244ca9.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />  I would really go for fury or paladin/shadowknight myself.

[Deyaneyra]

Hmmm maybe fury - but don't forget that groups will need that class as "healer" mostly and not because of your dps.

[Karlen]

With the combat AAs (including 100% melee crits), mystics make very good meleers as well as healers.  They also have some pretty good debuffs which make higher level encounters easier to handle.

[StormQueen]

<p>Roll yourself an Inquisitor: the plate healer with a vengeance <img src="/smilies/908627bbe5e9f6a080977db8c365caff.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p><p> Get those AA lines. Get your spells upgraded. Get some decent plate gear. Come join the fun... I melee, heal, debuff, whatever I am needed for. I can't say I am much of a DPSer; with a bard in my group I do hit 700-1000 DPS if I try.  I do like being secondary healer with a shaman, or primary with a druid.  I get to do a lot of different things to mobs, to group mates, to myself.  And melee DPS loves me for my ability to add DPS buffs to them, plus a haste buff during some fights (if i'm not healing the tank too much).  </p><p>Soloability is very good; you won't kill mobs in a big hurry but you will wear them down, and with your debuffs and heals will stand you in good stead.  For instance: my 70 inquisitor can solo stuff that my 70 paladin, 70 monk, and 70 fury choke on. </p>

[lstead]

I'd say fury or one of the brigand/swash twins. Fury is an offensive casting druid. They get a lot of utility including ports. I have a baby one and it's probably the most flexible class in EQ2 and a load of fun. You're also going to have no trouble finding groups because you are a perfectly capable healer. Brig/swash are melee DPS with a lot of debuffs and other party functionality. That might be too much melee for you though. I really think they're a flexible and fun class. With all respect to my fellow Mystic in the thread, if you want to solo pick another class. I have the agility (melee) line all the way to the end, a very good weapon that makes best advantage of the crits, and that gives me the ability to slowly grind out easy solo mobs, but the fights are long and tedious. There is no class I've played in EQ2 that I've found less enjoyable to melee or solo. YMMV One thing you say, that you would prefer multiple ways to defeat an encounter while solo. I haven't played anything in EQ2 that wasn't endless rinse and repeat for soloing. Certainly nothing like the options you had as a WOW druid--which was effectively three classes in one.

[EtoilePirate]

I think most of the other posters are spot on -- I'd say Swashbuckler, Brigand, Fury, and Shadowknight are all classes you're likely to enjoy.  (And I have one each of the first three, and constantly duo with the last, hehe.) It's not too difficult or time-consuming to get a character up to 8 or 10, and you can get a fairly decent feel for what it's "supposed" to be in that couple of hours' time.  (It's later on, in the 30s and again in the 50s, where I feel the full potential of a class, everything you'll be when you're "done," REALLY shows through.)  I'd recommend picking the two or three that sound best to you from this thread and trying one of each for a few hours, to see which suits you best. <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" />

[Xova]

<p>Hmm...reading the above posts, and knowing a bit about the Druid from WoW, I'd say you'd probably be happy with a Fury or Warden. Furies are burst-damage healers that can nuke like a Wizard if specc'ed correctly. Wardens have HoT's and can melee-spec to be pretty powerful with a sword, plus they can lock down a target with snares and roots like you wouldn't believe. If you wanted to go plate, you could try Inquisitor and go down the Battle Cleric line, plus if you ever did make it to end-game an Inquisitor is a much-needed class for raiding.</p><p>If you wanted to try something a little different though, and still have good utility, balance between melee and casting, and have a "healer" role at times, you could also try a Dirge. Dirges are bards - scouts with incredible group-buffing capabilities, stealth, casting ability, good melee skills, and they get a heal and a two rezzes for a little dabbling in healing. They truly remind me of a "jack of all trades". My dirge is my solo toon, much more than any of my healers, and I really enjoy it.</p><p>Food for thought!</p>

[rumblepants]

<p>Well you'll hear the general trendy responses of Fury, Conjuror, Necro, etc. I heard this all before, too, but I went against the popular vote. </p><p>As a Mystic this is what I do. I can be the main healer or the backup healer (in most cases I am usually the main healer due to for whatever reason the players at my tier having a deep love for wards). I also debuff, and slow single targets or I can slow an entire encounter of mobs. I stink at direct healing (that's not what my job anyway) but its there in case none of my wards are refreshing fast enough for me to heal that nuke happy mage. I can also do damage. Unfortunately starting as a young'on watching me kill something was about as fun as watching paint dry but Achievements changed all of that. I started by spending my first 9 points in the EoF tree to get all of my combat abilities + the extra proc from our Ursine buff spell. This is like day and night compared to our spell equivalents. Since we have 2 inherent buffs for STR (which combat abilities rely on), this only increases our damage. Also CAs take .5 second to cast so really in short span of 2-3 seconds you can unload all 5 CAs without having to sweat constantly of recasting your next ward. Next , I worked my way down the AGI line in KoS tree (need 16 points). 100% criticals, though not overly significant, does make a difference. Instead of going with a 1-hander + buckler, I went with a harder hitting 2-hander (when you have 100% crit you would want a weapon with larger damage spread). </p><p>This all took time as I didn't finish both of the goals until I was level 20 or so but ultimately between then and probably into T5 my Mystic parses in the top 3 in DPS in the groups I have been in and I can still keep my party alive. </p>

[Karlen]

>>>With all respect to my fellow Mystic in the thread, if you want to solo pick another class. I have the agility (melee) line all the way to the end, a very good weapon that makes best advantage of the crits, and that gives me the ability to slowly grind out easy solo mobs, but the fights are long and tedious.<<< I thought fights were long and tedious until I got the EoF AAs that convert your offensive spells into Combat Arts.  With their minimal casting time, you can go through all of them in a couple of seconds.   Fights no longer take a long time.

[Winterborne]

Based on your preferences, I think the class that fits most of that criteria the best would be a Dirge. <ul><li>You're not going to big on heals, but you'll do fine soloing, and pick up groups will love you for you melee buffs and debuffing. </li><li>You have a healthy mix of combat arts and spells, with different strategies involved. </li><li>You're not the number one damage dealer, but you get the job done no problem. </li><li>Stealth and run speed are great for travel and aid in questing. </li><li>Well balanced and cool AA options.</li><li>Nice utility skills like disarming chests.</li><li>One of the most desired support classes in the game (good gap filler). </li><li>Closest to "jack of all trades" class I've encountered in EQ2 so far.</li><li>Very colorful class that is fun to play with cool spell effects, etc. </li></ul> Hope this helps.

[Ansbach]

<p>Lots of great replies - thank you very much!</p><p> So far I have rolled an Inquisitor, Dirge and Warden and got each of them to around the 8th-10th level.  I'll let you know what I settle on and why just for curiosity's sake.</p>

[Darkfir3]

Im surprised noone mentioned it.... You just described a paladin to a tee....