druid from eq1 are wardens good for me?

[SinentCastmore]

<p>hi presently trying to figure out what class i will play in  eq2 and wondered if wardens were like druids of old eq</p><p>are they more heealers then solo and are the a wanted class in a group?</p>

[Wclarry]

<p>Both druid classes pretty much suck in this game.</p><p>Druids in EQ2 have the highest raw healing potential and best direct healing power, but the problem is in EQ2 there are different heal mechanics in place preventing the use of most of our healing power. Wards from shaman absorb damage before our heals can even have hitpoints to replace, reactives from clerics heal damage as soon as it occurs again preventing our heals from even healing, and then there are our direct heals and regeneration heals which come last in this chain.</p><p>This reason combined with the fact that druids bring no significant buffs or debuffs to the group or raid leads druids to be the weakest healer archetype in this game. Group healing is slightly more efficient and easier on a druid and returning a player who is in low health to full health is easier and quicker on a druid, but shaman wards and cleric reactives can prevent that altogehter if the cleric and shaman are played properly and they bring useful / crucial buffs and debuffs in the process.</p><p>Both the druid classes are some of the better solo classes in the game and both the druid classes can easily solo heal every bit of heroic and 6 man group content in game, but there are always better and more optimal choices for healers in the cleric and shaman classes (player ability aside).</p>

[StaticLex]

<p>I dunno about the fury class because I've never played one, but wardens are totally beast.</p>

[Arielle Nightshade]

<p>Yeah, but nothing like your old EQ1 druid.  I predict if you use that yardstick for either class, you'll be sad.</p>

[SinentCastmore]

<p>it almost appears more i read the more i relize they split eq1 druid in half and made two druid classes</p>

[Meirril]

<p><cite>SinentCastmore wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>it almost appears more i read the more i relize they split eq1 druid in half and made two druid classes</p></blockquote><p>Yep, its almost exactly what SOE did. Except they totally left out levitation, PoTC, and gave Harmony to clerics (see pacify). No matter what you choose, you'll only be half a druid. Or Shaman. Templar more or less covers all of cleric though.</p>

[SinentCastmore]

<p>bummer, how well do wardens solo or would i just be better off going to a different class?</p><p>also how well do they do as far as getting groups or do we need mercy groups to get anything done?</p>

[Bloodfa]

<p>Wardens solo quite well, if you spec them as a melee.  Slower to kill mobs than a Wizard or Swashbuckler, not as durable as a Monk, but able to outlast all 3. </p>

[StaticLex]

<p><cite>SinentCastmore wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>also how well do they do as far as getting groups or do we need mercy groups to get anything done?</p></blockquote><p>Depends if you play like a nub.</p>

[Kendayar]

Warden is a boring class, IMO. All heals and nothing else (I could parse 2k or so solo but nobody wants me to do that in a group, not to mention i'd have to switch out more gear to put those numbers out). I prefer Fury for more versatility. I had no problems healing heroic content, I had no issues dpsing and I could do both if i was a backup healer quite easily and all the while never having to worry about how my power management was going. (Part of the reason I don't like Warden is because once I had the epic, it just felt like SOE was teaching them how to be sloppy.) I also never felt like I was healing more as a Warden when I did betray because my overall healed amounts were roughly the same in groups/raids. Maybe it's just my gear, I dunno.

[Ralniv]

<p><cite>SinentCastmore wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>bummer, how well do wardens solo or would i just be better off going to a different class?</p><p>also how well do they do as far as getting groups or do we need mercy groups to get anything done?</p></blockquote><p>Well, like someone stated; Wardens have the most raw healing potential in the game. The only issue with finding groups would probably be that there are so many Wardens. A really fun class though, IMO =)</p>

[SinentCastmore]

<p>well i tried a few different classes through the noobie zones</p><p> and honestly my heart is still with druids so now im trying to decide on warden or fury </p><p> i have seen a few really long and sometimes agressive posts between the two so i think im still debating between fury and warden </p><p> i guess that comes down to being able to solo, because from the looks of the game lower levels might be kind of scarse and i will be leveling slow to kinda enjoy the game and learn the new lore,  plus im a druid and like to explore.</p><p>Druids are never lost!</p>

[Arielle Nightshade]

<p>That's sweet <img src="/eq2/images/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" />  However, I never have a freaking clue where I am, and can never find anything in my bags either (lol)</p><p>(I just got this mental picture of an old chain smoking burnt out Warden talking to a bright shiny little new druid..lol)</p><p>There is an option, as well...you can start as one, and betray to the other, thereby trying both classes to see which you like better.  </p><p>The recommendation I'd have about that is: do it at a fairly low level - under 40 or so - because when you betray you reset all your spells to apprentice 1.  Any upgrades you had go away, and you have to buy the new class' kind of from scratch.  But it is an option if you wanted to see both without leveling 2.</p><p>Although some of the betrayal quests are a pain in the rear (dog training, anyone?) the idea if it is interesting, and you get to see a lot of places you might not have gone till later.</p><p>I've leveled a Fury, but really prefer Warden.  It's subjective though.</p>

[SinentCastmore]

<p>Rofl  well i that gave me a mentel image that caused coffie  thru the nose!!</p><p>well i will be a warden for sure now for servers selection !</p><p> i might not be ever lost but thats only because it takes me so long to make a decision on where to go<img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /></p>