At the end of my rope again

[Bert]

My frustration level is nearing its peak again. No rage deletes though, so that's good. Going to try one more time, just need help figuring out what its going to be. I need a break from my main or I'm gonna blow. Which sucks as I'm caballed, made a few friends, and FINALLY have some semblance of RP going, even if it is weak. Its all so forced though, I find myself playing purely to 'not give up' rather than having fun.

The current problem is that the fights I lose, where I don't make some glaring mistake, is all because of the same thing. Gear. Not enough hr/dr, not the right weapons, right weapons but not enough ave dam, not enough saves, not the right saves. Equipment, equipment, equipment.

I don't mind losing because I lose track of some buff, forget flight, or execute a command at the wrong time. I got outplayed, great, I'll fix it next time. I can't fix my equipment problems, even knowing what to get, I don't have the time.

I've got a wife and three kids. All three of my kids are on competitive traveling baseball or soccer teams. I just don't have the time to put into long equipment trips. My playtime is limited to short chunks, and even when I've got longer to play, I'm hesitant to commit to trips to gear, winter, deso because I know I could have to go if something changes.

I need a class that meets the following criteria:

- Good at solo equipment gathering

- Low reliance on equipment

- Decent vs the broadest range of classes possible

- Can't be good aligned. I'm usually the nicest evil you'd ever want to meet, but I just don't enjoy good aligned chars.

My conclusion was duergar shaman. Duergar over drow to help cover the lack of saves I know I'll have. Any obvious things I'm overlooking here?

What about BLM? I don't know much about them. Training I don't mind too much. I can usually find ways to train while I'm doing work from home on another computer. I remember reading that they are pretty viable against a majority of classes. Duergar BLM? Evil Slith BLM?

Drow cleric would be good too. But you can't walk from Rheydin to Val Marin without bumping into at least 5 drow nowadays. I do love the drow though. Clerics seem too one dimensional and lack the variety to keep me interested long term.

So... shaman or BLM?

[Djriacen]

Shaman, I'd say. Keep with it man.

[Reccum]

"I need a class that meets the following criteria:

- Good at solo equipment gathering: Ranger gets an A+

- Low reliance on equipment: Ranger gets a B

- Decent vs the broadest range of classes possible: Ranger gets a B+, A for archer

- Can't be good aligned. I'm usually the nicest evil you'd ever want to meet, but I just don't enjoy good aligned chars."

Try a ranger. Ogre or Feral for evil, maybe Stone or Halfling for neutral.

[Mmm Coffee]

Wait until you have everything you need to win a fight but you get repeatedly lag-locked by mino charge. Or as a shaman when half the prayers you commune make your enemy able to walk into their cabal. That's frustrating.

[Lytholm]

There are a few ways to approach this:

1) What you need is something survivable. You will (in time) get the eq you want, its holding it for long periods that is hard. If you have a highly survivable class you have a much better chance of this.

2) There are many ways to survive - unlaggable is one as you can run away, hide and camo are others.

With that in mind:

* A ranger would probably suit you better than anything else. Yes, you are a melee and need weapons and saves but with pets and almost warrior like defense they are easily capable of gathering up rares that you find. Camoflage makes it barely anyone can find you and 90% of those who can you'll probably be able to make friends with.

* You can make a weapons a ranger - while albeit not spectacular you always have something to fight with.

* Being neutral means you can be friends with everyone as well.

* A thief or ninja have hide but are not as easy as a ranger to gather equipment on. Hence I'd say you want a ranger.

Other options with be cleric/shaman - mostly because they come with sanctuary and healing abilities. They can be made unlaggable (almost) and once you learn to run around you won't die much. If you never die and got only one rare piece of equipment per week (or even month) you still aren't losing anything. I'm taking paladin off the table as you don't want to be good.

You might also look at an invoker (has sanctuary, create food, water, high damage spells can be cast regardless of eq) however they are very weak at mob killing.

Hope this helps.

Lytholm.

PS - as Warmsater IMM I might be biased but Gladiator is an ideal cabal to go with the ranger choice. Some of the abilities give you certain things 'on hand' which make melee life much, much easier.

[tassinvegeta]

Don't really agree that you should be playing what game mechanics force you to play. You should always play what you have always desired/dreamed of.

[Twinblades713]

I always found shamans to be fun.

[Bert]

Don't really agree that you should be playing what game mechanics force you to play. You should always play what you have always desired/dreamed of.

I agree. And I wish it was possible. For me that is my beloved DK. I absolutely love this class so much more than any other. Yet my experience with it has been nothing but heartache. Its back to the time required to gain the good weapon to malform, and equip to get hr/dr to an acceptable level.

All I can say is don't EVER play a moderate DK unless you're able to get those 8 rare slots you're allowed filled with uber gear. Otherwise you just can't cut it. At least I couldn't.

Just talking about them makes me tear up with love. I'd happily trade a 200-0 pk record with anything for an even record with a DK.

If I could just figure out how to get a uber weapon and a few pieces of great gear solo, or with maybe one other person I think I could make a go of it.

I'm sad now, thanks Tassin.

I wonder what the wife would say if I came home with an "I luv Dks" tat.

[Imoutgoodbye]

The second best power of the DK is the charmie. Your choice of charmie will make or break you faster than trying to level that malform.

[Bert]

The second best power of the DK is the charmie. Your choice of charmie will make or break you faster than trying to level that malform.

I disagree except on the case of warlock vs bashable class. Otherwise, I think weapons are way more important.

[f0xx]

I would start with the explaining that your logic is wrong. You are losing not only because of being badly equipped, but mostly because the player you are facing is simply better.

It is the same situation with me with one of the two current chars where I have to fight Grum. I simply can't do **** to him and believe me you will hardly find someone better prepared for a fight than me. I've tried all kinds of tactics and yet the guy simply stomps over me. He's gone so far as to not even use sanctuary against me

It's fun though, I like fighting people who are more skilled than me since they got something to teach me

And to answer your question -> blademaster halfling gladiator.

[tassinvegeta]

I felt the same way you did about DK's. I hated not being able to play the class I loved. But I kept on learning and getting better and was able to end up with a stronger dk each time.

[Kyzarius]

Roll a cleric.

Shaman is ok, but difficult to solo armor with. Clerics have more utility for gaining gear.

[Anume]

I'd go with blademaster. Faster to solo mobs with, not that eq dependant / eq you do need is easy to get. Versatile against most other classes. Just a lot of training to be effective, but you can stop that when you need to go easier than in the middle of Gear. Guilldguards will get your anatomies up to an "alright" point and the rest can be done by sparring. Go a race without huge vulns, if you are not a friend of collecting protection potions, go neutral.

[Kyzarius]

I'd go with blademaster. Faster to solo mobs with' date=' not that eq dependant / eq you do need is easy to get. Versatile against most other classes. Just a lot of training to be effective, but you can stop that when you need to go easier than in the middle of Gear. Guilldguards will get your anatomies up to an "alright" point and the rest can be done by sparring. Go a race without huge vulns, if you are not a friend of collecting protection potions, go neutral.[/quote']

you think? I always found the need for consumables, no easy source of flight, and the inability to prepare for more than one foe often times crippling.

[Dead Voodoo Doll]

I'm with Lytholm, Neutral Halfling Ranger Gladiator.

[Kyzarius]

I'm with Lytholm' date=' Neutral Halfling Ranger Gladiator.[/quote']

most new players cant handle those first warmaster ranks.

[Anume]

Easy source of flight is available. Any melee can kill the cartel drug dealer in Mir. Blademasters are less dependant on consumables then other melees. If you run into someone you are in the wrong stance for, run away. That is pretty much the case with any class if you are not ready to face someone. *shrug*

A blademaster is the least eq dependant of all melee classes.

[L-A]

I'm with Lytholm' date=' Neutral Halfling Ranger Gladiator.[/quote']

I'd say stone giant ranger - more hit/dam base and more weapons choices with high str and 2h/1h wielding. That cabal option dovetails nicely with stopping the vulnerablity being played on in some respects (that's about as circumspect as I can be without giving it away).

Another option is a berserker *cheer* While's it not an 'easy' class to do well with the 30+ hit/dam boots from rage/berserk/warcry plus giant strength (again, got stone giant glad, its a good combo) means you aren't worried about hit dam.

You will, of course, probably die a lot. Berserkers also blow when it comes to solo'ing mobs - something akin to having to shoot 50 ducks pulling a bolt.

L-A

[mya]

Good Cleric all the way. Human or Dwarf. Combat.

If evil Cleric, then Dicord. Duergar Discord is nice.

Problems with Dwarves is poison-> Thieves and Ninjas.

Ranger, go Ogre Archer. Master ThunderStorm. Sure low INT and Mana, but you deal the same damage as an ELF.