Discussion - - Yet another group build - but hear me out! (2024)

So I am finally trying a new server that is not an EMU for the first time since launch basically. While I am used to starting fresh on P99 / Quarm / or a new TLP - this time I am going into a fresh server immediately building out a full 6 man group. The targeted server will be Test - so everyone will be Gold / I am going to use CWTN plug-ins for all classes for ease of management / as I am going in fresh - I will obviously not have access to my PL toons etc. With that in mind here are my thoughts.

Tank - SK ( focus will be group content, won't need a war out of the gate, SK can PL decently later, and I have a lot of paladins - lets mix it up)
Heals - Cleric - strong buffs, early rez access, and just OP healing that never tapers off. Shaman fall off in some levels, and I wont have my outside the group xtar heals to help.
CC - Enc - CWTN wins here. Buffs are still great, and the CC is superior. I will however miss bard speed and utility buffs.

Utility DPS - Bst - complimentary buffs - early SOW for movement - back up slow - pad heals in case of emergency - back up snare - just feels like a solid choice.

Primary DPS - this is where I am slightly torn.

My first thought was Mag x 2 - they are easy to load out with minimal investment (dont need all the spells early - dont need a lot of gear since pets carry the load) decent utility later with COH / pet toys / dmg shields and etc
Rog x 2 is also nice- but I feel like they need a bit more gear to get rolling and bring less utility - although that ease of CR in a full wipe can be handy as hell.
Or maybe a mix? This is where I tend to struggle - I dont care about meta or a min-max really. The focus this time around is ease of getting established. Will not be used to not having all my extra stuff.

Please discuss with me

I ask myself this question: where am I going to be? If it's somewhere populated, I usually go with casters as much as possible. You've got a good start with CLR and ENCH, so MAG x2 isn't a bad option. Now with CWTN WIZ out and the upgrades WIZ got with LS, MAG/WIZ could be a good combo.

If I'm going to be somewhere out of the way, I prefer melee. ROG x2 is nice, RNG are in a decent spot with all the headshottable mobs, ZERK are still good but not as solid as they used to be.

Ultimately, play what you want to play. Min/Max be damned (as you said, you don't care about it, really), just play what you want. You could throw in a PAL or NEC or do SK, CLR, Ench x4 if you want. Who gives a crap? Ultimately, it's about what you'd like to play. MY consideration is more about trying to find ways to be less obvious about MQ usage. @Doc James has some helpful hints for that as well.

I recently bootstrapped myself on live and went the mage route for the expense reasons you mentioned.

But I used to play on Test and none of that applies to Test. You will have unlimited plat and easy access to gear from 1 - 125, so that shouldn't factor in to your decision.

For me, I know I will always have more than 6 toons in the end, so I always think about what other utility I might want for the next toons I bring up (SK to power level, COH, ports, etc.)

I currently play WAR/CLR/ENC/BST/ROG/ROG on Test, using the CWTN plugins currently on CoV content. I love it, but I've always been partial to rogues.

I am outdps'd by my two friends who play SK/CLR/BRD/BER/BER/BER and PAL/SHM/ENC/MAG/MAG/MAG all the time, but they do not have the stability that my group does. I've had no issues with any group content/missions, whereas they have sometimes needed help with either heals or CC for certain missions.

My toons are sk, shm, brd, mage, ber, a 120 autogrant rogue, I have no issues with DPS all free to play minus the tank.

This is my DPS chart from the last 149 kills in Laurion Inn this morning.

My only advice would be if you are going more melee go bard instead of enc.

best group comp in 2024

lvl 1 baker, @kaen01 afk, 1 school age child from a country you don't speak the language of, @hytiek 's TA's mechanic (which is hytiek lvl 1 mechanic), cashgrab_guy, and @ImGreg 's will to live

Sic said:

best group comp in 2024

lvl 1 baker, @kaen01 afk, 1 school age child from a country you don't speak the language of, @hytiek 's TA's mechanic (which is hytiek lvl 1 mechanic), cashgrab_guy, and @ImGreg 's will to live

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and @an_image throwing memes from out of group

knave23 said:

and @an_image throwing memes from out of group

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x-target memeing - that is brilliant!

Sic said:

best group comp in 2024

lvl 1 baker, @kaen01 afk, 1 school age child from a country you don't speak the language of, @hytiek 's TA's mechanic (which is hytiek lvl 1 mechanic), cashgrab_guy, and @ImGreg 's will to live

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I wouldn't count in me in that group.... my will to live is pretty low currently.

turning into the best group thread yet...

As others have pointed out forever, its easy to add char later with MQ, so can mix and match and play around. Test has a 100% bonus XP that stacks with game wide bonus, so level/AA's pretty easy.. decided at 77 you dont like mage x2, boom, slap in a wiz or a necro..

burgermeister said:

I currently play WAR/CLR/ENC/BST/ROG/ROG on Test, using the CWTN plugins currently on CoV content. I love it, but I've always been partial to rogues.

I am outdps'd by my two friends who play SK/CLR/BRD/BER/BER/BER and PAL/SHM/ENC/MAG/MAG/MAG all the time, but they do not have the stability that my group does. I've had no issues with any group content/missions, whereas they have sometimes needed help with either heals or CC for certain missions.

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If you switch ench with brd you will out dps your friend easy.

I am currently looking into trying RG. But as a Boxer for years I always done Druid/Enchanter Merc Tank and Cleric as the core. For the Last two would be a Bard with a merc DPSer.
with this combo I have Movement and DPS buffs/Port-Evac, Snare /Crack and CC. Bards are extremely useful even as just a RT buff Bot. ( Just remember not to sing while pulling)
Bards can DS shield / Over haste / even add + % To melee and spell casting. as far as Shaman .. I will level one for the unity line and Buff up before heading out.
Being a manual Boxer, High DPS was too much work to keep up switch windows and keep the pull rate, I never over DPSed.
I build the groups to the desired task.
I like movement getting to locations fast: Porter and Bardspeed best combo.
Raids require special attention because of the rate of recovery is long and So are the fights.
So I will build will reflect this need
Tank Pal with a DI hammer/cleric/ enchanter /bard/ranged DPS (because of AOE attacks like Rampage)
is one build I use.

So you will not have just one Build if you want to participate Raids.
Be flexible

Sic said:

x-target memeing - that is brilliant!

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@Sic And @knave23 … dang ya’ll missed me today huh?

Since you started out with SK, ENC, SHM, it really doesn't matter what you do after that, you're pretty well covered. The only thing it will be after that is how fast/slow you get things done.

I personally, play a lot of FTP max aa characters. MY SK, SHM and primary magician are all raid geared gold accts, 2 of them lifetime all-access and one paid annually, I've done a lot of combinations as I have almost every character at 120/125 with max aa.
Right now, mages and wizards are both solid dps, and naturally wizard teleports are a QOL that many find enjoyable if somewhat unneeded.
Rogues and rangers are nice. I let my rogue go FTP and so its dps dropped off somewhat.
Since you are running a cleric and not a shaman, beastlord is a solid choice and it will not suffer being FTP like mine does which slows its dps a lot. (I run my beastlord now very rarely, it's too redundant with shaman).
However, there is some redundancy with the enchanter - if I was running enchanter, I would probably drop the beastlord in favor of a ranger or mage/wizard.

SK-CLR-ENC-MAG-WIZ-RNG sounds like a discreet dream team and one I would like to configure myself. In fact, I'm working on the ranger now and the wizard will be next on one my magician accounts.

Thanks everyone for the great ideas and feedback!

I went ahead last night and created the toon and got them prepped to begin their adventures. In the end I went with SK - Clr - Enc - Bst - Mag - Wiz. I get a little bit of everything with this load out which I think is a good place to start on a new server adventure. The SK can PL later - the CL can babysit from outside of groups - great buffers for alts later - COH and pet toys - and will even have some ports. And as planned - everyone will be running on CWTN class plug-ins for ease of use on one tool to start. (I generally PL a bard later to skip all the early lvls of having to update a INI file non-stop)

Soon as we are all set to go again on Test a new adventure begins!

I've struggled endlessly with this since joining redguides several months ago lol... My most current line up is a 125Pal / 125 BST / 121 Bard / 116 Mage + cleric merc. I've considered swapping out Bard or a (111 Druid) that is on the same account so that I have real heals and battle rez. I've thought about swapping out Mage for a 100 boost cleric on same account. Most people will say, pay for 2 more accounts and add a real healer and real dps.

I can see now why people end up with 12 accounts and every combination possible. I'm trying to avoid that if I can. Trying to avoid "managing EQ" rather then actually "Playing EQ."

when I think about, just grinding content (actually smashing buttons and playing) I've never actually need CC. Especially in LS content. So I think I'm going to loose the Bard for the Druid ( unless I need to run a mission in ToL/CoV/ToL/NoS that actually requires CC from a mechanics standpoint. (I could go ahead and get a free boosted Ench/Wiz too to fill out group and add dps.) Maybe I will before the 20th.

I'm starting to think that if you have decent dps and a max level tank, CC is more of a luxury for automated game play then a necessity. Your tank should be able to handle more then 1 mob at a time. Focus on your Tank, add some reasonable dps and heals, should be good to go.

cintile said:

I can see now why people end up with 12 accounts and every combination possible. I'm trying to avoid that if I can. Trying to avoid "managing EQ" rather then actually "Playing EQ."

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The main reason I have like 12 accounts .... Item management .. need the extra Bank slots. Even with Extra planar and bags from hunts .. I still ran out of room mostly from unfinished quests. those items add up.
I horde all trade items I get as drops. :/