Class Power Analysis

Polite and constructive conversation.
chemst
Posts: 9
Joined: 18 Feb 2018 19:46

Re: Class power rankings

Post by chemst »

Are there decent ways to backstab more frequently with rogues besides dual boxing? I know that in live, there aren't but wondering if any custom content allows for more opportunity to use the lovely ability.
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inwkxm
Posts: 70
Joined: 17 Jan 2017 16:05
Location: USA

Re: Class power rankings

Post by inwkxm »

I know when I worked on bringing my Rogue up in levels I spent time in the Arena on the Dummies to increase my backstab. If someone was there working on Skill ups too then I will start attacking the one they were on. There was also a dummy if I remember right that was just for measuring DPS that did not turn, but I am not sure if that was in place when I was coming up in levels or if you can get skill ups on it.

You can drop points in it at the Skill trainer or you can get to level and get the AA that lets you BS from the front too. I also did a some skill ups on casters by swinging around behind them and BS them. This was a slow process but it worked for me.

Someone else may have a better method but that was how I did it on Jallain.
Underdrake
Posts: 1
Joined: 19 Mar 2018 21:56

Re: Class power rankings

Post by Underdrake »

I liked this post. Was wondering about some classes actually soloing without dual boxing. My necro seems to fall into this ranking about right so far--only 22--with her taking down fabled mobs without any problem but a little on the slow side. Just created a ranger and a mage to see how they stack up.
rdgxray
Posts: 15
Joined: 31 Oct 2017 11:57

Re: Class power rankings

Post by rdgxray »

I have a warrior, Ragbuke, max level max AA with very nice gear with steel baton and weapon effects skill on items maxed at 100. He does similar damage to rogue and can out damage wizard versus crypt witch/queen? that is only damaged by spells. Point is a warrior that is well equipped and maxed AA can be a force to be reckoned with.
y2sky2003
Posts: 74
Joined: 27 Nov 2016 18:40

Re: Class power rankings

Post by y2sky2003 »

(Hello again, btw. Thought I'd pop in after a convo with an old friend got me reminiscing)

If you're reading over my OP, keep in mind that it was written before all of this:
2017 JUN 25 - Charm spells now enhance their victims to be as powerful as Player Pets or better.
2017 JUN 24 - Crescent Reach: New Quest Armor, talk to Tenish.
...
2017 MAY 26 - Select Player and NPC spells upgraded to reduce resists and generally keep casters relevant.
...
2017 MAY 9 - Berserkers now go berserk at 90% health and stay berserk until 95% health.
2017 MAY 9 - Archery damage fine-tuned to 340%.
2017 MAY 1 - Poisons rebalanced (again).
2017 MAY 1 - Archery damage boosted by 400% to bring Rangers in line with other DPS classes.
I'm almost positive this list is not inclusive as to the reasons my rankings are outdated. Since I'm not sure how much I'll be playing going forward, keeping this thread up to date with your current experiences is highly encouraged!
y2sky2003
Posts: 74
Joined: 27 Nov 2016 18:40

Re: Class power rankings

Post by y2sky2003 »

Is it possible to make the OP editable for a bit? I want to be able to overhaul it to be more in line with current info since I've seen it referenced in OOC a few times for new player reading. Thanks!
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poru
Site Admin
Posts: 534
Joined: 14 May 2016 12:23

Re: Class power rankings

Post by poru »

There's not a board option for just one individual post.

If you post the update here I can do the edit.
y2sky2003
Posts: 74
Joined: 27 Nov 2016 18:40

Re: Class power rankings

Post by y2sky2003 »

Poru, below is the updated post that can be moved to the OP

(UPDATED 12/5/2018! Removed the "ranking" angle and focused more on a strengths/weaknesses analysis)
I commonly see the following questions in OOC chat:

Does <class archetype> do well here?
Are <class>s good on this server?

Those are perfectly reasonable concerns to have. Everquest, despite the server's ruleset, is still a time-intensive game and you want to make sure you're able to have some quality gaming for your time investment. Therefore, I've taken my 8 months of time on Casual Dreams (5 in 2017, 3 in 2018) leveling seven toons and grouping with several others, and compiled a server-specific class analysis for your viewing pleasure. Before I begin, I do want to set the expectations with the following caveats:

- There are many ways a player can value a particular ability or area of game content. While I try to cover most aspects of character life from leveling to exploring to 2-boxing to endgame raiding, I weight the ability to solo PoP raiding and custom Casual Dreams content more heavily than other aspects since that is the stated primary goal of the server.

- I've had a pretty broad experience of the server, but I don't claim to know everything. If there's a critical detail missing from my analysis, please let me know in replies. This is also meant to spark some fun discussion.

- Just because a weakness is emphasized on a class does not immediately make it "bad" or "unplayable". Poru has stated that all classes can solo to Quarm on this server, and I agree with that. My analysis is from a standpoint of meeting that goal efficiently. If you're playing a particular class and enjoying it, don't let this article dissuade you from continuing to do so! You may be the one to bust my analysis wide open and discover something the rest of us haven't!

Ok, onto the good stuff! Here's a breakdown of each class and how it plays on CD...

- Warrior -

Warriors are a popular "first character" on Casual Dreams, mostly because it was near impossible to solo as one on Live. Now that all their healing and buffing needs are met by server mechanics, it's easy to go forth and conquer. Sporting the best damage mitigation and HP pool in the game, they're the easiest class to tank endgame content with. Their lower damage output can make some endgame fights drag out, though, so it's worth getting the DPS AAs before doing the heavy raiding. Most of their DPS concerns from the past have been squashed due to getting Crippling Blows at 90% health.

Strengths: High HP/AC, tough to bring down. Has the most gear options
Weaknesses: Lower DPS than most melee classes until AAs

- Rogue -

One of our former regulars always greeted the server with "Rogue Powa!", and with good reason. The Bite of the Shissar poison line, backstab damage, and full array of melee AAs vault them to Tier 1 in terms of single target DPS, plus chain armor affords them reasonable mitigation for going toe-to-toe. The fact they can use stealth to explore every inch of the content unabated is icing on the cake. All that's said of their solo ability. Rogues are even more powerful when boxed/grouped with another character. Their lack of area damage is the only real weakness of the class, but they mow down mobs so fast that it only really shows up with mass pulls.

Strengths: Single target DPS; Powerful class from start to finish; Gets a lot of benefits from custom server ruleset
Weaknesses: No area damage capability; Limited itemization, no heavy weapons to boost riposte damage

- Monk -

Monks were one of the classes that could tear through old content solo on Live, and that ability translates to Casual Dreams in spectacular fashion. You no longer need a pocket Shaman to drown your enemies in a sea of fists, staves, and flying kicks. While not as beefy as a Warrior, the Monk's raw damage output, innate mitigation, and solid AA lineup make it a well rounded choice for soloing. It may take a bit longer to plow through some of the mob swarms in PoP content, but you're a walking Jackie Chan movie. Enjoy it!

Strengths: Balanced mitigation and damage capabilities; Fun to play
Weaknesses: Less gear availability than other classes; Area damage limited to disciplines

- Berserker -

While mostly a specialized Warrior, Berserkers can dish some of the best DPS numbers on the server thanks to their overhaste abilities and Frenzy. The throwing axes only seem to serve as marginal utility when leveling. Weapon itemization is also a problem early on, but gets much better once you're able to do raiding content or if you get a gift from a higher level player. They can use a Coral Hilted Tulwar to get through swarms in the endgame or powerlevel as an alt.

Strengths: Best 2H DPS while retaining access to chain mitigation; Crippling Blow DPS
Weaknesses: Poor weapon selection early; Many powerful AA abilities come after the level cap of 65 and therefore are not accessible on Casual Dreams

- Magician -

Mages are the total package of what you want to do on Casual Dreams. They have the second best nuke package in the game, just behind the Wizard, come with the most diverse and powerful pet lines, and also have the best single damage shield in the game. Lower HP and mitigation, pet management, and lack of a true control spell make them tougher to pilot than other casters, but they wreck the vast majority of the server content when played well. Some of the custom server mobs will take your pet completely out of play (e.g. Beholder, Death Reaper), which will make the fight significantly tougher.

Strengths: High DPS for both swarms and single targets; Best damage shield in the game; Resist debuff line
Weaknesses: Much weaker if pet is taken out; No fear/root/snare; Only fire and magic-based nukes

- Wizard -

Having the highest DPS spells of any class, Wizards also benefit a lot from the server ruleset. The game is a lot more fun when you don't have to sit for minutes after every kill. In addition to having rains, PBAEs, and good old-fashioned single target nukes, each of these lines comes in different flavors of damage and resist modifiers, so there's a nuke array for every situation. Kiting gods around with root/snare while blasting their faces is also probably as fun as it sounds. Unfortunately, having no pet as a source of sustained DPS means interrupts and resists REALLY REALLY suck.

Strengths: Highest spell-based DPS and most versatile nukes in the game; Root, snare, and ports are all great utility
Weaknesses: DPS is inconsistent due to lack of pet and resist debuffs; Weak damage shield

- Necromancer -

Necromancers were a fearsome 1v1 opponent for mobs and PCs alike on Live, and the same is true here. Dungeon crawls are slow, however, due to the lack of innate area damage capability. While this can be seen as a good or bad thing, it's worthy to note that Casual Dreams doesn't change much about the experience of playing the Necromancer class. They are played pretty much the same here as on Live or Project 1999. That said, they combine a nasty DoT lineup, their pet, and now some poisons for solid single target damage. Clearing to those bosses will take a while though. Note that pets can be given a Coral Hilted Tulwar if you're trying to clear swarms. Just watch their HP!

Strengths: Powerful DoT and debuff lines; Strong pets;
Weaknesses: No innate area damage capability

- Enchanter -

The game has changed completely for Enchanters since the buff to charmed pets. The damage spell limitations still exist, but this is now a playstyle worth exploring. Being able to slow and haste on demand is great for most fights.

Strengths: Charm is now awesome; Ability to slow
Weaknesses: Subpar damage spell lines

- Shaman -

Priest classes are generally going to be underpowered on Casual Dreams due to their utility functions being redundant with custom server mechanics, but Shamans do a pretty good job of overcoming that. Yes, their buffs have been relegated to a bot, but a Shaman is still a fun class to level solo. Their endgame is similar to a Magician with one poison-based rain line, pet, and a DoT array. The Spirit of the Leopard proc buff also provides a huge boost to their pet or any melee grouping with them. Slow, Incapacitate, and Malo are great debuffs to have in a boss fight when you're trying to cast spells for damage as well, enabling the Shaman to grind it out even against the toughest bosses.

Strengths: Useful debuffs; Access to Alchemy
Weaknesses: Narrow damage spell selection; Most utility is redundant

- Druid -

Druid's damage shields + multiple area damage spell lines are a big help when leveling and facing swarms, but they fall short of a Magician in those roles in the endgame. Druids also have a lot of their AAs geared toward healing and therefore fall behind in the post-level cap game. Still, Druids remain the kings of kiting that they were on Live and that can't be ignored. They've also been the recipient of a lot of the recent balancing changes to buff charmed pets and utilize poison to compensate for the past endgame issues. Definitely worth a try if you like having a wide array of damage dealing options.

Strengths: Best utility class despite redundant buffs; Strong area damage abilities; Strong damage shield
Weaknesses: Weaker nuke and DoT lines than pure casters; Low single target DPS; Fewer relevant AAs

- Cleric -

The prospect of a plate caster combining the Earthquake line, reverse damage shields, stuns, poisons and decent nukes sounds good in theory, but there are definitely limitations. Most bosses are still immune to stuns and you're still only swinging a single weapon once per round. The PBAE spell line and good endgame gear keeps them as a fair class choice.

Strengths: PBAE line; Plate mitigation
Weaknesses: Limited sources of DPS; Stuns lose effectiveness in endgame

- Ranger -

Rangers have no middle ground. Folks either love them or hate them. Fortunately, there's a lot to love about them on Casual Dreams. Archery DPS with all the related AAs against a still mob is among the highest on the server. Rangers really shine for 2-box teams due to being able to shift from tank to ranged DPS at the drop of a hat. Even when soloing, they get stackable damage shields, burst nukes, and a DoT line for respectable DPS when meleeing. On top of all this, they can equip a Coral Hilted Tulwar to plow through trash swarms. Rangers take a while to come into their own though, and they have the weakest mitigation of all the Taunt classes. You'll have to stay on your toes managing heals and nukes if you're tanking with a Ranger.

Strengths: Solid DPS; Good for multiple roles whether soloing or boxing
Weaknesses: Underpowered early on; No riposte disc; Corpse/death jokes

- Beastlord -

Beastlords don't benefit as much from the Casual Dreams ruleset as other classes, but they were already a great soloing class to begin with. They get fewer melee DPS AAs than other classes and only a marginal double attack chance, but pet crit and flurry AAs make up some of the difference. While they'll take some extra time against swarms and struggle to play pet cleric against the tougher bosses, their soloability as designed in the original game still make them an excellent choice, and slow spells make a lot of fights more manageable.

Strengths: Solid single target DPS when combined with pet; Access to slow spells
Weaknesses: No innate area damage capability; Poor against targets that consistently neutralize pets

- Shadow Knight -

Because knights were designed to tank and generate aggro based on sources other than damage, they will feel more narrow on a solo server due to the low damage output given to them to balance. Shadow Knights at least have a DoT array and some offensive spells to help, but fights will be pretty slow going early on until you break damage caps. Also, due to the dropoff in combat effectiveness for anything 5+ levels above, SK pets are useless for anything but looks.

Strengths: Good mitigation; Cool class-specific items
Weaknesses: Poor damage output in the early game; Useless pet

- Bard -

While Bards are one of the best classes at leveling with swarm kiting, their relatively low single target DPS makes boss fights hard to stomach alone. They're a great class for boxing or grouping with a friend or two with damage shield and overhaste songs. A few players on this server have had success utilizing a Bard, so they're definitely playable.

Strengths: Great against swarms; Great for boxing/grouping
Weaknesses: Low single target DPS

- Paladin -

Paladins have a slightly tougher road to hoe on Casual Dreams. Their signature ability (Lay on Hands) is useless in a world of Complete Healing potions, as are their buffs. Several of their endgame swords also have healing procs instead of damage. They can still wield a Coral Hilted Tulwar and tank very well though. I'm definitely rolling one to see what numbers come up with the Fabled Great Spear of Doom and the Slay Undead AA, too.

Strengths: Plate mitigation; Unique Knight and Paladin-only weapons
Weaknesses: Lower DPS than other melee classes; Few relevant spell lines

Any thoughts? Feel free to reply!
Teudaan
Posts: 17
Joined: 02 Dec 2019 03:51

Re: Class Power Analysis

Post by Teudaan »

just adding my 2cents to this. I feel Cheal pots should be nerfed; instead of costing about 1pp per pot, it's cost should be increased 20 folds to around 20 pp. Thus, a stack should cost about 2000pp+. This way, healers would be a bit more viable, and fighting end game challenge content would cost a player a bit more to get those end game gears.

Some criticized the OP list of power rankings (specifically about ranger); remember, he stated ranking the classes ability to solo, not the class's power in general. Ranger do really well if they're boxed vs single end game boss, but if they're tanking, they're not nearly as good as warrior.
Emphyrio
Posts: 19
Joined: 05 Feb 2020 04:19

Re: Class Power Analysis

Post by Emphyrio »

Some infos on mage ability to solo. Mage has an easy time to lvl 65, can solo high reds without any issue (the ones that would resist weapon procs and spells) but not fast leveller, since not a master of AoE. That makes it a good first character to start with unless you get offered an AE weapon for your warrior ranger etc. Gearing early one is easy when you re able to kill many raid bosses easily as early as 50 (with epic pet). Without twinking, I expect bard or wizard would level quite faster though.

For endgame, I expect mage to be quite weaker than most melee classes once these have good equipement and many AAs though. I managed to solo Althea but it's a difficult fight. And from what I 've seen from Kerarfym I don't think I will be able to solo him as he hits much harder and faster and kiting him without any snare in ST is probably difficult even with mount. Will have to try once I got more pet defensive AAs and gemstone of dark flame pet focus.
Also because of mage's inability to crowd control in any form (except root clickies), endgame fights involving many creatures prove difficult (plane of time).
I have yet to make serious tries at zone AoEing with mage, but AA gaining at 65 is probably also quite slower than for classes with AE weapons (or wizard).

Despite these few drawbacks, I think mage is definitely the class with which dungeon crawling is the most enjoyable, so don't hesistate to play one :)
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