Weekend Update, Nov 28th, 2011 editionFollow

I was confined to the house sick for the weekend, but not needing to lay down so I played EQ...

Friday: Trakanon rogue to level 19

Sat: logged in oldest character, 65 cleric. I got him a merc and xp for the first time in years, I'm not sure I found it fun, but it wasn't super tedious either.

Earned 10ish aa on necro, decided to finally ding level 71 which was about 3 years in the making. It allowed me to finally juggle some gear I have had banked for a long time. Still not where I want to be AA wise to push to 75 though. Looks like stuff I want is locked behind TBS factions so not sure I am looking forward to that.

Logged into zek on my ranger. yawn. Wish I didn't have characters on Zek --just isn't my thing.

Sun: 5 aa on necro, bought level 71 rank 1’s that I could, got cleric some more xp in bot.

Logged old chanter in, terrible gear in many slots, got a merc for the chanter (I went with tank) and slowly got 7 aa in nadox. I chose Nadox to test the survivability of the combo. Merc, shiny bob and I were all Night's Dark Terrored. 75aa count (so super low and nearly all of those are buff extension AA). Tank merc had no trouble with light blues and I wasn't even ghetto healing via runes.

Ended up back on the necro. Dropped in Plane of Disease to attempt a quest. Mobs are just hard enough to not give xp but be dangerous in a big group.

Overall my most intense EQ weekend in years, and yes I am feeling a bit better.

I'm sorry to hear you were ill, snailish, and hope you feel a lot better now. (Oh you did say that at the end of the post. lol)



Know the feeling. *Grins* Long live the tortoises!!! (As in The Tortoise and the Hare. OH - light bulb moment - is that the reason for your name?)

My EQ weekend was much like yours. My Pally, Azalysa, is my very first created EQ toon waaaaaay back when before I switched to Druid for my main. She had been languishing at level 40 (I think...maybe 38) prior to my playing again last summer. I've been having fun relearning how to play the class. She dinged 52 during the week and the Light of Life spell involves a quest. While reading the quest info I saw that it was the continuation of a prior quest for the level 44 Ethereal Cleansing spell. Hmmm...somehow I missed that one, although I've noticed new spells were added after I quit playing 3-4 years ago. When I first began, one only obtained new spells, at least for a Druid, every 5 levels.

Headed to Gunthak for the level 44 quest. LoY is one of my least favorite expansions. It's growing on me more now but when LoY was first introduced, I took my then-30ish Druid over and had my derriere handed to me.

Completed the quest fairly quickly but the second part is a bit trickier for a soloing Pally with no quick method of escape. I now carry gate pots with me, but it is a 10 sec. timer and in that time I could die twice...lol. Scoped out the area with my Druid to get the "lay of the land" before sending in my Pally. The pieces of this quest are marked in ZAM as no trade but in FV, as with many no drop items, the are not. I'm tempted to do this quest with my Druid but my luck would be somehow it wouldn't work out plus my Pally can use the exp. Hoping to complete this quest today.

Found a new exp "home" for Aza for awhile - Howling Stones. Another Old World zone I never experienced when it was "current world." I'm having a blast playing in zones I missed the first time around.

With the help of a guildie my Druid, Terrillian, gained about 20 more AAs. I heard someone in guild chat say they max out all AAs after dinging a new level. Anyone have any thoughts about that? If that is a good strategy, then I'll be at my current level for quite awhile. I always max my casting skills out with each level but thought of AA exp as something to do at certain levels.

Besides EQ, I decided to flip the function of my two main rooms in my apartment so yesterday was "The Move - Part Diex" and I have the stiffness and muscle aches today as a result. I do feel much more "settled" with this new arrangement and can now address myself to the contents of the myriad unpacked boxes.

Love it! Although I bet we don't get burned out and leave completely like some do. At least for me, when I return from especially an extended break, everything seems fresh and new again.

In my first guild years ago (I say that a lot...lol) there was a woman who only wore or used items she looted, received in a quest, or made herself. I thought that was amazing! I'm going with that concept on the progression server, but since I don't get over there that much, it probably won't make much difference.

With my other 3 toons on the same server, I would pass down items to the lower toons, much like the younger siblings of a family. At their current levels and since they are entirely different classes that doesn't happen as much anymore.

Let me see. My math professor decided to give us Wednesday off, so I had a 5 day weekend. Woohoo for me! =)

Wednesday, I decided to pop onto EQ1 and play around with my baby beastlord. I've never really played anything other than a wizard or of the 3 healer types. I wanted something new.

Thursday through Sunday night, it was a complete blur. EQ2 had a double xp weekend, so I decided to rotate EQ1 and EQ2. My 81 Mystic in EQ2 finally dinged 90 yesterday. Was so incredibly happy about that. On top of that, I was able to stuff my face full with turkey, stuffing, and a bit of alcohol. *grin*

I hope everyone had a safe holiday, with no family arguments! =)

I'll let Jonwin answer, but his job is very cool.

Warning: a wall of text follows that may bore some, but is filled with good information I've found many enchanters aren't aware of. If you'd prefer a tl;dr version: Hit me up for details on charming solo and in groups, and the technique of "reverse charming" to revitalize the way you play your enchanter and add fantastic dps to your groups. Also, extremely fast and effective solo exp, both AA and leveling.


May I make a suggestion for leveling your enchanter? I don't know how comfortable you are charming, but I did some leveling the way you described, then switched tactics. The new way actually gave me two new playstyle options. Both of them were extremely fun, added a new and very exciting dynamic to my play sessions, and revitalized my interest in logging on and "doing the grind". I know everyone says use a tank merc to a certain level to maximize leveling speed and efficiency, but in my opinion it is the wrong choice for an enchanter, that I feel is one of the most versatile and highly underrated classes in the game.

To start, switch out to a cleric merc. Charm and fully buff a pet, giving him mage toys if available and it can dual weild. Mark your pet main tank in your group, and set your cleric merc to reactive. You will play the role of debuffing your target, and playing defensively with judicious use of stuns and mez in case of adds, pet breaks, and other emergencies. You won't really be casting much in the way of damage spells, as we know chanter dps is laughable. The power you add to your charm pet and the respectable debuffs you throw on your target mob are your strengths. **Remember to slow your target! Even a partial slow helps give an edge to your pet, especially if you are brave enough to haste your pet. If (more like when) your pet breaks, use stuns to buy time for a retash/recharm, and don't forget you can mez too if things start to go really sour. (*Note: Always, Always, ALWAYS tash your pet before each charm or recharm. You may have to block a spell or two to keep the cleric from curing the tash, but I honestly can't remember if that only concerns playing with a real player character cleric or not - sorry it has been a while. Without being tashed, your pet tends to break free from charm more often. Believe me, tash makes charm have a much better chance to last longer.) As boring and unglamorous and expensive as it can be, max out your defensive AAs (Combat Agility and Stability) asap and keep them maxxed for your level as you progress. Many chanters underestimate how important those are in surviving a pet break that happens at the worst possible time. Do not neglect your other defensive AAs (your various runes, doppleganger and the like) either. Also, get Beguilers Directed Banishment, often called simply "fling" or BDB, ASAP as well. It is quite simply one of the most useful, if not important enchanter AAs. It throws your target back the way you are facing, roots it, and has a chance to memblur it. It has a very short re-use time, and I have even used it as a sort of "ghetto mez" for unmezzable mobs by repeatedly flinging it away from the group each time root wears off and it charges back into the fray, until I am ready to take it on. (One important and sometimes unknown fact about BDB is that it will fling your target in the direction you are facing, and you dont have to be facing your target. This is handy for placing the mob where you want it which is helpful in countless ways.) Sometimes, flinging a mob so that it ends up near other previously unaggroed mobs will add a chaotic add party to your combat. Also, if you are pulling in a group (and too many people do not realize how well enchanters can pull) you can bring a mob to camp, and if chain pulling in a good exp group, run and mez the next target, face the camp, "fling" the mob near the tank, pre-slow and cripple, and keep it mezzed until the tank can pick it up. You can keep a constant stream of valet parked mobs in camp for a great chain pulling exp session!

Yipes, I hope I am not rambling too much. Anyway, when soloing in this manner (your charmed pet main tank, cleric merc set on reactive, getting and using your defensive AAs as you can) you will be learning to use your enchanter to its most effectiveness. Once you get the hang of it and get comfortable, you can try to up the ante and get seriously fast exp by getting brave, dropping the cleric merc for better exp, and reverse charming. Since I've babbled enough here, I won't go into detail in this post, but a google search of reverse charming will turn up some good guides. Or, shoot me a PM and I will elaborate. There will be haters and naysayers, and it can be dangerous and hectic at times, but it can be ridiculously fast exp, and the risk is minimal with practice and as you gain your most effective AA tools and escapes. I can tell you I have never gained aa exp as fast on any other of my characters, the caveat being I don't have a ranger at headshot level, or a shadowknight to swarm with. Just know, it is extremely fast exp if done right, both for leveling and AA exp.

What I like most about it, though, it is exciting. It is not for the squeamish, because until you have it down,develop your system and get comfortable, you have to pay constant and vigilant attention. I found this brought back some of the old excitement back to the game,and it made me fall in love with my enchanter on a whole new level.

Don't get me wrong, it is dangerous, especially at first before you have aqcuired your defensive tools, and until you get the hang of it. You will die as you learn, but in my opinion, the payoff is worth it in fun factor alone once you "get it down." Im not advocating it is the only or best way to play a chanter (even though it is in my opinion lol). Shiny Bob, even when fully buffed with your pet AAs is a pathetic excuse for a pet, and chanter dps to be blunt, sucks. I like to be more than a crack dealer, haste dispenser, and (if the group has no shaman) second class slower. I have been in pick up groups that are afraid to let me charm a pet to add dps, and quite frankly, I feel mainly useless. Every hour or so I refresh haste on the melee characters, I dispense mana regen to the casters, and I throw out pathetic dps spells (yes, even with my dps AAs), and if the mobs can be stunned (lol in cutting edge content) I stun to help mitigate incoming damage on the tank. I hate groups that won't take the risk and let me charm a pet. Some pets allow me to top, or be near the top, in group parses. Not that its about the numbers or being #1 dps, but faster kills means faster levels, AAs, or finishing the mission faster. Sure a badly timed pet break can be a wipe or close to it, but the highly boosted dps in some zones ( I won't give out all of my secrets for fear of another disasterous charm nerf ala Omens of War era) MORE than make up for it and keep the exp gains positive by a long shot at the end of the session.

I try not to be an elitist jerk, but I cringe when I'm on a different character and find myself in a group with an enchanter using his Shiny Bob animation pet, that he has made sure to buff to the gills, and on incoming, sends in his subpar pet and throws his crappy dots and thinks he is Mr. Enchanter Extroidanaire. I know many groups don't allow chanters to charm fearing a wipe from a broken pet, but a skilled enchanter uses audio triggers to help keep pet breaks under control, and adds so much more awesome to a group.

Sorry for the wall of text, and thank you if you read it all. I'm just really passionate about the potential and variety of play a well played enchanter brings to many group situations.

Thank you so much for posting that, Jonwin, and Bijou for asking the question. What a fun job that must be. I really enjoyed watching that.

I recall how much I enjoyed the character actors in Colonial Williamsburg. I spoke to several and they engaged me in conversation. I think the other visitors thought I was a schill...lol. One actor asked where I was from. When I replied Florida, he asked "North or South?" I said "Central." The men slapped each other on the back and then said, "A very politic answer, Madame." Then one asked if we had much trouble with the Indians so far South (Colonial Williamsburg re-enacts the years 1774-1781). I said not really, although there is a Seminole County. The men conferred amongst themselves and one then said, "That is likely the best solution, to put them in one County."

You must have a blast (no pun intended) at your job, Jonwin.

That....is freakin' awesome!

I call you sir because you're, like, really olde.






*ducks cannon fire*