Thread of Never Ending QuestionsFollow

Broons;
I seem to remember that they made the guards right outside newbie areas impossible to kill...I would go to Oggok to kill guards. The ones at the tunnel leading to Oggok I couldn't really do anything with, but the ones inside the zone I could kill without a hitch. I am sure Yther will know...

Invis will get you to most places in Neriak. Just /con stuff before you get to close to make sure they don't see invis. And once inside, mostly only guards will attack. Vendors, and GMs and the like pretty much ignore your, despite, the ready to attack /con messages.

Yther Ore.

Edited, Oct 3rd 2013 11:56pm by Yther

It's possible dex has a very minor effect on spell casting, but I wouldn't bank on it. I vaguely recall that dex may affect fizzle chance somewhere (but I could be totally wrong). In any case though, don't spend points on innate dex (or any innate stat for that matter). With modern gear, you will be at your cap all the time anyway. Look in the inv window and check the stats tab. You'll see two columns of stats. One is the full stat, the other will show the actual stat (which will typically be cap + heroic stats).

What you'll want to do is put points into planar power, which raises the stat cap (assuming you are wearing gear that puts you above your cap on most/all stats). I think the first 5 levels only cost 2 AA each (and each level raises the cap on all stats 5 points). So for 10 AA, you get to raise all your stats by 25 points (a great deal!). Past that planar power costs 5AA per level, so basically an single point increase to all stats per point of AA (still a good deal, but maybe not the first thing to run for). There's another stat cap increase set (that recently got compressed from a bunch of them, so I don't recall the name), but past planar power, it only increases one stat at a time, not all stats. So there's some diminishing returns in terms of stats.

Other things to think about in terms of stats:

Mana/hp regen rates are capped as well. But this applies to gear, not spells or AAs. If you go through your gear and start adding up all the points of mana regen, you'll find that it's much higher than what your stats page shows for mana regen. Since this only caps regen from gear, you can buy points in the AA that increases your mana regen from gear (can't remember what it's called) *or* buy mental clarity (which is innate regen and not capped). Same for hp regen. Um... Again, these are things you probably don't want to go for first, especially as a wizard. Your harvest spell/ability will be your main source of mana recovery (plus OOC regen), so these are more about sustainable capability in a long fight, which should not be your first objective. Get gift of mana and arcane overkill as soon as they become available. Oh. And whatever the direct mana cost reduction ability is (capped it so long ago, I can't remember).

Resists have a higher cap point that you likely wont hit until somewhere around level 80. I *really* wouldn't spend points on increasing these (or the caps) until you're like max level with every AA you care about and have these sitting there staring you in the face. I suppose if you raid a ton and resists are somehow a big deal, maybe. But I still doubt it's really needed. Sony has a habit of flagging effects they want folks to have to deal with as unresistable anyway. I suppose there are occasional group level named mobs that higher resists might make a difference on. But probably not worth the benefit for the points, at least not initially.


Oh.... On a general wizard thing: I'm not sure where you are level wise, but if you're thinking about say frenzied devastation, prolonged/sustained destruction spells as a solo/group level wizard, I'd honestly hold off on them (buy them if you want to and so you have them if/when you need them, but don't assume they'll help you at all in your regular play). On paper, they seem pretty good, but the problem is that the increased damage and/or crit chance from them is really small relative to the increased mana cost they incur. This isn't obvious at first because the descriptions don't include the fact that in addition to the increase in mana cost (like 20%) they also ignore any mana decrease in effect. So all the abilities/gear you have that decreases mana cost on spells of X type? Don't work. Even GoM doesn't work. That ends out being a massively more significant mana effect than what's written in the stats on those abilities. So unless you're in a raid type burn situation, where you're going to blow all your mana, then harvest, then blow all your mana again, (and perhaps mod rod and do it again) these are typically counter productive. These abilities really only become "good" at higher levels. So wait until you can buy those higher levels (like 6+ levels into PD) before bothering with them much.

Just my observation on them. I just found that if given a choice between constantly nuking at 100% of my normal damage rate for say 5-8 minutes straight before having to stop/med/harvest versus nuking at 120% of my normal damage rate for 1 minute and having to stop/med/harvest, I'll take the first option every single time. Using FD/PD will actually slow your kill rate when soloing. Trust me on this.

Is it worth buying the Innate xxx AA's if you intend to leave the char at a certain level? I'm going to keep my SK at 52 and keep adding to his gear if I happen to see something worthwhile to max his stats for dragon killing.

Also, I don't think he can even raise his caps high enough to be above what his gear will provide. Haven't actually done the math or anything, but at level 52, you've only got a couple levels of any of those AAs anyway. I'm not even sure how much you can spend on AAs at that level. Doesn't AA exp start at level 51? I'm thinking that gear and not AAs are going to be a more significant component to making a dragon killer.

Thanks for that AA info guys. I've pretty much been on the same page avoiding spending points for the reasons you're mentioning; though initially I think I made some bad spends I wish I could get back but oh well. But of my abilities my dex was pretty low, even with the gear. My AA pretty much sunk into quicken casting time, increase critical chance and critical damage. Which, by the way, do these stack? If I have gear that quickens spell casting time, will it stack with my AA? I also use favor frequently, will this also stack? Meaning I have three "reduce casting time" abilities active at once will they all stack or am I wasting favor?

Here's a new batch of questions ; I started a ranger character as my 2nd character to play something in the fighter type pc. Now, I have asked this before and apologize if I've missed the answer, but what are the yellow and grey bars for, that are with the red/health and blue/mana bar? I thought yellow would be some type of "fighter mana" that would decrease as I fight and I'd have to rest to regain, but apparently not- the ranger seems so far to be able just to go from fight to fight the only real concern being health. So what does this yellow bar do? When does it come into play? I know my wizard has never once registered anything at all on the yellow bar (except when killed it drops to 20% and increases back to 100%). And again this mystery grey bar pops in the ranger- it's a small countdown timer of some sort, just don't know why it's there or what it's counting down, or why.

Also the ranger (5th level) can't seem to cast a spell. Either fizzles or is interrupted. I stood trying to "fire burst" a kobold to draw him to melee, and must've tried 30 or 40 times with no success. Is this normal for ranger? Also I notice when I try to memorize a spell it's a little difficult (this has also been the case when I tried out an enchanter class and a necromancer class to 5th level), meaning I click the icon in the book then click to put it into a spell "gem" and for the non-wizard characters, it seems to take an inordinate amount of time for it to appear in the gem and be memorized- is this normal?

The yellow bar is still endurance but is used for the melee "tome" abilities. It's essentially melee mana for special attacks.

Part of the time, is memming time, which is I think is based on meditation skill, then there's a refresh timer. The mem timer is shown on the bottom left of the spell book in purple when it's open, and will get faster as you level up and increase your meditation skill. The refresh part, is constant and is based on the spell. At low levels, it takes a while to mem a complete set, because of the long mem time + fixed refresh times. Priests and Int-Casters used to get higher meditation per level, but looking at a level 2 Pal with max of 10 meditation, maybe not anymore. Well maybe they do, Pal had 5/10 at level 2, Shaman had 10/10 of level 1 (looks like they bumped it alot for hybrids, which used to not get Meditate until around level 9, then 5 per level above 8).

More on Endurance bar history. Originally it was a "fatigue" bar called Stamina (I know same name as a stat?). And there were spells that help with it's loss, that say something like decrease stamina loss. These spells are finally out of the game, and haven't worked since the change in 2002/3 (PoP Era). Prior, getting low on stamina you make you melee hits much lower on average and some activities slower, like swimming at run speed would slow down to basically walk speed swimming (which is your swimming skill was really low, that was really really slow). Swimming at run speed, jumping, fighting, and other activities would burn alot of it up too.

As far as AA guide, my beginner guide is at https://forums.station.sony.com/eq/index.php?posts/5623/ for all classes. If you're Bronze level member and not at least Silver, you may narrow it down even more, and then definitely avoid utility ones, and stick to the core for your class(es). If at least Silver, it's fine to get all mentioned, although personally I still question some utility and tradeskill and some like Innate Regen, Innate Run Speed for those with SoW or SoW speed clickies since they can be cast any where now (some people still think there are limitations on run speed due to SoE/FoE having levi in which some zones are levi free), and some others like, I don't usually get Innate Metabolism right away, but I have a forager on every server that can go to Plane of Time and get Miraculous Drinks and Meals for free. Anyway, some like those I just mentioned are questionable and depend on the person. Others like the Innate stat and resist ones no one should get until max level and clearly needing them or nothing else to buy, as equipment from 50s to 90s will generally keep you maxed on stats and close if not maxed on resists (just depends if you been keeping an eye on them when upgrading and getting the best pieces for what you're getting behind / weak in, as you can get way too much of one stat / resist, then come up short on another; but that's more of equipment management thing).

EDIT: Yea, grey is timer until you go out of combat. On self-window (Alt+Y) icon changes depending on whether, just standing, sitting/medding while out of combat, waiting on out of combat timers, or in combat.

EDIT 2: Fizzles are primarily, what gbaji said and due to the difference between the level of the spell and your skill in that spell type. Like meditation, Priests and Casters get a bonus compared to hybrids in those skills, and eventually get specialize skills, which help out even more. And some classes get clickies or spells (Enc) that allow them to cast as if a higher level, so less likely to fizzle. Interruptions are pretty common for low level hybrid, since they stay in melee and don't have much Channeling skill.

EDIT 3: If you plan on staying at a lower see Trio Jewelry Configurator at http://nathrach.republicofnewhome.org/gizmotron/ it'll get you maxed on most stats by the 40s with appropriate settings. And is the best twinkable gear by the mid teens even with the Gold setting let alone other levels. See this 0 AA'd 59 Clr missing augs and some gear, still maxed and tons of HPs and Mana at http://eq.magelo.com/profile/2390040 showing the effects of a full set of trio jewelry and the appropriate setting with Underfoot diamonds.

Yther Ore.

Edited, Oct 7th 2013 4:00pm by Yther

Edited, Oct 7th 2013 4:16pm by Yther

Edited, Oct 7th 2013 4:33pm by Yther

Hmmm... I'd forgotten that meditation affected spell mem time. Actually, probably never knew. It was sooooooo long ago since I started a new caster. Like had to have spellbook out to med until level 35 long ago.

They replaced the clicky / proc effects with heals, iirc, like Invigorate at https://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/spell.html?spell=1825 that used to be Invigor at https://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/spell.html?spell=222

Yther Ore.

Thanks for the info Yther et al chock-full of vital nutrients for my ever expanding EQ mind (still overwhelmed by the sheer amount of info potential in this game)

^Ragord the OOC timer for me in Hate is about 20 minutes, maybe even 30min- VERY long wait; does this sound like it could be what you're talking about with the Raid Zone timer? Whatever it is, it is a downer. Maybe it's specifically long vs. wizards to keep them from killing everything too fast or something? It definitely slows me down dramatically

Okay the necromanecer- do the DoT spells stack? Not just with one another but the same spell? 2 heat bloods stack?

Also is there a way to know who you've cast DoTs on? Often there are three mobs and it's hard for me to remember who has what spell on them, etc. A window maybe I'm not using?

The best way to see what debufs and dots, etc. are on a mob is an ability under leadership AA's. Its a special kind of AA that you can only earn in groups and it is either off or on. When on it takes a set amount (I don't remember exactly but want to say 20%) of your xp and applies it to leadership. This is why when I make new characters, I always make at least 2, and group with mercs and use one character to gain the pertinent leadership AA's on. It sucks, but to me it is an important and interesting facet of the game that a lot of new players do not get to see. Even on my current max level raiding characters, when we are grouping, if the person who is party leader is a new character and does not have leadership AA abilities, we ask them to give leadership to someone with the abilities. They have been talking about auto-granting the abilities to new players for a while and I am sure they will eventually, it is something they want to do but I am sure it is pretty low on the list of priorities.