New Druid AA Ability

Sony is sending us some descriptions of the new AA abilities coming with Gates of Discord. Here's one for the Druids: Nature's Boon: Use of this ability creates a stationary ward that continually heals everyone around it.

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Yeah right
# Feb 24 2004 at 4:49 PM Rating: Decent
To the coward (anon) - figures that you would post anon - clerics can solo and can do so up until around 60th level with almost no difficulty. With careful planning and skill (see that? SKILL) (something you probably know nothing about) a cleric can solo. But this is not what is being discussed here. Neither is your idiotic comment.

Divine Arbitration is a dangerous spell I discovered haha - it can lessen a groups HP badly and IS NOT A HEAL much to the misunderstanding of even us clerics and druid classes - it is a dispersal of damage throughout the party . . . therefore if you are being tromped upon by a mass of mobs - not a good idea to use it to heal the main tank unless you are sure you can also keep the entire group alive.

Seems like an obvious statement but for some of us at the beginning of its use (me included) it seemed like a poor-man's quick heal - until immediately after doing so - we got hit with a train. (I had immediately followed up with a group heal so we barely pulled out of the mess).

My question is this:

I have DA2 now and am 64th level cleric - does this mean I can or cannot get DA3 until I reach 65?
#REDACTED, Posted: Feb 13 2004 at 7:14 PM, Rating: Sub-Default, (Expand Post) Okay shut up. You and your lvl 36 ranger shouldn't speak on druid topics you dont know SH*T. You have a lvl 63 druid... Shut up. You only solo with your druid... Shut up... You dont even have a druid but you are the master of some other class... yeah.. thats right.. shut up.
Back on the subject!
# Feb 12 2004 at 10:43 AM Rating: Decent
14 posts
Hi....... The person was asking about the AA's.... Not about what class is better....65 Druid here 4+ years old..... One of the original on my server...

AA's are something you can get post 50 they appear by typing the V on your chat window or by simply opening your inventory and clicking the button that says Alt Advance. Then it will display a few areas. General, Archetype, Class, POP Pop Advance and now... Gates... You have to spend 6 points in general before you can advance to gaining any of the other areas, The interface is pretty self explantory. These points that you gain from exp... you can see the exp mitigation bar on the screen That is self explanatory as well. Hope this helped.


Druids VS Cleric.... Who cares?
I can outheal most clerics but their buffs own me. In the elemental planes.............. Druids are primary healers.
____________________________
*Hate is a dagger, best used in the dark*
new AA
# Feb 12 2004 at 9:40 AM Rating: Default
what lvl do people get this AA ability? i havent seen it yet posted.



Nuppun
49th drood
Tunare
druid AA not just for druids
# Feb 11 2004 at 2:41 PM Rating: Decent
clerics get it too
Wards
# Feb 10 2004 at 5:25 PM Rating: Decent
As a 63 Druid that has played since release. This is a well thought out AA. It places a permanent regen spell that more than just the druids group can use. Like a magic tree/font. I can see where this will make druids popular when they plant one in a newbie hunting zone.. I try to group with clerics because they are better healers but many times I get called up to be main healer for a group.
Clerics are the best pure healers. Shaman can slow and therefore reduce the need to heal as often. Druids can Debuff atk/ac and place multiple regens and DS on the main tank slowing down how often they have to heal. This AA is alined with the Nature/Regen nature of Druid healing but also has the limitation of not being mobile with the group/puller which makes it more balanced in usage. Not very practical for a dungeon crawl like LDoN but powerful for a raid with a limited fighting area. A half dozen of these in a Boss Mob fight area could make a difference in how often the Clerics have to CH.
what lvl?
# Feb 10 2004 at 5:19 PM Rating: Default
going back to the original topic...what level do druids get this AA?
i know the diff
# Feb 10 2004 at 1:00 PM Rating: Default
people my main char is a 63 cleric i use for mostly raiding and big grups that a druid cant keep up with the healing duties. but long ago i used to grup with a druid at low lvl and i decided to make one for myself. since then i have gotten him to 59th lvl and belive me when i tell u there are no comparisons to the two classes except for an occasional heal tossed. my druid is now my main for he can solo and a cleric could never do that at any lvl. but when raid time comes the cleric comes to go to work with one thing on his mind HEALING.
i know the diff
# Feb 10 2004 at 1:00 PM Rating: Default
people my main char is a 63 cleric i use for mostly raiding and big grups that a druid cant keep up with the healing duties. but long ago i used to grup with a druid at low lvl and i decided to make one for myself. since then i have gotten him to 59th lvl and belive me when i tell u there are no comparisons to the two classes except for an occasional heal tossed. my druid is now my main for he can solo and a cleric could never do that at any lvl. but when raid time comes the cleric comes to go to work with one thing on his mind HEALING.
FLAME
# Feb 10 2004 at 12:35 PM Rating: Default
h8 dr00ds. Treehugging smelly bastards, all of 'em. All they do is keep me alive and add awesome dps and mgb p9 and other useful stuff. h8 'em.
sad
# Feb 10 2004 at 9:08 AM Rating: Default
fight fight fight, whine whine whine, just play your own toon the best u can and im sure the other peeps will to, they dont like to die either, play nice : )
jolyn
# Feb 10 2004 at 6:24 AM Rating: Default
emm, i dont really send posts like this but i can see all these arguments about how bad or good druids are, but wen i look at the top of the page i see "Sony is sending us some descriptions of the new AA abilities coming with Gates of Discord. Here's one for the Druids:

Nature's Boon: Use of this ability creates a stationary ward that continually heals everyone around it." so i was think mayb u lot got of the subject a little.
So getting on the dam subject could sum1 just explain how AA's work and what this new abillity means cause i aint really understanding it exactly, as u can tell im am still a noob!!!
#Anonymous, Posted: Feb 09 2004 at 1:08 PM, Rating: Sub-Default, (Expand Post) Hey all..I'm posting this message because I'm wondering why you guys are fighting over a freakin' game... You guys are just plain geeks to be fighting over different things in a GAME FOR GOD'S SAKE!!!!!!!!!!!Don't you guys have anything better to do than fight over what class is better than the other..and the people that try to say...HEY STOP FIGHTING OVER THIS STUPID SUBJECT..you are cool...you got the good idea..it is stupid to ruin your day and get mad at someone in the computer who is half-way across the country or maybe even in another country. I'm just saying that you guys need to get a life and stop fighting over a FREAKING GAME....just play the game..sure you can get mad if someone is being a jerk but it is just plain stupid to fight over different classes you can play on a GAME...just my opinion..and you people should be ashamed of yourselves considering you are hearing this from a 13 year old...STOP ACTING LIKE CHILDREN!!!!!!!
Jealous
# Feb 09 2004 at 8:37 AM Rating: Decent
I’m really jealous of this AA. I can imagine that Druids are very excited about this as it seems to enhance their value as an alternate healer. With this AA I know many people who would take a Druid on an LDoN as quickly as they would take a Cleric.

I was in a LDoN last night watching the Druid banish/expel each mob twice and also tossing in a few well placed heals, roots, and snares - the whole time trying hard to go below 90m without getting agro. She was out damaging me, healing, and supplying much needed utility spells. I’m not trying to start a class war here but Druids are an incredibly useful class – these AA’s seem like icing on the cake. Enjoy!


Edited, Mon Feb 9 08:39:07 2004
RE: Jealous
# Feb 10 2004 at 10:20 AM Rating: Decent
***
1,252 posts
hehe, nice move from Sony, to bring out a new expansion prior to EQ2... smart money making :-) and of course, this new AA seems good, although I might not be able to taste it, as I will move on to EQ2 when it comes out... and my druid is only lvl 10 so far ;)

GLuck :)
____________________________
Still a noob. :-P
Characters on Drinal, Povar, EMarr, Firiona Vie.
Healer
# Feb 06 2004 at 6:52 PM Rating: Default
Ok I am a 65th druid who has played for 3 years now. Form my experiance a cleric is not always around to group with, or there are not enough clerics around for a raid. So there for, use druids are called upon becouse we are the second best healers in the game. Even when I am forming a group, I look for a cleric to join. I am not a cleric, and I know the value of clerics, but I this this will be a nice addation for us druids.
RE: Healer
# Feb 08 2004 at 4:43 PM Rating: Decent
**
531 posts
THIS is a good post!! No flaming, no "my class is better than yours", just "Hi, I'm a druid and look forward to getting this ability as when a cleric isn't around it will help the group".

A lot of people can learn a lot from posts like this. We hear about ONE druid AA and everybody is flaming and putting everyone else down and claiming this class shouldn't have this, that class should etc...

EVERY class is getting things and until everyone knows what they're getting maybe they should hold their tongues! Till then no one should be saying much more that it's either a cool ability or it sucks, or they wish or hope that they might be getting it.

Posted above are TWO sentences and from that everyone is acting like babies. Get over yourselves already. Druids are a good balanced class, can solo well and DO add to groups as well. ANYTHING that helps is a good thing and makes everyone elses lives easier. I hope we ALL get AA abilities that we'd like for our classes.

Lastly, No, I'm not a SOE brown noser, I can't wait for something new, but right now this is still the best game in town(going by the subscription figures compared to any other MMORPG out there). I'd just like to see people acting like adults. It's good to take pride in yourself and in the class(es) you play, but that doesn't mean you have to insult others to do it! There isn't a class you can play in EQ or much any other game that doesn't have something to add, their are just poor players.
RE: Healer
# Feb 09 2004 at 6:57 PM Rating: Default
Actually dumbarse your the only one that resembled anything close to a flame on this thread.
RE: Healer
# Feb 09 2004 at 10:36 PM Rating: Excellent
**
531 posts
Really who did I flame?

You must not have actually read any of the threads below. Did I put down any classes? Did I put down any people?(Other than the people flaming other classes) Actually your post is a flame and all I was doing was complementing a poster on actually making a GOOD post.
My 2 cents
# Feb 06 2004 at 12:22 PM Rating: Default
Speaking as an almost 60 druid of almost 3 RL yrs of age (yes I know he should be 65 and maxAAs I like to stop and smell the roses sometimes)my experience is if folks want a druid to be CH they can't get a cleric and usually not a shammy either since the shammy can slow.I will willingly MH in a dungeon or old world area but I generally draw the line at PoP zones since the mobs do so much damage and it's just not good to be grouped there with any one healer.My main job healing in poV say is usually to kick in a chloroblast while waiting for the cleric's CH to kick in.
RE: My 2 cents
# Feb 06 2004 at 2:21 PM Rating: Default
Ok, usually I don't respond to posts like this, but I have to in this case. This is not meant to be derogatory by any means, but hopefully will shed some light from a cleric point of view.

This AA ability imo is designed specifically for clerics to be used in conjunction with the cleric AA ability Divine Arbitration. If you are in a group where everyone is taking damage and needs an AA ability that heals everyone in the group, you need to evauluate the quality of your group.

Also, there are many times where I am the only healer in a group, and this includes elemental planes groups. While this might not be a viable option for a druid, a capable cleric is fully able to heal a group by themselves. Now by all means, if you have a bad pull or respawn or something of that nature, help the cleric healing and get things back in control. However, for all intents and purposes, there is nothing in this world that pisses me off more when grouping with a druid than when they fluff my CH with a quick heal. They are essentially making me less effective at my job, deleting a dps-slot from the group because you should be nuking, and insulting me because you are basically saying that I am not capable of timing my heals and have no trust in my skill.

Now, if you are constantly getting into situations where you *have* to heal because the cleric can't handle it, boot him/her from the group. You are doing nobody any favors by keeping them around and leveling them up if they are inept at their class. One of the biggest problems I have found at the high-end game is that there are *way* too many people that have level 65 next to their name that have absolutely no idea what they are doing because good groups have carried them along to 65. Everquest is not the same game it was 2-4 years ago, with people now able to get insane amounts of experience doing incredibly easy pick-up groups against insanely easy mobs (ie LDoN).

Anyways, I know I started on topic and really kind of deviated from it, but I just wanted to give you food for thought. I'm sure if you ask around, that a majority of clerics (and I'm not talking about bot clerics) will agree with me whole-heartedly. Find a cleric that you trust, and try the afore-mentioned group tactics I have described, and you will find that you have become an excellent damage class and a much better contributor to the group output as a whole.

Please write flames below :

Edited, Fri Feb 6 14:24:08 2004
RE: My 2 cents
# Feb 10 2004 at 10:45 AM Rating: Decent
Well, this is not a flame. Well, maybe just a little fire, but agree with almost all you say. I hope I am not misinterpreting what you said. If so, I apologize.

First, I'm a 62 druid on Terris-Thule, so you will understand my point of view.

Second, I would never try to displace or replace a cleric in a group or adventure. You guys will always heal better than me, and though I do envy some of your abilities, feel that there are other benefits to being a druid that I can live with.

All that being said, however, when I am in a group with a cleric there are several things that I do on a routine basis. In addition to MA and SA hot buttons, I add "target" buttons for MA, SA, and the Cleric. This is no big deal in a group but can sometimes be critical on a raid.

I also assume, whether I am told or not, that I am the backup healer. Please, please, please let me assure all Clerics that does not mean that I am in competition with you in any way. When you are having the most fun (read adds, bad pulls, etc.), I drop my nuking priorities a bit and watch out for the group members. I believe that a quick heal (500 hp) to any group member does NOT mean that I think a Cleric is not doing their job. And I always consider that I don't know what may be interfering with or affecting the Cleric and I don't take the time to check. If I see a tank get below 30 percent, he's gonna get a quick heal from me while I try to scope out the situation. If my heal hits right before your complete heal, I consider this MY wasted mana, not yours. I will take the mana loss in return for my insurance that you didn't get CH interrupted, or an add didn't jump you where I can't see what is going on, or whatever. This doesn't happen very often, and most capable Clerics will inform you of what they are doing so you don't feel you need to do this. WHAT I WILL NEVER DO is stand there and watch a tank die thinking the Cleric has a heal on the way. Not that I haven't done so in the past a time or two... to my regret.

I would encourage any Cleric to view this as a constructive enhancement to the group's tactics, not as some kind of statement about the Cleric's ability.

Secondly, I have on occasion CH-ed other group members on a somewhat routine basis. That happens in the following kinds of situations: The group is highly DPS-capable and they keep dropping the doggone mobs before I can get my nukes off (my good nukes usually take about 10 secs to cast or more, and DOTs are no good whatsoever). The mobs are hitting all the group members pretty good and several are down fairly far in health but not critical. Nothing the Cleric can't handle, but I hate standing there FM and nothing to do. (Yes, I am assuming all group members are fully buffed and DSed and so on). What I do in that case is wait until the Cleric calls a CH on one group member and I CH another one. My CH is kinda anemic compared to his, but I figure in that situation any use of my mana is constructive. In every case that I have done this, the Cleric has been appreciative, and have never had a problem. This also applies when I have time to nuke once, but can clearly see a second will not take before the mob drops, so I look for something else to do. Anyway, I always view my role to be supplemental to the Cleric, and not competitive.

Lastly, I always try to keep an eye on the Cleric's health, especially in touchy situations where you get quick adds from several different directions. My biggest fault as a MH is that I almost always forget to watch my own health as much as I should. When I see the Cleric health bar move, it gets my attention because I feel that if the Cleric dies, we are ALL dead. I have no compunction about throwing heals on the Cleric and neglecting ALL other duties (except evac) to do so. Usually, if things get tense, the Cleric will ask me to heal or watch one group member or if we are almost at the boss mob in LDoN crawl and they need to med up to full, I will take all the heals for a bit. To me, this is all part of being a team member, and a big part of what I enjoy the most in this game.

Take it from me, a quick heal hitting a group member just before your heal hits is not an insult to you or to Clericdom (if there is such a thing). If it happens consistently, the druid may need a little off-line persuasion (in RL a two by four works) but they will usually appreciate constructive criticism. You would not believe how many druids have almost NEVER grouped until post-50. If it continues and you are really annoyed, a "tsk, tsk druid - try using your mana to nuke and let me heal" message should do it. If not, a "disband from group" will usually suffice. If that don't work, I don't know what to tell you.

Lastly, believe me when I say: We ALL love Clerics in this game, and no one loves you more than we "second-rate healers."
#Anonymous, Posted: Feb 05 2004 at 2:50 PM, Rating: Sub-Default, (Expand Post) Just to clear it up every class is kick *** in its own respect ......my mains not a druid but 90% of the time i have a 65 druid with 300 aa's and ft15 on my second box for 4 reasons....1.CH, NI spots 2. druid cc (snare,root)if the **** hits the fan 3. free dps (tempest wrath, epic, bracer.) thats an additional 165 dmg per tick. FREE of MANA.4. EXODUS. Point is every class is killer in its own way......but as a player u have to know how to utalize each class to its fullest extent. In other words you cant be a ****** newb. And any of you druids having trouble soloing at 63-65 ......PoTactics in the big safe room is the easiest and most mana efficent kills in the world. 7% a kill which doesnt come close to the 17% in PoFire but thats a little less realistic for most. Simply pull with snare root as soon as possible ......all dots tempest if yah got it, epic, bracer, swarming, immolatin , and winged.
#REDACTED, Posted: Feb 03 2004 at 4:42 PM, Rating: Sub-Default, (Expand Post) Yea if you have somebody that is about 5 levels lower then you in a LDON group it can ruin the exp for you. I still go with them though, cause in many cases it makes for a easy win.
down with my druid :(
# Feb 03 2004 at 12:47 PM Rating: Default
I have found I have a harder time getting a group with my Druid then any other charactor. I mena seriously my 55 Warrior gets a group quicker then my druid. For the past 3 days I have actually wanted to group my druid. I have had /lfg tag on for at least 1 hour each day and nothing. I can't hardly solo anymore, its just boreing as can be to kite a level 60 mob around for 5 minutes, kill it, get 0 loot and see your exp bar go up about 1/8th a blue. Been getting alot of random LD lately, which is instant kill for soloers.

Druids are not as popular a class now that solo exp has went down, least from what I have noticed. I can't EVER get a LDON group cause people seem to think if your not level 65 your not worth anything.

If it wasn't for my alts Id have quit playing this game a long time ago.
RE: down with my druid :(
# Feb 03 2004 at 6:13 PM Rating: Default
Personally, I've found that with my druid I can get an LDON group faster than I can get a normal group. Many times I've had an LFG tag on for an hour and only been invited to raids and helping with people's epics, but whenever I try to get an LDON group, they always seem to be there.

It may be different for other people, but it works for me (oh yea, im not level 65 either, 61 hehe)

"What are leaves but thousands of blades on high?"
RE: down with my druid :(
# Feb 03 2004 at 3:12 PM Rating: Good
I feel the same way as you. I was trying to get a group going the other day in BB. WE had a 62 Monk, a 61 Wiz, a 62 Cleric, 61 Chanter and me a lvl 57 Druid. We wer looking for a tank but none really wanted to group cause o fmy lvl being so low. I finally got out of group and they got the high end tank. I never really noticed it , but is the exp that bad for higher lvl grouping with a lower toon in the dungeons? Also give us a break, we are trying ( low lvl's)
RE: down with my druid :(
# Feb 09 2004 at 4:23 PM Rating: Decent
When I do 60+ LDoNs I have noticed a 10 AP penalty if just one person in the group is 59. Normally high level characters aren't willing to group up with lower level ones unless they are either guildmates or there just isn't anyone else available (such as in the wee hours of the morning)
RE: down with my druid :(
# Feb 05 2004 at 2:48 PM Rating: Default
The exp is not that much different. The points you get for the adventure can be less though.

To me it does not matter. People are just making excuses and do not realize how each class can contribute to a group. Honestly, I do not think you want to group with those people anyways. : )
off subject
# Feb 03 2004 at 11:09 AM Rating: Default
my perfect group: druid, shammy, chanter, pally, warrior, warrior. this group formation has worked wonders for me when xp grinding
RE: off subject > fyi diffrent rules if elematal geared btw
# Feb 05 2004 at 4:42 AM Rating: Default
perfect group = most dps possible ....
monk = tank
bard = slow and mez (bard for slow because druid DS makes more dmg that way)
rouge/ranger = dps
druid = healer DS
any pet class = dps utility
RE: off subject
# Feb 03 2004 at 11:11 AM Rating: Default
edit: a bard in place of one of the warriors isn't bad either
RE: off subject
# Feb 03 2004 at 3:37 PM Rating: Default
replace the warrior with an SK and it would be my perfect group. :)
RE: off subject
# Feb 05 2004 at 5:45 PM Rating: Decent
beast druid bard ranger paly mage/ench/necro(depending what can be charmed)
Astrochick
# Feb 03 2004 at 2:02 AM Rating: Default
What a bunch of crap...!
This is my point of view about the above posts(what you guys already know but forgot to mention):

-Focus stacks with Virtue or BoT9. It's meant for melee classes... pure casters want rather use their own shield and bot9. In a raid about everyone will get fot7/bot9/symbol.
-My quiescence lasts 6 ticks with casting time of 3.9 seconds. That makes it a 1800hp heal (for 200mana). Thats nice while I can cast the other heal if needed.
-Shamans dots are not worse than druids dots.(can you do 420+ per tick with one dot?)
-Shamans DD are worse than druid's DD.

-A druid can easily replace a cleric in an exp group. But for something harder ill rather take a cleric with me anytime. Or better.. a cleric and a druid.. :)
-A shaman can be they only slower and healer in a group. A druid (or a cleric) still need a slower in every pop group.
-Shamans get mana back faster... Druids have better heals spells (mainly the 4k heal)... clerics are best healers - PERIOD
-Druids are a must in a decent raid. But I have seen many raids canceled for not enough clerics on... not many because not enough druids on.
-Anyone who say that they can heal better than a cleric is an idiot obsessed with the class they play.

Astrokick>>> Before you are done casting all that stuff the mob is dead already before your dots do even half the damage.
Classes
# Feb 03 2004 at 12:16 AM Rating: Default
Preparing to be flamed... Begining check list Goggles-Check, Flame resistant Gnome-Check, Lolipop-Check, my cat Snuggly-Check PREAPARE TO BE DOUBLE FISTED BY GNOMISH MONKS, NOW FLAME ME YOU F@#&ING B@$*@RDS BECAUSE ALL WILL FALL BEFORE HIS MIGHT INCLUDING YOUR MISERABLE SHAMANS AND DRUIDS HAHAHHAHAHAHAHA NOW PREPARE TO BE BLINDED BY MY BALD HEAD.

P.S. HAHAHAHAHHAHAHA
Astrokick support
# Feb 02 2004 at 7:25 PM Rating: Decent
Ok, granted there's a lot of arguing, but the guy's right in his last post.
This is about AA's and if you don't have to worry about them yet, then don't. I don't have a druid, or particularly want one; I was just curious about the future of the game myself.
So I enter the insanity of 'My class is better than your class'.... yes, 'cos we're all five years old aren't we?
Again, no need to flame, insult or generally annoy people. Play the game, have fun and see what happens.

Hugs to all.
new aa
# Feb 02 2004 at 2:46 PM Rating: Excellent
wow, i thought this was about an upcomming AA ability. not a stomping ground for class bashing. i have a 58 druid on cazic thule and i'm just getting into the AAs now, haven't really gotten to taste the true power with only 13 of them so far. i 2 box with most classes at my disposal, druid, warrior, shammy, ranger, monk at 50+ and some in mid 40s bard, wizzy, chanter, sk. the others are under 40 and not worth mentioning. no class is better really than any other, they all serve their purpose, if you think otherwise, you just don't think. now, about this warder, it sounds pretty cool, but most people prolly won't be happy with anything they do, it won't last long enough or it won't heal enough, or aoe won't be wide enough. we'll just have to wait and see
#REDACTED, Posted: Feb 02 2004 at 1:26 PM, Rating: Sub-Default, (Expand Post) erased a double post
#REDACTED, Posted: Feb 02 2004 at 1:42 PM, Rating: Sub-Default, (Expand Post) I can appreciate your intention. I understand what you meant. It's just that what is not clear to you is that Im not putting down their weaknesses, or even talking about them grouping together at all, but rather at the heart of these posts reflecting on a druid's ability to heal.
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