What exactly is the purpose of Druids on early TLP?

I run a Druid on Live as part of my caster 6 box because they bring a lot of utility. Ports, Buffs, Debuffs, Healing, and I can manage some decent DPS out of her from time to time. But what good is a Druid in the early TLP era besides someone to beg for ports and a damage shield. Seems like most of my Druid's awesome stuff wasnt added until like DoDH. This was the last character I added to my team so dont really know how good or bad they used to be. I do remember them being absolute rubbish healers.

Heals, HP/AC buffs, damage shields, strength buffs, regen, resist buffs, everlasting breath, revamped DoTs with very solid damage/tick, DD's, AE nukes, ports, SoW, evacs, levitate, charm (animals), dispels, roots, snares.

crappy group DPS or crappy heals lol....in a lot of cases it won't matter but it is still fact. I am not an elitist or min/max player so it doesn't bother me to bring druids but to a lot of people it does.

Their heals are fine in grp content up until needing to heal a charm pet, only CH can handle that. Aside from their other utility buffs, wolf form is great for melees in classic.

edit: revamped dots do work too.

A druids purpose is to do whatever they feel like doing and doing an ok job of it while providing a little utility better specialists can't.

Most groups don't require the pinnacle of healing to sustain them. Especially with how much more powerful everyone is compared to "classic" content now. Druids heal just fine in most cases. Might need a med break or two, but they do fine.

Fixing the cable?

Basic powerleveling and ports are the main two things anybody wants a druid for. Outside of that they are picked last for group healing and likely not at all for group DPS (exception being well known animal charming zones).

Their ability to heal a group is really only acceptable when conditions are right, usually meaning a slower that can actually land their slow on mobs immediately or a overleveled/geared tank. Otherwise their healing is weak and they have no good tools to regen their mana to compensate for it

They aren't a critical raid class so nobody will ever hound you to help them take down any tough targets, they definitely will bother you for ports though. One druid is all you need in a 72 person raid given you have enough shaman and clerics

Druid is a flexible class that can fit multiple roles in a group. While they lack the sheer output that the more specialized classes have, druids can fit in with any group and find something to do.

Don't listen to the haters. Most groups that aren't hardcore min-maxers will welcome a druid in to their group. I'd gladly take 10 more seconds to kill mobs for the utility and security a good druid brings to the group.

Transportation and Powerleveling.

Can you imagine the first 3 expansions without druids? They are also highly adept at helping level friends and alts.

Don't discount their DPS either. On certain fights like Cazic Thule a druid could top the parse if they have a pet, get no resists, don't grab aggro from nukes, and have focus effects... Having said all that; yea they aren't the best and won't be on Mangler except for the first two roles I noted.

I've thought about this for a while, and have decided to main a druid until Luclin. Making plat (and turning into kronos) for porting and powerleveling to save up for gear for a Beastlord main switch sounds way too good.

If you sell plvlers up through unrest it's probably easy money. They are amazing for that early plvl.

After playing many classes to 65 including dru, clr, wiz anyone that tells you druids can dps as well as a wizard or keep up with a cleric probably lies in church too.

Your best bet to up dps is trying to charm but it's quite limited. To make that worse players in general don't know. But, for example, when you can charm in chardok your dps is amazing.

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Druids get a snare, or only the Root
??

Both. Very early snare, also early root after getting snare.

Both

The problem is not with the class, it is with the min/maxers. They are so focused on getting the max xp/dps, they will refuse certain classes like rogue, ranger, druid, wizard etc. They only want the BEST dps classes like mage, monk, etc.

On the flip side, others have zero issues with anyone ever. The main tank wants to work on his lvl 10 2H skill of while tanking? Sure go ahead... *never does any dps nor holds any aggro and group wipes* Some are perfectly ok with, "Hey, I will brb in 30 min, going to store for snacks." Then they let them sit down and soak up xp while afk and doing nothing.

Now that most Warriors can track as well, it has sort of devalued the purpose of track... I'm not bitter as a ranger or anything.

What HappyPanda said times Infinity.

Have you ever actually played a druid on TLP?
The best thing a druid can do on early tlp is solo...
Tracking? Rangers do it better and have better dps..
Snare? See above..
Buffs? Clerics and shamans are better.
Heals? Clerics.
Ports? Wizzies and better dps.
Utility? Shams have better sow and buffs.

Is there anything a druid can do better than any other class?
Yes, letting down your group...go back to soloing

what do you mean warriors can track....????