Down To Two Options. Could Use Advice!

I need a bit of outside advice on what and where to play with these upcoming TLP servers.

So for classes, I am interested in either a Monk or a Ranger. I've done some research, and I like how both those seem to keep up good DPS through all the expansions (to a degree).

- I will only be playng one character. I've tried 2 boxing with my laptop but I cannot do it. So I would need a character that can do well in survival.
- I will mainly be soloing. Due to RL, I will probabaly get 1 - 2 hours playtime (3 is really stretching it) in sporatic bursts through the week. I don't mind grouping; I would probabaly plan ahead for that.
- I want to focus on minimal tradeskills. Back in the day I loved to do all the tradeskills. But with my time now, I think it would be feasable to just focus on no more than 2 (3 counting maybe Fishing?) So this would prolly tie into #1 with survivability to get marerials and coin.

When it comes to races, what would be the best choices? Exclude the knowledge that at a certain point gear makes stats moot.

Monk: I believe Human is the only one who starts as a Monk in Classic, with Iksar in Velious, then Drakkin and Frogluk later on?

Ranger: Half-Elf, Human and Wood-Elf to start, with Drakkin and Halfling later on?

Lastly is the servers themselves. As a little background, I have tried all TLP servers except Fippy/Vulak when they started. I like to start in Classic, and I like to take my time doing things. I did feel the speed of Phinny when it came out was way too slow, but having the expansions come out at a decent pace is nice too.

With Selos starting at Luclin, this would give me more choices in playing a Monk to start at, and even have the Vah Shir. My only concern is how fast things will be happening since I am not focused on raiding at all, or groupng alot.

Mangler sounds interesting. Starting in Classic is no bother, and it seems faster exp than Phinny was at launch.

So, any advice or comments? Thanks in advance!

Solo is going tobe a rough go in classic but if i had to say id guess ranger, but their dps didn't get real good until luclin.

Snare and bow might work well.

Will heal pots be available? Otherwise im just not sure how good you can tank straight up with no slows.

Early on monks are op though.

Because you're solo and you sound more casual mangler tlp is clearly the right choice. You'll fall so far behind so fast on selo.

Ranger if you plan on playing solo.

Mangler so you have a chance to actually enjoy your toon.

Wood Elf, just so you don't have to play blind.

Easy.

Mostly soloed a rogue to 60 on Phinny, with some bursts of grouping 35+ being probably 100x more effective than the solo.

Mostly soloed a monk on Agnarr to 52. Was a better ride than rogue, but still not for the non-committed or the super patient.

Rangers I love and won't play on progression until I have good gear to give them for low levels --a good weapon really, really helps.

Unless faction/questing/roleplay matters to you it is hard to not be Iksar when that is a choice for the class, unless you are going to be getting really good gear (AA and gear even out most advantages, but this happens much sooner for the serious raider than the solo dabbler).


If Phinny releases felt slow to you... play Selos. XP rate will be so high that solo killing lightblues will likely still feel productive. You are soloing... so what others are raiding really shouldn't matter to you.

I'd say go Selo and make a Vah Shir Beastlord. Great starting zones on Luclin and the pet will make a decent tank for you to level up with

I'm going to approach this from a different direction, and advise based on the server you choose:

If you go Selos, I'd run a Half-Elf Ranger. Rangers are much stronger in Luclin, versus prior expansions. Since you're playing limited hours, often solo? The Bazaar will really help gear your Ranger. Groups are going to be farming a lot. Won't be long before you can afford to buy gear, which you couldn't realistically loot on your own, at lower levels.

If you go Mangler, I'd run a Monk. They are tougher than Rangers in early eras, and have higher DPS. Mangler means limited gear, no Bazaar. Yet as a monk, you barely need gear. Your limited time can be spent adventuring, and not sitting in East Commons tunnels. Feign death is a lifesaver. When you do want groups, you'll get them easily.

For soloing both these options are rough because solo exp has been heavily nerfed and these classes are very weak in classic.

Soloing will be very very slow no matter which server you run on,

Monk will become a much better soloer once you can start getting potions, before that you'll have major down time.

Rangers can sorta solo okay in classic with animal fear, and by self healing, but it will be slooooow. Solo exp is sloooow.

In luclin rangers will be the worse soloer at the beginning, and will be the better soloer when you are level 60 with lots of AAs. This will take a long time.

Iksar monk will likely be your easiest option by a lot.

For ranger I would look into the religion based stuff. There are a few things that are religion specific that will be the main choice of your race, I'm not a big ranger player.

For tradeskills, I'd recommend tailoring for either so you can make yourself a set of wu, for ranger blacksmithing, baking, or brewing.

Blacksmithing is only good till like 100, but you could make yourself a bit of plat and a set of banded.

Brewing is very very easy and cheap to level, it allows you to make qeynos afternoon tea, and since you can forage and hunt gryphons really well this might eventually be a great way to make money (i'll buy some!)

Baking is a bit more expensive and annoying, it allows the productionn of picnic baskets, which are a favourite of people everywhere. You will need to kill brownies or buy brownie parts which might be a bit of a pain. You will also need a bit of tailoring and black smithing

Tailoring will allow silk armour, and also bags.

If you are going to go Mangler, given your low playtime and desire to mainly solo, both of your choices are going to make you cry- sorry but thats the truth. You would be infinitely more happy if you 1st made a Mage or Necro and farmed some gear and plat to get ready for Kunark where you could then make a monk and not have to pay to race change later to Iksar.

Rangers cannot solo well pre luclin and AAs unless your idea of fun is killing greens all day because you will not be able to kill much higher solo until you have good gear and you will be LFG for hours trying to get a group as a badly geared Ranger early on.

Selos is a different story as you could run both and with the accelerated XP, you would like it much better and you do not have to worry about keeping up with the server as you would go your own pace. I would still advise you start off with a Mage or Necro to farm some plat and gear for your Monk/Ranger but thats just my own playstyle given your post constraints.

Question - why didnt you like Agnar? your limited playtime would be ideal there?

Have fun either way.

Runes

Not going to raid, and mostly solo? I would strongly consider a beastlord then(assuming you pick selo). You wont be able to solo barely at all on a ranger or monk on mangler at first. There was a change recently that let all pets be able to tank for players, and beastlords get really good pet heals.

Beastlords are probably the most complete solo class now. Druids and chanters will be better when they can utilize charm fully, but beastlords have the least barriers to being able to really effectively solo.

Like others have said, once you get a taste of group exp compared to solo, I doubt you'll have the patience to solo much after that, its horrendously slower. The bonus to group exp is just huge.

Although with selos exp rate, soloing might not be unbearably awful. I wouldn't solo with manglers exp rate though.

Soloing is just not viable on TLPs due to how bad the XP rate is for solo vs grouping with the bonuses you get for group xp. That said, if you really plan on mostly soloing, melee are not really an option as they can't reliably solo after mid 20s or so.

well, Ranger if you only plan on soloing. There is no comparison if your other class choice is Monk.

from my experience trying to solo on TLP its simply not worth it
If you start off early on server getting group takes literally minutes
park your toon outside a dungeon and you should get a group fairly easily
I found most groups are cool with 2 hours play as long as you give them fair warning of leaving

Really, if you intend to just solo it'd be better to just play on FV or Bristlebane where you have lots of bazaar gear.

From what my mind recalled, it was too slow. As in, the type of slow that pushed people to buy exp potions.

Of course, my old woman brain can't remember if it was Agnarr or Phinny that did that.

I have found a nice guild starting on Mangler that fits a lot of what I'm looking for in EQ. I guess, I'm here more for the nostalgia and a trip down memory lane more than anything. So hopefully there are a number of grouping options in the guild when I have time to play.

So, I've had some time to do more of a thinkie, and I will be starting as a DE Necro.

Are there any good Necro sites out there that explain things like reverse kiting (fear kiting) or more in useful macros?

If commited to soloing I would also say to go Ranger.

IF you do go ranger though I strongly encourage either wood elf or Karana deity as it gives you a MUCH easier fletching skill route than other options

Group even if you only have an hour to play, you'll get way more than soloing

Phinny is the one that was brutally slow. And later, Coirnav. Agnarr was actually reasonably fast. Mangler will be faster still.

I'm really torn still between Necro and Ranger. I might just make one of each anyway to have fun and see which 'sticks' with me more. Argh, how do people make such a decision? LOL

I don't know! I feel like I'm never fully decided. I do know that of the two choices you outlined there a necro will allow you to solo as that's always been part of their ability set. A ranger would be fun but a necro can solo way better than a ranger. I'm not up to date on the pet adjustments but necromancers can certainly solo on TLP servers through the main classic era and beyond.