Posted this on vet boards, but people seem to think I should post it here since I'm playing on TLP, so reporting... For years I have gravitated toward tank/healer box before mercs. After mercs came out I played a so solo. I am playing on the TLP now where I find boxing tedious and unenjoyable. Instead of constant screen flipping and clicking, I want to be able of chill on one screen, and perhaps even socialize while grouping. I want to be a toon that is highly desired in tough spots and packed dungeon camps, but be able to solo on occasion...so enchanter? Never played one, though I did play a ceric once so I don't mind sitting around. Is charm soloing productive at all for times where I don't have time for long groups?
Enchanters are pretty fun to play. I have an enchanter on Ragefire and anytime I go LFG I have a group within 5 minutes. So you shouldn't have to much trouble. People want there crack after all. Also charm soloing is productive. I can charms frog in lguk and solo very easily. Sometimes it'll last full duration sometimes it'll break over and over, if that happens I tend to find a new pet soon. Just be sure you're using Rune when soloing, it's a life saver and I'd avoid hasting the charm pet as well when soling because that can be a tad dangerous if you're not careful.
Enchanters are really really fun, and unique in the MMO world. There really isn't another MMO class like the EQ chanter. They are certainly a class that you have to pay attention on. You can be pretty lazy and play a dps class, but you really have to have your stuff together to play a chanter well, and you have to always be paying attention. That's both good and bad. It makes the game more interesting, but it's also more tiring, in much the same way boxing is tiring, there is almost always something to be paying attention to. Charm soloing, even with a boxed healer, can get really tedious. The constant breaking of charm, the inherent low mana pools and hit points of early EQ can make this more trouble than it's worth. Doable, and fun to a point, but over the long haul takes a lot of energy. The problem I have with chanters as a long term character, is how highly variable they are depending on expansion. They are *really* really good up through PoP, so there's quite a bit of game play there to be had. You'll certainly be able to get groups on one. I rarely wait more than 5 minutes once I put LFG on. If you've never played a chanter, it's certainly worth giving it a shot to see if it clicks with you. I love playing chanters and always have, but they can be 'tedious' at times. If chanter doesn't sound like your thing, I'd suggest a shaman. It actually meets all your criteria, and they are god like most of the time, and never worse than very good, in any expansion. You can solo stuff on a shaman that you really can't do with anything else, especially in Kunark and Velious.
Even in a group you will rarely sit around. Take over pulling and control the pace. Good chanters are like bards, always a mob in camp with one or more standing by debuffed and ready to be tanked when present mob dies.
Sadly mana regen doesn't permit the most efficient pulling/slowing/mezzing/haste and charm working pace in this era though, luckily by time we start seeing group cast mana regen spells and theft of thought its pretty effective though, making the need to sit pretty moot most times.
http://westkarana.com/index.php/2008/09/19/eq-the-quon-explains-your-class-to-you/ Enchanter – I suggest that SOE make chanters start out at level 60 with KEI already memmed in their spellbooks. Prior to lvl 60 your only duty is to wear a skirt and look pretty. Even after 60 there is no need for you to be in a group, just cast KEI on us and beat it, go make some earrings or sit in the corner and whine about being useless. Maybe if your nukes had more punch than a snowball in summer I’d let you group with me, or if your pet could find it’s own with a map and a ranger tracking for it. No , those animations should come with head gear and a Power Ranger backpack. Lastly, If you are a male and playing an enchanter delete that pansie toon right now, WTF were you thinking? All the Charisma points in the world won’t make me like these asshats. The Quon’s general heal strategy for enchanters: None. It’s like trying to grab a piece of toilet paper as it’s swirling down the Crappa. If they can’t “bedazzle” their way out of trouble then pfuck ’em and their short bus pets.
Wait....what? No reason to be in a group? I've been in several groups in Lower Guk just the past few days, where our chanter not only SAVED THE DAY multiple times, but made pulling and killing a grand old time. If we did not have that chanter, we would be running back from our bind points repeatedly. We were killing, and killing fast, all due to the chanter. I have never considered playing one, but after what I have seen, I just might. They are OP in groups.
I doubt the poster providing the quote believes what was being said it was likely him joking, since no Enchanter looking to do DPS past level 11 uses an Animation if they have a group healer and charmable pet available. That and the fact that a good chanter lining up all the pretty targets with mezzes to be killed one by one means a puller if its not the enchanter can spend their time non stop feeding meat to the exp grinder.
