I disagree strongly. I'd like to see you defend this quote. What in the Sam Hill would make you think this was broken? Charm immune, snare immune, root immune, and summoning break the sandbox game play that made EQ what it was.
No. Immunity problems are related to a lack of AI and replacement mechanics to stop easy to farm mobs that impact group construction as an impediment. Quad kiting takes up a lot of territory, requires specific placement and specific mobs to be selected. The worst example would be the entrance of SSRA or graveyard in Halls of Honor for zone design. Perfect safe spots where people would continually use for quadding. creating problems for trains. Quadding is killing four mobs at once, repetitive game play requiring more territory. Sandbox appeal is one thing, however zone design has to accomodate all players. Creating safety spots dominated in large extent by a solo quadder is wasted territory. This goes for both wizards and druids. The problem with quading: 1. Too much area mass to support for multiple wizards and druids 2. Training 3. Quadding encouraged "camp dominance" where a single person would dominate one camp all day. 4. Players cannot build on things to create a better group and single player experience.
Your point seems to be that it promotes bad gameplay. My definition of broken means game breaking, leading to exploits. However, definitions aside, I still disagree with your points. There are better solutions to the weak scripting in EQ (I’m not going to call it AI). You want to stop quadding? Spawn them in pairs, make them social, add roamers. As for your points below; Quadding uses too much territory? Try running across the Karana’s or Blightfire. With modern zone populations this is a non-issue. A single character monopolizing camps? It’s happened since day one. Bring a group and compete with them for spawns. Repetitive gameplay? The entire game is that way. Chain pulling with a good tank+healer+dps is repetitive. Reverse charm, DoT kiting, root rotting, swarming, farming etc. I don't understand your training comment. IMO your two examples are edge cases. I spent way too much time in Ssra and HoH. Those were minor inconveniences at worst. There are no perfect safe spots out in the wild of EQ. Dealing with someone who has taken the time to learn how to quad kite the entrance of Ssra is part of the EQ game. Adding immunities removes tool kits, making ad-hoc groups harder to form. Ranger/necro/SK can’t snare kite for emergency cc. Paladin/cleric/shaman can’t root-park one to help break a camp. Enchanters using charm in group for dps or even tank. Sandbox gameplay.
Personally - This was a very fun aspect of playing a druid -- in a mismatched group way back in the day. I remember first being shown how to quad kite during velious - and fondly remember quading in plane of fire at picknic tables with guildies. It should be a valid option to gain experience - I can respect it not being a method to gain "group gear" . Make an instance that can be accessed as a solo / molo / group player which just has exp mobs /shrug. That would remove the majority of concerns - and it would be nice to feel productive while waiting for a others to be ready to form a group - possibly have some tradeskill drops would be nice (as much of my kitting past was farming for ts's =p Wyverns anyone?). Just my 2 cp - bring back some of the "fun" self sufficient content for all classes. - ie bit of undead manageable by clerics / pallies ect. the exp is slower of course than group but some exp by yourself is appealing over sitting on your thumbs waiting.
I think the fact is every class is able to solo something their level up til 70-ish / 75. Anything higher a higher level merc is less suggestive and moreso a requirement, as with EQ2's necessity to sub for a merc. Albeit, there are places you can easily solo certain specific mobs as their level remains same as zone, but HP and damage are significant reduced. However, there are zones for all levels up til Beasts Domain where snaring and non-summoning mobs are. Additionally, the DH tasks have a majority or non-summoning, snarable mobs. I tend to think the more known each xpac becomes, more specific mobs will be shown to light that they're kiteable... Unless someone is out there snaring and DoTing each and every mob and noting such on ZAM, or wherever, it will remain as unknown as it is now. I aggro-kited up til HoT courtyard. Even Beasts Domain, I'd root rot for the ease. The 'ease' of kiting is gone, but you can still kite places like BD at 105.... You can probably still kite DH tasks.... So you tell me.
Most of the Plane of Health can be root-rotted or pet tanked at max spell range. The mobs don't have range focus masks like players do, so there's a gap where you can cast on them but they can't cast on you.
