I'm not necessarily a new player, but I do take long breaks at a time. Started off PoP as an SK, then a paladin, then a troub (which was my primary in KA) and can't find a class to my liking, looking at Brig or BST next and wondering which is more preferred at end-game or if I would have any troubles in grouping and hopefully raiding toward the end.
I think your answer or at least the root of the problem lies within your question. You've already tried 3 toons and found none to your liking, so we're left to infer you're not playing them. Rather than ask which toon "is more preferred," start with the basics: 1) look at the different classes (fighters, scouts, healers or casters) and decide which possible class contains a toon that seems to be "you" in temperament. Pick one of the several possibilities within and create a toon and play it. Get a feel for what that toon is supposed to be and do and find out if that resonates. TBH, it doesn't really matter much "which is preferred for grouping and hopefully raiding," because if you don't like playing the toon, you won't be willing to spend the time it takes to get that toon up to speed, much less really understand what the class is about. People in groups want players who know their class, and have put the work into it to make it effective. Don't fall into the trap most of us have seen for years: I want to create a toon that's popular (read FOTM), I'll play it and people will want me in groups, only to discover I really don't like the class nor am I willing to put the time in to get the toon ready to get there and you can't buy your way into group, much less raid. I have yet to hear of a class that's not needed in grouping or raiding; there's an old adage out there that's still correct--"it ain't the class, it's the player behind the class." This may not be the answer you seek, but you may also find you'll be taking a lot less "long breaks at a time" when you actually have a toon that you like to play and it doesn't require you to be in a group or raiding to enjoy logging him/her on and playing for hours.
I will give you an example. I love the Shadowknight class and concept, always have (EQ and EQ2) but I grew up not tanking for others so never developed that mindset. I was fortunate. I fell into 2 guilds on EQ that let me be dps as a SK and loved me for it (if MT died, I was second on the agro list which game time for the OT to grab agro as the boss was killing me), In EQ2, I was with friends from EQ so I didn't need to tank and later when they left the game, I started on AB server and I have a guild there that lets people play how they want (our necro pet tanks on most normal runs). So if you like a class but not like fitting into a mold, you can play your way, but most players wont really understand but you can find a guild that will. However, if you want to be on cutting edge or in a very serious raiding guild, don't go my route. You would never be picked to go as you wouldn't fill your self-chosen role well enough.
well i love my sk too... but really love the beastie more. beasts require a bit more work though over a brig, that whole warder thing, but it's worth it. they're very versatile in groups/raids.
The question is flawed. "Which is preferred most at end-game?" is not really a thing that can be answered. Since, in a vacuum, it'll be whatever the guild you're running wants. In reality, by the time you get a brand new character up to snuff, who knows what the latest FOTM will be? Especially if you routinely take long breaks (I.e. Fall far behind the curve, repeatedly) trying to get a character kitted out will be your main concern. With "What is most preferred?" being bottom of your list of worries... Since, that's generally what people look for past T1's. Someone who can play, who is geared enough for the content. As far as things go, it's better to break things down and try and figure out what might interest you. You mention trying SK/Pally? Why? What drew you to them? Was it being able to tank? Do you wanna Tank? If so, you'll wanna look at a Fighter. But these aren't to your liking? Why? What was it about them you didn't like? Then you tried Troubie and mained it in KA. What did you like about them? What is it that doesn't capture your interest now compared to back in KA? Without the answers to these questions, it's harder to suggest a class to you. Given that pretty much any class can find spots to do things at end game, provided they're played proficiently and are adequately geared. As far as Brig vs BL goes. BL is a DPS, it does T1 DPS. It can also cover a Support/Healer role in def stance by pumping out wards/power like heck (But at the cost of significant amounts of DPS). However, part of the class is a really tedious Epic 1.0 line and the drudgery that is leveling up Warders (Especially since doing so promotes not touching your hard hitting Primals to not insta-gib enemies before you can set up the exp gain...) Brig, fills a DPS role, but trades some raw damage output for the ability to debuff enemy defences. As such, it's kind of the middle-ground between BL/Predator and Dirge. Semi-supporty damage dealer that goes around stabbing things. Both can get groups without much issue, again, provided they're geared. So it really comes down to finding something you personally, enjoy playing. Which only you can really answer. See if any of the things that drew you to the classes you played, are also shared by other classes and try them out (Or research them). Ideally, find out what made you NOT like the classes you tried, so you can see if THOSE are shared by other classes so you can rule them out.
