Get back to the origins of this game PLEASE

We don't need to be equal, or the same. The origins of EQ2 had classes filling different niches that would all have a place. The illy was the mage group and single target chanter. Coercer was the AOE and had better buffs in a melee/ tank group. We now have monks pwnig all, no place for a bruiser. Illy giving better buffs AND out DPSing coercers pound for pound for any group. The Inquis. was supposed to be the better DPS, as was the fury, now both are sitting on the sidelines while the warden and Templars beat them on both parses.

We don't need a balancing or an equalization. We need to go back to each class having a place to shine, and good raid set ups having almost every class with a niche to contribute. Illy troub fury, mages..Tank , coercer, dirge. And whats with all the chain healers being at the bottom now? Just seems to be too much focus on the class of the month.. and the month has turned into years.

Templars dps'ing? What in the world!

I agree that class balancing should not mean class equalization. If anything classes should be more distinct not less distinct than they are now.

I will note the obvious - ascension has made the classes much more similar and has greatly undercut the relevance of most class abilities. When your top 5 or more damage abilities are ascension, for example, it hardly makes a difference what you do with your class damage abilities unless your focus in marginal increases in how you parse. Improvements in ascension abilities are far more important that improvements in class abilities for many classes.

I wholeheartedly agree. And I'm a bit worried about Kandor talking in his pod casts about "class balance". I'd rather see a larger imbalance where "classes" of a special type are needed more than just any scout will do or any healer will do or any tank is fine.... Make Classes Matter!

I'm just curious how you can even balance classes....

with Ascension classes bolted on top of them. Let alone without "breaking" a ton of things because of how the code base has changed over so many years. And does balance mean scout stealth attacks will work again? Or perhaps we'll get a stealth Ascension?

I can't blame the OP for asking/hoping, but my honest response: It wont happen.

The last time Devs talked about class balancing, I believe it was touted as something that would tie in with an expansion, but was unceremoniously dropped on the down-low in a manner that appears they hoped players would not notice.

It is my opinion that class balance fell by the wayside years before the situation referenced above. With a constantly shrinking team, a reduction in meaningful player interaction, and a Dev team that I believe barely plays this game (if at all), something has to give. Hoping for class balance is no longer viable.

EQ2 no longer has the resources that would be required to make classes unique, while maintaining a healthy game balance. I am absolutely NOT making excuses for them, just being realistic. For many years, any time there have been changes to a class, it appears to be made by someone who does not have enough understanding this game as a whole to warrant being entrusted to make design choices.

According to the podcasts balancing and AA changes are acoming.

The game needs balance, but your assessment of current meta is completely off base. Furies and Inqs are amazing right now. Monks are pretty ridiculous in terms of their dps and utility, but there's zero chance they're beating a good BL/Sin/maybe wiz?

Also, chain healers at the bottom of what? Heals? DPS? That was completely unclear, but if heals, LOL.

IDK who you are, what your experience is, but none of what you've said is what people are seeing in the top end.

LOL, Right? I mean, where did this happen? Pictures or it's lies!

Templar hammer used to be so OP they could do more DPS than rogues.

It is what they said.

Yeah, but this isn't the first, and unlikely to be the last time such statements are made by Devs about balance changes.

The lesson from history is to only believe it when it when it actually happens. And if something (big or small) actually happens, the outcome may be nothing like one would hope.

Bruisers have *NEVER* had their own defining traits. Oh sure, On paper, they're supposed to hit harder with their combat arts and they have a lot of stuns, but they straight up never had the utility that monks have always had that gives them superior tanking abilities. Last time I saw a bruiser find a good place with tanking heroic content was the 3rd expansion, Kingdom of Sky, and EVEN THEN they were having what insignificant defining traits they had being taken away by the game's content.

But seriously though, the stat bloat from 15 years of content is making it extremely hard to put everyone back on a relatively level playing field without forcing everyone to focus on a great equalizer like resolve and potency.

Yes...I'm dreading the next attempt at class balance. I'll say it here and now. The game will never balance the classes to everyone's satisfaction. When the next attempt goes through? These forums will go nuts....as usual.

Wisdom

Raided last night again. Seriously ready to quit. what? Wait? They are going to "help balance some classes"?
Yea, the check is in the mail again, whatever. 1 more EQ2 player will be leaving, and this time I won't ante up ever again.

Coercer was the class for talented players wanting to make a difference. Help a tank hold agro, the DPS not grab agro, Mob control when your tank pulled the room. Snaps.. MAN a good coercer was that oil to make a fail group or raid actually pull off the zone.

Now, none of this matters, even if it is something they didn't make barely work on half the mobs, or break completely.. Mezzing, crowd control and agro control are nothing a raid or group needs anymore... AND we HAVE NO DPS.

Everyone knows good coercer bringing down some DPS... but not as coercers, it is ascensions. And this isn't just about the lack of DPS, is the lack of utility from what was the absolute in utility.

Did some Dev get pissed at a coercer troll?
WTF happened to this class that someone who played this class since launch, wants to just quit playing completely?

Not sure when it happened - but DPS rules all now. Doesn't what class you are, whether you get to tank or heal or support in a group or raid - it comes down to what DPS can you do, or are pushed to do, to be considered worth having in the group or raid.

So this expansion, it is about Potency, DPS Mod, MultiAttack, Weapon Damage Mod, Ability DC.

Everyone wants Ability Mod to convert to DPS or MA.

Of course, this being the case, little mage/priest gear has ADC or Ability Mod, and same is true for tank gear.

Near as I can tell, most folks going to raise DPS Mod, 5 or 6K, and now everyone is a peudo-DPS.

Agree....these days, we look for players in our raids & heroic groups that can fill their class roles AND dps. End game mobs and bosses have such high HP that everyone needs to contribute to the dps pool.

I feel at times that I am dps that just doesn't die much.

It's important to remember that Ascensions aren't all that and a bag of chips. They are slow to cast, and depending on what level your profession spells and Ascensions are, chances are good that you have several profession abilities that do more DPS than a slow Ascension. Yes, Ascensions have a role, but if all you are casting is Ascensions you probably aren't getting the most out of your toon.