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POLL: What do you think of Mercenaries?Follow
48 posts
Excellent addition, especially for solo players. I've been in several groups with merc healers and it's been great! Don't have Seeds yet, so I don't have my own, but I will soon!. A group where every group member has a healer merc would be interesting too.. especially if they are all melee types.
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I've recently returned to the game (kill me now, please). I have a new level 33 mage who *loves* her tanky mercenary.
If cost is a problem, get into a rhythm of suspending the mercenary for five minutes while you med. (Just be sure to un-suspend her before you get into combat, of course.) You can also choose to suspend her while you travel through safe areas.
With the cash and sellables I'm not having a problem with money so far, even leveling baking and research at the same time. The kills are so much faster it all seems to even out.
AT this rate I may have to see what my 70 druid can accomplish with a tank. Or maybe I'll level that bard I've always wanted with a healer backup. Hmm.
If cost is a problem, get into a rhythm of suspending the mercenary for five minutes while you med. (Just be sure to un-suspend her before you get into combat, of course.) You can also choose to suspend her while you travel through safe areas.
With the cash and sellables I'm not having a problem with money so far, even leveling baking and research at the same time. The kills are so much faster it all seems to even out.
AT this rate I may have to see what my 70 druid can accomplish with a tank. Or maybe I'll level that bard I've always wanted with a healer backup. Hmm.
A lvl 70 tank isn't going to get you to far w/o progression. Expect to be doing alot of healing and waiting for mana to regen.
Edited, Jun 11th 2009 10:33am by Boomsticker
Quote:
Excellent addition, especially for solo players. I've been in several groups with merc healers and it's been great! Don't have Seeds yet, so I don't have my own, but I will soon!. A group where every group member has a healer merc would be interesting too.. especially if they are all melee types.
The healers really shine as far a mercs go but they are not to smart. Get up into the mobs that hit for 3k+ and you really need to watch how you pull as those stupid clerics will sit there trying to heal themselves instead of moving out of the frigging way. LOL.
Edited, Jun 11th 2009 10:40am by Boomsticker
My first toon was a Wizard and I had a very hard time finding groups, so I did some research and saw that Clerics were really needed and it would be easier to find a group. After mercs were introduced, I have had a very difficult time finding groups for my lvl 82 cleric. So I started creating a box account to duo, and have been using the merc healer. But I think mercs have limited my chances of finding groups to do sod progression/higher tier content.
I think it seems that no one needs cleric for groups is not the problem. With two boxing + and that player able to use merchs. The average one account player is not needed. What I am saying it is not the cleric it is the lack of groups. Seems to be the trend for SoE either Raids or solo? Sad for me because this game was based on the internet, grouping with others and in general interaction with another human even though it was through virtual puppets..now that doesn't even happen. Thank god for the PvP server, at least there is interaction, be it negitive, but action. lol
Come visit my housing creations 20+ in Cedar Country Meadows, ZEK.
Vinney wrote:
I think it seems that no one needs cleric for groups is not the problem. With two boxing + and that player able to use merchs. The average one account player is not needed. What I am saying it is not the cleric it is the lack of groups. Seems to be the trend for SoE either Raids or solo? Sad for me because this game was based on the internet, grouping with others and in general interaction with another human even though it was through virtual puppets..now that doesn't even happen. Thank god for the PvP server, at least there is interaction, be it negitive, but action. lol
It was because of the lack of clerics and/or their willingness to group with people that forced SOE to bring out mercs knowing that the SOD expansion was going to get into heavy group content. Or maybe it had become a general opinion of groups that many clerics were poor players in live groups, speaking of the boxed clerics - which you can spot a mile away coming at you.
Groups just couldn't get through the expansion without clerics and tanks and there was a lack of both at times. By you saying that clerics in a group are not a problem now tells me SOE solved that problem and ensured that the SOD expansion was not a failure. Personally I think they should open up a limited number of spaces in raids for mercs. When a guild can get 26 toons out on a raid and only 1 half healer, tells me there is a problem with the class of healer.
We could start another thread about faction updates on healers with great casting subtlety and how it is unfair on them to be left out. I have never played a cleric, nor do i desire to do so. There is nothing that would motivate me to sit on a horse and cast a few heal spells over and over and over and over....... sigh.
Definately, mercs saved EQ. Bottom line they were a great addition to EQ. Now SOE needs to go back and fix what was broken with clerics to begin with. Ask themselves "What made this class (clerics) become extinct?"
Clerics are waaaaay more than sit on horse and cast heal....
But that is the perception, which may be why people don't play clerics. I have 3 clerics on 3 different servers, and they are still my favorite class. I can solo, obviously I am good in groups...
Just like enchanters...fun class to play, but not so many of them because the perception of them is that they are hard or boring classes... I am looking forward to the new server just so I can play a chanter ( I hate chasing spells to 50, but that is another subject)
And I too love the mercs. Given me a chance to play classes ( like a rogue) that I wouldn't have been patient enough to solo.
I don't think the cleric class is broken...and at least for my clerics, the mercs have not hurt my clerics getting groups.
But that is the perception, which may be why people don't play clerics. I have 3 clerics on 3 different servers, and they are still my favorite class. I can solo, obviously I am good in groups...
Just like enchanters...fun class to play, but not so many of them because the perception of them is that they are hard or boring classes... I am looking forward to the new server just so I can play a chanter ( I hate chasing spells to 50, but that is another subject)
And I too love the mercs. Given me a chance to play classes ( like a rogue) that I wouldn't have been patient enough to solo.
I don't think the cleric class is broken...and at least for my clerics, the mercs have not hurt my clerics getting groups.
Game changer, groups nonexistant anymore :P
Graeme Faelban, 125 Barbarian Shaman, Erollisi Marr
<Phoenix Ascending>
<Phoenix Ascending>
Hadn't planned on it, but not too long after mercs came out I stopped playing my cleric which was my main, now I'm not playing at all. Just my nickel's worth.
30 posts
I use them i enjoy them and im glad they were introduced but they are not the best thing ever to come to EQ first and foremost this game was founded on playing with others and i much more enjoy a player controlled character than a computer controlled. In those times i cant find a group and sadly thats more often nowdays i do frequently use the merc and i think it was a great idea to help those who are frustrated and tired of relentless hours seeking groups to no avail so my opinion is i enjoy the utility but it does not replace a good group of guildys or even the occasional decent pickup group.
i solo with my healer npc, as an 85 rng with 32k+hps i like it as a no brainer, and someone pointed out that npc could grab hate when puller comes and gets best HoT. npc has never been hit when i pull, mob comes to her with me, already snared, double dotted, nuked maybe 3 times, and taking archery damage before i melee. not many things will grab hate then. when i pull 2 gators in loping, they still wont go her. and as for mana use she is hardly below 90%
99 NIN/DNC/WAR/MNK/SAM/BST/WHM/RDM
70 BLM/RNG
70 BLM/RNG
Quote:
i solo with my healer npc
I read "molo" somewhere and hope it sticks. It's so goofy like "lol" "afk" and "bio" but it works.
So yes, I molo my Monk.
After 16 years, I'm not listing every friggin character.
The up and down zones that used to be almost impossible to find the mobs we were fighting can now be found with the tank merc and no more dying to the cleric's taking a bio break. I like it. Only bad thing: not enough clerics coming up
13 posts
Quote:
Now SOE needs to go back and fix what was broken with clerics to begin with. Ask themselves "What made this class (clerics) become extinct?"
Clerics are almost extinct as a direct result of mercs...
They need nerfing, plain and simple.
You can think there was a severe lack of Clerics before mercs all you like, but that's simply not true... not even close to the situation today anyway.
If anyones class defining ability was given to some other class there would be hell to pay.
Yet people can't understand why Clerics have either quit or main changed... their ENTIRE cleric package was given to a robot for hire!
Seems to me most all the healers in groups before mercs were druids with so few clerics around. Even when there were clerics around you were dependent on them staying on a while and not logging off after a half hour leaving the group with no healer.
Bottom line is clerics are just one class of many. Just because they can be replaced doesn't mean they won't ever get to play. They just have to join the ranks of people LFG along with the rest of us. And just like the rest of us if the cleric gets rude or demanding you tell them to hit the road and pop your merc.
So I think it has only balanced the cleric class out in the end.
Bottom line is clerics are just one class of many. Just because they can be replaced doesn't mean they won't ever get to play. They just have to join the ranks of people LFG along with the rest of us. And just like the rest of us if the cleric gets rude or demanding you tell them to hit the road and pop your merc.
So I think it has only balanced the cleric class out in the end.
11 posts
i didn't read through all of the posts, and i do not have SoD or a merc, but from where i stand it seems the mercs are most of the problem with not being able to find a group. Who needs to group when they have a merc? there have always been solo classes but now everyone can solo. i think mercs have taken alot out of the game for those of us who played in order to group. its not much different than an Xbox game now.
Tanolen Halfelvin
Gone but not forgotten
Originally of Terris-Thule
Veteran of Kunark
Tanolen Halfelvin
Gone but not forgotten
Originally of Terris-Thule
Veteran of Kunark
mercs lol
anotehr nail int he lets dumb down eq for kiddy cake walk coffin
no decent player everr needed them
so what if the game is harder without them and more of a challenge thats a good thing
this game used to be about challenge and fera of death
now its just OP Monty Hall cake walk.
bring back golden age classic eq, when evil's were so arae and monty hall iksar were not even existing /.cheer
anotehr nail int he lets dumb down eq for kiddy cake walk coffin
no decent player everr needed them
so what if the game is harder without them and more of a challenge thats a good thing
this game used to be about challenge and fera of death
now its just OP Monty Hall cake walk.
bring back golden age classic eq, when evil's were so arae and monty hall iksar were not even existing /.cheer
Scholar
41 posts
One thing that people has to remember with the healer merc is it contributes zero dps. (ok maybe a little if you hit it with a dmg shield). A well played cleric can throw the odd nuke or stun, even swing a weapon and still manage its mana, buffing and healing duties, not to mention giving some utility spells.
I have been in the ridiculous situation of a party wipe watching as the cleric merc gets beat down with one mob remaining that is a low on health where one or two good nukes would finish it off and the merc could rez the party. Instead it would just stand there and heal itself until its mana is exhausted, and eventually dies. Could it not swing its weapon once in awhile ? I know some will say, if you want that, get a tank merc, but the point is, it doesn't come anywhere close to what even an average cleric is capable of. Doesn't root, stun, no DA, nothing.
I suspect many of the players prefering a merc probably grouped with clerics being boxed as a 2nd or 3rd character. As a "Heal Only" class, it isn't much fun, but this only if you want to box yourself inside these confines. The other reason, as already mentioned, is the anti-social crowd that was already 2, 3 and sometimes 4 boxing before mercs were introduced, and had no intention of grouping with or without the mercs introduction. The mercs to them are just a further incentive, never to leave their cocoon.
I have been in the ridiculous situation of a party wipe watching as the cleric merc gets beat down with one mob remaining that is a low on health where one or two good nukes would finish it off and the merc could rez the party. Instead it would just stand there and heal itself until its mana is exhausted, and eventually dies. Could it not swing its weapon once in awhile ? I know some will say, if you want that, get a tank merc, but the point is, it doesn't come anywhere close to what even an average cleric is capable of. Doesn't root, stun, no DA, nothing.
I suspect many of the players prefering a merc probably grouped with clerics being boxed as a 2nd or 3rd character. As a "Heal Only" class, it isn't much fun, but this only if you want to box yourself inside these confines. The other reason, as already mentioned, is the anti-social crowd that was already 2, 3 and sometimes 4 boxing before mercs were introduced, and had no intention of grouping with or without the mercs introduction. The mercs to them are just a further incentive, never to leave their cocoon.
Nickalispicalis wrote:
One thing that people has to remember with the healer merc is it contributes zero dps. (ok maybe a little if you hit it with a dmg shield). A well played cleric can throw the odd nuke or stun, even swing a weapon and still manage its mana, buffing and healing duties, not to mention giving some utility spells.
I have been in the ridiculous situation of a party wipe watching as the cleric merc gets beat down with one mob remaining that is a low on health where one or two good nukes would finish it off and the merc could rez the party. Instead it would just stand there and heal itself until its mana is exhausted, and eventually dies. Could it not swing its weapon once in awhile ? I know some will say, if you want that, get a tank merc, but the point is, it doesn't come anywhere close to what even an average cleric is capable of. Doesn't root, stun, no DA, nothing.
I suspect many of the players prefering a merc probably grouped with clerics being boxed as a 2nd or 3rd character. As a "Heal Only" class, it isn't much fun, but this only if you want to box yourself inside these confines. The other reason, as already mentioned, is the anti-social crowd that was already 2, 3 and sometimes 4 boxing before mercs were introduced, and had no intention of grouping with or without the mercs introduction. The mercs to them are just a further incentive, never to leave their cocoon.
I have been in the ridiculous situation of a party wipe watching as the cleric merc gets beat down with one mob remaining that is a low on health where one or two good nukes would finish it off and the merc could rez the party. Instead it would just stand there and heal itself until its mana is exhausted, and eventually dies. Could it not swing its weapon once in awhile ? I know some will say, if you want that, get a tank merc, but the point is, it doesn't come anywhere close to what even an average cleric is capable of. Doesn't root, stun, no DA, nothing.
I suspect many of the players prefering a merc probably grouped with clerics being boxed as a 2nd or 3rd character. As a "Heal Only" class, it isn't much fun, but this only if you want to box yourself inside these confines. The other reason, as already mentioned, is the anti-social crowd that was already 2, 3 and sometimes 4 boxing before mercs were introduced, and had no intention of grouping with or without the mercs introduction. The mercs to them are just a further incentive, never to leave their cocoon.
Quoted for truth.
----
Others have posted about clerics being the highest % class of the population for years (with a significant decline in the last year). In that thread there was lots of argument about the precision of the data... but some truths can be surmised:
-many boxed a cleric before mercs.
-many box a dps or slower instead of a cleric now and have cleric merc(s)
-single-account folks that aren't solo casuals or raiders aren't likely to find levelling a cleric efficient or pleasurable in large numbers. It's way better than it used to be, but still not what is likely to hold that kind of player in.
-raid clerics generally play with their raid guilds, so they don't join the casual grouping pool.
-most characters under level 70 are alts. People tend to twink and toy with alts and abandon them at the first sign of tedium.
Quote:
-most characters under level 70 are alts. People tend to twink and toy with alts and abandon them at the first sign of tedium.
Man, is that the real truth! Have to plead guilty there! But it's part of the fun, eh?
Sippin 115 DRU **** Firiona Vie ****Agnarr
FV: 115 WAR ENC CLE MAG WIZ SHD SHM Master Alchemist ROG Master Tinkerer & Poison-Maker
Master Artisan (300+) * Baker * Brewer * Fletcher * Jeweler * Potter * Researcher * Smith * Tailor
Agnarr: 65 DRU ENC SHD MAG CLE ROG WIZ BRD WAR
FV: 115 WAR ENC CLE MAG WIZ SHD SHM Master Alchemist ROG Master Tinkerer & Poison-Maker
Master Artisan (300+) * Baker * Brewer * Fletcher * Jeweler * Potter * Researcher * Smith * Tailor
Agnarr: 65 DRU ENC SHD MAG CLE ROG WIZ BRD WAR
My new 3-box is war/necro/shaman with mercs healer/tank/tank respectively. For this run I went to a new server with zero plat and started out with nothing. Got them up to lvl 77 now just soloing the 6pack and its been quite an eye opener.
First off, I am seriously thinking of scrapping the war and replacing him with a monk. Reason being, the two tanks tank better than him, have more HP, use all the disciplines, hold aggro better, do more dps, take less healing, have more AC, on and on. Since I dont believe in sitting at a lvl and earning AA's, all three toons have less than 50aa between them. The war has the least because hes been leader earning leader aa's.
Wearing only loot that I looted myself, mostly a miss-mash of defiant armors and defiant hotzone quest rewards, the casters do their job just fine. But the war is a paper tank almost. Elegant Defiant armors dont have enough armor class and he doesnt have enough aa's to take a beating. I havent found enough augs to pump up his armor class enough to make any difference. I did finish the Jonas Dagmire hand aug for all three (went from lvl 68-74 doing that) but its just icing for the nonexistant cake of the warrior.
So even with all the updated drops of defiant armors and defiant hot zone quests armors on my war, the tank mercs are doing a much better job of tanking. When others ask to join my group, I have had to weigh the likely hood of my war having to tank a mob and consider that against dropping one of the two tank mercs. With a monk toon he could do way more dps and not be needed to tank anyway.
As for loots, its been great just scooping up everything and every drop and every quest item. No need to share any or wrestle with the stupid and unfair NPG loot distribution. I just loot it all and use what I need and sell the rest in bazaar or to a vendor. Camping named has not been my style but I for sure would not want to invite others to a PUG with the possibility of them getting the loot from a named I was camping. So the argument of not wanting to replace mercs with players because they would want loot is sort of a valid one. If there was a drop I was camping for, I would go ahead and invite players to replace mercs but only on the condition that I get the drop I wanted. I was there first, it was my camp, I was planning on getting the loot, and now they want to join my group with the possibility of getting the loot also? I dont think so. This actually happened when I let a cleric join my team at around lvl 40 or so and a defiant aug dropped from a trash mob that I wanted but the dude said he wanted to roll on it. He won it and I never saw another one drop.
For normal exp group its fine because loot doesnt matter much. For sure, when that 25AC Star aug dropped in Valdeholm the other day, I was glad that there were no other players in my group wanting to roll on it. I just picked which toon needed it the most and then just looted it.
I know this attitude is crappy and I admit to being greedy some times. But when the only gear I am wearing is the stuff I am looting off the mobs I am killing, then I feel that me dropping a merc to allow someone to join me doesnt mean that I am allowing them to take loot. Since its my camp spot, my mobs I am killing, and I was going to do fine without other players, then what incentive has there been to add other players?
Now this has worked against me exactly in the same way also in Valdeholm. A guy was two boxing with two mercs and claiming the entire pit as his own. He would occasionally call out rotting loot, mostly the wrong powersources, but wouldnt allow any other players to join him or pull mobs from the pit. If we had no mercs, it would be him with two toons and me with three and we could have done well together but would have to share loot.
When I started playing EQ in Dec 99 loot was a huge huge issue. People stole loot, cheated for loot, hoarded loot, and got amazingly offensive when it came to loot and loot rights. Heck, even the named "Narindi the wretched" in the last event of the coldain 10 ring war was named after a real player who was the worst loot hoar I know of in the history of EQ prior to that expansion.
Mercs have solved the loot issues by never needing any. Just give them their few plats every once in a while and they are happy. No needing to buy new weapons. No needing to go get spells, no needing to upgrade armors or aa's, no needing to take breaks or leave the group early or immediatly after they won a roll for some loot item. ("thanks for the loot, gotta go, laters ppl, good luck finding another healer")
I have been in literally thousands of PUGs over the past 10 years and loot has always always been an issue in some way. People taking too many trash drops, people taking too many gems/diamonds, people wanting to NBG something and not rolling for it, people saying that they had dibs on an item if it dropped when all six of us were from different guilds, etc. Simply avoiding all the loot issues is a huge benefit of boxing with mercs. I always hated having to deal with loot and peoples attitudes about who they think should get it for whatever stupid reason they say. NBG being the worst of all the stupid reasons ever.
Mercs never say "NBG, NBG, I am wearing this crap or that crap so I get the loot, who cares about what you want or need, NBG is the rule, I get the loot, mine, mine, mine"
First off, I am seriously thinking of scrapping the war and replacing him with a monk. Reason being, the two tanks tank better than him, have more HP, use all the disciplines, hold aggro better, do more dps, take less healing, have more AC, on and on. Since I dont believe in sitting at a lvl and earning AA's, all three toons have less than 50aa between them. The war has the least because hes been leader earning leader aa's.
Wearing only loot that I looted myself, mostly a miss-mash of defiant armors and defiant hotzone quest rewards, the casters do their job just fine. But the war is a paper tank almost. Elegant Defiant armors dont have enough armor class and he doesnt have enough aa's to take a beating. I havent found enough augs to pump up his armor class enough to make any difference. I did finish the Jonas Dagmire hand aug for all three (went from lvl 68-74 doing that) but its just icing for the nonexistant cake of the warrior.
So even with all the updated drops of defiant armors and defiant hot zone quests armors on my war, the tank mercs are doing a much better job of tanking. When others ask to join my group, I have had to weigh the likely hood of my war having to tank a mob and consider that against dropping one of the two tank mercs. With a monk toon he could do way more dps and not be needed to tank anyway.
As for loots, its been great just scooping up everything and every drop and every quest item. No need to share any or wrestle with the stupid and unfair NPG loot distribution. I just loot it all and use what I need and sell the rest in bazaar or to a vendor. Camping named has not been my style but I for sure would not want to invite others to a PUG with the possibility of them getting the loot from a named I was camping. So the argument of not wanting to replace mercs with players because they would want loot is sort of a valid one. If there was a drop I was camping for, I would go ahead and invite players to replace mercs but only on the condition that I get the drop I wanted. I was there first, it was my camp, I was planning on getting the loot, and now they want to join my group with the possibility of getting the loot also? I dont think so. This actually happened when I let a cleric join my team at around lvl 40 or so and a defiant aug dropped from a trash mob that I wanted but the dude said he wanted to roll on it. He won it and I never saw another one drop.
For normal exp group its fine because loot doesnt matter much. For sure, when that 25AC Star aug dropped in Valdeholm the other day, I was glad that there were no other players in my group wanting to roll on it. I just picked which toon needed it the most and then just looted it.
I know this attitude is crappy and I admit to being greedy some times. But when the only gear I am wearing is the stuff I am looting off the mobs I am killing, then I feel that me dropping a merc to allow someone to join me doesnt mean that I am allowing them to take loot. Since its my camp spot, my mobs I am killing, and I was going to do fine without other players, then what incentive has there been to add other players?
Now this has worked against me exactly in the same way also in Valdeholm. A guy was two boxing with two mercs and claiming the entire pit as his own. He would occasionally call out rotting loot, mostly the wrong powersources, but wouldnt allow any other players to join him or pull mobs from the pit. If we had no mercs, it would be him with two toons and me with three and we could have done well together but would have to share loot.
When I started playing EQ in Dec 99 loot was a huge huge issue. People stole loot, cheated for loot, hoarded loot, and got amazingly offensive when it came to loot and loot rights. Heck, even the named "Narindi the wretched" in the last event of the coldain 10 ring war was named after a real player who was the worst loot hoar I know of in the history of EQ prior to that expansion.
Mercs have solved the loot issues by never needing any. Just give them their few plats every once in a while and they are happy. No needing to buy new weapons. No needing to go get spells, no needing to upgrade armors or aa's, no needing to take breaks or leave the group early or immediatly after they won a roll for some loot item. ("thanks for the loot, gotta go, laters ppl, good luck finding another healer")
I have been in literally thousands of PUGs over the past 10 years and loot has always always been an issue in some way. People taking too many trash drops, people taking too many gems/diamonds, people wanting to NBG something and not rolling for it, people saying that they had dibs on an item if it dropped when all six of us were from different guilds, etc. Simply avoiding all the loot issues is a huge benefit of boxing with mercs. I always hated having to deal with loot and peoples attitudes about who they think should get it for whatever stupid reason they say. NBG being the worst of all the stupid reasons ever.
Mercs never say "NBG, NBG, I am wearing this crap or that crap so I get the loot, who cares about what you want or need, NBG is the rule, I get the loot, mine, mine, mine"
I was just thinking about how odd it is that I have three lvl 77 iksar toons that have never ever even set foot on the entire continent of Kunark, not to mention never going to Cabilis. Tutorial, Cresent Reach, hotzones, POK, mercs, all pushed my new server test to other zones instead. Leveled from 1-77 in just a few choice zones. Probably just 12 or so zones in total.
Kirbyramz post was an interesting read (longish so I won't quote it).
My thoughts on mercs are sort of mixed. On one hand I won't buy SoD since I have no need for that content yet and no desire to use a merc. I'm taking advantage of the Mayong level/skill/gear headstart but really that's something I could match with 2 weeks of casual effort and my bankroll on my old server.
I am enjoying the challenge of being a decently geared, poor in plat and usually buffless monk trying to solo. It's helping me learn a class that I never took past level 15ish before.
On the other hand, my regular grouping partners came back to EQ in part because of mercs (and Mayong) and quickly upped their accounts to have access. When I am with them we are a 5-some (not sure if that is subliminal pressure for me to get a merc or what) unless the encounter is so trivial and they suspend the mercs.
They don't really want a 6th person in the group --and likely for a lot of the reasons Kirbyramz discussed. Truth be told we handle things very well (Bard with merc cleric, druid with merc tank and my monk)so it's not like we need some new/other person in there.
But therin lies the debate that will rage on for some time: Mercs let lots of people do things they couldn't before by themselves (i.e., the boxer, or the partner/trio). This encourages players to play and is good for the game. But, on the casual level they (the mercs) do promote lonerism.
I think people that like community just need to join a good guild and promote that atmosphere there (within the guild) --"met cool person today in random_zone_X" isn't really a part of the equation anymore, a situation which mercs are not to blame for but somewhat finalize the reality of.
My thoughts on mercs are sort of mixed. On one hand I won't buy SoD since I have no need for that content yet and no desire to use a merc. I'm taking advantage of the Mayong level/skill/gear headstart but really that's something I could match with 2 weeks of casual effort and my bankroll on my old server.
I am enjoying the challenge of being a decently geared, poor in plat and usually buffless monk trying to solo. It's helping me learn a class that I never took past level 15ish before.
On the other hand, my regular grouping partners came back to EQ in part because of mercs (and Mayong) and quickly upped their accounts to have access. When I am with them we are a 5-some (not sure if that is subliminal pressure for me to get a merc or what) unless the encounter is so trivial and they suspend the mercs.
They don't really want a 6th person in the group --and likely for a lot of the reasons Kirbyramz discussed. Truth be told we handle things very well (Bard with merc cleric, druid with merc tank and my monk)so it's not like we need some new/other person in there.
But therin lies the debate that will rage on for some time: Mercs let lots of people do things they couldn't before by themselves (i.e., the boxer, or the partner/trio). This encourages players to play and is good for the game. But, on the casual level they (the mercs) do promote lonerism.
I think people that like community just need to join a good guild and promote that atmosphere there (within the guild) --"met cool person today in random_zone_X" isn't really a part of the equation anymore, a situation which mercs are not to blame for but somewhat finalize the reality of.
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