• You've discovered RedGuides 📕 an EverQuest multi-boxing community 🛡️🧙🗡️. We want you to play several EQ characters at once, come join us and say hello! 👋
  • IS THIS SITE UGLY? Change the look. To dismiss this notice, click the X --->

Question - Starting from scratch (1 Viewer)

Trogdor

Trogdor

Level 2
Joined
Feb 24, 2024
RedCents
421¢
So I stopped playing about 15 years ago, bard main. Ive been having that EQ itch for the past few years and decided to start back up.

I did do a bit 3 boxing back in the day, but MQless so I was looking to start up a fresh group. How long do you guys think it would take to get from 1-110 or so without going gold? Dont need to rush to 125, but it'd be nice to have a solid group of 110 or so.

Also, thanks for all the write ups this community has!
 
Yeah test server would be great, if your insisting on playing on a live server getting 100+ would prove a challenge with a ftp tank, and will only get worse almost impossible the higher you get
 
WB @Trogdor ! The toughest news for you in all of this is that the itch is real :D . Many of us (including myself) took a long break and apparently, it's still in our blood and we are back!!!

Like others mentioned, test is a good idea due to the cost savings. Plus the cwtn/sic plugins are free there as well so you get the top notch tools as well with your level 2 membership. I sent you a month free so you can get your feet wet!

Whether you decide to spin up a few level 85/100 heroics or go the nostalgia route and begin in glooming deep, the journey is fun and well worth it.

Always start here RG Video

Watch the vids Sic has created as they are your greatest source of information. I would even recommend watching them twice. Toon Movement - AutoGroup/AutoAccept/MQ2Yes - Basic Overview

Once you have an idea of how things work, you'll want to look into some automation options. Check out Kissassist Beginners Guide, Kissassist Commands , RGmercs, and especially cwtn plugins ( you can also /testcopy your toons and use the cwtn plugins there for free and you'll want to spend some time looking at CWTN Plugins Explained.).

I suggest getting your feet wet slowly and be patient as it takes time to absorb all this information. Try taking your toons somewhere safe and lower level at first and explore the automation options. It takes some time to get used to, so don't be surprised it if feels overwhelming at first.

Once you feel like your're getting the hang of it (or to get a more in depth idea of what this site can do), then check out the plugins, macros, and lua's available to complement your automation. Things like MQ2pluginmanager, buttonmaster, mq2autogroup, MQ2Autoaccept, MQ2Status, GuildClicky, Boxhud, MQ2Buffme , and more. You'll also want to see Lua event manager.

How do you get to see and experience all of this you ask? You need to be a level 2 member. To do that you have 2 options. First, you can subscribe (paid method) or second, you can use Red Cents. What the heck is a Red Cent you ask? Red Cents can you help with your subscription and it's the currency this site uses. Contribute helpful information (post here) and others will give you red cents and each red cent you give others returns one to you. check it out! Red Cents
 
Depends on if you're doing a full group or not really. For me, on a live server assuming 6 toons, I'd break them up into 2 groups and use tank/cleric/rogue mercs until around level 80 when exp starts slowing down. Then I'd concentrate on gearing the tank/healer and merge the groups once geared enough on those 2 toons. At this stage, I'd also skip most of the questlines/hunters/etc until CotF era, where the achievements start giving you heroic AA, which the mana regen one is VERY important for a bard if you're using one. The other option would be to join a TLP to level up as a single group with the plan being to transfer to a live server later, but frankly, I think TLP attracts the most annoying of the player base and I try to avoid them :P I should also point out that I try to avoid using the bazaar or look for rots and the like as well, much preferring to obtain things with my own power so I don't get bored and quit.

One note on using a bard though, it is a good idea to get the bard class weapon from the Rain of Fear era. It's an instant cast of the bard slow with longer duration than the song. The raid version is what you want to target there, so you will have to go back to get it after reaching many of your other goals, but can be single grouped at 110+. Not a lot of people on these boards comment on that piece of gear, but I think it's every bit as mandatory as the epic, especially since it's one of those things that will always be useful, no matter what level we reach.
 
If FTP on a live server I'd look at SK tank, cleric, shaman/druid, bard/chanter, 2 caster dps of your choice. Or if youd like you can pet tank it and do something like mage,necro,beast,enchanter,cleric,druid/mage/shaman

On test without FTP resitrictions on gear youd be free to do whatever you'd like really

I recently started a new group to try and be more self reliant for tradeskills etc and did this:

SK tank, shaman (alchemy) , enchanter (enchant shit), gnome rogue (posion/tinker) , wizard, ranger (forager)
 
@Psy , Thanks tons man! The level 2 is super appreciated! And all those beginner guides are great, its nice to have recommended ones. I've definitely got some more reading to do lol.

@zarroth , Thanks for the bard recommendations! Ive always loved playing my bard and will probably continue to main him, so seeing the newer needed gear is a great thing to know.

And thanks everyone else for the test recommendation! I was planning on staying on live since my old bard is there, but the /testcopy does sound enticing. My main goal would really be for having a quick group setup in my back pocket, while mostly maining the bard. No other class in a game ever gave me the same joy as when I used to play the bard. I've ran around doing some stuff from the past few expansions to get a handle on it again and it plays the almost as good as I remember, once I blew the cobwebs off lol. My current set up would be WAR/CLR/SHM/MAG/BRD but I'm at a toss up of what I would want for my last DPS slot, which I'm not terribly worried about because that's basically a matter of preference since I'm not looking to minmax lol.
 
Like others have said Test is a great way to see how everything works and get your feet under you while you get back in to the game. You can try all the CWTN plugins etc and see how everything works. After that "Test" run, you will know what you want and whether you want to go "Live" or just causally play on Test.
There are down sides to Test, unannounced patches
If the game patches there will be a wait on MQ/Redguides to patch. (2-3 days normally)
There is no economy whatsoever on Test everything i mean everything you can imagine is 1 plat
So remember Test is in itself the wild wild west of EQ where everyone has everything because of /testcopy
You will need patience to stay on this server long term.
 
aye, I main a bard and the addiction is real. I sometimes goof off on a ranger or enchanter, but I just can't stop playing the bard as a main. Just something about it speaks to me, although it has lost quite a bit of its magic in the last few years, especially now that we're primarily a DOT class for DPS. Would be better if we couldn't string together 8 songs at a time in a solid melody quite honestly, but that's a dev issue, not a player one. They painted themselves into a corner when they created that type of growth for us...especially given that the average fight time for trash mobs is under 20 seconds.
 
I never played test, i honestly don't know why after reading these posts. Last time I did start from scratch it took me about 2 or 3 months I think with no power leveling and about 2 to 3 hours a day playing. I'm sure it can go faster especially with some PLing but i went slow and scenic.
 
Hah ya, HSR is amazing. I love it.

Also, @zarroth , I totally realized that too. I came back to a 105 bard and hit that auto grant button lol... Then I realized that my song timers were way longer than I remembered. After that, I figured out I can twist double the songs I used to lol.
 
I came back at the beginning of the year, and started here shortly after. I also main the bard. I built a group around him, all FTP (war/sha/enc/mag/bst) and they are all 70-80. So figure 2-3 months with playing a few hours a week (mostly in larger blocks on weekends). I am starting to slow down however as my warrior is getting pushed around a bit more than I like and the shaman is struggling a bit to heal. If I stay on top of my pulls and my bard skills, we do ok. Could it be better and faster? No doubt! My KA ini's are super inefficient, my gear is suspect with large holes, money is tight so spell books aren't complete.

I say all that to say, that I am having the time of my life learning and building said ini's. Seeing my warrior use a new disc, or the enchanter mezzing the occasional add is almost like a drug. Sometimes it make my bard play worse because I am watching *my* group take mobs down and I just stand there like a cheerleader forgetting to play! So, don't worry about the rush to X level, or if X is the perfect group makeup, or what your "projected" abilities will be. Just dive in, and go slow and easy, mess around, rez alot, and keep it moving. Soon you will be wondering how you can have so much entertainment for so little!
 
Getting your group tuned up and running smoothly is more fun than actually playing EQ is, even though playing is fun! It's a overwhelming at first, but getting up and running at a basic level (using those guides) means you'll be having a nostalgic blast in no time. I came back to EQ right before ROS was released and maxed my group levels and AA right before TBL was released. Aside from a quick PL on my tank from a guildy at the end, that was all just running around, revisiting the sights of Norrath. 80+ was a really slow grind where it was noticeably easier to die to mobs, so you have plenty of time to get used to get everything working at a basic level before you end up diving back in perfect every little thing.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Question - Starting from scratch
Next unread thread 🦁

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Back
Top