[EQ2] how to use a scout ?

[mesmerise]

hello all and hello EQ2 multiboxers ( if any come here ! ), i have some questions:

i am 3 boxing atm ( zerk, inqui, warlok ) and i am thinking about adding anoher guy in the team, ie a troub, i am not using any software or any special hardware, just a G15 and a nostromo n52.

how hard it is to use a scout with multiboxing ? any hints ? or this is just a crap choice ;p ?

[Ellay]

Isn't a scout position dependent? I would go with any type of class that doesn't need much attention :)

[MistrOrnge]

not hard at all. /follow on the tank and sometimes you will have to adjust the tank position for better attacks. overall its not hard. I usually just start attack get agro then shift position so scout and backstab.

[Oternakn]

this kinda depends on the type of scout... a ranger would not be the best cuz of the range he needs to be at for using his bow, if u dont want him to melle that is. Im using a dirge and i Swear to the use of dirges in multiboxed groups, cuz he buffs u so insanly. And CoB is a killer

[Heenan]

I haven't played in awhile, but I played a Swashbuckler to 57. I remember having a TON of positioning. Attacks directly from the front, sides and rear of the opponent. I believe most Assassin attacks are from the rear.

I remember the Swashy being a "tank assist" more than anything (aggro reduction, debuffs, etc.). So you'll probably want to pick one of the other specialists that have more rear attacks. Then just use similar tactics like in WoW (sandwich the mob, pull and back up, etc.)

I don't see why it wouldn't work.

[gantell]

Scouts are more difficult because to get the best DPS your have to postion the mob. Which takes time the one thing as a boxer you have the least of. I six box and always have a Dirge or Troub in my group.

I was using Troubadors but I have since switched to Dirge's. I like the buffs they have better. Agro control is easier with the Dirge. Plus the they have a nice heal and a group rez. And it buffs the Tank where as the Troub will buff your mages, as you only have one mage I think you would be better off with the Dirge.

When things get nasty I tack on the dirges heal. I added the Dirges rez pointed at each member of the group to the dirges main attack macro. So he is always trying to rez, if they not dead it skips the spell. If someone goes down he pop everyone back up, I don't have to do anything, except keep hitting his attack macro.

[MistrOrnge]

Can you share that macro G? I would like to see it

[Flight]

I've been 3 boxing on EQ2 since it launched; I'm on Runneye (EU). Where are other folk ?


Mostly echoing what is said in this thread already. Dirge >> Troubador for melee, plus you will always easily get onto a PUG group or raid with a Dirge, if you decide you want to. Dirge and Inquis buffs on a Zerker are stunningly good.



Dirge abilities compared to Troubador abilities

http://www.eq2ref.com/abilities/diff.php



From this site

http://www.eq2ref.com/

which has a terrific set of eq2 links

http://www.eq2ref.com/everquest2.php





I guess you are aware that Ruins of Kunark went live yesterday. Great info on the thread at eq2flames, including the new racial abilities (total 180 on what they've always said about race not affecting anything), spells / abilities from 70 to 80 and new zones :


http://www.eq2flames.com/general-gameplay/14483-beta-nda-lifted-post-your-best-rok-stuff-now.html




I run a 70 Defiler with a Brigand or Zerker tanking and a Necro / Mage DPS. Brigands make surprisingly good tanks for any party content, with the right AA's and have a 60% DPS increase with Buckler ability. Defilers make superb boxing healers - you can stack both single and party ward on the MT and their debuffs are superb.


I'm just this week putting together a 5 box crew. Can't make my mind up on which classes. Necro / Mage are good for DPS as its over time and from their pets, so aggro isn't a huge issue. I'm tempted to do a poison / disease party, due to the big debuffs from the Defiler; its something I've thought about for a couple of years and not got round to trying


SK / Necro / Warlock / Warlock / Defiler

Enormous poison / disease resist debuffs and all damage disease / poison based. Alternative is something like :


Zerker/Guardian/Brigand - MT
Defiler - Healer
2 x DPS
Dirge

[MistrOrnge]

The reason I love the conj/necro is their pets can be left on a mob when main group switches to next target allowing main group to maintain their autoattack. Since I use Vetras I would have to hit autoattack again on my characters. They are excellent DPS as well of course. Kind of point and attack with max damage with minimal input.

If you go with the dirge consider using 2 more melee DPS to improve damage output.

[skoshi]

I know this is an older post but there is not much on here about EQ2 let alone about scouts.

I'm a 3 boxer... one is a scout (bard)

Without a doubt a scout is a horrible pick for a multi-box job... with the exception of the bard.

With 2 boxing a Swash or Brigand + a healer isn't bad... so I guess it depends on your definition of multi-boxing. To me Multi means 3+ Dual is what I call 2. Pretty sure I am correct but I see 2 boxers being call multi's alot.

The problem as someone else said is positioning... to do the high end damage you not only have to be in melee range but you have to be behind the mob. You also have to watch your recast delays on the bigger hits.

The Bard on the other hand has much to offer in the form of buffs... but you have to view it as a BUFF-BOT not a melee DPS. They are there for buffs and long range debuffs. They can also provide some bow shots if you feel like wasting ammo.

On long fights it can be worth it to move them into position assuming it doesn't use "mem-wipe and run" or "knock back" tactics These are multi-boxer killer mobs... I am convinced they were put there to ruin my day.

For 3 boxing I will say my illusionist has ALOT to offer... they can crank out good DPS, provide alot of haste, mana regen, 25% double attack, and shorter recast delays. If you spec for DPS you can crank it out... if you spec for buffs you can lower aggro on non-fighters and provide more crit heals as well.... both of which make life easier for a multi-boxer.

For the illusionist you have to keep in mind that mez will be pretty much useless to you... it's very hard to make your 3rd toon target something other than what your first toon is tanking while you try and keep him alive using the 2nd healer toon when you over-pull... if you haven't overpulled then why are you mezzing anyway?

I say for 3 boxing you want to go like this :
1 - Tank (swash or brigand will work in a pinch)
1 - Healer (Any)
1 - Buff-Bot (Illusionist or Dirge)

The advantage to the illusionist is that it's DPS is long range non positional... the downside is it wears cloth so you have to be on your toes when you see it's hp go down.

IF you mash buttons you do personal DPS... but if you are feeling lazy and forget just the buffs alone will assist your DPS on your tank.

The one thing that makes the Dirge difficult to dump is the +slashing skills song... it allows you to tank in defensive which is a huge boost to survivability on more difficult encounters.. they can still give like 12% double attack... and some +DPS and +Crit... and better aggro abilities... but when push comes to shove for DPS they are a more passive boost just on /follow.

If I have a sig here it's outta date.

Skoshi 80 Zerker 130 AAs
Porthius 80 Fury 128 AAs
-- OR Padonka 60 Illusionist 67 AA's
Backdor 80 Dirge 129 AAs
-- OR Donkk 60 Inquisitor 67 AA's

^^^ That would be the current info.

If you read up on using 2 wireless keyboards synced to just 1 keyboard here on this site... that's a handy EQ2 tip. But the keyboard/mouse sharing apps they usually talk about don't work in EQ2... use Multiplicity Thinkdesk instead that seems to do the trick. (the others spin you in circles or flat out don't work.)

[mesmerise]

Some update ;P

So far i am boxing 4 characters:

Gardian( wanted to try ;o ), inquisitor, warlock and troubi with 3 PC ( warlock inqui on the same, using G15 macros)

i am using nostrolo N52 for the positioning issue ( one for gardian , other one for troubi), for now its working fine, just some pratice was needed, my team is now around lv 40, i have no clue if this will still be enough for the upper level ;P

[MistrOrnge]

Still would like to see some of people's macros.
How is the G15? Does it work well with 3 characters? I use 6 systems so I am unsure how well it would work for me.

[PyrostasisTDK]

I 6 boxed on the bazaar till mid 40's using keyclone and innerspace.

Functioned very well.

I ran Guardian, Fury, Inquisitor, Necro, Wizzard, Conj

Took a bit of a break from it, but been thinking about going back. However, I have a friend who is trying to discourage me. says the upper end instances arent boxable.

[mesmerise]

i run winEQ lite from lavish software then i can switch easy from warlock to inqui using one hotkey, just need to programm macro like " casting some heal with inqui then switch to lock then cast some dot then swith again to inqui " you can adjust all delays between pressed keys so this can be done fast, all macros are wirtten like this, macros are just switch to warlock window then casting some nuke then switch again back to inqui so less time on warlock ,more time to spend on other toons.

[Oternakn]

I have been boxing in Eq2 for some time now, think i was the first one to try out keyclone with innerspace to :P I have 6 toons all lvl80 and there is no problem if u know what u are doing, to clear every thing in RoK exp maidens, that one is hard alone. Right now im working on killing the spore king in Sebelis, not many normal groups can kill him but i have gotten him down to 25% now and i think with some effort i can do him! I allso bring my crew on raid when the guild is lite on raiders.
If u wanna box hardcore, screw G15 and the nostro use keyclone, if u know how to setup ur hotbars u can do anything. Offcourse it is hard to remember where every thing are but thats boxing to ya.


And to clear somthing else up that u guys are a bit mistaken with, dirge is GOOD dps in a boxed group. if u get the correct AAs and have good gear he will do 700dps easy while beeing boxed.
One other tip i would give u other boxers in eq2 is to consider using a defiler or a mystic, way more easy to ward than to heal. Allso coercer is the way to go if u ever wanna do some hard stuff later on, plus they bring that nasty impedius :) and u will need to be able to mezz.

what i have said here is the reason for the group i have now. the only reason i have a conj over a necro is beacouse the conj can call :)

If any here need some help feel free to give me a tell ingame, Im mainly looking on the screen on Zarond my guardian.

[mesmerise]

No clue about blizzard policy but i am sure that using keyclone or any software is against SOE policy ;O, too bad EQ2 boxer have not as much informations as wow boxer to share experiences ;P, i am curious how you can use 2 others melee with the positioning issue, or maybe keyclone just have more possibility than my imagination have :) so maybe i should just try it !

[asgradth]

In EQ2, I just started quad-boxing : Guardian / Dirge / Mystic / Wizard. All of my toons are only level 25. When playing the 'scout', as mentioned, position matters. During my WC Dungeon crawl, positioning wasn't hard. The 3 toons are /follow the Guardian, I pull w/ the guardian, then 'move' him in a way that positions the mob between the 3 toons and the guardian. But, you'll find as the tank moves, the mobs move, and then your toons move, a dance if you will.

In the end, I found the best 'position' I can get the 3 toons in with a minimal amount of movement is a 'flanking' position. You can switch to the Scout window and 'slide' him around to the back of the mob (maybe for Epics or harder Yellow ^^^'s). I found, tho, in general multi-mob pulls/encounter pulls, Just backup the tank a few steps, or slide him around a bit until your 3toons are in the flanking position, then cut loose with the nukes.

As for Dirge or Troubadour... I 2boxed a Conjouror/Troubadour and, while the 0 downtime was nice, the fights were just as hard as having no Troubadour around. Otoh, with a Dirge, it's like the game got easier. The debuffs in play from a Dirge can turn a ^^^ Mob into a play toy. Personally, if you want a scout, go with a Ratonga Dirge (for the race based pick pocket and innate speed increase during stealth).

You'll have fun no matter what you choose, but dont' count any class out until you've played them to lvl 20+, you never know what you may be missing!

[PyrostasisTDK]

EQ2 follow can be rather frustrating. Unlike Wow's which feels like a rope, EQ2's feels like a rubber band. There is a large amount of leeway so you have to back up several steps and then the alts lurch forward. I can imaging it being rather frustrating from a melee perspective, but there are several melee boxers I have heard about... so its gotta be doable.

Like all things practice makes perfect.

[mesmerise]

for positioning in am using two nostromo, i just take me some seconds to have the troub behind or in flank, the other one is for the tank, but it can be hard when there is mulpiple ^ mobs because sometimes i dont see the target, the other characters or /and other mobs are bloking my view ;) even if you move around to have him hiting the mobs, he can just keep not be in range ,for sure casters are more easy to use.

I have added a 5th box now, gard/inqui/troub/warlock/nec using keyclone+innerspace ( if could drop innerspace :huh: ), for some time i was thinking to add a fury and drop the lock but thats less dps, or maybe something like gard/inqui/brigand or maybe even assasin/lock/mezzer of course i can just add a 6th box but not for now !

i am playing in storms server (euro server ) so thats why my english is so crapy :P.