Greetings from a lurker!

[Forlo]

Hello all!

I just returned to EQ2 (Antonia Bayle) last week and while soloing my SK i stumbled upon this site. Since then i've read every post here with much enthusiasm =) You guys are great and very helpful to the fellow boxer!

Anyways, I was an avid 5boxer in EQ1 and it never even occurred to me to box EQ2. After reading everything here I got ISboxer/Keyclone all setup and created my crew - zerk/warden/inquis/coercer/dirge....I must say, boy is boxing this game fun. Very little stress involved except for the occasional screw up or missed heals! My crew is kicking butt (lvl46 w/30aa) and leveling quickly! I'm a big fan of grinding personally so i'll prolly go back later to flesh out my AA's. I'm very excited for endgame with this crew, although, I would love to add a 6th.

I'm with Noxxy when it comes to melee preference so I may end up with a swashy (have a 70) or a brig (wish Brig had hurricane!), though I am toying with the idea of my lock-who knows! I'm also half tempted to swap my zerk with my SK but thats a touchy subject, I enjoy zerk playstyle much more but maybe easymode SK aggro might be better for a boxer. I tend to min/max way way too much so i'm always a little emo about my class choices =(

Anyways, again hello! and a shoutout to Noxxy, Frosty, asgradth, Khatover and everyone else for being so helpful and sparking me to box this great game!

*By the way! I'm a rat lover also! - every char is a rat =)

[shdwdrgn]

I'm glad you are getting into boxing in eq2. There needs to be more of us doing it! I am still a noob when it comes to boxing in eq2 but i've learned a lot in my little time doing it (thanks to all the helpful people on this forum).

I personally use a zerk as my tank and have to say that I like it. I may be partial though since the zerk is my main back from when the game was a lot newer than it is now.

My current setup is zerk/temp/defiler/coercer/dirge/brigand. Seems to work pretty well together. Between dispatch, Cob, and PoM the mobs can just melt away..even named!

I would definitely say that a Brig is a great option, however I am thinking about a swash myself. The AE (hurricane) capability does sound useful. Once they nerf dispatch, it might be worthwhile to betray.

But, it all comes down to one thing. Play what you want and have fun. And don't forget that since you are a group ontu yourself, it is easy to level up a replacement character if you find out one class just isn't to your liking.

[Kalros]

I've been considering coming back over to EQ2 lately. Came back to WoW right before WotLK and have been 5-boxing for several months now. However, I'm just getting really sick of the childish and/or elitist WoW crowd. Either they are constantly acting like a 10-year-old who first discovers a chat room, or they act very superior and condescending if you dont know every exact intricate detail of the game. God forbid you do something "wrong". And I cringe every time I hear stupid shit like "fail", "QQ" or calling someone a "newb". Its gotten old. I just recall EQ2 having a much more friendly, mature croud.

[Forlo]

Yea i'm a zerker from the beginning also so I may just stick with it, maybe do my sk with a separate caster crew or something.

Also, I might just stick with 5 as it feels like my sweet spot. I keep trying to add a 6th and it just jumbles everything up lol. Imagine i'll still lvl up a swash/brig to swap out with my warden though since I have a friend who plays a Mystic.

My major goal right now is to really do stuff in endgame though. I have a tendency to get 80 then quit without advancing anymore, so this time around I'm hoping to get t2-4 with myths for my whole crew! Also, hoping this boxing keeps me entertained until next expo so I can go into it prepared.

We'll see =)

[shdwdrgn]

Yea i'm a zerker from the beginning also so I may just stick with it, maybe do my sk with a separate caster crew or something.

Also, I might just stick with 5 as it feels like my sweet spot. I keep trying to add a 6th and it just jumbles everything up lol. Imagine i'll still lvl up a swash/brig to swap out with my warden though since I have a friend who plays a Mystic.

My major goal right now is to really do stuff in endgame though. I have a tendency to get 80 then quit without advancing anymore, so this time around I'm hoping to get t2-4 with myths for my whole crew! Also, hoping this boxing keeps me entertained until next expo so I can go into it prepared.

We'll see =)

That's kind of funny. I have been planning to do a sk and caster crew as a second group once i am far enough on the main group also.

I started multiboxing myself because I got sick of finding crappy groups or not finding them at all (especially on the zerker) so this will allow me to do instances and such without the need for extra people.

I am dreading all of the epic quests for the different toons though. I went through my zerkers, and actually got his mythical this past weekend (woot!) and it was a pain, but some of the others are harder! or more time consuming. Also not looking forward to having to get into all of the multitude of raids since I don't see too many (or any) that would allow multi boxing. Oh well. Do whatcha gotta do. I am having a blast though.

By the way, you should switch servers to get to one less laggy...and...(shameless plug) you should choose Oasis! LOL.

Ok. That's all I got at the moment...on lunch at work and BORED! LOL.

[asgradth]

Welcome, Frolo. Good to have another boxer on board. I recommend adding a 6th as soon as you can. With the dirge, any Melee dps will fill out the 6th slot nicely.

SK makes a great Caster Group Tank, especially if he's grouped with an Illy & Troubadour. at lvl 59 with 110+ AA's, my SK can hold aggro against anything my casters can cast. I had my doubts at first, but i'm satisfied now. If you want to be a Defensive Tank, go Zerker and run a Dirge. If you want to be an Offensive tank, go SK and run a Troub. If you want to be The Tank, run a Guardian.

I've suggested this before and I will again... Forget about levels. Turn off Combat XP at lvl 10 and only gain XP through Quests until you hit lvl 70. As a 4-box or higher, you should be able to hit all the content up to lvl 70 with relative ease, even if you have to green-out/out-level the dungeon first. the right AA's can change the dynamics of the entire group. I did this on my current group and still had to skip content. I'm already pondering replacing the SK with a Zerker (once the rest of the team is lvl 80), so I can go back and finish all those quests I missed... then retire the zerker at level 50 and use him to mentor down TSO Dungeons to make shard gathering simple 8o

I recently put my dps team into Heritage quest mode. I just finished all the heritage quests up to lvl 40 last night (the team is lvl 59). Each heritage quest is 'almost' one AA Point and great status for your Guild. Some are easy, some are hard, but they're all worth it. You also won't get better equipment for 10-15 levels than the heritage item. AND, being a boxer makes Heritage quests Simple, since you always have a full group that needs all the updates. I recommend doing each heritage quest at the level it's available, since you're generally taking down lots of named mobs that give great AA XP. Going back and doing the quests when theyr'e grey denies you all that tasty AA XP from mob kills and treasure loots.

To echo Shdwdrgn and in the immortal voice of the Deadites: Join Us (on Oasis).

g'luck

[Captive]

Guardian / troubadour / warden / mystic / illusionist / conjurer here. Like you, I started boxing in EQ1 (first 2 characters, then 3), then moved to WoW (first 2, then a full 5). I just came back to EQ2 about 3 months ago, after a long hiatus playing WoW. It really does breath new life into the game when you don't have to scrounge for groups or put up with awful groups. I can do anything I want, within limits, with a well-coordinated group - and don't have to roll for loot

I've got a more caster-based focus with this group, but am anxious to try a more melee-focused group at some point. I agree with the comments here about heritage quests. Some can be completed fairly quickly; others take a while. But with rare exception, the rewards are excellent. My team uses a LOT of heritage items, including some that are 20 levels old. In addition to the quality of the items themselves and the great experience (both for you and your guild), heritage quest items also sell to vendors for a NICE chunk. Many of the items I've gotten from various level 20 and 30 heritage quests sell for 20g. With 6 characters, that's over a platinum in reward for a single quest - which is very nice. So I can use them until I get something better, and then cash them in for a nice amount.

I agree with the idea of leveling AAs as you level - I've had experience turned off since level 10. I'm now level 48, with around 71 AAs. I am not sure exactly what happens once I hit 100 AAs; I've heard that you continue to earn them but simply can't spend them till you hit level 70. I've also read that you simply stop earning them until you hit level 70. Either way, I enjoy the game world (quests, dungeons, etc.) so much that I don't want to level too fast and miss something. I'm just now entering RIvervale - so I have Maj'Dul, Lavastorm, Everfrost, and a ton of other high-level zones to come - plus stuff from the expansions that I'm not even aware of yet. I'm having a BLAST.

Good to see another multi-boxer join the community. Welcome!

[mesmerise]

Yes thats correct, you cant just spend more than 100 AA before 70, but you can still gain AAs

[Noxxy]

Hey Forlo - welcome to boxing EQ2!

AB is a great server for RP - lot of friendly and helpful ppl on there - and with an all ratty crew, you have plenty of inspiration to come up with a great RP background story

Just to throw in some suggestions if you would like to go into RP a little deeper (visually) which may help your background story - I like to run my rats (only play rats too) all in:
- either the RoK legendary AC - 'used' to look really nice but since a few patches ago the graphics have been 'tweeked' (/cough cough) a bit so it doesn't look as spectacular IMHO but the gear is still easy to get and waaaay better looking than TSO
- all robes (worn with the hood up - like monks) - you will be able to get some great cloth / robe sets (all different primary colours, red, blues, etc.) through RoK questing - looks quite good when the team wears the same set / colour
- been experimenting with placing the same weapon in each chars display but this comes unstuck as some classes cannot display / use certain classes of weapons, etc. (i.e., mage with a slasher, rouge with a crusher, etc.)
- keep an eye on the AH and use your wardrobe view (ctrl+Lclick) to display items for sale - some of it looks quite ok, even the really cheap stuff for a few copper/silver pieces - BUT - most aren't complete sets - AND - most won't share the same name which makes finding the stuff very trial by error
- if you can, have a play with seeing if you like a small tank with big slaves - i.e., mystery moppet disguise from the veteran rewards - good for a larf

zerk/warden/inquis/coercer/dirge - I'm very excited for endgame with this crew, although, I would love to add a 6th.

- the 6th (DPS) will definately help your end-game
- as a rough really rule of thumb, I know placing a rouge in my group will add anything from 2k and up to my overall group dps - they do around the 2k when out of position or timers down - but mostly average an easy 3-4k+ with just basic styling - when combined with buffs, debuffs, procs, timers, etc., DPS will skyrocket for a few thousand more
- sure, played solo, a rogue can do way more DPS than what I have suggested above but I just try and make sure they do a respectable output which works in most situations

I have a tendency to get 80 then quit without advancing anymore

- your not alone, lot of ppl do the same thing - EQ2 is funny that way - seems to be more 'adventure' and fun leveling than the end game sometimes
- if it helps, something I did to give myself a break from sharding / epics is I level up and perma-lock chars at selected levels, for instance, I perma-locked a char at 70 for KoS runs - also planning on perma-locking a guy at 80 for RoK fun runs

Yes thats correct, you cant just spend more than 100 AA before 70, but you can still gain AAs

- ???? I must admit, been a while since I have leveled anything but it didn't use to be that at all so I apologise in advance if this has changed
- the way it used to be - any AAs gained after hitting 100AA whilst below level 70 were lost
- this meant that I had to ding 71 before AAs would start accruing again, it also meant I had to keep locking / unlocking to ensure I didn't hit the cap
- has this changed?

Edit:
- The ability to still accrue AAs (i.e., >100) whilst under the level 70 cap has been playing on my mind
- In 'theory' if I was level 10, I 'could' accrue 200AAs but only spend 100AA - this just doesn't sound right TBTH
- I do know the PVP boys go for the 100AA at lvl 10 for a bit of a gankfest at lower levels but have never heard of a level 10 with 200 accrued AA

[mesmerise]

well in my case all i can say is i was lv 69 with 107 AAs with 7 AAs banked and then i could finaly use them when i dinged 70