I really enjoy playing different characters. I completely understand how frustrating it can get if your class is like the unpopular kid at school and last to be picked for groups. It can be heartbreaking to log in time after time and have no one want you.
However, one thing I've noticed about L2 (and any of these games really) is how, over time, the 'which class' changes.
For example....
When I was playing L2 over a year ago I started leveling an Elven Elder. She was 57 when I stopped playing. At the time, people kept telling me it was a waste of time to level an EE, there was no reason to play them and that Shillien Elders were the best. Everyone wanted those...
The problem is that once your class fails from grace or your class was never really wanted to begin with, you're stuck with no decent options. In WoW you spend some gold, redo your talent points to snag a solo build, and carry on. L2? No such luck.
I started in C1 with Olorae, who I managed to take all the way up to 65 before the camel's back broke. Combined nerfs to the recharge ability, heals becoming heal-over-time, and a glut of 2nd account SEs found me hunting less and less.
I still play the character, and occasionally manage to get out and hunt. But she has faded from being a 'main' into an alt simply because to me, she is not worth playing (in terms of the grind. I still enjoy RPing the character).
These things happen, and occasionally one finds ways around it. using a set of shadow DC light and a shadow Bloody Orchid, I found a nice little spot with 1/2 hp mobs that I can solo on if I'm smart and careful. Is it enough to keep me looking to grind? Nope.
There's always been classes that are "not worth playing" at least in some level range.
High-level warcriers are awesome, but shaman and lowbie warcriers are nearly worthless. EO and low EE are kinda blah, but awesome high up. Hawkeyes are really better daggers than archers at first. Warsmiths are always a charity case for partying, but you really really need them higher up.
If you like playing one of the not-so-good classes, you have to rely on your clan for support.
What disappoints me is the devs keep diminishing the roles of some classes. Buffers/Healers keep getting less and less useful. When the game started we didn't have CP and infinitely spammable CP pots, we didn't have free buffs for lowbies (which are now getting extended all the way thru d-grade), we didn't have GHP or GSAP, now there's free emp3 herbs, acumen, focus, etc, plus heal and recharge herbs...
So I guess it's no surprise that my pick-up group partiers often haven't ever been in a group with a non-walkered healer.
Warsmiths are always a charity case for partying, but you really really need them higher up.
Until you get to lvl 70 where you can start to craft s grade...that is the point the parties usualy drop of or ppl stop playing their WS because they don't get anything new higher up.
The problem is that once your class fails from grace or your class was never really wanted to begin with, you're stuck with no decent options. In WoW you spend some gold, redo your talent points to snag a solo build, and carry on. L2? No such luck.
What are you talking about, in WoW you cant train all skills, in L2 you can :) Theres no bad choices in L2.
As for the topic starter: play what you think is fun and don't listen to others about which class is fotm and which is anti-fotm. You can bet on it it will change anyways - better enjoy a class you like to play.
The problem is that once your class fails from grace or your class was never really wanted to begin with, you're stuck with no decent options. In WoW you spend some gold, redo your talent points to snag a solo build, and carry on. L2? No such luck.
What are you talking about, in WoW you cant train all skills, in L2 you can :) Theres no bad choices in L2.
As for the topic starter: play what you think is fun and don't listen to others about which class is fotm and which is anti-fotm. You can bet on it it will change anyways - better enjoy a class you like to play.
Charm is a bad choice of a skill to spend SP on.
What do you do when they change the class you like to play into something that makes it not-fun to play?
Some of the changes have been staggering to certain character types.
For me it isn't so much the changes to the DA (a tank's a tank's a tank) and there has been some minimal love for tanks a time or two. For me it's the relative uberness that's been granted to OTHER classes that has made tanks nearly useless.
As for 'what do you do?' when your class gets completely marginalized....you curse the lost hours and adjust as much as possible.
I think that some of the class deconstruction has been responsible for some number of players to cancel their accounts and try another game.
Perhaps at some point L2 Devs will look at "class balancing needs" that players demand more as a deduction effort than an increase effort. Ultimately when you have 3-4 classes with offensive output that is off the charts--everyone else will be marginalized out of existence. At some point the "omg I can solo antharas" classes have to take some hits.
I made my bishop in C1 when just about everyone went prophet. I still got groups barely without asking in C1 and C2 in Cruma/TOI. People grouped, I don't recall anyone boxing, and no one ditched other people to go get some perfect exp solo somewhere. (except maybe SH's)
Then C3 rolled around with those horrible catacombs and groups for me were non-existant. No one even know what a bishop was thanks to SE's having just as good heals AND VR AND empower and other good buffs. It was common to see a ee or bishop shouting for a group for ages.
C4 was no better, if I hadn't had a clan that helped "useless" support to level I'd have rerolled long ago. Archers use to tell me pots were just as good as having me in party, was no use to nukers, melee or anything else.
Then C5 showed up with nerfs to SE heals, boosts to bishop heals and mass rez was changed from a useless skill to OMGSICK amazing thing. Interlude too, cardinals were like the new Overlord in terms of god like ability at sieges, pvp and big raids.
It's kind of funny to think how completely unwanted my class was and what a turn around it's been since then.
I have to say that the nerfs that have hit me now as a destroyer are not unwarranted.
Some of the changes to the SE were, in my eyes, but I lived through them for the most part. I can still do well in small groups, but most of them have OOP SE's anyway, so my purpose is lessened (except in clan pity groups).
But I had 3 Chronicles of dominance as a support class, I guess I can't complain too much.
What do you do when they change the class you like to play into something that makes it not-fun to play?
It's a bad skill and bad use of SP, but you don't "mess up" your character by training it, other than having to earn that SP back.
Classes changing into not-fun definately sucks. Reason I didn't end up doing another WS when I moved servers was because of craft shops. I had way more fun managing a customer base and building a reputation instead of just plopping my rear down overnight hoping nobody undercuts me by 10k.
As a WL I've been pretty happy with every update. Wish they'd wake up regarding forceuse though.
That's exactly what I was trying to get at. I just find it interesting that classes move from wanted to unwanted to wanted again. I have no doubt that if L2 sticks around long enough the SEs will again be desired. It's just sticking it out that is sometimes tough for people.
That's why ultimately when someone asks what class to play, they really have to 'like' the class. It's true that some classes have been uber a long time, but who is 'most' uber shifts.
I remember a day in L2 when almost no one played a necro....
The problem is that once your class fails from grace or your class was never really wanted to begin with, you're stuck with no decent options. In WoW you spend some gold, redo your talent points to snag a solo build, and carry on. L2? No such luck.
What are you talking about, in WoW you cant train all skills, in L2 you can :) Theres no bad choices in L2.
As for the topic starter: play what you think is fun and don't listen to others about which class is fotm and which is anti-fotm. You can bet on it it will change anyways - better enjoy a class you like to play.
Charm is a bad choice of a skill to spend SP on.
What do you do when they change the class you like to play into something that makes it not-fun to play?
Sure, charm might be bad, but you can train it and at most delay other skills for half a level. In WoW you simply cannot get every skill, hence why I stated you really cannot make any bad choice.
As for changing a class.. haha don't tell a summoner that. We've had some pretty rough changes (turning us from solo DD-er to party buffer for starters). Not to mention at first summons didnt leech XP, after next patch they leeched 30% and no pet ss. Only now they finally turned back to C1 system and allow 0% leech summons. I can name a lot, but it's not for this topic. What I want to say is that even though there were some chronicles I truely thought my class was bad I just kept on going with it, since I'm too stubborn/dedicated to reroll.
Summoners certainly never listened to ppl saying "roll this class he pwns, and dont roll this one", lol. We only had a small moment of shinyness in C4 Olympiad but that's it. Overall we're always out of the big picture and attention; the public only whines about nukers, archers and melee.
Overall its much more fun to show some perserverence and stick to your suddenly less fun char. Just level up (or sub if its 80). Once NC changes your class again you can enjoy a high(er) level, unique toon. IMO subbing is a very nice anti-reroll method. getting to 75 is very easy so you can always use a sub in a chronicle you don't like for your main class.