I decided that the Magnagora RP wasn't enjoyable as the possibilities with Glomdoring so I'm changing guilds.

I'm an old hand from Aetolia. One thing I noticed there is that some classes simply lack the ability to kill high-level tanks. I've -always- hated this aspect of IRE games. A classic example is the old old style of monks from Achaea 10 years ago. BBT had no instakill, so if people could tank your damage, you were shot. Another example is the Druids of Aetolia right now. Once again, big damage, takes out most people, but endgamers and high levels can tank it.

I love classes with versatility, multiple tactics, and the ability to set someone up for the kill. That's why I initially chose Cacophony with soulless. I figured if I set someone up right, soulless will kill anyone. Unfortunately I didn't like the RP. I also don't like win button classes, which I got the impression perfectfifth and soulless could be.

So, my question is, what classes should I avoid, and which should I look for in Glom? I don't mind being an underdog, as long as I know that there's a way to finish the fight -if- I'm good enough (and yes, I know someone will say "you can always be good enough" but in all other IRE muds that's simply not the case. There are some classes that cannot finish tanks no matter how good the player is). Hard is fine, confusing is fine (in fact, confusing is good. Lusternia attracted me because of the depth here).

I'm specifically interested in the Nekotai. The RP it seems like it has potential (though I'm told Glom can be kind of emo. I can deal with that, maybe even help improve it). But, a run down of all glom guilds would be great in terms of their potential to win at the highest tiers (assume that I'll get credits to tri-trans and get the other skills I want at some stage, however, comments on cost are also appreciated)

My observations/specific questions:
How do the Nekotai actually fight? Monks seem to aim for wounds, wounds seems like they'll kill anyone eventually regardless of HP. But Nekotai also appear to use poison. With resilience it seems that this might not be such a hot idea. Someone mentioned the final sting instakill is good though and that there are locks which are nice.

Blacktalon appear to try and stick sap. Sap seems to be aeon. But the ways to stick it seem better (paralysis, sleep etc) so dreamweaver druid might be pretty fun. (dreamweaving just seems cool too). Lack of portability I can live with.

Ebonguard seems enjoyable too, though I'm not a huge fan of warriors in general. They as though they might struggle to kill some people, unless that changes with specialization, anyone have an opinion on whether one of the warrior paths is an option to kills aside from damage?

Harbingers seem to be the worst off for alternative killing, and rely mostly on damage.

Thanks in advance folks

You should definitely hold off on nekotai since they're about to eat a giant set of nerfs. Wounds do not work like you seem to think they do. You don't actually have to sip vs. a lot of monks and you can APPLY HEALTH to cure wounds like twice as fast as they can apply them optimally, so the way they've been killing recently is with annoying things like slitlocks (stops you sipping and applying and can't be cured with focus mind, you need a standard-eq action to cure it) and mangles and stuff. Poisons are very worthwhile for all melee classes and the ability to bypass resilience with them (and mask them) is actually pretty good, I can see why you would think it's not without seeing it in action though.

You might like shadowdancers. They're losing choke (retardation) in exchange for a similar but less drastic skill so hopefully their win button will be more avoidable, and their main kill is mana-based so the ability to tank it is pretty much the same from person to person (or at least, it's much more so than damage kills.)

The emo thing usually isn't serious when it's brought up, though it certainly exists to some extent (they even used to have this hilarious wrist-slitting emote in the BT but it was nerfed. Stupid blacktalon.) There are some cliques in Glomdoring that insist it's got awesome RP so if you can get into those you'll be fine on that front.

EDIT: Right, that's what I was doing...SPSS...

Oooh! I talked to you a bit about this before in Aet and I'm pleasantly surprised you're seriously considering coming here - I'm not going to lie when I say we need people who are mature, competent and smart like you.

Harbingers have, I believe, the fastest insta-kill in the game (bardsong, the trans skill for every bard's specialty skillset). If it's not the fastest, it's pretty darn fast. In team fights, that makes us pretty spiffy - passive songs + helpful attacks against a group (especially as glamours, though ecology is a far more lauded skillchoice), then add in the ability to hold a target in place while others beat on them and a very very quick instantkill and you become the group's "get em" machine, though this also means you become a priority target.

I, personally, quite like the profession because it fulfills a needed "niche" in Glom's combat force, and that means I can be effective and useful without being top-tier. An example: A melder (Krellan), a choker/warrior (Exeryte) and myself holding off a fairly large team for a long time, back when I only had like 2 trans skills. I'm nowhere near a great fighter here, but as a bard, I can provide useful help in team combat.

I'm sure Synl and Xenthos and Ciaran will comment on their professions. Hope to see you in Glom soon!

1. Yes, monks are generally getting nerfed. Nekotai are being less affected overall, as their spec is already action-based, but their playstyle will be getting changed.

2. Nekotai mangle is the most limited mangle ability given to monks. Severspine/legtendon make up for it.

3. Masked poisons are nice, especially since after level 4 momentum you can both bypass resilience (not completely) and mask your poisons in most forms.

4. Emo thing was just a joke. The wrist-slitting emote in the Blacktalon was more along the lines of an insane ritualist using his blood for Crow. Glomdoring used to be the 'RP-org,' but now you have to look around for it. Not hard, but you will run into people who are... less serious than others.

*peer Krellan*

Eh, even Ashteru will RP in today's Glom.

I think Glom does quite well, roleplay-wise, though I will concede that some of the commune have yet to master the "being in character" concept on a consistent basis (versus "turning the switch" for RP sessions), but you see that issue across the board, and it's not nearly as prevalent here as it was in Aetolia.

I'd like to see a slightly darker edge to Glom's RP (right now, it reminds me of Halloweentown), but I think it's been shifting there lately. Or recovering what it used to be?

Ashteru RP's?!
When? Where?

KRASHERYTE!

One does not always need to be serious to roleplay. There is nothing wrong with roleplaying a jokester/fool/whatever. Being silly is a perfectly viable roleplay choice.

The only time it isn't ok is when folks expect to get out of the IC repercussions of being inappropriately silly by saying "but being silly is my RP!" Cause the consequences are roleplay too.

But, having a dour, serious character doesn't = a good roleplayer and having a silly, irreverent character doesn't = a bad one.

Thanks for the reply Shiri.

I think I understand how wounds work. I wasn't aware that monk damage was so low that you could focus on curing wounds so easily, though. Good to know, thanks.

I had forgotten about shadowdancers.

Sounds like there'r envoy changes happening. Is there a way to access the list of changes that've been decided on?

It's going to be a while before I get fully into combat, and I do want to join a guild with decent RP that I can enjoy, so I'm not overly concerned about changes unless they're going to make a class worthless. That doesn't seem to happen too often here, however. I guess it's hard to say how Nekotai will be fighting until after those changes though, eh?

Do you have an opinion on Blacktalon?

Blacktalon has a huge base for RP if you want to do a more ritual/dark RP, similar to the Shadowdancers. I spent some time in the Blacktalon with an alt and it was a pretty unique experience, maybe it's just because I picture druids as these mystical, seclusive beings. So if you're into that sort of thing RP-wise, they are a viable option.

Shadowdancers, Blacktalon, Harbingers and Nekotai all have a strong roleplay basis. Nekotai can be weak at times, partially because I'm a crappy writer and don't really care much for that ritual/ceremony stuff and partially because we have a small community which makes it hard to attract new people. That said, a fair few among that small community are consistent, if not particularly interesting or strong, roleplayers.

Note who I left out of my list, too.

@ Jonas: Yeah, he does. A lot. Well, with me at least. Sadhyra would not be married to him if he didn't. We had a very nice two hours the other day when we discussed race and identity, complete with illusory and changeling shape-shifting emotes flying all over the place.

OOOOOH. Go Blacktalon. Glom needs competent melders SO SO badly. Demesnes here are far superior to Magi, too - you get a lot more area to wiggle about in, so it's not a one-room fight. Mage archetype can really make/break a team fight (see: wargames).

To whoever made the comment about nerfing Nekotai - the monks are being adjusted with the momentum special report, but I wouldn't expect them to be nerfed into the ground. We'll be playtesting them and making sure they're up to par.

If you're interested in a combat class that can be take on even the most tanky folks, Shadowdancer is pretty solid.

The best spec for us is hexes, which gives you group viability with fear hexes (claustrophobia/agoraphobia), vapors, sleep, and masked sensitivity.

Astro is definitely viable, but it's timed damage skill runs up against really tanky people sometimes, and fails (requires some more trickiness)

1v1 we can lock down our opponents very well with our incurable aeon, and either sleep or epilepsy/scabies/stun. Stupidity magnifies the struggle our target has within our slowing effects. Our mana drain skill that leads to our mana instakill is on a passive tick, so if we can stick it, we can focus on disabling the target, which means no matter how much mana, or high level tanky they are, if you can lock down their curing (which we can) they will die.

Our fae aren't too hindering, but are solid and disabling, the best by far is pooka, which gives us dominate, and as a result -incredible- flexibility. I repeat -POOKA IS GOD-

Also, IMO, wiccan is one of the most complex and interesting classes to play as. It's really cool.

Shadowdancers +2

Nekotai's Rp was rather bad when I was apart of it. It just never followed the Glomdoring theme and I think was put together rather awfully.

As for their skills its so so, fast paced but still no real kill method aside from Crotomine.

Harbingers Well from what I have seen we don't have any Rp.

Skillwise They fall into the same boat as the Nekotai. They have their tricks but once you reach a point where your enemy knows your tricks your kind of SOL.

Ebonguard I thought they had a good amount of rp and I enjoyed it.

Your ability to kill with the skills at hand stem directly from how much you want to pay though.

Krin, I think you'd have to actually try using the combat skills to be able to validly comment on their viablity?

Also, he chose Blacktalon. *cheer*

Funny, I thought Nekotai and Harbingers were amazing, skillwise and RP-wise, having been in both guilds. I think the whole assassin of the forests taking lessons from nature was beautiful, heck, Casilu still uses them when talking to people about combat. The forest monk guilds have some beautiful RP potential, just need to use them.

Oh, ok I thought I messed up the process a bit somewhere. I have to actually fight to have an opinion well thanks for telling me that. I mean I wasn't even aware these skills are based around fighting myself...

To be honest, if you think monks aren't good right now you must be stupid.

Do I need to go back and find post after post about how post-momentum Nekotai sucks?