May return to Rift, a few questions

[Edixoid]

So as title says, I'm contemplating returning to Rift, but I may or may not completely reroll if I do.

When I left, it was a bit hard to prove yourself as a Cleric DPS, or a Cleric tank for that matter. Has that changed much? Duracell was an amazing support spec, but the class balance in single target situations seemed a bit iffy (even though 51pt druid had amazing output, at least for a bit).

Mostly I just want to know if they're competitive with the other classes in aspects other than healing or support.

Also, what would be a decent, thriving PvE shard for Guardians? I was on Wolfsbane, but I'm not sure exactly how things have changed since then and if there is or isn't a better option now (since I really don't have any leftover friends playing Rift anyway)

[Fencers]

Guardians are underplayed on all shards. Just find a happening shard via Riftstatus.

Tanking clerics are quite viable now. Clerics are sort of jack-of-all-trades class so they never reach parity with the others in a respective role. Clerics can fill every role without exception. At most the others can fill 3 and 2 well.

Good clerics are still useful and desired. But you are not really a Warrior Reaver tank or Pyromancer Mage.

[Edixoid]

Guardians are underplayed on all shards. Just find a happening shard via Riftstatus.

Tanking clerics are quite viable now. Clerics are sort of jack-of-all-trades class so they never reach parity with the others in a respective role. Clerics can fill every role without exception. At most the others can fill 3 and 2 well.

Good clerics are still useful and desired. But you are not really a Warrior Reaver tank or Pyromancer Mage.

Yeah, I understand that well enough, hell the DPS wasn't even bad at all when I left, more or less just making sure that they haven't received any nerfs heavy enough to put them out of spots.

They were still taking a lot of flak for their lack of magic damage mitigation compared to rogue and warrior tanks, but then again they were never bad for a decent player.

[Acquiesce of Telara]

Depending on when you left, Clerics have found a few new specs for damage, hybrid heals, and utility. In 1.7, I believe the top parses for DPS are actually a shaman build, while Inquisitor is currently the top parser. There's a lot of cleric tank complaints, but the good ones tend to remain quiet and viable. Magic mitigation is still a bit of an issue though, not sure if that's being dealt with in 1.7.

Regardless, unless you join a min/max guild that's going to sub you in for a Hammerknell clear, you should be fine being an adequate tank, and not the very best class/spec for it.

As for realms, Trion recently consolidated a bunch of them. Wolfsbane has a queue again, and, as best i understand it, has been shut down to transfers. Some are complaining raids are too laggy and a few guilds have transferred off. I spent a week there when I came back to the game, but found Greybriar to be a better server with roughly 90% of the pop and activity. Things are never slow. Same likely goes for any other medium pop server. Trion will likely stop suggesting them soon and move on to the lower popped realms remaining.

[Fencers]

Yeah, I understand that well enough, hell the DPS wasn't even bad at all when I left, more or less just making sure that they haven't received any nerfs heavy enough to put them out of spots.

They were still taking a lot of flak for their lack of magic damage mitigation compared to rogue and warrior tanks, but then again they were never bad for a decent player.

They actually gave Cleric tanks and DPS a buff. It's far more even now than ever.

Rift has the smallest % difference in PVE among classes of any MMO. They balance fairly well.

[Edixoid]

As for realms, Trion recently consolidated a bunch of them. Wolfsbane has a queue again, and, as best i understand it, has been shut down to transfers. Some are complaining raids are too laggy and a few guilds have transferred off. I spent a week there when I came back to the game, but found Greybriar to be a better server with roughly 90% of the pop and activity. Things are never slow. Same likely goes for any other medium pop server. Trion will likely stop suggesting them soon and move on to the lower popped realms remaining.

Thanks! I'll check the Greybriar forums and maybe Riftstatus and see how that looks, but I've already seen it mentioned a few times so far on MMOC (probably by you lol, but still) and I can remember it being a decent server when I left so that may very well be where I settle.

They actually gave Cleric tanks and DPS a buff. It's far more even now than ever.

Rift has the smallest % difference in PVE among classes of any MMO. They balance fairly well.

I could agree on that, though a small buff will definitely make me happy if that is indeed true.

[Acquiesce of Telara]

Thanks! I'll check the Greybriar forums and maybe Riftstatus and see how that looks, but I've already seen it mentioned a few times so far on MMOC (probably by you lol, but still) and I can remember it being a decent server when I left so that may very well be where I settle.

It's quite possible I've been the main advertiser for Greybriar, but I honestly couldn't care less if you or anyone else came. By that I simply mean it's in awesome shape, and if no one further showed up, it'd still be idyllic. You're still more than welcome to check it out

[Edixoid]

I used to play on Three Springs as well (before deciding to make Guardians on Wolfsbane) but it wasn't all that great back then, not surprised that its low pop now.

Anyway I checked out the Greybriar forums last night and it seemed to have a decent enough community to convince me to settle there for now, thanks for the feedback guys!

[Slane]

So I was thinking about playing this again, while waiting on my ToR server to catch up in levels.

Logged in and I'm confused as shit with the gearing. Got Chronicles, master mode and all this other shit. One of ya'll mind listing the "order" in which to do things via gear?

[Acquiesce of Telara]

Hit 50
Chronicles every day
Tier 1 Dungeons +/- Ember Isle (or buy stuff off the AH. Get to 100 hit/focus/toughness)
Tier 2 Dungeons +/- Ember Isle (or buy stuff off the AH. Goal of 220 hit/focus/toughness)
Tier 1 raids + Drowned Halls and Guilded Prophecy (work toward 320 hit/focus/toughness(?))
Master Mode dungeon + Tier 2 raid +/- Ember Isle Raid Rifts

In general you can mix and match a few of these, but that's mostly the clearest path. Wasn't sure the toughness requirements for tanks

Parentheticals above represent what you want before progressing to the next tier

[Edixoid]

Hit 50
Chronicles every day
Tier 1 Dungeons +/- Ember Isle (or buy stuff off the AH. Get to 100 hit/focus/toughness)
Tier 2 Dungeons +/- Ember Isle (or buy stuff off the AH. Goal of 220 hit/focus/toughness)
Tier 1 raids + Drowned Halls and Guilded Prophecy (work toward 320 hit/focus/toughness(?))
Master Mode dungeon + Tier 2 raid +/- Ember Isle Raid Rifts

In general you can mix and match a few of these, but that's mostly the clearest path. Wasn't sure the toughness requirements for tanks

Parentheticals above represent what you want before progressing to the next tier

If I'm not mistaken, Tier 2 requires 100 toughness so that part is correct but for Tier 1 raids you really only need 150, any more than that is a bonus and will help but not necessarily required. In fact I think when I did DH when it first came out I was sitting at 130-140 toughness max, I don't recall having 150 but maybe I did. /shrug

[Acquiesce of Telara]

If I'm not mistaken, Tier 2 requires 100 toughness so that part is correct but for Tier 1 raids you really only need 150, any more than that is a bonus and will help but not necessarily required. In fact I think when I did DH when it first came out I was sitting at 130-140 toughness max, I don't recall having 150 but maybe I did. /shrug

I considered posting a "meet these requirements before entering", but went in another direction with guidelines. Caps are 50h/f/t for tier 1 dungeons, 100h/f/t for tier 2, and then 220h/f for Tier 1 and....checking now...150 toughness. Yep, you were right. Thanks.