Did Ret Paladins really suck in WoW Vanilla?

[retrogame]

So I had the privilege to play WoW Classic and I really really really mega really enjoy playing as a Paladin.

I reached mine to 40 and the journey was quite amazing. (The class quests were amazing). I researched the class in depth and after many forum posts and youtube videos around vanilla and Paladins, it become clear that Paladins were a meme for sucking? I am more worried about 60 level content as a Ret Paladin will I be benched by guildies, because they will take a warrior instead? Can someone shine some light on this situation..

[Shelly]

You'll either be a buff bot or a healer.

Ret isn't really relevant.

Don't feel too bad though, neither is Prot.

And this is speaking of a raid environment.

[bshoults]

Play what you enjoy. It sounds like you really really really mega really enjoy playing a pally. It would be a shame to take that from you. Make your own guild. /shrug

[Mercadi]

Everything is known through comparison. If you are having fun questing as a paladin, go ahead, no one's going to criticize. But if your performance in raids is significantly worse than peers from other classes, that may be a reason to get benched (in progression-focused and wannabe elitist guilds).

[draynay]

Good for you enjoying it, I was bored to tears.

[ItsRainingMetal]

If you got gear, they are excellent 1vs1 duelists, that's about it.

[Evil Midnight Bomber]

So I had the privilege to play WoW Classic and I really really really mega really enjoy playing as a Paladin.

I reached mine to 40 and the journey was quite amazing. (The class quests were amazing). I researched the class in depth and after many forum posts and youtube videos around vanilla and Paladins, it become clear that Paladins were a meme for sucking? I am more worried about 60 level content as a Ret Paladin will I be benched by guildies, because they will take a warrior instead? Can someone shine some light on this situation..

Ret Paladin is low priority for raids. You'll never be picked over any other DPS class to deal damage. If you're brought in at all...it will be to heal and buff. Maybe you can do some damage while you're there...but that's not what your primary role will be.

[BeepBoo]

Play what you enjoy. It sounds like you really really really mega really enjoy playing a pally. It would be a shame to take that from you. Make your own guild. /shrug

Just don't get unrealistic expectations of ever clearing a raid if you resort to making your own guild running a meme spec.

I don't mind people telling someone to do what they want,l but they also need to understand they're at the behest of a highly elitist community and those choices have implications for raid progression and success.

Personally, it's hard enough to fine a raid group... on a server... that needs me... that raids when I want to raid...
I did the whole fail guild that just bumble fucks through raids when vanilla was original as a ret paladin. I will not stomach that again; the entire reason I'm playing classic is to avoid making that same mistake.

Do what you want OP, just don't think there's rainbows and butterflies waiting for you when you get there. The people accepting of less competent specs are usually equally incompetent themselves, meaning your whole raid likely ends up that way, and you progress incredibly slowly if at all.

People wrongfully selling hopes and delusions of grandeur are as bad as baby boomers telling their kids "you can be what you want to!"
Is it theoretically possible? Absolutely. But you need to ask yourself what you think the realistic chances of your personal goals being met are. how your choices impact those goals, and do you actually think you're capable of putting in the work required to make it happen? For 99% of starving artists making shit music on soundcloud just trying to live their dream, the answer is no.

[Sting]

Play whatever you want to play as long as you keep in mind that you won't be wanted for random groups.

[soulzek]

If you enjoy Paladin gameplay, you'll enjoy any melee gameplay. Just roll a Warrior and autoattack AND people will invite you to groups (then kick you after they see your dps). Better than never getting invited at all.

[Flurryfang]

So I had the privilege to play WoW Classic and I really really really mega really enjoy playing as a Paladin.

I reached mine to 40 and the journey was quite amazing. (The class quests were amazing). I researched the class in depth and after many forum posts and youtube videos around vanilla and Paladins, it become clear that Paladins were a meme for sucking? I am more worried about 60 level content as a Ret Paladin will I be benched by guildies, because they will take a warrior instead? Can someone shine some light on this situation..

In PVP it is pretty alright. Remember getting 1-combo killed as a rogue many times by them back then.

If you want to be functional in PVE, you should be ready to make a pretty wierd build and really go for some specific items.....Or you could just go for really casual guild, who are just happy to have people for the 40-man raid, where white-melee dmg will take you through the fight

[Drusin]

I'm sure classic wow simcraft is being whipped up as we speak. I know there are at least two shitty rough drafts of it floating around the internet now. When it's done all these questions will be put to rest. And in exactly 1 year or less when all the raids have been cleared there will be logs

[retrogame]

I guess warrior is the only choice xd

[Nixiuz]

Pretty much, my Pali was usually persuaded by guildee's to go healer in end game vanilla.

[EnclosedOne]

paladins and druids were both healers in vanilla and I doubt that will change in classic...it'll be nice to see it change a bit and see what people can come up with but I doubt it will

just don't be surprised when no one wants a retadin for end game anything, that is the unfortunately reality

[stevepelle91]

They are by far the most useless class/spec for raiding. They literally bring nothing but shit dps. No ret buffs, no debuffs, just shit dps. In pvp it's a different story. They honestly aren't half bad tanks, esp in scholo/strat. Back in the day we had a prot pally MT BWL to see if it could be done and we cleared it np.

[Trunksee]

I guess warrior is the only choice xd

Depends on your intentions. Yes if you expect to raid as det expect to be in a guild that gives you cast off gear. Ret is ok in pvp. You survived 1 to 40 i mean if i were you id go heals for raids and pvp as ret. Theres a lot of people that cant even manage 1 to 40 on a pally. Ret is a lot of fun in pvp but you could be a buff bot in raids. If you go warrior expect to tank a lot even as dps.

- - - Updated - - -

They are by far the most useless class/spec for raiding. They literally bring nothing but shit dps. No ret buffs, no debuffs, just shit dps. In pvp it's a different story. They honestly aren't half bad tanks, esp in scholo/strat. Back in the day we had a prot pally MT BWL to see if it could be done and we cleared it np.

I mean come on i did BWL as a shaman tank back then. Then we did a pally. Shamans actually tank with more threat than any other class. Just because you can doesnt mean anyone actually wants to deal with it. We did it way over geared.

[Bramickias]

Ret is pretty much useless in raids. You'll have to be the best friend of the raid leader to even be considered. But, i think that you can still find a raiding group even if you are ret specced, as long as you have a good healing set and are willing to heal.
In dungeon you can pretty much do anything you like until 60. Tanking is only a buff away and you can decently heal if your group doesnt go crazy.
For PVP, ret is great once you get some decent gears. Once you have the blue pvp set and a good weapon, a good ret pally is a match for most classes even if they are in BWL/AQ40 gears.

[Thatfire]

There is only 1 tank that is relevant in raids and that is Warrior. If your a druid, shaman, pally, or priest then you will heal in raids. The only spec that is somewhat viable in raids is Spriest and that is only 1 of them in a 40 man raid. The rest of the specs are not taken unless it is for buffs and it will only be 1 in a 40 man raid. This is the reality of it and it will not change. The only time you will be allowed to use the other specs for DPS is when they are full on healers and cant find real DPS to fill the raid. I know people will say that they will take the other specs but if your raid starts struggling you will be the first to get cut to be replaced with a real DPS. If your guild out gears the raid and it is on farm then any spec is usually taken as long as your a good player.

[EverDash]

I mean, people once had "fun" playing Shockadins, too. Doesn't make it viable.

So it depends on what your goal is. If you want to have fun, play what you want and have a blast. No one will stop you. That's awesome.

But if you're expecting to raid and clear and not be benched, well... you're gonna need to realign your expectations.