Berserkers -Where do they fit in?

[Recluse]

This came from a discussion I had with a friend of mine a few days ago so blame him for me going off topic:)


I'm really baffled as to what SOE was trying to do with the berserker class. I honestly don't see any high end benefit to this class. In the spectrum of pure melees, they're especially gimp. They don't seem to posses the damage of a rogue or monk and certainly can't tank at the level of a warrior (or sk or pally for that matter). In addition, they don't bring the added skills the other two pure melee dps classes have. A monk can pull and a rogue has many useful ablities at their disposal (corpse recovery, scouting, lock picking, etc). The only thing I've really heard of the berserker getting is is a group haste the stacks with the regular haste a bard/shammy/beast/ench would cast on you. Can this be mgb'able? If so i could see this being a handy tool in raiding but in most single group situations it would merely be a toy to have at your disposal.


Am I missing something? From my perspective SOE has introduced the gimpest class in EQ history to steer up interest in their quest for the all mighty dollar.

[Dranul]

I think they wanted to make a class that's like a hybrid, but doesn't use mana. They are delving into a new idea, using endurance as a source of power for abilities. I think they were trying to make a melee class with interesting abilities, so you can have some fun with it.

And I disagree with you about the tanking issue. Sure, they can't tank as good as a war, but that's to be expected. I've had several groups where the zerker tanked over the pally. Certainly, I've heared horror stories of zerkers tanking, but I've never seen one yet.

And their abilities are just different from rogues and monks. They can snare, stun, and some other stuff I'm forgetting. Simply because their abilities are only truly effective in combat, doesn't mean they don't exist.

And finally, just look at their epic. Best one of all the classes, imho. That's your high end benefit right there.

[Jebasiz]

They're only decent melee dps, rangers, monks and rogues beat them from my experience, also it's a chain class...so tanking will/should be limited too. I don't see the "niche" they're filling myself, and thus it's hard to see the benefit of having one. With the beastlord addition, it was a cross between a monk and shaman...which was and may still be the most popular two boxed combo in eq. A great solo'ing class that fits well in groups, debuffs mobs...buffs groups and in general is a good addition to any group in almost any situation. The berserker is "okay" ranged dps, is kinda average melee dps...and the pretty little axe (epic) well, who cares. There's much better available in elemental planes....which further perplexes me about their dmg output.

I had one in an ldon group the other night, they didn't snare, haste or anything... nor did they offer, and she was epic'd. I honestly don't see the point to the class, other then giving people something else to play/do. We shoulda got a rogue..... Congrats 200 people per server on starting PoP planar progression all over, and enjoy your shard hunting again...I guess.

[Death's Servent]

Thanks to Verant/Sony making so you have to have a certain race and/or race/class combo to get flagged in certain GoD zones. I did a LDoN with a zerker as MA. He did a decent job at it but I was trying to pull aggro either. I seen the same as Jeb on the zerker not using thier abilities and where they would argue over who was going to use what ability.

[Jebasiz]

It also appears berserker abilities (like warcry) block warrior and other classes melee discs...including defensive discs which could be very very bad. It's my opinion that the class is broken and useless, and until it's fixed has no niche/place in eq (well anything even remotely close to grouped with me in eq anyway).

[Recluse]

/agree


I wasn't aware that 'zerkers got thr ablity to snare, stun, etc. Any information on how this is done would be much appreshiated. Off the top of my head I'm guessing it's done with their axe tomes which would be an interesting concept.


But by and large I agree with Jeb and Death. I've been in several LDoN's with 'zerker tanks and yes the job they did was solid but hell, a monk or beast can tank one if their gear is decent as well. I've even done LDoN's with a shammy mt that was just as effective.


The beastlord was an incredible addition to EQ. Great dps, buffing, debuffing, off tanking and in a pitch they can even do a little tanking and healing as well. Really, there's not a lot the class can't do.


If SOE did in fact mean to make a class that was like a hybrid but without mana it is a intriguing concept, but the final result was either rushed or just not practical in the first place

[Dranul]

As I always say, everything is a function of time. Either the class is truly broken and useless now and will eventually be fixed for balance issues (For example, my pet would back off when the mob was stunned with zerker stun, but that was fixed.), or it's simply too new for people to grasp all the complexities of it and people will eventually grow into the class (For example, people are treating it like a pure melee class when it obviously isn't). Would you judge the entire necromancer community if you grouped with a person who eBayed a 65 necro? Perhaps the class has own its own finesse that takes time to learn.

Recluse, to my knowledge their abilities come from their axe tomes. Each tome summons an axe that is used for a special ability. I think the axes have some kind of high frequency proc (Goes off close to 100%) or something. Not too sure, but I do know the axe tomes that summon axes are very important to the whole thing.

EDIT - Just checked out Lucy for the abilities, and I do dare say they could be a good solo class. The snare and stun abilities are their main abilities, and some of their throwing axes have an incredible delay/damage ratio. The niche they might be filling is a melee class that can solo.

[Recluse]

Dran-


That was the conclusion I just came to after doing some research on their tomes and talking to a 'zerker in my guild. Apparently they can solo reasonably well by snaring a mob with the lvl 8 tome they get and kiting it about while hurling axes.


From what I've gathered the class they most closely resemble is the ranger -It seems like SOE meant for their throwing ablity to be on par with a ranger's bow. This would lead further credence to the class being missed played. Most play the class like a warrior or monk when in fact it seems like their real strengths may lie in their throwing ablity.


Still, I'm not convenced the class isn't gimped. They still don't have the multitude of ablitites and ranger or other melee dps and I doubt their throwing will be able to out damage a ranger with solid aa's toward his bow (and to the best of my knowledge 'zerkers don't get aa's to effect their throwing). The concept of the class is intriguing but i still think SOE has some serious issues to work out with it.

[Tomandny]

I cannot begint to make comments about them, I have absolutely 0 interest in Melee classes. I do have a fe friends that play em and they enjoy the class very much. Is it because they are uber tanks? NO. Is it cuz they are superior dps? NO. They are enjoying the "newness" of the class and being able to play something different. I think eventually they will come into their own with "fixes" and additions to the class.

[Jebasiz]

Until they're disciplines "play nice" with the ones in place from other classes, this "addition" to a group or raid could do more harm then good. Yeah, they can probably kite similar to a ranger, and don't need mana...but hell. He hits the wrong button and the Tanks defensive skill gets hosed and you're all probably gonna die. I don't like that "feature" at all. I hope they're good at soloing, cuz they can feel more then free to not group with me.

[Fizzleplink]

Been hanging around with one. Crappy tank, great for kiting.

I now have a skeleton pet and a kitty pet.

I have more amusing conversations with Boney.