Curse

~ Dan ~ · Nov 28, 2007, 11:47 AM // 11:47

Ok, i've played just one PvE char: a Dervish, for a long time now. Everytime i try out another.. i barely make it off noob island before they face deletion. To me it's as if no profession is offering me something unique, something interesting. If they can c-space + bash / hex / nuke then i'll do it, as there's no need for me to put any thought into what i'm doing. And then elite missions which imo, would probably require alot less c-spacing.. my Dervish never gets to see

I'm thinking of creating a monk - because you don't c-space to win. Whether in NM or HM, you may have the same bar but in every fight will play it differently (switch up skills, prot different targets, etc). Whereas with a Dervish i can simply put up enchants, c-space 123 and move on, do the exact same thing again. It get's hella boring.

Also by playing a monk (once i get past the boring parts of PvE) i can do elite missions!!!!

I also like the fact you can make NM harder for yourself (as hard as that is to achieve) by taking less monks. As a melee fighter i could take less monks.. doesn't make it any harder for me to kill stuff.

I haven't figured out yet whether deleting chars early is a sign they're the wrong class for me, or PvE just isn't for me anymore. I'd just like feedback on your take of a monk in PvE:

- Does it always stay interesting?
- Does PvE always present you with challenges as a monk?
- General comments on PvE monking in general?

EDIT: If i do make a monk, i'd be running a hybrid.. is [skill]Light Of Deliverance[/skill] or [skill]Word Of Healing[/skill] now PvE king?

Wakka · Nov 28, 2007, 11:53 AM // 11:53

PvE monking is fun. But once you learn to do it well it becomes very tedious, and you might only find Hard Mode or elite missions a challange. Most of the time you'll be standing around looking for things to heal.

moko · Nov 28, 2007, 12:47 PM // 12:47

you won't like monking dan.

shure · Nov 28, 2007, 12:57 PM // 12:57

Monk was the second character I've made and it became the only proffesion I've ever really played with. I've beaten Prophecies, Factions and Gwen with it, farmed across the world, played some RA,HA,....

- Does it always stay interesting?
It's interesting enough for me even now. Because you have to stay out of danger (assasins

) and still be able to keep your team alive. You can't just spam spells, or you'll run out of energy really fast and monk without energy==dead people. Constantly paying attention to party window&hp bars, moving around a lot, is real fun for me.

- Does PvE always present you with challenges as a monk?
Well most of the missions I found quite easy and I always play with henchies (I got heroes after P&F with gwen), only few missions (Thunderhead, Imperial sanctum) I finished with pugs. I do all the work such as pulling, flagging henchies and heroes, sometimes calling targets, to make things a lot easier for me. So I guess the real challenge is now only in some Gwen dungeons or hard mode.

I guess you'll have to try it and find out if it's for you or not...

Wakka · Nov 28, 2007, 01:04 PM // 13:04

Try [skill]Word of Healing[/skill] or [skill]healer's boon[/skill].

Pick Me · Nov 28, 2007, 01:46 PM // 13:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by dan-the-noob

...snip

I also like the fact you can make NM harder for yourself (as hard as that is to achieve) by taking less monks. As a melee fighter i could take less monks.. doesn't make it any harder for me to kill stuff.

I haven't figured out yet whether deleting chars early is a sign they're the wrong class for me, or PvE just isn't for me anymore. I'd just like feedback on your take of a monk in PvE:

- Does it always stay interesting?
- Does PvE always present you with challenges as a monk?
- General comments on PvE monking in general?

Make it harder on yourself? I've seen people use a 55 monk solo farm (I just stood there and watched). No need for other monks or anything else either.

Deleting characters early is no indication of anything. You have a lack of skills (you obviously have no elites if you haven't ventured off of noob island). So you kill your character without having maxed armor, all the skills and testing them in real hard situations (either HM, elite missions, or whatever). Getting bored with hitting buttons 1-8 and spacebar is nothing new. Every character can press skills 1-8 and wanding/bowing/meleeing enemies. It's what you have, and how you work as a team that makes things exciting.

You want excitement? PUG with your monk. Believe me, people will either be happy with you or curse you in chats for not doing your job. Its fun to watch warriors run off on their own and demand healing, while the rest of your group is fighting a different group of monsters.

I agree, once you have mastered the monk (or at least have become a good monk), you'll find it isn't that much fun, especially in an organized group.

My monk is the furthest character I have (beaten Prophecies, Factions, Night Fall and is at the last mission of Eyes To The North). We keep dying because I'm the only human monk in a disorganized PUG. Exciting but very annoying too.

Try monking, you may find that henchies and heros aren't as effective in killing as you are with your Dervish.

Cebe · Nov 28, 2007, 01:57 PM // 13:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pick Me

You want excitement? PUG with your monk. Believe me, people will either be happy with you or curse you in chats for not doing your job. Its fun to watch warriors run off on their own and demand healing, while the rest of your group is fighting a different group of monsters.

Yep, PuGging always seemed best when it came to playing Monk. I never liked Smiting that much, and doing Proper Monking whilst calling Tartets gets tiresome and boring with hench. The in-game chat can get interesting too. The warrior INVARIABLY over-extends.

I always actually found Monking particularly fun in Alliance Battles. What I like most is running around with my team, but if we come into range of an allied team, maybe one of whom is taking damage from a sin, it's always fun to single-handedly thwart that sin's attempts to kill his victim...shortly followed by "I wud of had u if u didnt hav a monk u noob". I take comments like that as a compliment.

Monks are entertaining.

Wakka · Nov 28, 2007, 02:52 PM // 14:52

The Warriors/Dervishs/Assassins that run a mile ahead of the group, agro everything, then call you a noob monk once they die get quite annoying though ^^

I D E L E T E D I · Nov 28, 2007, 03:53 PM // 15:53

A Monk in PvE was the most enjoyable Prof. Nearly have completed the whole PvE aspect of the game with only vanguishing left. And thats kinda the point where it has gotten real boring for me. There are never any real tight situations anymore. But learning how to swap between 4 different weapon sets and monking in HM with your part box closed and keeping everythign alive is just an awesome experience.

Jaigoda · Nov 28, 2007, 04:46 PM // 16:46

When I'm in a PuG with an overextending warrior and he dies, I calmly ask him to look at his location relative to mine and judge whether I can heal him from there. Then I explain it's not a good idea to make a monk run into the middle of a mob and endanger himself to save a stupid overextender. Shuts him right up, and he never overextends again.

Pyro maniac · Nov 28, 2007, 04:54 PM // 16:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaigoda

When I'm in a PuG with an overextending warrior and he dies, I calmly ask him to look at his location relative to mine and judge whether I can heal him from there. Then I explain it's not a good idea to make a monk run into the middle of a mob and endanger himself to save a stupid overextender. Shuts him right up, and he never overextends again.

just don't heal him

Wakka · Nov 28, 2007, 04:58 PM // 16:58

/signed haha ^^

Jaigoda · Nov 28, 2007, 05:19 PM // 17:19

Not healing solves nothing, just provides (EDIT: temporary) entertainment. If you stop healing him, he'll accuse you of not doing your job, which leads to the whole party turning on you, which leads to wipes, which leads to your kickage out of the group. Giving information is better than leaving people in the dark. Give 'em a lightbulb for god's sake!

arcady · Nov 28, 2007, 09:05 PM // 21:05

What I love in PUGs is when half the group goes right, after Mob A, and half goes left, after Mob B, and then both start yelling in chat "noob monk, heal me! OMG, I'm dead! I have 60% DP!"

I'm thinking... yeah, I'd prot and heal you, if I knew which you I was supposed to go for...

PUGs like to solve arguments over strategy by running in the opposite direction from the rest of the group, and if they can get some of them to follow, you get a split. They usually do this just before combat, as a way of trying to force which of two far apart mobs will be the one chosen. Problem is... it puts them both out of my range...

Worse is when the other monk in a PUG decides they're a tank. I get that a lot... One moment they're calling out in chat "Don't worry about protting me, I can handle myself." and the next its "OMG! You noob, I died!"

You noob <-x-> I died

Anyone else see the contradiction?

The monk is at position x.

But still... monking in PvE is a lot of fun. And yeah, you can find groups very fast. But don't stress the bad ones. I just hang out and avoid saying much in chat. I'll keep doing my job, knowing its a lost cause, mostly just there for the Jerry Springer style of entertainment...

One other thing, if you find playing the other classes in PvE is just a matter of c-space spell-spam, you're not playing them right. I have 13 toons (2 are monks), all of them PvE, and none of them are brainless in play. Each class has its own strategy. Every class can get by up to about the end of newbie island on 'c-space spell spam', even monk and assassin. But after that, you had better learn how to play each of them in its own way - and doing so is how you're going to get enjoyment out of them.

Nyktos · Nov 28, 2007, 09:47 PM // 21:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wakka

Try [skill]Word of Healing[/skill] or [skill]healer's boon[/skill].

I concur. WoH for Hybrid, HB for pure Healing. (I'd probably go Life Sheath for pure Prot, but that one's debatable.)

creelie · Nov 28, 2007, 10:24 PM // 22:24

Party support is a different kind of excitement than dealing damage. I love it, and love finding new ways to do it better, but it's not for everybody.

Healing is the most straightforward but also the most stressful because you're constantly reacting. With Protection you have to think ahead, but you get to be more powerful and efficient. If you hate monotony, stay away from bonding.

Good luck, new monk!

Celestial_Kitsune · Nov 28, 2007, 10:31 PM // 22:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by dan-the-noob

Does it always stay interesting?

Mesmer used to be my favorite profession, but Monk is even more fun. Monking is always interesting because different PvE areas and teammates offer unique experience each time. It is especially fun to play with pugs. Within the first few minutes of monking you can evaluate their playing style and start predicting what each person will do. This way you know who will be standing in AoE or overextending and who should be a priority pre-prot target. You can also assess experience of players by their kiting and skill usage.

Think about it this way. Monsters operate on programmed patterns, but eternal and mysterious are the ways of humans. If you play an offensive role, you know very well how each mob will behave. You can even predict skills monsters will use and interrupt most of them. On the other hand, people are less predictable and make your role more challenging.

Monking in PvP is even more fun, but people may scream at you occasionally :P Try monking in GvG and HA

Quote:

Originally Posted by dan-the-noob

Does PvE always present you with challenges as a monk?

Some PvE areas are easy to monk and can get somewhat boring, but the game will be as boring as you make it to be. For example, I always try to have zero deaths in any mission I monk. You can always try to improve your monking skills as you PvE by trying to swap weapons better, improving your field observation skills, predicting the battle, practicing infuse, etc. Most monks have a room for improvement.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dan-the-noob

General comments on PvE monking in general?

Press Alt periodically to identify those who overextend.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dan-the-noob

If i do make a monk, i'd be running a hybrid.. is Light Of Deliverance or Word Of Healing now PvE king?

LoD got nerfed, so WoH hybrid should be good.

Age · Nov 28, 2007, 10:49 PM // 22:49

dan,When you come to the end of the game you can go help pugs all you want most good Monk don't.Monks when they finesh a campaign go off and either PvP or Farm those are your only 2 choices.The elite areas that has any activity is the UW and FoW the rest are practically empty.It is challenging but tedious as well.

Wakka · Nov 29, 2007, 10:38 AM // 10:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nyktos

I concur. WoH for Hybrid, HB for pure Healing. (I'd probably go Life Sheath for pure Prot, but that one's debatable.)

Ah yea true, forgot he was going hybrid ^^

Although to be fair you shouldn't really tie yourself to one (or two) Elite skills. You should always be checking the likes of wiki or something to assess what Elite skill would suit you best for the upcoming area.

For example if your entering area with a lot of melee characters, consider bringing [Skill]Shield of Deflection[/skill]. If its a condition heavy area then it would be [skill]Restore Condition[/skill], hex heavy [skill]Divert hexes[/skill]/

The point is a good monk will know which skills to bring into which areas. A lot of it is in preperation, ensuring you have the right skills to do the job ^^

Pyro maniac · Nov 29, 2007, 10:45 AM // 10:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nyktos

I concur. WoH for Hybrid, HB for pure Healing. (I'd probably go Life Sheath for pure Prot, but that one's debatable.)

You shouldn't be using Pure Heal, and when going pure prot there are 2 skills in that line that directly heal: dismiss condition and zealous benediction. By using Life Sheath you can only use dismiss as a small heal. At least use Gift of Health then ..

Other then that, Life Sheath .. it isn't that strong