I get it now.

[Velorn]

To my fellow Clerics,

I never truely understood what the big deal was with playing clerics. All the complaints about zerggers, expenses, resource management etc....but all that changed when I rolled one up...now at L5. I have only pugged with him 3 or 4 times and after yesterday....I get it. From the twin zergging dwarves (one was a ranger!!) to the squishie wizard and sorc.....I get it.

Went through 3 CSW wands 22 CSW scrolls (probably not a lot but still) and tons of mana in 1 elite TR run. Don't get me wrong. It was absolutely fun, great XP but resource intensive and I'm still learning the class. Good thing I was funded by someone higher up or I'd never be able to afford it Tacticians they were not. I found myself talking alot...to myself. Here are a few of the tamer highlights....many were repeated to myself over the course of the run.

"W*F...stay in range"
"Yer gonna die before I get there"
"Geez bud...do you have any AC at all"
"Critted again were ya"
"Where the **** are you going"
"I guess you guys don't want my buffs huh...OK"

Were we ever in any serious trouble...nah...but what an eye opener. Experiences like this can only make my melee characters play a little better....i.e. smarter. I'm looking forward to the next PUG run because I think pugging is where I'll up the learning curve....

Another sidenote...Why the **** am I so slow!!!!!?....even with 10% striders.

Perseus

[Gol]

Play a battle cleric, zerg with them

[Velorn]

Play a battle cleric, zerg with them

Hiya Gol,

He gets his fighter level at L10 - 14. I haven't quite decided at what level yet but he does have a starting 15 str for when that day comes. For now, I use the Sovereign Host enhancement for long sword proficiency and Bull's Strength spell.

[Arianrhod]

Clerics always seem too slow. I like dragonmark of passage on humans, or clickies of expeditious retreat. Really helps keep up with those groups that set out at a run and never stop.

[Ringos]

Amen.

Funny, but I've capped a Cleric at 16 and none of my guildies (small guild mind you) have taken one above 8...and nobody else in the guild even had one. They get deleted a few levels in when they realize how much 'fun' it can be at times. When I run with my guild, I'll let them know if I get tired of catching up, only to throw a few heals in the middle of a fight before they take off again. Once, after repeatedly asking them to slow down so I could actually see what the heck they were fighting and participate in the battles, I just stood where I was. After a while, and a verbal lashing, they got the hint. I play other classes to, so I know how it is when you have a good Cleric. You tend not to worry about heals because you know you'll always get them. Sometime you just have to get the group's attention though. When I pug one of my Clerics, I stay away from parties that seem to be under-powered for the quest at hand. Saves me money and grief.

Take care!

[lostinjapan]

My L16 cleric's motto:

"I can't heal stupidity."

My lowbie cleric's bios:

"Just because I know a quest like the back of my hand does not mean I intend to throw away plat in the form of wands, scrolls and mnemonic potions for YOU to play stupidly. You want me to have any of these items so you can play the moron? You provide them before the quest begins."

Oddly enough...whenever I pug my lowbie clerics....people don't give me stuff they just play smart...and I use only spell points.

[Velorn]

Amen.

Funny, but I've capped a Cleric at 16 and none of my guildies (small guild mind you) have taken one above 8...and nobody else in the guild even had one. They get deleted a few levels in when they realize how much 'fun' it can be at times. When I run with my guild, I'll let them know if I get tired of catching up, only to throw a few heals in the middle of a fight before they take off again. Once, after repeatedly asking them to slow down so I could actually see what the heck they were fighting and participate in the battles, I just stood where I was. After a while, and a verbal lashing, they got the hint. I play other classes to, so I know how it is when you have a good Cleric. You tend not to worry about heals because you know you'll always get them. Sometime you just have to get the group's attention though. When I pug one of my Clerics, I stay away from parties that seem to be under-powered for the quest at hand. Saves me money and grief.

Take care!

Funny you mention that. As I was setting up to pug last night...the first group I see in the LFM's is Delera's that already has 5 in the group....3WF and 2 dwarven barbs and NO wizard. I think to myself..."uh-huh..not going near that one"

[Drider]

Clerics always seem too slow. I like dragonmark of passage on humans, or clickies of expeditious retreat. Really helps keep up with those groups that set out at a run and never stop.

Even with 30% striders on or haste, it still feels like I'm running slower then eveyone else.

[Kronik]

Even with 30% striders on or haste, it still feels like I'm running slower then eveyone else.

You need to get the dragonmark and 30% striders. I did and am usually running in the front with the zerging tanks! Better Shield up though, cause it can get messy in the front lines.

[Beherit_Baphomar]

Been stated a bajillion times before, being a cleric at low to mid levels is not fun. But once you get past those painful levels you get to own everything and everyone.

Oh as for people running off before you buff, do like I do and dont buff. I have Death Ward - Mass at 16 because, well, I dont need a cat that claws midair.

[Zenako]

Can we get an AMEN to that brothers and sisters...

Another one saved...

There is hope still for the world and the vision of the world that clerics see to reach the masses.....

I have often felt playing a cleric was like the mom with 5 kids trying to get them all dressed for sunday activities at once - AFTER snack time and sugar kicked it...

[CrazySamaritan]

Experiences like this can only make my melee characters play a little better....i.e. smarter.

Yes, three things that everyone should do;
1) Solo three quests with their main (one on normal/one on hard/one on elite)
2) Play a rogue for half of the cap
3) Play a cleric for half of the cap

I'll add to the list as classes get unbalanced, but I don't see a significant play change with DPS/AC fighters or DPS mages.

Another sidenote...Why the **** am I so slow!!!!!?....even with 10% striders.

I KNOW!!! Got 20% on Cijeorge.

[QuixoticDan]

Yes, three things that everyone should do;
1) Solo three quests with their main (one on normal/one on hard/one on elite)
2) Play a rogue for half of the cap
3) Play a cleric for half of the cap

I'll add to the list as classes get unbalanced, but I don't see a significant play change with DPS/AC fighters or DPS mages.

1) Done quests on normal, fail all the time in hard and elite.
2) Almost
3) Done it

To the OP, I know what you mean. I pretty much only PuG because of my really odd playing hours. I usually hit pretty sensible groups, and I'm learning the balance between heals and CC (Khaz is a 22 WIS/18 CHA/10 everything else support n00b) so I don't fall back on wanding that much. The simple fact is, with a low-level cleric main, I gots no money, so I usually have to like the people in a PuG as people before I'll crank out the scrolls (on the weeks I can afford them ).

And to your list of statements, I've said them all out loud as I play (no mic, so my party was spared). I'll especially agree on the "Where are you going" one, for that one zerger who always manages to infiltrate my decent PuGs. They always run off where you have to pull up your map just to find the blue dot--it's especially bad in explorer areas--and then their health starts to drop. That's when I automatically target them and pop a heal, restoring myself from full health to full health and usually bruising my forehead (from the self-smacking). In their defense (most of them), they don't wander off and then shout for heals.

[JaeBeam]

That's when I automatically target them and pop a heal, restoring myself from full health to full health

I hate that.

[Zenako]

Originally Posted by QuixoticDan
That's when I automatically target them and pop a heal, restoring myself from full health to full health

I hate that.

You know, that is why clerics don't die as much...kinda a self protective reflex action. Too bad we can't store extra for when we need it....

[CrazySamaritan]

1) Done quests on normal, fail all the time in hard and elite.

You make the effort, which is a mark in your favor.
(hint: try missing ward at third/fourth level)


I honestly believe that a party of solo-only players is better than even a static group. The skill needed to complete quests on elite, even hard, mean that you know what you can handle yourself, and if the group stays to that max, you'll breeze through it, even elite.

[transtemporal]

Welcome to the fold Velorn! There are plenty of people out there that know how sucky it can be as the cleric and don't care, but there are few who are prepared to walk a mile in a clerics shoes to see what its like. Good on you.