Hate to be the realist here, but it really doesn't matter in the long run
what you prefer. You will never find a high level group with a Ranger or
Druid using chains to keep runners from taking off. High level players know
the limitations of the songs and few seconds or less that chains sticks vs
the 2 to 3 minutes that snare sticks is practically impossible to argue
with. If you are in a high level group, there is no question as to whether
or not root goes away from the spell list or earth pets are replaced by fire
or water when there are snarers present. These things aren't talked of,
just assumed.
Chains effect rarely lasts 3 ticks. If you get a single resist, especially
at higher levels, expect the MOB to start moving. When it comes time for
the MOB to start running, you better not be trying to weave chains with
another song either. In most high level dungeons your margin of error for a
runner is minimal. A fire imp running on an efreeti raid doesn't need to go
far to bring h3ll down on your raiding party and even in deep paw, a gnoll
escapes out of a room into the hallway and you are toast.
If your chains is in effect and snare is cast, it won't stick. It takes a
druid or ranger long enough to recycle to be able to cast again that the
lost time could mean death as well. Worse even, I've seen bards (including
myself) press the wrong key and chain a MOB that is already snared... The
effect is to break snare and in a few seconds your MOB is suddenly on the
loose. Have one of these things happen once and I guarantee a good group
with make you stop using chains or will disband from you. You should go
talk to high level rangers or druids and ask them what they hate most about
bards... you'll find they all hate the bards that insist on chaining or are
convinced chains is better then snare.
At around level 25 is when the good bards start getting set apart from the
bad bards and one of the traits of a bad bard is to tell other classes how
to do their job or try to fulfill roles that are clearly already filled by
another class in a party. How many bards would pixie a MOB that an
enchanter mezzed? I keep pixie up, but not as a replacement for mez, but
instead as a supplement for when it fails. Same is true of chains. Later
in life you will find it is a supplement in case the snare fails.
Chains for pulling? Depends on the situation. There are a lot of places
where it works find but there are even more places where you will end up
pulling yourself a train. In most dungeons, the pathing is so screwed up
that if you don't baby-step the MOB, it will end up running through doors
and rooms that you don't want any part of. From my days in Sol A, we
learned quickly that you don't want to be SoW'ed when pulling and you WANT
that mob stuck on your back... If it ain't there trying to stick a dagger in
you, chances are it has chosen some funky back-ass route that will end up
bring half the world down on your party. Hope you have an evac'er then or
get ready for CR. The same is true of chains in these situations since you
NEED that mob glued to your back. Puller's nightmare are casters. The damn
mobs stop to cast on you and if you keep going chances are you aren't going
to like the path they chose to get to you when they go to catch up. In
order to pull a caster correctly, you need to stop at every corner and wait
for the caster to catch up to you and expect to take a hit every time they
get you in line of sight. You want an example? Try pulling the Bar with
chains, or the little room next to the King's room in Sol A. Heck, try
pulling the executioner's area in Paw with chains! You are better off
running up and smacking the mob or using a throwing dagger then you are
using chains.
My brother's character is a druid and I can't even begin to describe how
much better snare/fear works then chains/fear on the big stuff. Especially
against larger MOBs where fear gets resisted. A lot of the time fear lasts
a single pulse.
You want a group friendly slowdown? Use binding. And no, it doesn't wake
up mezzed mobs. Don't use either if you have a shaman with togors who can
get it to stick.
Don't get me wrong, I love my bard and I love my songs, but I also know when
to use them and when not too. I do everything I can to learn about the
other classes and their strengths and weaknesses so that I can make sure my
song line up augments a party instead of being a detriment.
Taneran Dreamweaver
<Clan Jax>
Opinionated Bard of the 45th song
Prexus
----- Original Message -----
From: Kevin L. Crawford <Lyrnia@...>
To: <eqbards@onelist.com>
Sent: Tuesday, March 21, 2000 9:08 AM
Subject: Re: [eqbards] Chains
> From: "Kevin L. Crawford" <Lyrnia@...>
>
> Something else to remember:
>
> Once an NPC's health drops below 50% their resist rates seem to drop
> dramatically. I've had mobs that resisted 100% all through the fight
> suddenly resist 0% once their health dropped below the magic point (about
> 1/3 bubble).
>
> Generally during a fight I do the same thing as you. Personally I prefer
> Chains to snare anyday. If the group insists on snare I just let the
snarer
> know not to snare for a few seconds after the npc arrives to make sure my
> chain (from pulling) has worn off.
>
> Lyrnia
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Danny Craigg" <danny@...>
> To: <eqbards@onelist.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, March 21, 2000 9:22 AM
> Subject: [eqbards] Chains
>
>
> > From: "Danny Craigg" <danny@...>
> >
> > I used Chains over Snare unless I was getting outrageous Chains resists.
> > The main reason is that I was the puller, and couldn't waste 2 slots for
> the
> > attack speed slowdown component. As the puller, Chains was mandatory.
> >
> > If I was having difficulty Chaining (determined early in the fight), I
> would
> > yell, and the druid/ranger would proceed to snare. As the mob got close
> to
> > running health, I just chain Chained.
> >
> > As for mage pets, I don't usually stay in groups where the mage refuses
to
> > become group-friendly and summon a non-earth pet.
> >
> > Raiel Kendan, Traveling Minstrel of Karana
> >
> >
> >
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