How do get Maximum DPS?

werkkrew · 03-19-2008, 02:52 PM

I have a 33 Illusionist and I am new the game of EQ2. Previously I played a Warlock in World of Warcraft but this is my first toon on EQ2.

I am wondering what is the best way to maximize DPS out of an illusionist...I know its a broad question but up to my current level I have essentially been using the same combination of my four direct damage spells, a couple of debuffs and a combination of mezz/roots. Along with my pet I have been able to solo pretty much anything I come across including heroics a level or two below me.

Am I missing something? I read on here that melee is pretty important but as a caster I havent been meleeing anything.

Character is Stylo on Guk server, check out my AA trees to see if I am just sucking it up like a noob, or if I am on the right track...

TANGARTH · 03-19-2008, 03:22 PM

read the other threads people have bade about this :\

there's at least 3-4 good ones on the opening illusionist page that have a good amount of info

werkkrew · 03-19-2008, 03:47 PM

Most of what I see is "How do I get 3000+ DPS, Im already level 80" type stuff. I am more looking for a newbie point of view on how to best maximize my dps while leveling.

Right now I have a feeling I am going a lot of crap wrong.

agressiv · 03-19-2008, 05:16 PM

Most people dont even worry about it until endgame, really. Not dying while soloing generally yields the best DPS

Maximum DPS comes from the following factors:

1) Spell quality - not important while leveling since you will replace almost every spell you come across.
2) Gear quality - again, not much out there other than +INT gear at the lower levels. The Mastercrafted gear is insanely overpowered while leveling, simply get a full set of that, the rare roots are cheap.
3) Casting order - while outside of a raid, especially at low levels, casting order means very little, especially if you are soloing. Keep the mob rooted, and use your CC abilities to handle adds. One of our largest damaging spells requires us to be in melee range, so unless you can tank the mob you won't be able to use it. Your pet will melee every once in a while but generally not enough to get all 3 ticks.
4) Group/raid buffs - A troubador and Wizard are the two best friends of an Illusionist when it comes to additional DPS. Again, while soloing, it doesnt matter much.

While grouping, try to maintain perpetuality level 5 (AGI line) as much as you can. Its good practice towards end-game. You don't have every spell at your disposal at level 32 so you will just have to get creative.
Do lots of quests for maximum AA. If you powerlevel in dungeons you can easily find yourself at a high level with low AA's.
Get Mastercrafted gear until you start the RoK solo quests.
Adept 1 or Adept 3 spells are fine leveling up, if you can afford the rares. If you are soloing I'd make sure my Root is Adept 3 or Master 1.
Don't use the 2 group buffs, ever (just power regen)
Practice crowd control with mezzes, it can be a lot of fun, and is still useful.

Just my opinions, of course.

agressiv

Isodali · 03-19-2008, 05:20 PM

First you want to make sure you have all available buffs on yourself and your pet including Alacrity if you have an open concentration slot also you want to keep up with your weapon skills both blunt and pierce.

Make sure to send in your pet and pull with your spells in this order.
Sadness (DoT + Mental Debuff)
Phantasmal Ray (DD)
Lobotomy (DoT + additional DD on termination)
Phantasmal Ray (DD)
Psychic Assailant (DD + Daze)
Phantasmal Ray (DD)

Soon you should have Prismatic Discord which you can cast on yourself or your pet to do additional damage over 3 hits. I recomend learning to add in your stuns and prismatic discord on yourself asap. It isnt unitl you hit 45 that you should stop trying to melee the mobs as much without a tank.

Aeras · 03-20-2008, 10:08 AM

Yeah, it's best to come off with your debuffing spells 1st so your others will hit harder. And your main nuke, Phantasmal Ray, will be up every other time you click a spell, so hit phantasmal ray, another nuke/buff, phantasmal ray, something else. Etc Etc.

werkkrew · 03-20-2008, 11:24 AM

Sounds like what I have been basically doing already. Just wanted to make sure I had a good grip on the playstyle of the class. Thanks for the information.

TANGARTH · 03-20-2008, 11:39 AM

the raiding casting order for dps is pretty much the soloing one too, other than being more careful not to break roots

Lenova · 03-24-2008, 03:00 PM

I wouldn't bother worrying about dps at low level, to me, survival and having fun is more important when learning a new class.

I also migrated from WoW, a frustrated mage, to illusionist here.

I was soloing my illusionist with old content quest rewards. At that time, I didn't know TD drop was better. I leveled my toon in Antonica, TS, Nek... All my spells were app1.

You got realize newbies simply had no plat. I couldn't even afford bags. But I made it.

I leveled in hard way and I learned quite a lot. Dungeon powerleveling is boring and you will have few AA.

Voxicata · 04-01-2008, 09:49 AM

just wanted to chime in thanks for posting this. I was coming here looking for exactly this info (except I'm lvl 23 not 30's). There's just so much coming through the spell book atm between new versions of spells and completely new spells that its hard to know which of the 2-3 dozen or so I should cast every fight. I played a shaman in EQ for a long time and had my "set" figured out, so I knew there was a comprable standard "set" for EQ2 Illys just hadnt figured it out yet. Good news is that I was doing most of what the PPs suggested, just not in that order, so it works out.

Thanks again!