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EQ: New Progression Server to launch in March
Telondariel
Member Posts: 1,001
Ever wonder what it would be like to re-live the EQ experience from the very beginning? Trains to Orc Lift, screaming "BOAT!!" in Butcherblock, having fine steel gear and being "uber", and being truly terrified running through Kithicor at night? Remember what it was like BEFORE Luclin when Wizard's ports (and Druids) were highly in demand as a source of transportation? Bring on the EC tunnel bartering!
Well, they're making a progression server to do just that. Everyone will start from scratch, and there will be timed releases of expansions (rather than having uber guilds tearing through content and unlocking everything in 3 months).
I think its a great idea. All the starting areas will be packed and you will level up with friends again. There won't be power-levels, or tanks running through Crushbone with Fungi's. Guilds will all start from scratch as well.
I just thought I'd put this out there as I just heard of this yesterday. I think some people here will be interested, just as I was.
Here is the discussion thread:
http://forums.station.sony.com/eq/posts/list.m?topic_id=169282
Here is an official blurb on the server itself and its release:
http://forums.station.sony.com/eq/posts/list.m?topic_id=172490
Here's another discussion thread on classes that has some interesting tidbits:
http://forums.station.sony.com/eq/posts/list.m?topic_id=172161
Comments
Thanks for the post! I have to admit I'll be re-subbing just to take part in the progression. I went back to experience the last progression servers only to have it ruined by the guilds plowing through the content long before most of the other players could experience it.
Now I have something to look forward to in March since Rift turned out to be a steaming turd imo.
Not trying to flame or anything, but I'd rather play an EQ progression server than RIFT. Huge let down.
I just got EQ with all the expansions off D2D for $18, all ready for the server to start.
Playing - EVE, Wurm
Retired - Final Fantasy XI, Anarchy Online, Mabinogi
Waiting - ArcheAge, Salem
Let me rephrase. If you like games like WoW, you will like Rift. Rift is, IMO, better than most themeparks in there current state from what I played, but endgame hasn't been seen yet.
But it felt like a copy paste game to me. Like it's trying to steal subs away from WoW and EQ2 and the like.
The only reason atm I'd rather play the EQ server is I never played one, and I want to take part in it.
Playing - EVE, Wurm
Retired - Final Fantasy XI, Anarchy Online, Mabinogi
Waiting - ArcheAge, Salem
Wow this is great news!
This is something I might be subbing too. I loved EQ and would love to play it again and a progression server seems like an awesome idea!
Definetly going to have to follow this, and hopefully find a guild to join when the server goes live as it is much funner with friends! Plus if the expansions release every so often, I want to be able to progress decently before the new content comes!
I am entitled to my opinions, misspellings, and grammatical errors.
If you enjoyed Warhammer then you'll enjoy Rift. It feels like Warhammer to me with the short shallow quests thrown in your face one right after the next at the pre-determined locatoins. There is constant battle going on in the background for the first ten levels or so (eight hours of gameplay). The rifts are similar to the PQ events but the locations are random as are the types of mobs that spawn with the rifts. I can not explain the "feel' that Rift provides that reminds me of Warhammerbut after you try it you'll see what I'm talking about after playing twenty minutes or so.
One of the Warfronts that were added in the current beta phase is just a rehash of the Warhammer scenario where the groups dashed to the middle, grabbed a relic then ran back to the spawn area gaining points for the amount of time the relic is held. The only difference here is the map is smaller and the relic is now a fang.
There are only three races per faction and each faction only has one starting area and you are guided along your designated path the enitre way. You can take a break to lvl up with Rifts if you get bored or level through PvP but neither are remotely close to the xp you will get by just continuing along the treadmill.
The class system is great and nobody can take that away from the game but unfortunately it isn't enough for me to pay the fifty for the game. It's a shame too because I was really looking forward to Rift and have watched it for a little over a year prior to finally getting into the beta.
I am torn with Rift and this Progression Server as well..
What I am thinking is that I will allow Rift to experience its launch pains for 3 months (or thereabouts). I think many of us have jumped in right at launch and gone through enough pain. Allowing Rift to iron out the wrinkles for a spell will only benefit the players (ultimately, me).
The draw here to EQ's launching of this server, IMHO, is a well thought out blast of classic EQ, of nostalgia, to the fans that wished they could start it all over again without all the tripe and BS that the expansions post PoP gave (imo). They did a trial Progression Server a while back, but with this one they listened to the community feedback on how that went, and how things might improve if changes were made.
I see it as a last, great effort of offering to those who were there in the early days to walk early Norrath again before it finally becomes eclipsed by all the new-gen games.
Its funny. I hear (and I've said it myself) that people wish they could go back in time to experience the magic and all that, to re-live the game and the community that spurred them on. For many, it was the first real 3D version of pen and paper D&D, but made a million times better by making it a world-wide event.
I'm going to be there. Rift will wait. GW2 will wait. This last effort of EQ? Its not going to wait. I want to hop on that last train to old Norrath.
EQ was fun when it launched, but you have to be pretty desparate to want to play it now, it is getting a bit long in the tooth for me.
Hi, I never played much of EQ.. i played the 1st 10 levels or something at launch and then went back to UO. I have heard many cool stories from EQ much like from UO. What would it be like starting now? Tell me about the game etc...
Remember Old School Ultima Online
Did they ever fix charm, remove slow mitigation, remove snare immunities, make everything generally stunnable again, remove SUMMONING, did druids and/or shamans get a cleric equivalent res...
If not, EQ is not what it was, I don't see any reason to go back to it because if the varied combat mechanics are not put back into place it is just a more difficult WoW.
Forever looking for employment. Life is rather dull without it.
Well, the thread was aimed at those to whom it might interest. I think if you read the intent and got the flavor of the message, those who would want to revisit the original EQ wouldn't be doing it out of desperation.
This thread wasn't meant to flame, it was designed to let some of the oldschool EQ folk out there know that an event was just around the corner. A lot of people are quite excited about this, as reading the discussion thread on the EQ forums will show. I think it will end up being quite a good turn out.
If they would do one of these as a PvP server i would be all over it. But the last thing EQ needs is another blubee server. Rallos Zek For Life !!!!
Never tried Everquest, so EQ 'veterans, would you say this is a good time to try it out?
This thread NOTHING to do with your MMO. Quit trying to market it in this thread.
To OP, thank you for letting EQ fans know about the new progression server.
I am the Player that wonders... "What the %#*& just happened?!"
...............
"I Believe... There should be NO financial connection or portals between the Real World and the Virtual in MMOs. "
__Ever Present Cockroach of the MMO Verses__
...scurrying to and fro... .munching on bits of garbage... always under foot...
I'd say that you couldn't ask for a more opportune time to try it out!
Here are some links you might want to consider checking out as resources for information:
Newbie EQ Forums
Need help choosing a class and need help in knowing what they do?
Player made Game Guides
Allakhazam: GREAT site for tons of info on everything EQ (quests, zones, classes, items, mobs, etc)
That should get you started well enough. The community is incredibly awesome in so many ways, so please don't feel that you can't ask any questions for fear of being reprised in some way. I think this Progression Server, from what I've read from other players, is attracting new and veteran players alike.
There seems to be a great deal of excitement over this. Its like everyone who wanted just such an event to happen has finally gotten their wish granted. I can't wait!
Oh, as a humorous aside, does anyone remember Fansy the Bard? I wonder if he is still floating around.
Fansy
Fansy's Return
Youd have to do some research, since I dont have much time.
But The game (EQ) was was good fun and a good experience to see where current-day mmo's evolved from. EQ is one of several, including UO, Ashersons Call, Lineage, Asherons Call, etc. from which the games we are playing today, undeniable, borrowed from and are the off-spring of.
I'm doing some research for myself for starting info, so I thought I'd share some links as I come across them.
Starting zones for the Good Guys and adjacent zones for the Level 1-10 experience:
City of Qeynos and Qeynos Hills
Humans and Half Elves start in Qeynos.
City of Halas and Everfrost Peaks
Barbarians start here.
City of Ak'Anon and Steamfont Mountains
Gnomes start here.
City of Kaladim and the Butcherblock Mountains
Dwarves start in this city.
City of Felwithe, the city of Kelethin and the Greater Faydark.
High Elves start in Felwithe, and Wood Elves start in Kelethin.
City of Rivervale and Misty Thicket.
Halflings begin here.
City of Erudin and Toxxulia Forest.
Good aligned Erudites begin in Erudin and share Toxx forest with their evil brothers.
Evil Guys and their starting cities with adjacent leveling zones for levels 1-10:
City of Paineel.
Evil aligned Erudites begin here which is on the other side of Toxx Forest from Erudin.
City of Neriak and Nektulos Forest.
Dark Elves begin here.
City of Ogguk and the Feerrott.
This is where Ogres start off.
The City of Grobb and the Innothule Swamp.
Trolls begin here.
I think that's a good start for the classes that will available from the launch of the Progression Server. Those links open up tons of information on the zones, including quests, trainers, mob types and levels, plus equipment/items.
A more comprehensive List of Races can be found here, although some will not be available until further expansions are unlocked. Listed beside each race are the classes available to each of them as well as racial benefits.
Never played or even tried the game since I only started playing MMORPG's around 2004, but i'm actually getting excited about playing on this server as for new players, it will be a new game. And thanks for all the info Telondariel.
I never participated in the original EQ phenom. This does sound enticing. I really hope it is just like it's original incarnation so i can experience the game as it was initially intended. Why can't SOE support this with SWG? They offer all kinds of shite with EQ and EQ2 but everything else in their Station seems to suffer.(I'm sure DCUO will be their new pet...probably not included in stationpass)...I'd love to experience original SWG too. EQ must have a much "friendlier" code vs. the apparent spaghetti mess of code that SWG must have. Though I know nothing about coding/programming...lol. Maybe SOE just doesn't like any other games..or it could be just spite against the bitter SWG Vets who are so outspoken. Then again...that doesn't explain leaving Vanguard to spit and cough it's way into the grave.
The things you mentioned have to do with changes to mechanics in certain expansions. So if you dislike those changes, you can still play the progression server from classic up to whatever expansion ruined things for you. But as a fyi, latest expansion House of Thule has majority of the trash mobs being kitable & non-summoning in tier 1. That's the content at lvl 85-90.
So while there are generally more summon mobs in certain expansions in the past, lately they've changed some things to make it more kite friendly like the good 'ol days. This time-locked progression server would be as close to the classic experience as you can get, and there will be tons of people running around just like good 'ol days. If you missed EQ during the first few years from 99-2002, you should definitely hop in and give it a try when this server launches.
As mentioned in another thread, Amazon has House of Thule on sale right now at $19.95. This is half off the regular price, and buying this latest expansion gives you all 17 out of 17 expansions EQ has, while including 30 days free if you use it for a new SOE account. Seeing that normal monthly sub price is $14.99, this is a great deal and makes it easy for people to come back to EQ again.
EQ1-AC1-DAOC-FFXI-L2-EQ2-WoW-DDO-GW-LoTR-VG-WAR-GW2-ESO
Good to hear they, at least, addressed one part.
There is no one part that ruined things for me. It was a general development trend that began with Velious. While Velious was cool it was the beginning of a very, very bad trend of focusing on raiders and the elite guilds only. The expansion that finally made me quit was GoD. Not because it was hard (though it did annoy me that I could no longer play my warrior in new content), but because of the expectations SoE placed on its playerbase.
Forever looking for employment. Life is rather dull without it.
GoD expansion ruined EQ for a lot of people, it was the beginning of the exodus that lead to players moving towards WoW. But luckily the game today is nothing like GoD expansion. SoD expansion from 2 years ago was very very casual friendly, Underfoot last year was too hardcore for majority of the playerbase, and House of Thule the latest expansion gave us a good balance and it's also very casual friendly.
I think for the most part, the EQ1 dev team knows to not repeat GoD mistakes, and HoT expansion shows they are willing to change. HoT was a well received expansion, with lots of positive feedback on the forums from players of all play styles. So I think if you disliked GoD like most people did, you'll be surprised with how EQ has turned out since then.
EQ1-AC1-DAOC-FFXI-L2-EQ2-WoW-DDO-GW-LoTR-VG-WAR-GW2-ESO
I've been beta testing Rift so this sounds so very appealing to me right now. I loved EQ but I have always been happy to leave it as good memories and not go back. Of course Rift, and the dire current state of MMOs, has made me determined to keep my eye on this.
I have a few worries though. It needs to be the same, or close enough. I could handle if they gave us a nice new, streamlined UI. I could handle the latest graphics in place of the old. They're not overly important to me, but I wouldn't run if they made the game look as it did in 1999.
On the other side of the coin I wouldn't be interested in they did away with the EC Tunnel (or wherever the server decided to put it - I understand it wasn't EC Tunnel on all servers). I likewise wouldn't be interested if the boats didn't run. I want to hear someone shout BOAT'S HERE. I would run if they ignored all the little things that made EQ so special.
Can anyone who played the last Progression Server tell me what SOE included? Was it a reliving of the experience or was it old EQ in a modern nutshell?
Maybe this has been answered somewhere already, and I apologise if it has. Just thought I'd post my interest and ask, without having to read through pages of SOE forums. Thanks in advance.
.
Hm...
Can you do fun things like run full/mostly mage groups (ie, can something besides tank classes tank) and other abnormal combinations. This really is the thing that that finished off EQ for me. I was fine with needing tanks for raid bosses, they need something to do after all. I always loved running with oddball combinations that work just fine when the "perfered" group couldn't be put together, at least till GoD.
There we're plenty of terrific players out there that knew there classes well, but just were not one of the FoTM classes, that needed a group too.
Anyways, thanks for the comments on the current state of the game.
Forever looking for employment. Life is rather dull without it.
Interesting questions indeed. Would like to see them answered as well.