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What could get me to turn EQ on again ...
Well .... this:
http://www.mobhunter.com/001473.html
"There will soon be a "not a classic server" server. This server will begin with only the original game unlocked at first. As groups or guilds defeat certain triggered encounters, new expansions will become unlocked. It will be a no-transfer server so everyone is starting off at the beginning of the game. All the new non-expansion features will be there like chat channels, LFG, and new UIs, but features such as Plane of Knowledge won't be active until that expansion is unlocked. All of those who have screamed on the forums for months about a "classic server" will now get their chance to put their money where their mouth is. It sounds pretty interesting and SOE is expecting it to be popular. With some core features removed that we take for granted these days like the Guild Lobby, Nexus, Knowledge, Bazaar, and LDON Magi, it will be interesting to see how much old-world people are willing to take."
And this:
"Second, SOE threw out some hints at the next expansion. The expansion will be a full level-range expansion from level 1 to 70. They intend to build a new focused set of content for players of all levels and plan to sell the expansion as a stand-alone game as well as an expansion for us old-time players. There is no word on a price, but I expect it to remain at $30. There will be content of all types including solo content, small group content, six-person group content, instances, quests, and other things that we expect at the high-end. There will not likely be low level raids since balancing such things and making them worth the effort is hard when gaining five levels will reap much better benefits. There will be overarching quest lines that will go through a series of levels and even at least one that will go all the way from level 1 to 70. The intent is to make content at those levels that is fun enough that people aren't worried as much about leveling and gearing up to 70 as fast as they can (although I expect we will either see a level increase or a large jump in AAs - likely both)."
Woot 
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SAND GIANT TO ZONE!!!
Hi! My name is paper. Nerf scissors, rock is fine.
MMORPG = Mostly Men Online Roleplaying Girls
http://www.MichaelLuckhardt.com
Originally posted by qotsa
A server with the orginal game and the first two expansions only would be grand. But this sounds interesting enough. If the server has a decent population, I'd definately try it again. Hell just going through the first twenty levels would be great. I would love to see Lockjaw owning people in the Oasis, on a new server once again.SAND GIANT TO ZONE!!!
I'm in two minds: on one hand, like a lot of former players, I've been known to mutter for a classic server, but on the other this post springs to mind:
The whole nostalgia industry is based on rose-tinted spectacles i.e. how we undergo a complete Tabula Rasa and only remember the positive, without remembering the negative. That said, given that nothing on the market interests me, a progressive server with NO transfering of characters - a clean slate - might, just might tempt me back.
I honestly believe that SoE have missed the boat on this one. There was ample opportunity to release a classic or progressive server and retain a sizeable, healthy player-base. If Vanguard is released this year and lives up to expectation, then all the old EQ players will flood to that title. I don't think that 'classic' EQ will appeal to the SWG refugees who are now used to playing a sandbox MMORPG; if you were a former EQer, you'll be moving to Vanguard.
SoE need to release this server, right now, stat! The longer they wait, the shadow of Vanguard looms larger - sucking up former EQ players and WoW refugees alike.
Edit: good lord! Anofalye and myself on the same page: check out his post.
Regards,
Riotgirl
"If you think I'm plucky and scrappy and all I need is love, you're in way over your head. I don't have a heart of gold or get nice. There are a lot nicer people coming up. We call them losers."
The more I hear, the less this sounds like what so many people want. I think I lost my head briefly and thought maybe SOE would actually provide something a lot of people had been asking for (for ages). Then I remembered it's SOE. So I guess this is their idea of a newb server *cough*. For true newbs, I do think it will be a good thing. I'm just not sure how many true newbs there will be. For vets seeking a "classic" server, well, I don't know. I will probably try it out though.
The following is from Rashere, Lead Designer, in the official forum:
I haven't had the time to read every posting in this thread, so if I'm duplicating some info, I apologize. I want to clarify a few things about this progression server.
First, this is specifically not a classic server. We are not attempting to revert EQ back to its original state. Not only is that a technical impossibility, but the nostalgia people have is due more to it being the first large persistent world that people encountered than any specific gameplay mechanic that has since been changed. That feeling is no more able to be recaptured than the feeling of a first kiss.
This server is primarily a new-player server, it just has a twist in how the content is unlocked to allow players to play through the progression of content as it was released to the game. At its core, what we're doing is simply locking out expansions, similar to what would happen if you didn't own them at all, until some in-game criteria has been met. Generally, this will be defeating the end game content for the expansion. Defeating Vox and Nagafen, for instance, will likely open up Kunark for the server.
That does mean that anything that is tied to an expansion will not be available until that expansion has been opened up. So, when the server first launched, you won't have Iksar, Vah Shir, Frogloks, Beastlords, or Berserkers. It also means that anything that has been opened up to all players over the years will be available from the start. In-game maps is a good example. Also, anything that has been added since release or changed since release will still be there on the server. Freeport and Ro will be using their revamped graphics, for instance, and boats won't work on the new server any better than they do on other servers.
There are a few exceptions to those rules that we will be making and a few more we are still discussing.
While Plane of Knowledge and the Bazaar are no longer expansion locked, we will likely keep those turned off until Planes of Power is opened up.
Veeshan's Peak will likely be reverted to a previous state since that's the end game content of Kunark.
The tutorial will be available. This is first and foremost a newbie server and its important that new players get some lessons on how to play the game. You will likely go to your home city after finishing the tutorial, though, instead of PoK since that's not likely to exist at first. We are looking into the impact that the tutorial gear will have on the server and may make some changes to mitigate it if we feel its going to be a balance problem.
What I think EQ needs:
1) Bring back boats.
2) Find a way to limit POK access, make it cost something, or have a rule it can only be accessed by folks above a certain level (40 maybe), or only accessed once per day (that might work too). We need to give Druids and Wizards back their jobs as teleporters.
3) Open a new server every six months, and disallow transfers into that server for a year.
4) Eliminate in-game tutorial, COMPLETELY. All noobs start in their racial starting cities.
5) Shrink Freeport back to size. Used to be, I liked Freeport so much, I wished it was bigger. Now I find I get lost so easily in it, I wish it were smaller.
6) Can the Veteran Awards.
7) Return the original harsh death penalty. (Keeps the zones scary).
Lol the progression server will not work the way the hope it will. One of the raiding guilds moves there. we will pl our chars to lvl 50 in about a month at most. and start unlocking everything. It will probally only last for maybe 9 months at most if a serious guild decideds to break the server plan.
Leaving in newbie gear how lame can we get. that stuff is far to powerfull to be left in. Cant just load off an old eq 1 disc and play from their?? so cazic thule is still ruined. splitpaw is still junk.
And no it is nothing like a first kiss, what a moron. I hate how spoon feed it has become. I hate that hell levels are gone. I hate pok. I hate boats are gone. I hate they killed the emerssion feeling by creating the bazaar, pok, all the stupid channels, catering to the noob generation gamers.
I hate the players that when you ask want to come hunt in ssra. they are like ssr what, where is that, is it more than 1 or 2 zones from pok, ohh that is to far, and then sit lfg for another hour and complain man i cant get a decent group tonight. Or a troll in pok ooc'ing where is grobb is that off nektulos forest?. Most people only know about 40% of the zones out there. I miss rubicite, i miss fishing while sailing to butcherblock to run to dagnors to unrest for a group. I miss charging noobs 20p a head to take them from qeynos to freeport saflely.
The game anymore is grind thru mobs get max lvl, get phat loots, become l337, pvp with others to brag about how 1337 i am, i pwn u's. suxxor. those people need to take a long walk off a short pier.
there is so much i miss from the old day. and i remeber the bad stuff to like when my lvl 47 pally fell in the lava in sol b and i lost his corpse to corpse rot. taught me not to try that again lol.
1. I'd agree to the boats but only if they were faster then what they were before. That long ride in Ocean of Tears was just wrong. Also make it so you don't accidently fall off and can only get off at a dock then explore from there.
2. Disagree with this. Plane of Knowledge makes the game less frustrating. A level limit yes but not that high. The 20s I feel is better that way lowbies have people in their starting cities and everyone isn't automaticly leaving.
3. Aren't they due for a server merge though from last I heard?
4. I agree. The ingame tutorial is bad I feel. Actually they should bring back the original tutorial, the one you could play offline. I remmber when I first got the game and played through that several times, even when I stopped playing for a while just to get my EQ fix. It covered all the bases, you could go at your own pace, gave somethng to do when servers were down. I never understood why they got rid of it when it worked. There needs to be some tutorial but make it simplier and shorter. Put one in each of the starting cities and right in front of the player before they can explore or do the offline one again.
5. Haven't seen the new Freeport since I haven't played in a while.
6. Why not, they were kinda annoying.
7.) No way in hell should this be done. I like how they handle death now. That was one of the things I hated about EQ1 back when I originally played. Corpse runs are not fun nor exciting. Harsh death just forces people to stay in certain areas and lots of the zone are wasted since people fear wasting their time and effort. Time and effort they are paying real money to experience. NO, death should not be harsh at all, it never should be in a video game, especailly one you are paying a monthly fee to play. It's just a horrible time sink.
This the best thing to get me to return is to lower the price. No way they should be charging the same price as EQ2 or other more recent games.
1. I'd agree to the boats but only if they were faster then what they were before. That long ride in Ocean of Tears was just wrong. Also make it so you don't accidently fall off and can only get off at a dock then explore from there.
2. Disagree with this. Plane of Knowledge makes the game less frustrating. A level limit yes but not that high. The 20s I feel is better that way lowbies have people in their starting cities and everyone isn't automaticly leaving.
3. Aren't they due for a server merge though from last I heard?
4. I agree. The ingame tutorial is bad I feel. Actually they should bring back the original tutorial, the one you could play offline. I remmber when I first got the game and played through that several times, even when I stopped playing for a while just to get my EQ fix. It covered all the bases, you could go at your own pace, gave somethng to do when servers were down. I never understood why they got rid of it when it worked. There needs to be some tutorial but make it simplier and shorter. Put one in each of the starting cities and right in front of the player before they can explore or do the offline one again.
5. Haven't seen the new Freeport since I haven't played in a while.
6. Why not, they were kinda annoying.
7.) No way in hell should this be done. I like how they handle death now. That was one of the things I hated about EQ1 back when I originally played. Corpse runs are not fun nor exciting. Harsh death just forces people to stay in certain areas and lots of the zone are wasted since people fear wasting their time and effort. Time and effort they are paying real money to experience. NO, death should not be harsh at all, it never should be in a video game, especailly one you are paying a monthly fee to play. It's just a horrible time sink.
This the best thing to get me to return is to lower the price. No way they should be charging the same price as EQ2 or other more recent games.
Forgive my ignorance but has the death penalty changed in EQ1?
Somewhat. Corpse Runs are no longer apart of the game for the most part. After a while they are removed from the zone in which you died and moved to a cemtery type zone that everyone has access to I believe. When I last popped into the game during a free week that was the case but didn't die during that time so not sure how it really works. Works best when in those high level zones or dying on raids or deep in a dungeons where going back to get your body just serves to get other teammates killed.
I also think the lost of experience due to dying is't as bad as it was before. Also I don't believe you take any experience hit until you reach level 10. You respawn with all your gear, etc as well during those first 9 or 10 levels. Not sure if things change at lvl 10 or after you hit level 11.
One of the worse things about EQ death was the corpse runs and running that high risk of not getting your body back due to being killed in a horrible spot and then having it disappear on you for good. So that was changed, which should have been done long ago I felt. The no experience hit at the beginning levels is good as it doesn't frustrate players, especially new ones or make things bad by turning them off to the game.
Same here
I loved Oasis because it was one of the first times as a Chanter that I started to feel useful and appreciated - not that it had anything to do with being level 16 and having 'Breeze' :P
Oasis was lambasted as being the first stage of the LOIO/DL treadmill, but I jumped from Oasis straight to the Estate of Unrest. The former allowed me to learn the rudimentaries of grouping and my class; the latter was a real education.
I loved the corpse runs because EQ death was harsh and unforgiving. Not just taking a EXP bite, but having to get your corpse and the real fear of being multi-killed and even deleveled. Some may complain that corpse runs add no immersion and are just a source of frustration. For me, it was a masochistic pleasure - a harsh and unforgiving game-world, where slipping up by >..< that much, or just dumb, stupid luck meant eating a death. It installed genuine fear - well, as much fear without the possibility of open PvP and corpse loss/looting - respect, and forced one to pay attention, learn one's class and generally improve one's overall standard of group play.
Eating a death was a chance to display heroicness or exemplary group-play by taking one for the team. Even as a chanter, I took one for the team on occasion. Learning to accept a death for the good of the group, was a sign of in-game maturity - that one was no longer a 'newbie'. Nothing more annoying that seeing a mid-20s character (or higher) aggro multiple yellow/red mobs and bring them back to the group when the Cleric was 'OOM', the Chanter (me) nearly 'OOM' and everyone resting. In those situations, I ordered the group NOT to assist and for them to get out of aggro range.
Eat the death, suck it up, and one should recover the exp in the normal run of play.
That's why I loved the harsh dealth penalty - Eve Online not withstanding (can you feel my masochism?) - because it weeded out the chaff from the wheat; the dependable from the flakes who would just whine then head over to LOIO/DL.
Yeah, I still miss pre-SoL EQ. But I don't miss having to stare at that goddamn spell book whilst medding! Now that WAS frustrating!
Regards,
Riotgirl
P.s. I .. must .. resist .. the .. siren .. call .. of .. the .. progressive .. server. It will end in SoL tears and abject PoP hatred.
"If you think I'm plucky and scrappy and all I need is love, you're in way over your head. I don't have a heart of gold or get nice. There are a lot nicer people coming up. We call them losers."
I like that last post. I too am feeling the pull of the progressive server. I was in EQ a week after it launched. What hooked me was how much there was to do and how everyone was talking all the time. It was like a party. Whether you were running from spectres or LJ in Oasis, or trying t get through Kitchor at night, or trying desperately not to start a train in Guk, the game was just damn fun.
EQ2 or WoW does not match it. Content is lame, and the idea is to zip right to the end game and PvP or raid. The best part is the journey, the quest. In EQ I have fond memories of fighting orcs in Permafrost, caimens in Oasis, aviaks in Karana, frogs in Guk, etc. etc.
There's never any of those heroic moments where the paladin has to chose between saving himself or a teammate with lay hands; or a heal that comes right at the last second from a cleric; or a breahtaking escape evac from the wizard. In dungeon crawls in EQ everyone had to know what they were doing, and pay attention and everyone had to work together when something went wrong. I miss that.
Honestly, probably the only reason I don't play EQ is the graphics. But if they revamp the zones I might just go back. In every other way, classes, gameplay, and content, EQ is great.
Nope that won't happen. Besides having to unlock content by killing mobs or doing quests and stuff (they said it won't all be tied to major raid kills, but some quests and exploration) they are also adding in a timer. So even if Kunark is unlocked in the first week, the people who did it will get the message saying they did but the expansion will not be available until SOE has decided it's been long enough.