Old player who still stalks EQ to this day

[Cyph]

It's funny that even after all these years, back in '99 when I was playing classic EQ, I still hold those memories closely to my heart. I never played Kunark or any of the other expansions but I did play a bit of EQ2 and a whole bunch of other MMOs (not WoW nor will I bothered with the new Star Wars). There's something to be said about the recent bunch of MMOs to come out in the last couple of years; cookie cutter, repetitive, bland, uninspired and usually horribly grindy. Don't get me wrong, EQ had a massive grind as well but it was different... I can't put my finger on it but maybe it was because people would group together and grind a camp, or a zone, but usually it wasn't about quests.

So, over a year ago I jumped on P1999 and thought 'this is still fun!', but the community wasn't there. I resubbed to EQ2, played that for a bit and became bored. EQ1 is still a glimmer in the distance. I want to return but am petrified that I'll be lost in the ocean that is its grandness. The other issue I, as I'm sure many others have experienced, is that being Australian usually means playing at inactive server times.

I've actually stalked EQ1 and Wreckers for a while now. All you need to do is put in "Everquest Australian Guild" in Google and Wreckers comes up #1.

So anyway, I'm hoping I can find some guidance here. Is EQ friendly enough for someone (who has been out of the game since 2000) to jump in (with a new toon)? Is there enough activity going on in the newbie parts of the game? And lastly, who many multibox (personally, I don't)?

Thanks all and hi Wreckers

[varutia]

What makes the original game special is the people and fact that it is the first one where every thing afterwards is a clone in some sense. I started late in Velious days, but the game is still incredible, like 100 people on the orc hill.

The game is vastly different compare to what it was, hell lot easier in the lower levels. However there is no lower level communities anymore, just about all the populations are 90 to 95 range. The overall population is also a lot lower compare to the golden ages. Personally the population decline since the last expansion release is huge, they'll have to do something soon, either F2P or another round of merge.

Jumping back in is easy enough but unless you have people to drag you up the chain, you will end up soloing for at least a few month before reaching somewhat up to date status.

You however do not need to box to enjoy yourself, I never did and enjoyed the game immensely until the last expansion release.

If you do decide to sign up using a new account best to hook up with someone still playing and have them help set up the return friend account thing, thus gaining a huge xp bonus.

[Cyph]

Heh Orc Hill, it was fun experiencing that again in all its glory back on P1999. I still don't know why SoE just don't release a classic server and leave it as that.

In regards to the population decline, what happened since the last expansion to cause the sizeable loss?

A few months worth of solo... ouch

[Saburo]

In regards to the population decline, what happened since the last expansion to cause the sizeable loss?

Sony has a policy of throwing out a dragnet after an expansion to catch cheaters, potential cheaters, random people etc. They then hand out suspension and bans like candy at Christmas. The cheaters are dropping like flies (MacroQuest being the main one they are catching).

Sony has recently acquired a new piece of software that is able to analyse log files better than their previous stuff. It now spits out cheaters account details within a matter of hours after the event takes place. Most notably the one they are focusing on is the warp ability - being able to teleport yourself around a zone - this is something that leaves a very telltale mark in the logs however previously it would take months, even years to analyse the log and find it.

Basic thing is now if you cheat you're done. There was a wave of suspensions, mostly people exploiting a mission but lots of hackers too. They did a second wave and started handing out full bans. Now they are going to be using the ban stick for all future warp or active hack type exploits. Exploiting missions etc, depending on severity, will still likely result in suspensions.

Secondary to all of that, Sony's mudflation of gear has gotten out of control. Many people just said stuff it to hell and walked away from a game that is fast becoming stagnant.

[Cyph]

Interesting... Sounds like a decent proportion of people were cheating, is there really harm getting rid of these people or were they the final bunch of loyalists? If the decline is that pronounced then I suspect more EQ Next announcements will be around the corner (it has been a while...).

[varutia]

I have started playing less as well, one reason is as Sab said the mudflation which make you feel like rats on a never ending treadmill.

Another is specific to me only, my life style in last few years means I primarily make xp in half hour lesson burn a few times a week. This worked out well enough for me until last expansion release, with the level increase and mission xp nerf they did, Paladins no longer able to solo anywhere for xp in a meaningful fashion at level 95. The situation is bad for me right now, I even contemplated making an alt to reverse power level my main, this is how sad the situation had got to for me.

Less diversification of the play style in VoA release is bad for EQ in my personal view.

[Cyph]

Dang, based on this talk (and others I've read on the net), I think I'll remember EQ through nostalgia. It's also difficult to find any news on EQ Next; anyone have any up to date and reliable info/sources?

[Cyph]

Woah, I just found out that Everquest Online Adventures can be played on the PS3....!!!!!

--Update--
Beh, looks like you need a backwards compatible PS3.

[Saburo]

Woah, I just found out that Everquest Online Adventures can be played on the PS3....!!!!!

--Update--
Beh, looks like you need a backwards compatible PS3.

The original PS3's are the ones you want. The big fat ones. Not those skinny rubbish things.

[varutia]

EQ still is a great game, just that if you are looking for that 100 person train wreck fun days of orc hill, you won't find it anymore. Only real way of salvaging the game is by going F2P, the game is just slowly dying without a healthy influx of new blood.

[Cyph]

Yeah, my PS3 wouldn't be good. Damn it. You would think Sony would release this for PS3s; I can only imagine they would need to recompile the game for PS3s and distribute it online. Funny to think that the PS2 was years ahead of its time in this regard! Apparently new copies of EQOA are becoming very difficult (and expensive) to find as well!

Yeah... I think the EQ I want to play is not the EQ of now. What kind of subs does it have now, any idea?

[tavrah]

If you like to solo pretty much sure come on back, if you want to group don't bother making a cleric cause you won't get one unless your raiding pretty much.

Yeah, Thor I know when I log in Tav you try hard to make sure she gets a grp, but that is simply not right either ! I feel like my cleric really isn't wanted /shrug and I rarely log in anymore, 90% of the time it's either TK or Tripe that has my toon on. Am I upset? Due to RL in the last few months, nope as I couldn't / can't play much anyway, but am I upset that people don't want to grp with me when I am able to be on? Yes ! I understand boxing and why someone would want to ... but /shrug being part of a guild is grouping ! I made a zerker, which I do like playing, but my main is Tav and I do resent people prefering a merc to a real cleric.

/rant off
doubt i'll be on in the near future much anyway.

[Saburo]

If you like to solo pretty much sure come on back, if you want to group don't bother making a cleric cause you won't get one unless your raiding pretty much.

Yeah, Thor I know when I log in Tav you try hard to make sure she gets a grp, but that is simply not right either ! I feel like my cleric really isn't wanted /shrug and I rarely log in anymore, 90% of the time it's either TK or Tripe that has my toon on. Am I upset? Due to RL in the last few months, nope as I couldn't / can't play much anyway, but am I upset that people don't want to grp with me when I am able to be on? Yes ! I understand boxing and why someone would want to ... but /shrug being part of a guild is grouping ! I made a zerker, which I do like playing, but my main is Tav and I do resent people prefering a merc to a real cleric.

/rant off
doubt i'll be on in the near future much anyway.

I really don't know why anyone would choose a merc over a real cleric. Unless that cleric is, you know, really low/under AA'd etc. With regards to you Tav you should never have any trouble. A cleric with AA well spent into heal focus is worth 3 or more merc clerics. I used to run around with 2-3 mercs that I easily replaced with my ~2k AA cleric when I got him. He was able to shit all over the mercs without any trouble. And that was even with me 3, sometimes 4 boxing him.

That being said it is still nothing like the golden old days where clerics had to have /anon on at all times to avoid requests for them to join groups/buffs etc. I remember days when clerics would get tells within 30 seconds of logging on if they weren't /anon.

[Cyph]

Wow... that's surprising! I remember all clerics were anon (so you would just look for the anon people in the zone)! What a different world EQ is now hey. Hopefully Everquest Classic can bring back those days

[Thoraf]

For what it's worth I am quite enjoying the new expac.

I have no real comment on levelling from scratch or the low level game, but the current game is much like the solid format from previous expacs but with some new approaches to flagging which I think will really help people returning to game.

Also, the developers have really tried some new things with missions to mix it up from the same old kill mob loot chest type events (though still plenty of those).

The cleric merc versus real cleric is an old argument, nothing new here.

I like the fact that you have to be in the mission at the chest to get the xp reward, as for the amount of reward it seems to be a few aa per mission, seems fair enough to me. There are plenty of tasks in previous expacs that still give substantial xp reward (alkabor island flagging missions for instance) if that's really your thing.

I agree to the mudflation though. one expac is not enough depth in gear. making raid content obsolete so quickly just kills mid tier guilds, which we are because most people raid for loot, and if it's obsolete just won't raid.

[Jarinu]

When I end up making my language goals across my 4 toons I am heading back to old content to get stuff I Havnt done done (Progression tasks on Alcabors etc)

The difficulty factor is refreshing I am finding in the new epac - but you can still make mission progression and you dont HAVE to do the group missions.

[Cyph]

I think my hold back is more jumping into a game with so many expacs. And for the reasons already pointed out here, I doubt people would bother with a progression style play style.

[varutia]

Number of expansion really is not relevant at this stage of EQ life, you just buy the latest and it comes with everything. It does offer decent amount of options at each level range for you to play with it. There is not a single set of route everybody had to follow to level up.

One most important thing if you don't box and do not often play in large chunk of time, is to pick a class that suit your play style. With the age of EQ, most class will under go drastic change at higher level and can play very differently compare to their lower level days.

Some classes also need larger investment in time to get into the game such as tanks, as you are really useless without corresponding gear and aa at higher end of things. If you are a caster dps, you can do with a relatively much smaller requirement for gear and aa.

[varutia]

The funny thing about progression is that you can mostly ignore them with a few exception that are useful like tier 5 mercenary.

The super mudflation thing they are going means every time the new expansion out just about every progression before that becomes useless. So you really don't need work through that much stuff to get up to day progression wise.

[Saburo]

Number of expansion really is not relevant at this stage of EQ life, you just buy the latest and it comes with everything. It does offer decent amount of options at each level range for you to play with it. There is not a single set of route everybody had to follow to level up.

One most important thing if you don't box and do not often play in large chunk of time, is to pick a class that suit your play style. With the age of EQ, most class will under go drastic change at higher level and can play very differently compare to their lower level days.

Some classes also need larger investment in time to get into the game such as tanks, as you are really useless without corresponding gear and aa at higher end of things. If you are a caster dps, you can do with a relatively much smaller requirement for gear and aa.

I agree with all of that. Picking a class that appeals to you is the only way you will avoid burnout etc. They have made it extremely easy to get from the lower levels (about level 10-15 right up to 80) very quickly. Your best bet there is to ask around in the guild as everyone has different methods. Though obviously the quickest way is to pincushion PL and you can do that with a good Druid

I'd personally dread coming back to the game as a fresh starter but if I was to do it now I think I would still pick a Monk. I wasted years going through different classes but when I got to Monk it fit me personally the best. I could solo, group, tank, dps it was just an everything character for me. I stopped playing the game to grind and gear focussing on having fun with my character and it really did bring some excitement back to the game again.

[Falern]

I could solo, group, tank, dps it was just an everything character for me.

And monks prefer to take it up the a.....? They do seem to pull/tank a lot better when facing away. Probably should go for groups with rogues... they are happy to give it up the a.......

Falern.

[Cyph]

Reloaded Project 1999, here's hoping it scratches my itch for old school EQ. The new EQ scares me with all it's hundreds of zones, AAs and multitude of quests

[Saburo]

I could solo, group, tank, dps it was just an everything character for me.

And monks prefer to take it up the a.....? They do seem to pull/tank a lot better when facing away. Probably should go for groups with rogues... they are happy to give it up the a.......

Falern.

Hey now... But... AFK/LD Cleric anyone?

[varutia]

Reloaded Project 1999, here's hoping it scratches my itch for old school EQ. The new EQ scares me with all it's hundreds of zones, AAs and multitude of quests

The game really isn't as daunting as it was released, it is much easier to play. One example is the original game got no map, which is the reason I still remember most of old world zones layout even now. Levels are much easier to obtain now, use to be from 51 to 60, one hour per blue bubble which translate to something like 25 to 30 hours per level for decent xp gain. These days completely solo you can level once each half to one hour from 51 to 60.

Staring at spellbook while you med prior to level 35, I am sure all the casters remember that one, that is gone as well of course.

[Falern]

Hey now... But... AFK/LD Cleric anyone?

I don't need to be playing to still be responsible for someone dying tho

Falern.