New EQI "Progression Server"

[Kreugen]

Hrm.. a server where you have to progress through all of the content, and defeat the final zone before the next expansion is unlocked.. sounds exactly like EQ the FIRST time I played it! Haha all you suckers who were behind the curve.

But seriously, we don't know how this works. For one thing, quit with all the crap about pre-nerf this and that. It's going to be today's code, duh. It's just playing everquest as it exists today as if you didn't own any of the expansions. That much we can safely assume.

However, what we don't know is, does each individual have to unlock the next expansion, or is it a gay AQ-opening style one time event type thing? That isn't clear (although we all assume the former)

The second thing is, what about loot? If you are stuck in kunark on trakanon, but you can buy shittons of velium weapons and the like from the people farming Velious, it's not quite the same now is it? Joe newb stuck on Vox is going to have a field day once Kunark weapons start raining down on him. That right there is the MAIN progression breaker - being able to obtain items from future expansions without ever setting foot there. Mudinflation and all that. If you can use gear from other expansions, then the whole thing is a waste and the entire purpose of the term "progression server" is down the drain.

Anyhow, neat idea I guess.

[Olio]

Sure 50 is part of the race. But it isn't going to be more important to get there fast than not be an ogre or perhaps troll. And depending on what it takes to open up Kunark I'd expect Naggy/Vox be skippable or at least not killed much. Most likely they'll be killed once each and then the next time they are up the good people would already be out of level range.

Olio

[Soygen]

Originally Posted by Kreugen

Hrm.. a server where you have to progress through all of the content, and defeat the final zone before the next expansion is unlocked.. sounds exactly like EQ the FIRST time I played it! Haha all you suckers who were behind the curve.

But seriously, we don't know how this works. For one thing, quit with all the crap about pre-nerf this and that. It's going to be today's code, duh. It's just playing everquest as it exists today as if you didn't own any of the expansions. That much we can safely assume.

However, what we don't know is, does each individual have to unlock the next expansion, or is it a gay AQ-opening style one time event type thing? That isn't clear (although we all assume the former)

The second thing is, what about loot? If you are stuck in kunark on trakanon, but you can buy shittons of velium weapons and the like from the people farming Velious, it's not quite the same now is it? Joe newb stuck on Vox is going to have a field day once Kunark weapons start raining down on him. That right there is the MAIN progression breaker - being able to obtain items from future expansions without ever setting foot there. Mudinflation and all that.

Anyhow, neat idea I guess.

This is what I was thinking too. Just like Everquest back in the day, this server will probably only be really fun for one guild. The one who is opening up the next expansion(if it's a global opening thing like that).

[Weritech]

Originally Posted by Zinke

The main draw of this would be for people to be in a 'if I only knew then what I know now' situation. Knowing what you know now about that content, and therefore completely owning it. The first time I ever had a good enchanter pulling in sebilis, with a warrior, rogue, ranger, cleric, enchanter, and bard group. It was non-stop action. We'd have 20 frogs lined up mezzed, the melee would grind on them and when we'd have 1 or 2 left, the enchanter would go pull another room or two full.

I would love to pull that kind of shit leveling up in vanilla EQ. I was a little behind the curve leveling up, having started a wizard and quit it in the 30's to do a cleric. So, lguk/solb etc were decently camped when I was there. Never really experienced old EQ the way most did. Would be neat to play an enchanter back when they were godly but most people didn't realize, though I figure a lot of people are thinking the same thing.

Not for me. I wasn't on the cutting edge but I was close enough to get to discover much of the game for myself.

What really made EQ great was not knowing anything. Before damage formulas, aggro and like were completely cut open, mapped, analyzed and laid open all over the web for everyone to see, so much of the game was mysterious and completely engrossing because of it.

We could stand in a dungeon and wonder/imagine that the place went on for miles. We had no frame of reference to judge anything! Anything was possible and everyone was leveling to try and find out what was out there. There was definitely a Green Dragon that would drop Green Splinted Platemail in the bottom of Guk because I wanted it to be.

People who were introduced to MMOs more recently can't have had the same experience due to things like Cosmos, commercial strategy guides, the massive playerbase, maturity of the web and carryover knowledge brought to the game by MMO vets.

For me, playing on this server would pure nostalgia if I could forget everything I know about the game it would be even better.

[Arbitrary]

Will expansion cock blocking exist?

Think of it like this, FoH (alwasy the example) goes and kills Tunare, AoW, Dain, etc then rampages through ToV all the while everyone else is glad to be left alone in Kunark. Now, when Vulak is killed we'll have Luclin open up.

Is it in the best interest of FoH to keep everything at Velious until they decide to move on? The more expansions that are unlocked quickly the more power you put into the hands of everyone else and the more chances you give them to overthrow you. Now, eventually we'll end up in PoP where more than one guild can be supported and PoT is fully instanced, with some more instancing in later expansions.

Now, of course, FoH stayed on top until they moved on, but I watched the guild I was with, also number one for the server, fall to second, third, fourth place over the months. People liked Velious, it was all win win loot loot, and Luclin was alot of failing (learning).

Are we going to see someone decide that we need to stay in Velious until their guild can grow no fatter with gear? What about at the end of Luclin? Farming the piss out of VT before PoP is a big help.

[Olio]

I doubt there will be too much cockblocking. The gear in later expansions is simply much better than the gear in the lower ones. Stopping to gear up excessively would just be a waste of time. There aren't many places where this isn't true (VT), but I suspect the top guild wouldn't be willing to stall out for a week at a time with nothing to do rather than finish it within the first few times and then going back every week as they push through PoP. I also don't see the huge need to gear up excessively since people have already refined all those strats.

Olio

[AngryDwarf]

I'll be very dissappointed if Emp isn't cockblocked =(

[Zinke]

Originally Posted by Weritech

For me, playing on this server would pure nostalgia if I could forget everything I know about the game it would be even better.

Nostalgia won't last long.

When your at a bar or arcade and you see a pacman sit down game. How long do you play it before the nostalgia wears off. I can't imagine nostalgia sustaining most people from 1-50. It'll be the power gamers and those who missed the wave the first time, that really enjoy the server. Some new players will also like it as it's a chance to experience a lot of content that I imagine everyone skips these days. What's the point of farming lguk for a FBSS when there are better haste items for dirt cheap in the bazaar or whatever (I haven't played EQ in years, just going by things I've heard other people say).

[Arbitrary]

I've been playing FFT for 7 hours straight and again am on the mission to form the "perfect" party. Going to take a fuckton of time.

There is a differance between nostalgia and good games that are old.

[ArkturusMaximus]

I would hope any server would have the pre-revamp of zones like Cazic-Thule, etc...with only the original content available at the beginning the absence of CT would really really cut down on the places to level. Also, CT remains one of THE best designed dungeons ever, period.

[Saban]

i'll play if they bring back original nro and oasis.

[Zuuljin]

I'm pretty sure it wont be on an individual basis. "Expansion" flagging will be 10x worse than PoP's system, and certain guilds will be light years ahead of everyone else. Then theres the fact that some people suck, and may NEVER get past the original EQ without a push through from the uber guilds.

[Weritech]

Originally Posted by Zinke

Nostalgia won't last long.

This true.

I talk big shit but in reality I probably wouldn't even re-up my old account unless the server had a 20x XP modifier so I could play for two weeks, make 50 and quit all over again.

[BigMovieBuff]

If they don't reverse some of the revamps they've done to old world zones, there's going to be a shortage of places to exp. Just off the top of my head:

CT = 55+
Mistmoore = 55+
Paw = 55+
Runnyeye was jacked up
Someone mentioned Befallen? (don't know if it was or not)
NFP is gone now
Oasis of marr is gone now...

On the other hand, I can't wait to kill some Sisters of Errolisi.

As for expansion races, they could put the Kerrans on Kerra Isle on Odus, throw the Ikky's in the feerot near CT, and the frogs are already in Rathe Mts.

I can't wait.

[Itzena]

Hmm. I wonder if the timing of this is significant?
Interesting tactics by SOE if it is.
[/vague]