All Posts by Effect

LDON was one of the best expansions they could have made for Everquest. Finding groups and getting spots in groups was one of the games most major problems from it's beginning. Instancing in how it was used fixed that and allowed for people to actually play the game more instead of spending hours waiting for a group or trying to get into a group due to being on a list or finding a spot to actually hunt in. It allowed for dungeon crawling (adventuring) as well instead of simply pulling things back to a spot all the time. I remember spending a LOT of time in the LDON areas when I last seriously played the game.

I do think Planes of Power did a lot of damage to the game. Luclin while giving us the bazaar only really cleared out East Commonlands. PoP did more negatives like killing the racial cities with the Plane of Knowledge, making travel to easy and hurting Wizard and Druid ports (spires made things easier but still added a challenge due to the run to get to them when you were low in level), further spreading out the player base as well, making the game even more raid focused, etc. There were a lot of areas of Luclin that went unused and I don't believe were ever fully used and then PoP made sure they weren't I felt.

Originally posted by Neanderthal

I honestly don't understand why they don't do it since there is obviously a fair bit of demand for it.  It can't be that hard.  If people working in their own homes can set up all sorts of different emulator servers then how could it be too difficult for SOE to do it? 

I've actually considered giving those emulators a try just to see what they're like.  I was looking at that stuff and saw that someone was trying to set up a racial teams zek server with the original graphics and just the original world.  That's pretty tempting for me.

That is the main reason why I don't buy any talk about SOE not being able to create a Classic server. They own Everquest and everything it is or was. I honestly believe they could do it if they so desired. I think the reason they don't is that there might be a very good chance if they do it and it does bring people back it could hurt them when it comes to creating new expansion packs.

It might I think only because most that want a Classic server want it to stop at Velious or perhaps Luclin (either way Lost Dungeons or Norrath should be included since that nicely solved camping and waiting in line for group spots). Due to that it would be pointless to include expansions with new areas if the Classic server or servers get the most attention from players (look how people flooded the progression servers when they opened, only to leave when it started to become more and more like a normal server). I think this could be why they don't do it and the reason why they put out the progression server instead so sooner or later it could be treated as a normal servers where new areas could be added.

Classic doesn't have to be pure classic I feel. There were a lot of good things added over he years (LDON for example, the interface, updated graphics). I think most when they talk about Classic is the areas and the items that came from them not so much the features unless you talking about the Plane of Knowledge books which should be kept out. I think it's more of a situation of where they WON'T make one, not that they can't make on.

Any idea what are the common chat channels people use? Or there any default ones. That's mainly what I was refering to. Actually talking, tells, etc I know. Just that outside of that there really was nothing going on when I played. I recall before the NGE there were talking all the time in channels, planet wide, etc I think.

When I tried the game again some time ago, I think I had some free time, I couldn't get the chat system to work. Not sure if it was broken or simply not on for me but I couldn't talk to anyone and the only talk I heard was spammers outside of the Starports but ignore worked so that was good. Can anyone explain to me how I can setup the chat system to work so I can talk to other players in the game?

I'm interested in playing the game again but really not being able to talk to other players or hear anyone else is a horrible experience. I can deal with not having anyone to group with but I at the least want some socialization other then putting spammers on ignore when I go by certain areas. Thanks.

I always thought SOE really missed the boat on this one and really screwed up when it came to the progression servers. They should have known there would be guilds that would blow through the content the way they did. They should have simply listened to what people wanted and gave them a pure classic server where what was included was the following.

Original Game, Kunark, and Velious. I'd also include Lost Dungeons of Norrath as that was one of the best expansions they did cause it allowed people to group without having to worry about camps (waiting to get into a group in an area or waiting a turn, etc).

To keep things fresh they should have continued with the revamping of the zones. To further the storyline they could have done so via the revamped zones or through LDON or simply actually added things to the older zones.

When players asked for a classic server they meant it. They didn't ask for a progression server. They were thinking about the time when only Kunark, Velious or perhaps Luclin were out. Velious would have been a great place to stop I agree and that's my vote. Though LDON should be included for various reasons.

One of the biggest if not THE biggest problem with Everquest 1 I felt was that they kept making the world far to big. It was huge enough when you had Kunark and Velious or even Luclin. The addition of areas caused others to be abandoned and it spread out the community to much. Removing all purpose of the racial cities was something they never should have done. The Planes of Power expansion did a LOT of damage to the game and the community I feel when it came out. Any type of classic server has to not include it for that type of server to really work I think.

I still think the design for Tablua Rasa should never have changed to it's current design. The initial version and vision of the game that include the personal island and even the sound based weapons made the game interesting and really standout from other MMORPGs. I was so disappointed when they changed it to the current SciFi gun game.

I tried the open beta and while the game isn't bad it's simply not worth a monthly fee. I think they would have been better off making the game a single player game and added some strong npc interaction and scripting to tell the games story. That's the major fault with the game as I see it. The design for the game and what it offers doesn't justify in my opinion a monthly fee. It's similar to Dungeons and Dragons Online in that it isn't a bad game but the design of the game doesn't show why a monthly fee is required and both would work better as single player games instead as a mmorpg.

There is simply no need to interact with anyone in TR. Not to mention the communication interface is just bad I feel.

Originally posted by uncus

DDO is a decent game if you have a regular gaming group.  Without a regular group, you are PUGing or soloing [of the two I vastly prefer solo].  I think Turbine heard this and added the solo options.  The place where it sucks - hard - is in the repetition of quests.  When in PnP did you EVER redo a quest?  You may have returned to an area, but things changed when you did [unless your DM was too lazy to change things!]  The other main place that it sucks is in Turbine's changing of many rules.  I understand that somethings didn't seem feasible to them - resting with possible random encounters being a big one - but they could/should have done better!

Bottom line:  DDO could have and should have been much better - NWN is much older yet still much better!

Here's hoping someone will develop a GURPS world [though I prefer it with Open License d20 rules]

I'm curious. Just how popular is Archlord in other parts of the world. The english version only came out a year or so ago but not sure how long it was around when it originally came out in Korea. How popular is it in general? Is it near Lineage levels or a niche game?

Looking forward to hearing what the game is like now. I didn't continue past my free month but I do like they are are trying to make finding groups easier. That was the primary reason I left to be honest. No one to group with. Didn't mind the rest of the game so much to be honest. On the other hand I did get a free copy of Everquest 2 with all it's expansions out of the deal so I've been playing that but no way I'd sign back up for EQ2. All the problems I had with the game are still there and getting groups is still a pain. Good when I find one but I think the games and servers are to top heavy (perhaps I should move off of Crushbone to another server).

Here's hoping things with VG have improved.

Sorry if this has been said aleady but haven't read the other post completely yet.

Shadow Knight and Death Knight, aren't both of them in the end based on the fallen Paladin idea. Hell even D&D had and still has that in the form of the Blackguard. Don't really see where the idea is that original in either WoW or Everquest. SK in EQ are meant to be anti-Paladins when you look at the classes. Paladin is usually a combination of a Cleric (healer) and a warrior. A SK or similar designed class tends to be combination of a necromancer and a warrior. Having lifetaping and debuffing styled spells. Both tending to do well against undead enemies.

I'm going to say no. His ideals just don't match with the reality of the market. He tried with Vanguard and it's clear people overall didn't want what he was offering. That's not even when you include the problems with the game I feel. He either needs to adapt and not waste anymore money or simply stay out of the business.

Originally posted by Baseline

When you think about it, WoW has really spoiled the MMO community. For a lot of people, WoW is the default game when the current newer game they are trying fails. Now, everyone looks at new games coming out with such a high standard. MMO developers today are pushing their game launches back to polish them up more (look at Warhammer), because there no longer is that 1-3 month buffer after the game comes out where people stick through the tough times and wait for the game to get better. People instantly say "this game sucks" and they all quit, then go back to wow or whatever.

Just look at Vanguard. Now, that game might've been doomed just because it did have an exceptionally sloppy launch, but, I think the majority of the player base would've stuck around another few months if it had been before the WoW era of everything being so neat and tidy and comfortable. Just look at all of the other MMO's before WoW that had a really rough first 1-3 months. Nowadays, it's like the community as a whole makes a verdict a week into the games launch and the exodus happens.

I'm thinking this might also be the reason MMO developers today are straying away from having official forums, so that people are more disintegrated, and there aren't 500-page threads with tens of thousands of replies saying "screw this game" after the first week.

It seems like the insane level of polish that WoW has right now has set the bar so high that companies are pushing back their MMO's until they feel like they have a game that has already been out for a few months and has no major problems.

***EDIT***: Also, as a supplemental to this post, I'd like to say that WoW has also hurt the community in a way that it's given the current-day MMO player the mentality that leveling a character is a job, and every possible shortcut must be taken to max level ASAP. Perhaps it's because end-game raid and pvp has been the only real focus of WoW and their promotions for the majority of the game, but I remember back in the early days of SWG and other games where people were running around at half the level of some other guy and didn't really care. They were just having fun. WoW has made todays gamer feel the fun doesn't start until you're max level, and I think no matter what future MMO developers try to do to change that mentality, it's going to stay set in stone.

And that sucks.

Anyone know how long it would take the online installer if you have a broadband (cable) connection?

I've reinstalled from my old cds (the original version of the game) and it's taking forever to patch. Time jumping all around to the point that it jumped up to 91 hours and I don't think it can be a problem on my end. My connection is still fast when I download other things. The only time things download a decent speed (the speed it should be moving at I feel) is when I constantly stop and restart the updating. Once it slows to a crawl I stop it and restart it and there is a clear difference in how the same file is downloaded.

I got a postcard in the mail today to play EQ2 for free. Was a pretty nice surprise and I'm currently updating the game as I type this. Had picked up the Anniversary edition of EQ1 and looking forward to playing EQ2 again now that I have updated my PC in recent months.

First thing that came to mind was that this might be some sort of a apology for playing or suffering through Vanguard (I did pick it up and while it wasn't as bad as many say, it still is disappointing. I took the hit price wise and even then I got it kinda cheap anyway due to ordering online and having a gift card option I won. So I didn't lose to much on it. Same with EQ1, didn't cost that much and for all of the versions of the game it was a good buy all the same even if I only play the free month and come back to it later.

Now to decide which server to play on again. Which one is the most populated?

Originally posted by beezee

Originally posted by Enigami

Originally posted by Ipcryss

Not to mention, "...after playing for a bit..."  Instant credibility.

 

That is always a favorite of mine.....

Alright fellas, then riddle me this.... How long does one have to play to know the game isn't to their liking?

I can listen to a song and in less than ten seconds I know I don't like...
I can watch a TV show and in less then two minutes know I don't like...
I can start a book and in less than a chapter I know it won't hold my interest...

And I know the same holds true for most people.

So this crap about "give it time it will grow on ya" is just BS

At the least it should take an hour or two. Get a feel for creation, controls, npcs, fighting, lore, etc. At the most it should a week max. I don't give a damn if the end game or middle game is great. If the beginning and lower level game is crap then it isn't worth forcing myself through. My time is worth more then that. I am worth more then that. You all are worth more then that. Like anything it comes down to personal taste though. I shouldn't have to feel frustrated, struggle, or as if I'm working (games are for enjoyment, not to be a second job) in order to finally have fun or enjoyment two months or more later.

Originally posted by healz4u

Originally posted by ealdiwen  

Also, are there enough people playing to start a new character?  Any danger of the game being canceled?

I have been playing EQ for, more or less, 8 years.  The game is in its last breath, unless they supply a server that people will want to play on.  The progression servers were a failure because they reached PoP too fast. 


We are asking SOE for a server that is Pre-PoP (or Pre-Luclin) but they will not deliver.  The progression servers, ironically, were the most successful Pre-PoP.  Once Gates of Discord opened, they had to merge one of the progression servers with the other, because people do not like this zerg-raiding stuff.  I think many of us want the magical world feel (Pre-PoP or Pre-Luclin). 


I am not buying Anniversary edition, although on one of my accounts I only have the expansions to GoD.   I might buy the anniversary packs for my accounts if there is a new server.  If not, there is no point for me to buy it. 

If it's true the progression servers were the most successful pre-PoP then they should clearly cap it pre-PoP. I remember I was playing again when the servers came out. It was crazy, all of the starting zones had several hundred people in them. It was horrible trying to level those few days but after that it became enjoyable. The world felt alive again as if there were people. People weren't spread out among so many zones.

Personally my ideal server would only have the following included.

Everquest (core),
Ruins of Kunark
Scars of Velious
Shadows of Luclin (maybe)
Lost Dungeons of Norrarth + Dragons of Norrarth. (to free up the camping issues without flooding the game with zones and making the current ones dead due to lack of players).

I really liked Luclin but can forgo it if it's really disliked. Maybe just keep Shadowhaven/Bazaar and Nexus and nothing else. Or put in auction houses or bazaars in the starting cities. However Planes of Power and most importantly the Plane of Knowledge has to go. That made travel far to easy (boat or teleporters at the docks, druids and wizards or running is all you need), killed the starting cities (remove tutorial as well and put better tutorials in the starting cities and don't drop players into something similar as PoK), made the game insanely raiding heavy (instant dungeons is more fun I think and personal).

I include LDON and DON because they could continue to add new areas and missions if they decide. They could include a storyline that could be shaped by players this way if they decide (no clue on details or how it could be done).

How is the population on the servers you've played on? I figure most people would be higher in levels now but is the low level areas empty? I remember trying the trail a little while ago, didn't want to resubscribe my account to just see if things changed, but the character I started foudn the beginning areas empty. I didn't push myself to get into the Market area (might be more peopel there), however for those starting the game gives off the impression that it's dead on the front. Not very welcoming if you are new starting the game. I know many mmorpgs have this problem but I wish it would be address to a degree. First impressions mean a LOT and if they want new people to jo