EQ1 Progression server launches June 28

[Strazos]

I was just wondering if something happened to Rogues at some point. My account was for some reason unlocked, so I logged into my old 65 rogue....

He was backstabbing lvl 1 mobs in WFP for like, 200dmg maybe, with NO assassination 30k BSs....wtf happened?

[edlavallee]

Dude, you can save google searches and have it email you with updates.

Sweet!

I googled myself and found out I am either a frickin cartoonist from Kansas City or a bowler from Kingman, Arizona. Damn, I've never been to Kansas or Arizona! I wonder if my wife is hawt.

[Azazel]

Margolis nailed it, really. The hardest part of the old EQ1 was the lack of knowledge. Knowing, as they say, is half the battle. So when you know everything about the old world, it's not nearly so hard. And of course, any parts that might have been missed are easily found on Allakhazam, etc, which wasn't nearly the option is is today back then. I remember scrounging zone maps off of Everlore, just so I could have an idea where I was wandering around.

And that's the other thing, as Margolis mentioned. So much has changed. The 1-50/60 game has changed incredibly for the better/easier since the first Wood Elves fell out of Kelethin to their deaths. It's a combination of knowing all the content like the back of your hairy hand and it not being nearly so tough as it actually was first time round.

And the willingness of FoH et al to Catass their way through the content as quickly as possible. But were SoE really expecting any different? Oops, apparently they were!

[shiznitz]

Why do you think SOE is surprised at the content consumption rate? I don't recall any "official" opinions one way or the other. I expected Naggy down within a month.

The Progression servers are business genius. I know 8 people who upgraded to All Access to play on The Sleeper. If a few thousand did the same thing, then SOE is making some nice incremental revenue for little incremental investment. It should lead other MMOG companies to consider "classic" servers if applicable.

[HaemishM]

It should lead other MMOG companies to consider "classic" servers if applicable.

You're just going to start the stampede of "Pre-Renaissance UO Server!" retard slapfights.

[Morat20]

It should lead other MMOG companies to consider "classic" servers if applicable.

You're just going to start the stampede of "Pre-Renaissance UO Server!" retard slapfights.

I'd have gone with the Pre-CU ones myself, as they're another bit of SOE property and more recently contentious. It didn't have those neat charts, though.

[Lantyssa]

Will killing Baz Nitch unlock the CU then?  What do we have to kill to get into space?

[Lum]

Has the Combine server actually opened up the planes now, or is it patch-cycle dependent?

[El Gallo]

The planes are open, the gods are dead.  Kunark isn't open last I heard, which may be a bug or may be sony's "we have a time lock as a failsafe to prevent exploits, but it's set twice as fast as we could imagine anyone actually unlocking anything in our wildest dreams" plan underestimated the appetites of their playerbase yet again.  Unlocks were not supposed to be patch-dependent.

[Simond]

Actually, reading between the lines of what SOE said before the servers launched, they pretty much expected Kunark to be unlocked in a fortnight or so.
The first keying cockblocks didn't start appearing until Kunark, after all.

[El Gallo]

Looks like a one month lockout timer on Kunark. http://eqforums.station.sony.com/eq/board/message?board.id=Progression&message.id=32676

We wanted to clear up some things regarding the progression servers that have happened in the last few days.  First off, sorry that it has taken some time to get this information up but we wanted to sort things out first.


Kill Credits and the EQPlayers Progression Chart

There was an issue that caused our scripts not to fire off when the first kills occurred on Friday the 7th (or maybe it was very early on the 8th).  We discovered this Saturday morning and got the majority of it working that night.  The unfortunate result is that we had no meaningful record of the events during that time period.  Through investigations and discussions with the pertinent guilds we were able, for the most part, to reconstruct the events.  As of today, we should be have given the correct credit for the kills.  Hopefully, this is all behind us and going forward the events should be recorded as intended.

 

Where is Kunark?

The Combine has completed all of the necessary steps to open the Ruins of Kunark expansion but, as you know, the continent is still not open.  The fact of the matter is that you have hit our minimum timer.  We are going to let the timer run out as initially planned which means that the Kunark expansion will open just about on July 28th.  Congratulations to a job well done!  This goes to Realm of Insanity and Fires of Heaven on The Combine as well as Insidious Vision on The Sleeper.  Whether or not you agree with all of the tactics it is truly an amazing achievement.


Hey, This Isn’t What I Wanted!

We know that there is a segment of the progression population that is disappointed at the current rate of expansion unlocking.  We can understand this feeling and there are some of the same points of view on the development team; however, we did not create these servers in an effort to force a particular outcome.  One of the great things about EverQuest and any good MMO is that it is the players that drive the game.  We created an environment with a specific set of rules then put it out there and watched it go.  We made an effort before we even launched to make sure that these conditions were as clear as possible without completely exposing the details of the events.  This is one reason why we have been so adamant about calling it a progression server and not a classic server.  In the future we will continue to evaluate the possibilities of adding new servers with different sets of rules.

 

Remember, this is only the beginning of our journey through the history of EverQuest expansions.  I hope you are all enjoying the ride.

 

Thank you for your time.

[Strazos]

So...they effectively earned the right to unlock Kunark is less than 10 days or so?

The amount of catassing and borderline-exploiting activity that must have occurred is staggering.

[jpark]

I still don't get this - if the zones can be opened at all - let alone this quickly - in a few months this server will be like any other.  What am I missing?

[Strazos]

e-peen ramifications.

[Tale]

I still don't get this - if the zones can be opened at all - let alone this quickly - in a few months this server will be like any other.  What am I missing?

1. Nostalgia for people who played early EQ. They've no intention of staying around long-term, it's just entertaining be restricted to the oldschool areas and see how the people around you deal with it again. Yes, in a few months the server will be like any other, but until then it's interesting.
2. For FoH etc, the catass equivalent of being the first and fastest to climb a mountain. Why? Because it was there. Because you get a kick out of it, no other reason.
3. The evolution of a community and economy from nothingness. A brand new server is a frontier, and this one is something different for a while.

[Azazel]

It's a chance for immortality, of a kind. Be a part of FoH and be recorded as the ones who opened up <content> on <date>.

[El Gallo]

Also better for what few actual newbies EQ gets, or for old-timers EQ wants to get back as subscribers.  You need, what, 75 levels now and many hundreds of AAs to get into a guild on a regular server these days?  And basically zero groups available for the first 90% of those levels?  Easier to get back into the game here.

But I suspect the main point is to soak a few months of nostalgia money out of people (like me).

[Evangolis]

I still don't get this - if the zones can be opened at all - let alone this quickly - in a few months this server will be like any other.  What am I missing?

It was nice to see the old zone full of people, instead of ghost towns.  There was a lot of fun to be had there, particularly since this time around you knew what to expect, and some of the more annoying kinks were ironed out.  Once Kunark opens, a lot of that will go, as the population melts into the larger continent.

Mind you, I'm glad Kunark will be opening up.  The classic zones are a lot like a visit with family.  It can be a lot of fun for a while, but it isn't long until you remember why you left.

[Koyasha]

Velious may not be unlocked for a while, all things considered.  Depends on whether or not the various groups of ubers on those servers are competing or working together.  If they're working together, it'll be pretty quick, if they're competing, could be a while.  This is assuming the key to unlocking Velious is fully wiping out Veeshan's Peak and defeating Phara Dar.

Keys will be the issue that slows it down - in order to enter Veeshan's Peak, *each* person needs a key.  Trakanon drops 6 pieces, if I remember right, and that only once every 3 days.  Other pieces have spawn times of 8 hours, or are drops from random named spawns.  If there's competition for these keys, it'll slow things down even further.

[HaemishM]

Wow, so EQ Progression servers claim you can open up the expansions with concerted effort, but only if you do so after the minimum amount of time has passed?

That is SO EQ. I laugh at cuntrags like FOH busting their little noggins trying to unlock Kunark only to find out they did it too fast.

[Rasix]

This will just give them some extra weeks to lock down Naggy/Vox/Planes bosses so they can have Trak down 3 days after the Kunark is unlocked.

Edit: What expansion opens up AA points?

[shiznitz]

This will just give them some extra weeks to lock down Naggy/Vox/Planes bosses so they can have Trak down 3 days after the Kunark is unlocked.

Edit: What expansion opens up AA points?

AA were post Luclin iirc, so probably Planes of Power.

[Merusk]

Were they post luclin? I thought they came WITH Luclin.

[Rasix]

Were they post luclin? I thought they came WITH Luclin.

That would explain why my fondest EQ memories come from launch to Velious.

[Merusk]

Well, that and the whole Cockblock that is Luclin endgame content.  Even years after the expansion was out it was still a pain in the ass to even attempt to get into VT as a casual guild.

I can't fathom the people who want AAs to be added into WoW.  Roll an alt or just don't play the game 24/7.. there's enough farming & grinding already, I don't need XP farming as well.

[Nija]

Maybe this "experiment" will make them realize that a mmo with an "end" can actually work. Another EQ clone that resets when someone kills the Rear Admiral Foozle, but something more like ww2o.

You could have different victory conditions for different servers, like the options menu in Civ when you start up a new game. Diplomatic % of the world conquered (SB-clone without the awful client) etc.

Raiding Molten Core for X months until Molten Core X goes live and patched into the game sucks.

[Tale]

I can't fathom the people who want AAs to be added into WoW.  Roll an alt or just don't play the game 24/7.. there's enough farming & grinding already, I don't need XP farming as well.

Yeah, I don't like having to keep up with XP grinding in order to raid. Those are two separate things for entirely different personalities. I enjoy becoming a better level 60 druid in WoW, like I enjoyed becoming a better Master Doctor in SWG, and a better 60 warrior in EQ. "People who need AA" rank with those who hate travel in MMOGs and love killing 900,000 faction mobs to add another micromillimetre to their DPS. I wish all those people a bubonic plague.

[Threash]

This is just hilarious to me.  Being the first to kill nagafen was what put FoH on the map oh so many years ago, and here they are once again... what is it now, 7? years later doing the same thing again.

[schild]

This is just hilarious to me.  Being the first to kill nagafen was what put FoH on the map oh so many years ago, and here they are once again... what is it now, 7? years later doing the same thing again.

Yea, I know, they should really get out of the fucking house.

[Azazel]

Actually, reading between the lines of what SOE said before the servers launched, they pretty much expected Kunark to be unlocked in a fortnight or so.
The first keying cockblocks didn't start appearing until Kunark, after all.

I'm sure I read something where they said different. I think they expected at least a month before Kunark would be opened up by the playerbase.

You need, what, 75 levels now and many hundreds of AAs to get into a guild on a regular server these days?

But I suspect the main point is to soak a few months of nostalgia money out of people (like me).

70 levels. 75 comes in September with the new (initially, at least) download-only expansion. The number of AAs you need to get into a guild depends on how much ass you like with your cat, though, as far as Guilds go.

And yes, they want your money.

Were they post luclin? I thought they came WITH Luclin.

Nope. Post. Luclin was the expansion where if you were 60 and didn't want to waste your time keying for VT, you basically only logged on for raids.

I can't fathom the people who want AAs to be added into WoW.  Roll an alt or just don't play the game 24/7.. there's enough farming & grinding already, I don't need XP farming as well.

I'd rather have AAs and LDoN style armour in WoW. I've just gotten my second toon to 60 less than a week ago (hardly a hardcore catass rate of play, since I first started a few weeks after release) , and I'm already bored shitless.

At 60, there's nothing meaningful to do in the game outside of either 5/10-manning the same shit forever and ever, or joining a raid guiild. Or grinding rep so you can access a new tailoring recipe. Whoop-de-fucking-doop. None of those 3 options appeals at all. I'd rather have the incremental upgrades that LDoN/GoD and AAs give you, thanks.

Those are two separate things for entirely different personalities. I enjoy becoming a better level 60 druid in WoW, like I enjoyed becoming a better Master Doctor in SWG, and a better 60 warrior in EQ. "People who need AA" rank with those who hate travel in MMOGs and love killing 900,000 faction mobs to add another micromillimetre to their DPS. I wish all those people a bubonic plague.

I can't be arsed with long travel in MMOGs. Once I've made the trip, you know, seven hundred times, taking 25mins to go where I want to start playing doesn't add a t=on of fun to my gameplay experience and instead is the equivelent to clearing trash mobs so you can eventually get to the good encounter. Only, you know, even less fun. Needing AA rank I see as no different to needing PVP rank. I need neither, but I like the idea of being once again able to get online for 20 minutes or an hour and being able to do something worthwhile to/for my character, even at level 60.

You know, instead of needing to LFG for an instance I've already done 47 times before in the hope I can get a slight upgrade to my whacking foozle, if it drops and some other cunt doesnt beat me on the roll. Or having to join a raid guild. Or if I can't be arsed with either of those, faction grinding, which is already ingame and appears far far worse than it ever was in EQ1.

I guess I could do a 30-minute quest with a payoff of 1g40s. mm, worthwhile.

[Trippy]

Were they post luclin? I thought they came WITH Luclin.

Nope. Post. Luclin was the expansion where if you were 60 and didn't want to waste your time keying for VT, you basically only logged on for raids.

No they came with Luclin. I quit right before PoP came out and I was grinding AAs before that.

[Koyasha]

Were they post luclin? I thought they came WITH Luclin.

Nope. Post. Luclin was the expansion where if you were 60 and didn't want to waste your time keying for VT, you basically only logged on for raids.

No they came with Luclin. I quit right before PoP came out and I was grinding AAs before that.

Yep.  The first pane of AA's was released with Luclin.  Very shortly after Luclin was released, Fungus Grove became the uber exp zone for level 60's, cause it had tons of easy mobs that gave the best exp/time for 60's grinding AA's.  No set of AA's except the Veteran Rewards (which I only mention since they appear on the AA pane) has been released between expansions.

[Azazel]

No they came with Luclin. I quit right before PoP came out and I was grinding AAs before that.

Wasn't there an expansion between Luclin and PoP? Or is my memory of old EQ expansions becoming hazy as they all flow into one another?

[Koyasha]

EQ, Kunark, Velious, Luclin, Planes of Power, Legacy of Ykesha, Lost Dungeons of Norrath, Gates of Discord, Omens of War, Dragons of Norrath, Depths of Darkhollow, Prophecy of Ro.

And an observation about that makes me note that the space between Planes of Power and Gates of Discord was the longest EQ ever went without really raising the bar, which also reminds me that I still haven't heard anything about how Legacy of Ykesha or Lost Dungeons of Norrath is going to fit into the release scheme.  Since they don't raise the bar, it makes little sense that defeating Quarm would be the key to opening either of them.

[El Gallo]

AAs came out with Luclin.  They are also the debil.  Grind your ass for 50 hours to gain a 1% defense increase that will counteract the 1% defense nerf we just put in.  Grind your ass for 50 hours to gain basic convenience commands that should have been in the game from day one like pet hold.  Grind your ass for 50 hours to get long-overdue improvements to our shitty UI like health of target's target.  Even better, it makes it almost impossible for any new players to catch up.  Levels you can catch up to.  Gear you can skip most of.  AA's are cumulative.

That's what makes WoW's faction system better if they tuned it a bit.  Players who can't survive without some bar on their screen inching forward get to do that, and they get to do it for a long time, and they get rewarded with some nice gear.  Nice gear that is rendered obsolete in a few months, so the rest of us never need to ever worry about grinding that shit.  It eliminates the cumulativeness problem that makes AA sucks, and keeps them from making "grind to have a functioning interface = content" design decisions like SOE.