Occasionally I see lowbie players and have to feel sorry for them because they spend so much time LFG, so t gave me the idea: why not servers based on level? Funnel new players into one place and give a free server transfer when they max. So... 1-60 - Original/Kunark/Velious 61-85 - Up to Seeds of Destruction 85- graduate to a blue server think it would work?
Sounds similar to this post i made in a similar thread Another idea is to have an apprentice type system where a lowbie can join a high level group and get their power boosted enough to not be a huge liability. The shroud system could do this, just a matter of allowing the lowbie to get xp quickly.
Yummy. I like era locked servers. I think I'd skip the transfer off and just hang though. Subscription based server or ftp? Could hurt the tlp side unless allow free transfers off those if entering higher tier territory.
I'd rather have level capped servers, with all expansions open. How far can you raid into content meant 5-15 levels beyond what you can hit, dropping gear you can't even use.
I would have no problem with this as long as it was optional. The last thing I need is for my level 1 traders being banished to another server or being forced to play a new character on another server until they are high enough level to play on my home server. The one obvious issue is what happens once players reach level 85 and have to pick a real server? Maybe you have made some friends along the way but you reach 85 first or they reach 85 first. If neither side has discussed a potential home server in advance to meet up and continue grouping into end game this wont actually solve any problems. Another potential issue would be a lack of veteran presence on these servers to help answer questions in real time. I assume the majority of the players that would play on these server would either be new or returning players and if returning with toons that low level odds are its been years since they have played. The majority of the population is going to lack knowledge resulting in a lot of unanswered questions or at least unanswered in real time. Of course the forums are here to help but this is not always conducive when you are doing something time sensitive and need a fast response.
They already have progression servers. Cross server missions could work, but I don't like playing with people you'll never see again. I think shrouding up, to a level just slightly better than mercs could be cool (but much worse than a high level player, and requiring a group for them to shroud up).
This! But, just make it so no gear drops (raid or group) or drops gear 3-4 expansions behind the current most unlocked expansion. So for example if its unlocked server up to RoS, the RoS raids/group named drop CotF gear (4 expansions behind), as well as level cap of 4 expansions behind. Highest attainable gear would be CotF level. I suppose it might be easier to flip a switch on the database values of RoS gear and devalue the RoS gear to be inline with CotF raid/group gear, that might be easier to do from the developer stand point.
On live servers just let people create characters with the 51/50 template code. Then direct them to the tutorial/newbie questline in PoK and make it give mad XP to 85. That way you get a tour of Norrath and a basic taste of the game and you are heroic level. Now if you change your class you would be compelled to skip right into a heroic. Then boost the XP rate of the heroic questline, add any "tutorial" kind of bits needed to bring a person up to speed with the modern RoK/RoS/TBL era of the game with XP landing them at level 105 (plan ahead here). Now they are with the live population. This should take a reasonable week's worth of casual play. Live needs people to get to the population majority in a timely way (unless they choose to slow play) to have any hope of retention. Play 1-85 with population (well at least 1-65) on progression. Choose to start at 1 on live you are not going to have population no matter how complicated a system of cross-server or tiered servers we imagine.
