Simply raising XP doesn't really help casual players.

Discussion in 'Time Locked Progression Servers' started by Strawberry, Feb 28, 2019.

  1. Vorlic Journeyman

    An ultra casual server for me is getting rid of the time sinks:

    1) Remove all keying
    2) Remove almost all trash in raid instances like they did for Seru (with the exception of the planes)
    3) Rares spawn 3x as much
    4) Fix Wizard, Ench, and SK epic bottlenecks
    5) High exp rate

    Most casuals care about the same thing as hardcore players do, they just don't have the time to get there.
  2. Lady Julae New Member


    The main reason I drop TLP before PoP is the simple fact that I normally play a druid or wizard. When it comes time that half of my spells are rendered useless by the PoK, I saddle up and move on.
  3. code-zero Augur

    On the forums at least the self identified casual players most often favor playstyle that's positively OCD. Doing everything in era on one main and a few alts while also spending time socializing is pretty hard core as you as the player are going to be deeply immersed in the game.

    People would have more fun if they concerned themselves a lot less with labels and what other people are doing and just relax and play.
  4. ShivanAngel Augur

    The definition of casual cannot be agreed upon... ever.... or so it would appear.

    For instance, a lot of people think that just cause they dont play often that they are casual. However they set goals like I want these items, and this many AA completed before the next expansion opens. Attaining max AA and BiS items IS NOT a casual mindset. Just because you play 5 hours a week may make your playtime casual, but your goals for that playtime are not.

    I am not saying you shouldnt have these goals as a "casual" player but you need to be realistic about them. Some hardcore players, who have 90% raid attendance may not get item X,Y,Z even with 3 month unlocks, you have others to compete with in the raid and you have drop rates to consider.

    Now if your goals were with my 5 hours a week, I want to get an FBSS and 2 yakesha;s before classic ends, I would consider that realistic for a TRUE casual player. If luclin drops Saying I would at least like my primary AA and this item from NToV. Again that is attainable... Saying by the end of classic I want full planar armor, my PoSky quest weapon, and a cloak of flames that is unrealistic for your playtime.
  5. Tarvas Redwall of Coirnav, now Drinal

    I never called a casual player any of those things let alone repeatedly. Perhaps if you read what I was replying to it would make sense.
  6. Bigstomp Augur

    We use casual to represent members who are not part of the main dkp team. Some of them are very far from 'casual' in terms of how they play. We just don't have enough ranks in the guild tool.

    Based on our definition some casuals are pretty hard core.
  7. Ceffener Augur

    I don’t understand the association of having goals with hardcore. Games are goal oriented, even if in 99 they thought EQ was a virtual world were you can just do anything, now unless you want to play solo, there is a relatively linear progression you have to follow.

    Everyone who plays Mario is going run right and attempt to beat the level. That doesn’t make everyone who has ever played Mario a hardcore gamer.
  8. ShivanAngel Augur

    I didnt say there was anything wrong with having goals.

    Goals make games WAY more fun...

    Having unrealistic goals is the issue. Like I said players that label themselves casual but have these goals that more hardcore players have.

    If you want to have full planar gear, your sky quests done, and a cloak of flames before kunark hits, but only play 5 hours a week that isnt realistic, and is a mindset not consistant with your playtime.
  9. Ceffener Augur

    It’s not realistic with the current server designs, not that you couldn’t have a server that makes it possible.

    But I wasn’t calling out anyone specific, I just find the opinion funny (which exist even from dev) “casuals don’t care about gear or leveling”, as if having goals instantly makes you hardcore.
  10. Tarvas Redwall of Coirnav, now Drinal

    Having goals doesn't define a hardcore player or casual. Its their attitude and play style as they pursue those goals that do.
  11. Seraphix Elder


    Eh. I think almost everyone that plays EQ--hardcore, casual or in between--would like to be max level at current expansion. Hiigher levels = more player power = less time to perform a task in game. It's raiding that most casuals don't care about. We accept that we'll never have BiS gear because that should be reserved for those who put in the hours to do it. We still want the best gear we can get our hands on however, and the higher level we are, the better chance we have of acquiring it.
  12. ShivanAngel Augur

    There are plenty of casuals who disagree with this statement...

    There were MANY people who deemed themselves casual that basically said they should be able to hit max level, max their AA, and get the raid items they wanted before the next expansion came out. Most of them in the 6 month per expansion crowd.
    code-zero likes this.
  13. Brumski Augur

    I disagree with Absor's casual definition (surprise, surprise), I think casuals want to raid, experience the game, and care about gear and getting AAs, but can't commit to raid X on day Y at time Z for 3-4 hours at a time.

    To me, the least casual thing about raiding is spending 60% of the time clearing trash that has no real bearing on the 'difficulty' of the raid and is solely there as a time sink. I'd like to see DBG cut about 3/4 of the trash out of raid zones (I.E. VT) with the exception of zones that are a mix of group content and raid bosses (PoH, PoF, etc. ).

    Anyways, that's my 2 cents, not that it matters because the dev's have already made their opinions clear on it. I wish they'd get a little more creative with the game and the TLP reiterations.
  14. snailish Augur

    I'm very casual with no interest in raiding. This definition/categorization debate is tired and pointless?

    I'm fine with many of the rulesets working well for raiders.


    They don't need to decrease mob density almost anywhere. They have a better mechanic: bane damage.

    You want certain raid zones to be less trashy... put in bane damage augments (add melee and spell procs) that thrash that trash --or do it the Luclin got to make the weapons way... Make them (the newly added bane things) drop in raid zones that lead up to those.

    Keep in mind that many people want to see the content be much more challenging in era, granted many would likely agree that high hit points trash wasn't the ideal design (something Luclin is famous for) and is just tedium rather than harder.
  15. yerm Augur


    They aren't casual.
    Nolrog likes this.
  16. ShivanAngel Augur

    thats the point i was making
    code-zero likes this.
  17. Jayjayjay Lorekeeper

    You are completely wrong.
    This is an old game, we all know that you have to do raids to get good gears.
    That''s why you have to consider casual/hardcore as casual raiders/hardcore raiders.

    A server for casual raiders is all about lockout timers.
    How many nights do you think casual raiders with normal life can afford in a week?

    3 nights * 12 weeks = 36 times raids
    2 nights * 24 weeks = 48 times raids

    I played on Coirnav, raiding 3 nights a week, which was not even good enough to keep up the unlock speed.

    Please give us the ultra casual TLP that you promised.
    Jedipokey likes this.
  18. ShivanAngel Augur


    Were you doing full raids? or just partof it?

    3 nights a week on a standard 3 month unlock TLP has always been enough to keep up with progression.

    On phini during velious we did the standard 3 nights a week, ToV one night, Kael one night, then one night of random other crap (maybe dain, PoG, zland) and I was full BiS before the 3 months was up.

    You might not always get full biS, but you should get pretty dang close.
  19. Kronotowin Elder

    I played in 1999. I don't have time to play a lot these days. The biggest problem I encounter is the economy on TLP's. Kronos really mess up the market and that hurts because players leveling at a slow pace are unable to afford the cheap gear that vastly improves your experience. If you aren't playing from the release of a TLP the market goes to hell when Krono farmers take over.
  20. Kloodge Elder

    >“To me a "casual" player doesn't really care is they have all the gear or all the level.
    >Worrying about that stuff is the essential nature of the non-casual.”

    To me, this is exactly right, and people are misquoting it.

    He did not say casuals "don't care about gear or levels". He said we don't care about *all* the gear or *all* the levels. I take this to mean we don't care about the best gear or rushing to max level.

    Of course I care about gear and levels to some extent. I just don't spend my time "worrying about that stuff" and I'm not going to sacrifice very much of my time to get it. And I'm not asking for it to be made easier to get. I don't raid and therefore do not "deserve" raid loot.

    >but can't commit to raid X on day Y at time Z for 3-4 hours at a time.

    Exactly. I'm not going to schedule my life around a game. And 3-4 hours is longer than my attention span for one sitting in a game at this point in life. Make the raids 2 hours and I'll probably be there. Unless my brother asks me to go shoot pool. Or my wife wants me to help her with dinner, or...
    HJC0083 likes this.