How inattentive devs are to Zek

Discussion in 'The Veterans' Lounge' started by Kravin, Feb 22, 2021.

  1. Kravin Journeyman

    Why is it devs only log on to ban or suspended someone? Why can’t zek have a dev that is actively monitoring the server? You guys won’t make a progression server or even make a new pvp server period. Why won’t you guys help out a dying server that is currently making a come back? There are lots of things and suggestions from the people on zek can offer to help the broken pvp aspect. Having an active dev would decrease the amount of hacks people use and how often they are used. I myself have reported multiple people and nothing is done but I get suspended for language? Like fix the things people can’t fix. There is an /ignore (player) for a reason. So again why don’t the devs open a thread for the people of zek to make suggestions to fix the things that are broken?? Or make a pvp progression server. The number of players across all servers that would actively play on a red progression server are huge.
  2. Bobbybick Only Banned Twice

    You guys got excited there were 80 people in your general chat, that's not enough of a playerbase to justify those resources.
    /ignore is to prevent an unwanted player from sending you tells, it's not a defense for racism or whatever got you suspended.
    They've addressed this in the past, they(Darkpaw) encouraged people that were interested in a pvp server to all congregate on one server at a designated time to show support. About 10 people showed up, struggled to get to PoK because they chose to demonstrate on a F2P server and had to start in CR (then didn't know how to get to PoK from there).
    Astral64, Raccoo and Skuz like this.
  3. Sokon Augur

    [IMG]

    title of the thread in bugs forums^^^^^^^^^, still available to view

    I got their attention with a thread. Atleast I got their attention.
    Didn't tell me anything I didn't already know, but atleast I feel I adequately brought the biggest problem to their attention.
    Ask anyone(hundreds of them) playing eq pvp on an unlicensed emulating server why they would never return to Zek as it currently is and they will tell you it's cause the kills are too fast.
    All those servers only have 1-3 expansions, obviously daybreak, if they wanted to coul dbring back atleast 100 people within a months time.
    It's really quite simple, to fix pvp, lower the damage of everything in PvP by half or more, get rid of the ganking/griefing, pvp for 1-10 seconds max after engage play and others will return. It's rather simple really.

    Another way of saying it, "if kills are so fast no healing cleric, shaman or merc is ever gonna get a heal off in PvP, the server will stay dead. If only one shot abilities matter and all healing doesn't matter at all in most circumstances, the server will simply stay DEAD"

    their final response. vvvvvvvvvv

    [IMG]
  4. Sokki Still Won't Buff You!!

    They don't have the resources to dedicate a Dev to Zek 24/7. Even if they hired another dev, they wouldn't assign him to Zek 24/7. There's too many other things that benefit all servers that need addressed as well. The fact is, Zek is a very small portion of the EQ community. They rather spend the time/resources on things that affect all players vs focusing on things that only affect Zek. It sucks, but that's the truth.

    I've been on board with a PvP TLP server since the idea was first floated around years ago. I think it would be awesome, but overall there wasn't enough interest in it for them to justify it at the time. The early days of PvP were some of my fondest EQ memories, unfortunately, many years of neglect on PvP balance has turned it into the ghost town it is.

    I think if they did finally make a PvP TLP server it should be like the other expansion locked TLP Server, lock it at PoP/LDoN. Once you start getting to the higher expansions the balance issues become much more noticeable. Locking it at PoP/LDoN would provide a 2nd PvP server that's not inflated with 1 shot DPS Chars and might be something people stick around for.
    Duder likes this.
  5. Corwyhn Lionheart Guild Leader, Lions of the Heart

    Not sure Zeks population deserves a dedicated GM never mind a dev.

    BUT

    I get that you might feel neglected.

    I don't think EQ is where I would go for pvp though. Ever. But I respect some like EQ PVP but it doesn't seem the majority of players left are into it. At least they haven't shut down Zek.

    Anytime a game starts out with mostly PVE servers that is a sign PVP won't age as well into the future as it is not the main thing the game is based on. Assuming a game stays around as long as EQ or UO or whatever games are out there.
    Sokon likes this.
  6. Warpeace Augur

    LOL, Dedicated Dev support
  7. Sokon Augur

    ya I would never expect a dedicated dev for Zek.

    But what about being completely ignored for many many expansions?

    Removing our forum section when the forums moved to the new site? I mean even when a dev had a chance to read up on some Zek stuff once they had extra time, we don't even have a section anymore.

    Out of sight, out of mind I guess.

    Scoffing at a dev 24/7 is one thing, but our disgust with not having a dev 24/7/365/A decade is another.

    Also, If you play on Zek, you are familiar with the dev/admins char, the only one that logs in and auto joins general, and it's only to ban/suspend people. They literally never do anything else for the server. They've done nothing else for the server for many expansions.

    They can make their own excuses as to why. But why people feel like they have to get on every Zek thread and feed us the same excuses we've heard for 20 years boggles the mind. Back Off!

    We get it, we aren't a priority.
    Ya, maybe we should be on the bottom of the list.

    But, guess what, I've been looking at the list...

    And

    We aren't even on it anymore. You know that's the truth or you haven't been paying attention.
  8. Sokki Still Won't Buff You!!

    I'll definitely give you that. Zek has been ignored for many many years. I agree there are probably some quick fixes that could help improve the QoL on Zek as far as balance/one shot chars. I'm not against them spending time on fixing Zek Issues, it definitely could use a little love even if it's not a lot. I just don't think they will, unfortunately.

    I still have my fingers crossed for maybe one day getting that PvP TLP server. I think that could actually be the spark to get some changes for live Zek finally. I think they're under estimating the draw a PvP TLP server would bring. Imagine the Krono sales from everyone trying to buy the best armor to be competitive! Early EQ PvP was awesome, we had 4 healthy servers well into PoP. Make an expansion locked PvP Server and if it fails at least you aren't committed to keeping it open until it hits live.
    Sokon likes this.
  9. Sokon Augur

    Thanks for that acknowledgement Sokki,

    As far as Kravin's thread here, I think he has a valid complaint considering the environment/atmosphere Zek has gotten to.

    most all of the PvP is so fast, it's utter trash, garbage, gank style PvP. With some PvPers, specifally fully tov raid geared toons who are here only to PvP, they play the worst of anyone. Full buff in hall including all short term duration items, 1-2 min buffs, zone in, port in, or campfire in and just kill someone in 1-2 seconds then gate.

    So the devs or management of this game is gonna have that kind of PvP going on on this server unbridled for so many years?

    What kind of trash talk do you think general chat is gonna get to?

    Those same blue decked out characters, only here to cause problems, are the same people reporting Zek players for what they say in gen chat.

    How you gonna police our gen chat on Zek when you can't even control PvP in anyway that's fair? How you gonna let blue players come here with full raid decked out alts, specifically one person, to cause problems, instigate as much crap as possible and then when they report someone after pushing enough of their buttons to get them to type something in gen chat that might get them suspended, then issue a suspension???

    I'd like to know how. Turning a blind eye is one thing. But whoever is management/ownership/dev/mod might wanna look at what's going on on Zek.

    If they wanna turn their backs on us fine, Roger that, I get it. But don't kick us while we are already down and let these kinds of players from other servers, already raiding on other servers with no intention of ever helping a guild on Zek get away with this behavior.

    It's unethical. Period.

    What'd they expec Zek gen chat to devolve into over the years? Rainbows, ponies and a virtual candy land of snafu fubar icecream? It's just stupid. Some of us actually care about the server, and right now, the ownership of this game is just part of the problem when it comes to things like this guys suspension.

    "this suspension was by the book" I'm sure they are thinking, or maybe they are so compartmentalized they aren't

    #GOLFCLAP, great job. Just one more Zek player that's infuriated. He's in my guild so, unfortunately I have to explain to people what is going on, cause they chose not to listen to anything regarding Zek a long time ago. But when it comes to a specific complaint that could result in a suspension or ban, they are on top of that immediately.

    GREAT fing Job.
  10. Skuz I am become Wrath, the Destroyer of Worlds.

    EverQuest has 82,000 Monthly Active Users, of that something like 68,000 are subscribers

    So Zek's 80 players, while actually a sizeable increase for the server against it's population in past months is a tiny fraction of the players the devs need to look after the needs of.

    I would be disappointed too that my concerns were not addressed regarding PvP were I a player on Zek but fact is devs are only able to do so much & Zek is just going to be low on the list of priorities to get attention purely because it is such a small population and has some very niche concerns which don't have a broad effect.

    It's not because the devs don't care, they just have so much work to do that they have to prioritise a huge bunch of things & some things are simply too far down the list to even get into the schedule.

    It sucks being at the back of the line, but that's where Zek & PvP is.

    Also - Devs don't log on to ban people. Customer Service handles that, GM's not Devs. What the devs do is make, tune, fix, repair content like quests, raids, AA, skills, Spells.
    Gyurika Godofwar likes this.
  11. Veteran_BetaTester PIZZA!

    One thing people like in games is PVP.

    There should be an item in DB store '' hug your Developer"
    I would buy it for $10.

    Skuz, have you bought the latest expansions, your sig's show 110's
  12. Skuz I am become Wrath, the Destroyer of Worlds.

    My sigs also show that I play on the Phinigel server, which doesn't unlock ToV until this Wednesday/Thursday.

    Yes I have bought the most recent expansion, for 3 of my accounts since without them I would not have been able to play in TBL.
  13. Sokon Augur

    I've also bought the most recent expansion for 3 of my accounts, premium edition. I also remember spedning tens of thousands of dollars on LoN cards. I also remember PvP patch notes once a long time ago.

    For a subscription based game, with a ton of marketplace income. A typical eq expansion releases less content than the quarterly(4 times a year) Path of Exile(Free to Play) expansion.

    Let the devs/gms/ whoever make up their own excuses. They've been freely provided excuses for years by the rest of the playerbase, the ones that "have something to lose" if any dev spent any time on any Zek issues.

    I'm really tired of hearing the same old bs honestly. Let them tell us for once. I don't know, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 15 years seems like a long time to me.

    Eq 2 seems like a lot of wasted resources to me. Eq landmark seems like a lot of wasted resources to me. Find item tool seems like a lot of work to me. Map guide button seems like a lot of work to me. Advanced loot window seems like a lot of work to me.

    Just cutting all the damage in half in PvP.... DOES NOT SEEM LIKE HARDLY ANY WORK TO ME.

    Slap a % reduct on all damage in PvP, reevaluate that % for an additional 1% or 0.5% or whatever more each expansion.

    EASY.

    But these boards just can't stop giving them excuses.

    Meanwhile, they will take any excuse they get to suspend someone for their use of free speech in general chat or tells on the Zek server.

    They are the enablers of the environment that has caused such a nasty trash talk environment, they continue to ignore or take any responsibility that they have AND to make matters worse they are instantly given an excuse EVERY SINGLE TIME, EVERY SINGLE YEAR.

    Oh but they will warn, suspend, ban. GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE. I think that's what you called it.

    No wonder so many of your Patrons have QUIT and now play on unlicensed servers.

    Don't have the time? WRONG.

    NEVER TAKE/TOOK THE TIME!
  14. Skuz I am become Wrath, the Destroyer of Worlds.

    No disrespect but it is dumb to say that something is easy when you have no clue how things work at the other end, I'm not saying anything revolutionary here when I say that it is not as easy as you seem to think it is, quite a long way from that actually.

    It's not like a single field in the database they can just plug a single number into reduce damage across the board in PvP like BOOSH! there it is, 1 minute of dev time spent.

    As I understand things it would require adjusting something in the database for every single spell & ability for every single class - if it has a PvP field in it, if it doesn't then that would need to be added, then doing the same thing for every AA and when it comes to lowering raw melee damage in PvP....I don't actually have a clue how they would change that for PvP.
    Then there are all the effects their gear can bestow upon their melee, procs etc.

    That must all add up to hundreds & hundreds of individual changes that would be needed.

    Easy?

    You are living in cloud cuckoo land.
    I_Love_My_Bandwidth likes this.
  15. Waring_McMarrin Augur


    You do realize that free to play doesn't mean that they are not making a lot of money right? Also Path of Exile is a much newer game and likely designed to be more easily updated. When EQ was designed they never imagined it lasting this long.
  16. I_Love_My_Bandwidth Mercslayer

    EverQuest PVP is trash. A few classes that dominate the others doesn't add up to a rich PVP experience. I get you want PVP to succeed. The reality is that PVP in EverQuest was never fleshed out properly - it needed to be a separate game. THAT'S what you should be asking for. Not a tiny group of people fawning for attention like a puppy at the grownups table.
  17. Astral64 Augur

  18. KrakenReality Augur

    I just want to counter your point that the game was never designed with hitting 22 years, and then cruising through that anniversary. It’s been a complete failure at the management level, outside of Holly. At some point the game management has to look at year 3, the player population was climbing, EQ2 barely converted any EQ1 base, and then you hit the 5, 10, 15 year anniversaries and have to realize this isn’t dying.

    They made a billion dollars of revenue all while expecting the game to fail every year. They had the money and resources to reinvest in the game for the long term, but decided on other projects.
    Zamiam likes this.
  19. IblisTheMage Augur

    This brings to attention that resources actually spent on the very few players on Zek are not driving customer satisfaction, nor sales volume.

    Adversely, Zek appears to drive negative sentiments in the community.

    What is the business justification for having Zek? Would a server reduction free up resources to TLP or Live?
  20. Sokon Augur

    Free up resources, sure. Generate any new account memberships? How? They already have every flavor of Blue Ice Cream you could think of.

    Let's say they did somehow manage to gain 5 more account memberships. Do you know how many reoccurring subscribers are on Zek? How about how many subs there used to be and they have lost over the years?

    How many lovers of EQ PvP are playing on unlicensed servers that only offer 1, 2 or 3 expansions?

    Even if they started a PvP tlp, there's still only so many people that wanna start from scratch and that wouldn't be worth it cause once they progressed to a certain expansion all the problems Zek realizes today would be coming true again, everyone would just quit playing the tlp around the same era they quit live Zek.