On the average classic era TLP... rogues, wizards, rangers suck for a few expacs. So now we have a new TLP... EQ has never been a balanced game... it has been a series of successful trade-offs. No one forces anyone to play a caster... but a chanter, a mage, a necro all bring utility to a raid... the one class who will suffer for some time will be wizards... That said, meelee-age is time limited... and in future expacs casters WILL come into their own. Play what you want... no one forces you into a class limitation that you don't consent too... or that is permanent. I always play casters because I love sparklies... I'll be rolling a mage again.
I never get this line of argument -- "EQ has never been a balanced game, so this more imbalanced game is OK". No, I disagree. This is clearly broken from the get go, due to limitations on spells. Until they announce that SPELL level will not be limited in the same way, I think anyone who chalks this up to being a "normal" imbalance -- just the "other way" -- hasn't played the game enough both as a melee and a caster, to know where this is headed.
Honestly I don't know why you assume this. It's not like boxers on typical TLP true box servers haven't boxed full raids to sell PL and Krono. There's always shenanigans... new kind of challenging server doesn't mean everyone plays in an unfair way... or that you or even I plan to join the hardcore, bat-phone, ridiculously competitive guild. I like guilds where I have friends who laugh and don't take themselves seriously... and where some of the funnest raids did NOT go perfectly.
I've been using this account to play on the Test server, and a level 120 was showing me his raid parses. Enchanters, Druids, and Paladins topped their latest raid's dps charts. Shamans and Shadow Knights did far less damage than the previously three mentioned classes did, and I can't even remember if Necromancers were in the top ten. This game seems to change a lot throughout the expansions.
Everquest's biggest cheat code has always been knowledge. Knowledge = power-ful items, krono, plat, etc.
Feel free to disagree. I think you're being unduly harsh in your assessment. At the end of the day, who cares? If you want to play a caster without perceived disadvantage, roll on Yelinak. If you don't want perceived disadvantage, roll meelee on Vaniki. You have all the freedom in the world.. no game isn't broken in some way... some are fun despite limitations. If you're having fun, carry on... if not... go where the fun is.
It is intriguing. There are a variety of ways to level up since multiple zones would be open and most race/class combos are in. But overall those things that were desired were lumped in to something that wasn't desired. Fun things people wanted evolved into a try hard server, which no one really wanted. I can't see the sustainability. Clearing a bunch of content for gear you can't equip for 2 months? It's interesting but without player power increases people are going to quit easily.
Why do you think every guild is going to tryhard to clear content beyond them and not level up normally with a variety of raid choices... and maybe try harder content once a week for a challenge? You wouldn't be deprived of anything that a typical TLP has... you'd just have access to greater freedom of choice and more content. I can assure you I won't be anywhere near the tryhard guilds... I like to get drunk and laugh when I play EQ.
Any time there is a huge gap between what is possible for those who play fair, and what is possible for those who do not, you're going to run into some major community problems. With the normal expansion roll out, where the toughest mobs in the game are doable by any team, fairly, with the right strats and time invested, that gap isn't very meaningful. Sure those playing "not by the rules" can take down the same mobs, easier or more regularly, but they won't ALSO be running around with vastly better gear as a result. Maybe more slots filled earlier. But not eras ahead in gear. In contrast, on this new server, the gap between what is achievable by those playing within the rules, and those playing without the rules, is going to be a huge gap. Just wait and see what people are accusing others of in a few months. Or what kind of drama this server is going to cause, and for good reason. There are people out there with knowledge of things in this game who are going to be willing to cash that knowledge in just for the lulz or the "glory" of doing some things that are going to seem "amazing", but are ultimately just bogus and hollow victories, because of the exploits that will be used. Again, it's the gap between what is fairly achievable, and what can be unfairly achieved, that will just be too great in this instance for some people to resist. ANd also, with the server-wides and the /inspect, certain things are going to be obvious... I remember well the various dramas that have happened because of exploitation in this game over the years, both in live and TLP, and the stakes have never been greater, so to speak.
Not sure what "People" you're talking about but I very much like the idea of Vaniki. This server is no more "try hard" than the cookie cutter tlp servers. It will be challenging, yes. I guess people would prefer to repeat the same things over and over rather than be challenged by something new and interesting. As for the "gear you can't equip for 2 months" I suggest reading the press release for for the server again. As for sustainability, every level unlock will bring new challenges that have to be defeated in ways never done before. This server will remain interesting for a very long time for me.
BTW, who is Vaniki? is that the Willsapper rat? I don't think I've actually see him in-game ever.. heh
In era it is so hard to even get him. I tried many times on many TLP servers over the years. Best I did was on Rizlona after Luclin opened.
I've only killed him a half dozen or so times and I usually hit up the old zones pretty regularly. Cool zone, dope mobs, great lore.
