Oakwynd - First TLP to dip to medium population within first week of launch?

TLP's pay2play model makes it unattractive.

Why do you need to run through old raid content to catch up? It is just as easy to run through current group content and jump straight into current raids.

In the movie Jacob's Ladder Tim Robbins plays a man who hallucinates server numbers and "ghost pets" inflating actual player-initiated aggregate zone dps. He even suspects the server is programming people to do something live. Something out of that movie with the lady from Murder She wrote, except like way before. It turns out, though, he's just in cardiac arrest on an operating table in the jungles of Vietnam and this has all been that blink of an eye before he finally goes in peace.

I roleplay that. My groups are intense. We all microdose.

The answer is: you don't.

For certain classes and instances you don't even need to be max level to raid. Especially if the total raid's gear check far exceeds the difficulty.

Leveling and gearing is the easy part, it's developing a raid mindset that takes time.

You do need to do older content to have gear that will allow you to be relevant in the current expansion.

Technically you are right though, provided you have a long list of very nice friends willing to carry you and gear you, but you won't have any type of meaningful impact until you have acquired said gear.

I mean people in EQ are nice but not sure how many are that nice.

So your mindset is, let me be completely useless and find a guild that will carry me and gear me to catch up?

Personally? I would only consider this for Warriors and Knights, but even then say with a Warrior - if they are undergeared I'd still put that at the end of a tank line so they get exposure as their skill, AAs, and lastly gear improves.

However, lets use an easy expansion... We'll say Secrets of Faydwer (SoF), since this is one of the turning points of the game. Let's say I decide to come back to said TLP (mid-way through the expansion) as a Cleric, and max out at level 80. I've had some help along the way and also managed to finish my Mansion flag to begin raiding.

Since I have not been raiding previously, I could easily slip into T1 SOF group gear (Bazaar bought) and perform at a pretty decent level. Will I have the HP/MP pools of a Crystallos geared Cleric? Of course not (just yet), but I'll have the basis of being competitive and I can begin filling out slots. More importantly, I can go back and obtain my 1.0 / 2.0 epics respectively, and get the necessary augs to bolster my gear over time - there is no need to swing back to TBS, TSS, or even PoR other than to snag some easy augs.

The game has 'catch up' built in, but you have to know where to look and you may need a little help to do so. It's all by design.

You don't need to do older raids to be useful in raids as all you need is group gear to be able to contribute to raids.

Let me bolster this argument quite a bit.

(Using SoF as a return point).

TBS's Solteris raid gear averages at about 500 HP/MP. (Lv75)
SoFs Tier 1 group gear (tradable, droppable) averages 300 HP/MP (Lv75-80) [And comes with in-era foci**]
SoFs Tier 4 group gear averages right around 500 HP/MP as well, which means it has expansion specific Foci and its equal to that of PoR's Solteris class pieces.

Why would I need to go back to TBS to raid when tiering up the current expac's group gear is a more viable path forward? Not only that, but I'll certainly be picking up several pieces of raid loot anyway.

* The above holds true in several previous expansions, but it does improve as the expansions roll out.

Another great example of this is Seeds of Destruction's T1 group armor. It's arguably the most confusing out of any expansion amor progression, but it clearly illustrates that returning players do not need to move backwards to move forward.

Ok fine, you don't need to do prior raids.

You still need to find people to carry you through group content in order to get geared though.

So tell me what's easier, buying gear for a few krono or finding friends that have all the free time in the world to carry you and gear you?

You can buy all the gear you want but that won't get you to raid level with the needed AA's and everything else that you will need. Even if you can get raid gear, spells and abilities handed to you there will still need to be people to drag you around and get you properly leveled up to be useful. It isn't hard to get the gear you need at the same time.

(Personal choice question.)

For me? I'd rather find friends, experience what the game has to offer, and earn my loot. Using krono or platinum to purchase raid gear isn't something that interests me. More importantly, I enjoy the group content even if I were to need help with it. Lastly, the game designers added elements to group content that entice helping the needy with augs that are both Type 7/8, illusions, currency, and even the chance at a rare mount.

Keep in mind, this is me though and realistically this question can only be answered on an individual basis. The next person might be fine with dropping krono to gear out their characters.

I am sure that you meant to say "TBS' Solteris" and not PoRs ("The Buried Sea" vs "Prophecy of Ro").

Yep, my bad. I went and fixed them.

You are drifting away from the core point of the debate, catching up in the late game.

Of course people naturally want to group with others make friends and have adventures.

The thing is if you come in late game it's very hard to do on a typical no trade server, in many cases it's impossible.

That's my main point.

Seems like people are going into left field continuing to try and find fault with a free trade server.

Stop it.

There are no negatives associated with it.

Incorrect, as usual waring.

I'm starting to wonder if you actually play this game or just troll the forums 24/7.

Soloing with every class becomes viable in the later game and worst case scenario you can box even just a duo and efficiently get xp and levels.

"everything else you need" im assuming you mean flags because spells are bought easily from prior expansions. When you get the levels and aa's on your own, thanks to being able to buy gear from the bazaar to catch up, then you will be able to join current expansion groups and actually contribute.

And before you say boxing to get group gear, please think carefully because you know good and well boxing as naked lvl 75's and 80's you aren't going to get any current group content done.

It isn't impossible and it happens all the time, just because you can't purchase krono to use to purchase any item you want doesn't mean it is impossible to catch up.

Who said anything about soloing? Even on FV you are going to need help to help to level up and get all the levels and AA that you need as well as learning to play properly in a group/raid setting. Not to mention you are not going to be able to buy all the gear you want without help earning the money or just buying krono to get the gear.

For the most part you don't need anything from previous expansions to raid in current content and you can get buy without having all the previous raid spells.

And in a group setting you are useless without gear, that is very difficult to get ( for many it is impossible, yes) on a normal no trade server.

Your hatred for free trade servers is kind of concerning honestly.

It doesn't happen "all the time" and it's one of the main reasons why servers die in the late game.