group zones = for groups. raid zones = for raids, why would you have a group zone for raid people only.... only 3 known zones for the next release and you want to make 2 of them for raiders only? get real
Won't ever happen Cleaver, there are probably countless reasons, but can think of a few really easy ones right off the bat. 1. Complexity. Implementing something like this could get really complicated, really fast. I don't think they can simply flag gear to not work if you are such and such zone based on having a slot 8 in it. 2. Counterproductive to keeping players in game. Let's take this idea a step further, instead of just raid gear not working in group zones, let's make gear from RoF not work in VoA, VoA not work in HoT, etc. Explore new zones, gear up..... oh but you can't use your new gear anywhere but here, you will need to have 2 houses dedicated to gear sets for each expansion if you want to enjoy any of the old content ever. Aint Nobody Got Time for that! Would lose a lot of players over this kind of backwards thinking. 3. Polarizing. If you think raiders and groupers don't get along now, imagine how it would go if this hit. Talking pure hatred here on both sides, again making people leave rather than be part of the hatefest.
Actually the code is already in the game to flag raid gear for raid zones only. Zones are already flagged as raid/group for mercs and with the dungeon creator coming into the game you can make your own gear that is flagged for your neighborhood only. The concept to make gear flagged for raid or group zones only isn't hard and its already coded into the game just add a flag to every raid item. better yet flag the item as raid and when its in a group zone it has group stats of the highest tier for the current expansion as long as the current stats are higher then the current group gear if not leave the stats alone. This would NEVER happen, but raiders want hard group content stop using gear that was not tuned for the content you're doing.
Seriously though a honest way to do what you want is an instanced end game group zone that tunes its difficulty based on the groups avg level, avg AAs and gear level. It just won't ever happen.
Like I said its been done before so the code is in the game. What are we talking about here ? Make an instance of the 2 end group zones that tunes itself based on the group entering it. Just make it like the normal zone re spawns and everything.
OMM missions gave out overpowered gear in their raid versions. Devs realized that, stopped them, and I highly doubt will ever do it again for a simple mission. Sorry Oranges, you're gonna have to step up and learn how to raid, or stick with group gear.
Or he can wait for someone to create a neighborhood dungeon that drops 1mil hp gear for that dungeon only and do that over and over and never actually play EQ.
Because as we all know, OMM missions are the pinnacle of the Everquest experience. Nothing before or after has compared to playing a not-quite 1999 version of a character you don't play, that you can't improve, to get gear and plat for the character you play outside of monster missions.
I Have been in top 5 guilds and casual guilds in 13 years of playing. Raiding is by FAR the less demanding version of Everquest. Raiders log on 12 hours a week, raid, get drops, log off. Oh sure you may see the occasionals out grinding or questing whatnot. But when it comes to "WHY" people play the game..... Raiders play for the challenge of a few specific events. Groupers play for the Fun of the entire expansion. As far as this being a choice... well I know some groupers who like to be raiders... But a little thing called " Life " prevents that. Most raiders have situations in life that allow them to dedicate that time to raiding... But usually, groupers have that time dedicated for PTA meetings, Finishing a Project from work, a couple of small children, etc etc... can be a host of reasons... Some raiders have some of these things as well, but this is the only place where choice enters the equation... It's what you CHOOSE to do with that time and what you consider more of a value to your life...
Why does it have to be one ultimatum or the other? I find it impossibly hard to believe that EQ is divided into such simple groups "raider or grouper". Personally, I both raid and group and I have quite a bit of fun doing so --- and I know a vast majority of "raiders" who also group heavily outside raids.
For every raider I've known that actually played the game outside of grinding for max AAs I know 15 that log on raid log off 9 months out of the year.
Name me one single zone outside of OMM that doesn't give raiders an advantage with their raid gear? Everything non-instanced zone in Everquest is easymode with raid gear. Raiders log on for a couple of hours, kill some scripted mobs and when they need XP they plow through their easymode world with totally OP gear. Then we need to read threads that group zones are too easy. How about you use the appropriate gear for the appropriate zones instead of whining and choosing the easy way out every time. Playing with raid gear in XP zones is like clubbing baby seals with a baseball bat. I've done it and it's a complete and utter joke, especially with the amount of HP/AC and heroics raid gear gives people. It's like playing in a children's day care center. If groupers aren't allowed to use slot 8 augments from COA, why are raiders allowed to use full and complete slot 8 gear in group zones? I'd care less if raiders didn't whine and influenced group zones every time. Go use the appropriate gear like everyone else.
Pick a zone Create an instanced copy Multiply HP / DMG by 1.5 Do one or all of the following: **Add a few random immunities among base-spawn. Mez, Slow, Snare/root, Stun **Add a few random procs. DD, DoT, Stun, Slow, Mez, Snare/Root **Add a 1% chance for trash to drop random augments from the expansion. Multiply ZEM by 2.5-3 for instanced copy This expansion it would be a good tuning for raiders and a way to randomly get some random AC, heroic, or dmg augs from the expansion, as well as EXP grinding. Next expansion it would be well tuned for groupers due to mudflation we all have come to expect.
