I believe this could definitely be done, technically speaking. There would be many technical issues to identify, and work through a technical safeguard/solution for each one. There would also be concerns people brought up here to include things spawning an instance and xferring gear to another server from one player to another. Would that be a bad thing? Would FV server be allowed to participate? Policy type decisions. I wouldn't classify those as technical problems, but there are things that could cause grief, and if ever implemeted all those policy type decisions need to be thought out, hopefully ahead of time to protect the integrity and balance of the game. Then, after you look at the steps involved, you can put a "realistic" price tag on what it would cost to implement (in labor and any physical hardware for the infrastructure). I would love to be able to play with some of my old friends that are different servers. I don't expect cross-server instances to come to fruition in EQ, but if they did, OMG I would be so stoked.
Reputation? there won't be any reputation anymore. like on WoW... you'll get grouped with random people you never saw before and likely won't see again, greed will take over common sense, jerks everywhere cause there's no consequences... Faster queues for heroics that are already doable with 2 people + 2 merc don't compensate for the destruction of a community. Then, on top of the technical issues of implenting a cross-server system, you need a system against griefer, a system for loot, a system for gear scaling ... and you'll still have people whining because they can't get a queue for the corruption of ro in elddar forest...
I can't imagine them ever being able to implement a system where everyone is basically reliably copying their character to test, playing there, then copying back. There's no money to buy the performance needed for such a feat.
Cross-server instance queues could save this game single-handedly. But as usual, the age old crowd of EQ playerbase refuse to move towards the future. Let's just say having an ability to group with more people outside your server will only help this game, not hurt it. Why the resistance? It's not like there's even a server competition for boss kills anymore, it's not like people even brag about the server they're on anymore. Those days of elitism have long been gone from EQ, and they were the only reason to not have cross-server instance queues. Rather than be punished for your server choices since not all servers are equal in terms of player population and activities, cross-server instance queues would allow more people to have fun, more groups be created. It could solve the LFG issues in this game. I suspect a lot of people who don't want this either 1) have a clicque guild group they run with already, or 2) they box a whole army themselves. Because honestly, looking at this from any casual, core gamers, groupers standpoint, there's absolutely zero reason to resist the idea of cross server instance queues. Things aren't the same anymore, people these days want to play and they really don't have extra time to waste on looking for groups or sitting LFG. For EQ players that want this game to get back to its roots of grouping, making friends, meeting strangers, this is your ticket to that dream. Getting holed up by your server, which is really lowly populated compared to even just a few years ago, it's not going to make this game any better. Now that's just my opinion, I think something like cross-server instance queues, or any cross-server or mega-server design, will only help EQ not hurt it. The population on each server simply can't sustain itself. Other MMO's with much larger subscription base know this, they already moved on from this server-only design. Other games are smart enough to evolve with the genre, they know seeing players attract people. People ultimately play these MMO's to play with other players. Servers are not created equal, some servers have higher population, some lower. Cross-server instances make all servers equal, it wouldn't matter if you played on a low pop server, you still could group and enjoy the game. With that said, I don't think EQ currently has the resources to tackle this project. A few years ago, I think they could have, back when EQ still had Sklug. Now, after the acquisition and with their team chopped in half, there's no way they could tackle a project of this magnitude. These kind of changes go to the core of the game's engines and databases. And we've all seen how much they've been limited by the old EQ engine. So while I support cross-server instance queues or a mega-server design, I don't think we'll ever see it in EQ.
It would be nice if server transfers were cheaper, I'd spend a little money to go vacation with my friends on other servers for a week, then jump back.
Call it "elitist" if you like but, I for one, much prefer using MY play time playing with people who actually have some clue about not only how to play their class, but who have also learned the niceties of interacting in a group and who have at least a known reputation on a server.. The idea that I or other players would be subjected to any Tom, or Jane in some cross-server queue with absolutely NO idea about either their play-style, ability to actually play their class and/or their reputation is the stuff of nightmares! Tossing around phrases such as "cliques" or insinuating that "boxers" are evil is downright foolish. Precisely what is wrong with people who have actually taken the time to make friends with whom they can play regularly? Precisely what is wrong with people who have the ability and the talent (Yes. it does take talent) to box? Precisely what is wrong with people who want their play time to be productive and fun and who have taken the time and made the effort to see to it that it is fun and productive for themselves and their friends? Grouping, making friends and meeting strangers is still alive and well in EverQuest. Frankly, and yes this is strictly my opinion based on my experiences these past fifteen years, people who complain about being unable to find a group on a regular basis might seriously consider reflecting on their attitudes and their behaviors, both while playing and while communicating in game, to see whether their inability to consistently find a group might be based on themselves. That has been a truism since 1999! No one is "punished" for anything. IF someone is unhappy with their choice of server, with the exception of Firiona Vie and Test, they can transfer. IF someone is sitting around LFG and not being pro-active about finding one or starting one, who shall we blame? As for people being proud of the server they are on, well plenty of people are or they wouldn't play on that server. As for "server-firsts" they are still alive and well. As for the populations on servers being unable to sustain themselves, if and when that becomes a fact, I suspect either people will transfer or Daybreak will consider server mergers. At present you are merely speculating on that issue. This isn't World of Warcraft for which I shall be ever grateful! All servers equal? Equal in what way? Quality of players? Or merely in numbers? If merely in numbers, no thank you !
This wouldn't stop you from using your time your way and from forming your own groups, it would just help the folks who don't want to or have trouble finding groups. It works really well for wow and would have potential for EQ.
I think it would be a good thing from my own point of view as a non boxer. Im not interested in boxing I like to play one toon to maximum potential. I doubt they will do it though as it would hurt the boxing market if it were made easier to make a full group of 6 real people. It would also mean they will probably have to up content difficulty overall which would not make boxers happy, and in terms of money talking I guess unfortunately the boxing market has the lobby.
Take for example my sk who is level 95. I have been trying alot of times to make groups for HA's and simply put there have not been the people. Sometimes I get perhaps two people plus a bunch of mercs, but im sure if there was a server wide queue it would be alot easier to make a full group of real people and the experience would be alot more fun. I have played wow and these days the queuing is not so bad, but I think the player base has improved alot in terms of attitude since I last played during cataclysm. For the short term appeasing to the boxing market will mean more money, but for long term stability I think appealing to the multiplayer dynamic is a much better idea. Boxers can still box but single toon players are often left out particularly if trying to gear up or not max level.
I don't think it's the boxer mentality that's against this but rather the old school traditionalist anti-anything that resembles WoW or other games. I am a boxer and would actually use this to play my alts and it wouldn't stop from maintaining my other accounts which i would still use for progression and camping named since the only way i could see this being even remotely feasible would be for HA's and missions with their own instances.
EverQuest isn't WoW. As for people who "don't want to or have trouble" finding groups, as I said, perhaps they should look inward and/or consider a server transfer. The game is not at fault if someone is unable to find a group.
You're right, it's not WoW, but maybe it should take some ideas from a game has more current subscriptions by far than EQ ever had during it's prime. They have to be doing something right. The"have to look inward and/or consider a server transfer" to solve a problem that does exist for a portion of the playerbase isn't a good solution, EQ should help solve that. You don't like it, that's fine, if it were ever implemented which i doubt is even possible at this stage in EQ's life you wouldn't have to use it. This isn't what's best for you or me, it's what's best for the playerbase as a whole.
Are you actually suggesting the EverQuest become a WoW clone or that WoW is a good example to emulate?From all available sources while WoW has a high subscription rate their population turnover matches it. Oh, yes, WoW does something. It's a matter of opinion, however, if catering to the "ezmode" , "gimme, gimme", "short attention spam" "don't have to put in much effort" gamer mindset is "right". I shall apologize in advance if you find my next comment to be offensive. Catering to the lowest common denominator ALWAYS results in mediocrity.
I said take some ideas from WoW, that does not mean become a WoW clone. Yes, there is a large segment of people in WoW who fit your claim, there is probably an equal percentage of EQ's population who easily fit that description. WoW does a good job trying to cater to it's entire playerbase, but not all of WoW is ezmode as you describe. Heroic adventures are significantly harder than most of EQ's group missions and Mythic level raids, and some Heroic ones, are easily much more difficult and unforgiving than EQ's raids. Their turn over also is caused by Blizzard's incredibly slow and arduous development cycle, they release expansion every 2-3 years with some content updates in between. By all means, continue to lobby that EQ stay the same course, it has gone so well for us over the last 3-4 years......
Wow is a very successful and well polished product. There are things about it I think are very good and things that I think are not so good. From an ability to group perspective, the game is well designed that old content is not made void in the the leveling process and the instance queues mean that you always have someone to group with leveling up and often meet knowledgeable players (often ex EQ guys) who are very helpful in how to play your toon well and give you little pearls of wisdom. I have met the occasional bad egg in groups but normally that player is the guy everyone else in the group votes to kick when their attitude becomes unbearable. I honestly cant see anything bad about instance queues for heroics or progression tasks. All it means is that people can work together to get things done. I have personally in my quest to not box myself to max level have posted on the boards before advertising that my SK will be taking on group members for heroics and there is not much of response. This is not to group with max level toons as I want to level myself. Making a tool for vagrant levelers to group for a common goal is imo a good idea, especially as the LFG tool itself is horribly outdated and not used for the most part. I have sent people direct tells asking if they want to join me and often they do, and other times they are afk. Alot of the time there are not many people on in a specific level range and finding a way of getting all those people to be able to communicate and work together across servers is imo not a harmful thing to the game. If anything it makes the game more inviting for those that are not max level or dont have a sugar daddy or a massive guild to carry them. Wow has many things that I do not like about it. Its very overscripted (no just going out and hunting/camping) and character development is very limited compared to EQ where the depth of character advancement is unparallelled. Imo copying some positive aspects of wow is a good idea. Unfortunately they decided to copy the task system which imo is one of the more limiting aspects of wow and translated to EQ it does not work all that well due to the sheer difference in the power of certain classes to others to get things done alone.
here is my thought. Huge time investment to create. This sort of idea would be a reason why an entire expansion outside of this feature would stink. Better option would be to simply merge servers to boost population. Have instanced content and create better hubs for gathering for groups. If need be create central hub or porters to instance creation NPCs.
