Just wondering whats the best server is to play. I feel like I should play a progression server since it will give me the feeling of how the game was when it was first released. Thoughts on what i should do would be great. Should I play a progression server or not is the question. Thanks.
I feel that the community on Live servers is much better than the one on progression servers. Most people on the progression servers are either there to make it a bad community or for the nostalgia, which a new player wouldn't have anyways.
I honestly would say it depends on the type of game you're aiming for. Progression servers expect to have a very group oriented game. Live servers consider it more of a single-player or co-op experience at best while leveling up 1 - 100. Ask yourself what type of game you'd rather play
Xegony. Lions of the Heart or Spirit Council 'til you're high enough in level/gear and familiar enough with the game to decide if you want to raid. The server has multiple family guilds, multiple "casual" raiding guilds (some have been around since release; Pactus Aquilus are great people), and even has multiple more 'serious guilds.'
I don't think this is true, but it might be the perception of someone who only knows about progression servers from these forums! It's true that a lot of people on the progression servers are ones who played a long time ago and are coming back for the nostalgia, but that doesn't make them bad places to be. If you want to meet up with people and group to learn your character, the progression servers are probably the best places to be. There aren't many levelling groups on the live servers any more, particularly for lower levels. There aren't that many left on Ragefire and Lockjaw, too, to be honest, but there are still some on Phinigel, the newest progression server. All of the progression servers have opened up expansions now, so none are back where EQ was when it was first released. There are also lots and lots of other changes from then, so don't expect an authentic history lesson. If you want that, P99 is probably more accurate. Wherever you go, I'd strongly recommend joining a guild as soon as you can - ask in the general channel.
I recommend trying the live server (it's playable with a free account) first and doing the tutorial (Mins of Gloomingdeep) to get a feel of the game. Dont hesitate to try 2-3 classes! If you like the Everquest feel, inform yourself regarding the Progression server (emulation of the game at a specific era... the most popular server, Phinigel is at the second expansion) and Project 1999 (free community server). To play on the progression servers, you need to pay the monthly sub (it also gives you some nice bonuses on live). Personnaly, I like the 3 versions of EQ. I started as a new player (just like you) with the Phinigel server but found myself playing mostly on live (I happend to like it more and I have a great guild). I also recently started playing P99 and wow it is fun! Try live (it's free) and then if you like it and wanna drop 15 a month, try Phinigel and you can decide for yourself Hope this helps! I was in the same position as yours. If you try the live server, check out The Wanderring Norrathians guild on Vox, I play there and they are really "noob" friendly or the Midnight Fire guild on Phinny!
New player? Do you like retro gaming like I do? You will adore eq if so.Here is a few inane but useful things. If you want a pretty character play a drakkin, or a wood elf female. Vie has xp bonus, and you can buy alot of no trade items that you may not be able to get otherwise but if you don't intend to sell a krono or two from time to time don't bother the prices are over the top. In that case pick vox. You can still buy a few things from stuff like the blue diamonds you vendor later on. Tough truthfully not much for sell. People are not as ready to group or be of help as they used to be before the game went ftp but its still the best of all of the mmo's in this regard. For Freinds and group oriented play try progression.
Lol, bias much? Sound salty because all of your friends no longer play on live because of progression.
I agree with Kiani. Both the live and TLP servers have a lot to offer. I am fairly new to EverQuest. I started playing last year. On the live servers, not many people would group with me. Like pretty much nobody. There were a lot of boxes running around and chat ignored my questions. This year I returned because I saw they opened up a new TLP server. I've been having a blast on Phinny! I have a guy on a live server as well that I log onto every once in a while but I've noticed a surge in new players on the live servers. The Gloomingdeep Mines had a dozen or so people running around. The grouping options at lower levels are much better on TLP servers. However, I would try a live server first to see if the game really interests you before you pay for a subscription. I disagree however about joining a guild right from the start. A year ago, I quit playing after I joined a very popular guild on a live server. Keep in mind I was a noob, but I felt belittled and like nobody wanted to chat or talk with me. I asked questions as I was progressing through the game and was only ridiculed. This was on general and guild chat. It you get plugged in with a cool guild, great! I was assured what I was joining was a "cool guild" and was severely discouraged from my experience with the people in that guild. There were dozens of players on at all hours of the day. With that said, I recommend you start a player on a live server and run through the tutorial. If you really enjoy it, maybe then try out a TLP server or after Crescent Reach. The TLP servers are quite an experience and you can get a group for almost all levels 24 hours of the day
Interesting perspectives here. As a newly returned player after years, I started a new character on Phinny. Unfortunately, I missed the xp bonus time. It seemed like levels 1-5 took FOREVER on Phinny. Game play is about like watching paint dry at these levels. They must have really nerfed solo xp or something. But, it gets better as you group, so my advice is to spam group invites in the newbie area even if you're off doing your own thing. I've had good luck getting groups from level 5 on, but I'm only level 7 now. Community seems pretty good so far. I've seen classes look out for newbies by sending stuff to help out. The live servers are much better at advancing you to the point of getting a flavor of the class quickly.
^^^ "It seemed like levels 1-5 took FOREVER on Phinny." Ha ya, leveling is definitely a lot harder but it forces interaction with other players. I feel like that is a good thing. I wouldn't have it any other way. I love a challenge and most MMOs I've played over the years are too easy.
For the latest progression server the plus is the high server population and lots of grouping. The downside for progression servers in general is the prevalence of Real Money Transactions (RMT). A lot of people are on those servers to make RL money and could care less about play nice policies which went out the door on progression servers. As I understand it every fight is a DPS race.... daybreak suppoorts highest DPS getting drops whether they were the ones sitting their camping them or not. I liken progression servers to old west gold rush camps... high population little law and order.
Live servers are going to be very top heavy, so expect to solo/molo a lot. The advantage is the early levels fly by very fast on live servers. I don't play on a TLP server, but if they are truly like the game was back than, than groups are easy to find at all levels.
Imo, tlp moves too fast for a new player and I, personally, would not recommend it to a friend if they were playing EQ for first time. Expansion unlocks are on a very aggressive schedule, mainly because the target audience is EQ vets who already know where everything is. A true new player will quickly fall so far behind they might as well be on a live server. Phinegal is already on the 2nd expac and will soon unlock the 3rd. With the slower xp rate, if you're just starting there now, it could likely take the average new player 6+ months just to get to the level of progress (not just char lvl but gear/epic progress as well) that most players are at right now. However, 6 months from now, most players will be getting ready for planes of power leaving you completely in the dust. If you're going to be playing behind the 8 ball, might as well do it on a live server.
Well to be honest, Live has a lot more to it, you've got a multitude of various AA's you use in conjunction with your normal spells or discs to make you perform at a much higher..TLP is a slowed down version, they haven't really hit an expansion that gives you a lot of activated type of AA's.. So if you want simple and fun I'd go with tlp, if you want more of an advanced game structure I'd go live. Phinny for example is the highest population tlp server, you'll see more people there then on any live server most of the time, if you're wanting to go with a live guild I'd visit - http://www.elitegamerslounge.com/home/progress/index.php?expansion=TBMOverall It's a site with guild that have beat or are currently working on the current expansion, I'd pick a server that has multiple guilds within the expansion or have beat the expansion, generally they have the higher server pops, a lot of them even run open raids to get your feet wet, if you're into that sort of thing. Either way you go, is a good way and if you invest a little time and learn about your character on either live or tlp I think you'll find it enjoyable.
Also, on Live you can spend $35 to become much less behind most players by getting a Heroic character boost, which starts you at level 85 with gear, spells/discs, AAs, a mount, and food/drink. It works for all races and classes, and if you try a Heroic character of a class you don't like, you can reroll the character as a different race/class but still at 85 Sith the gear and stuff.
I suggest creating a character on every blue, regular, server when you normally play. Look aorund guild lobby and plane of knowledge. See if there are lots of people there. If not, pick another server until you find one that there are other players there when you play. Why ? Buffs, advice. If no one is there, you can't get buffs, like Temperance. Which takes a level 40 cleric. Poison cures are good to. So make sure there are other players around when you decide to play.
This seems to be true, but what can you expect the population is mostly set with experienced vets. Some of us are still here lingering around after 17 years. Even if we dont always agree with the devs we are still EQ fans of the old and the workable new content. If the new servers like Phini are heavy with new players, or returning pre pop players that's great. I just dont think they have the budget to really work on too many of these until they progress. How fast it goes, it all depends on the population and how many high levels out there. I see phini with a ton of 60's already. I was rather shocked, i just started so i think i am 2 months out now? I dunno.
