[Agnarr] Low level populations were pretty low this weekend

Did anybody else notice the populations in low level zones (starting zones up through Unrest) were pretty light this weekend? Especially Sunday.

You can tell people have the Kunark bug, and either pushing their mains to top off 50.99 or holding off on playing any low level alts until Kunark opens.

At one point Sunday evening, I searched for any LFG level 1 to 7, and there was about 5 people total.

Being the good alt-a-holic that I am, I put my 47 monk on hold while I rolled a Druid 2 box for fun. It's pretty funny watching a druid halfling out tanking a real tank class in Unrest. My tanky druid has max defense lol. The other druid is heals/buffs/cc. Fun duo for goofing around on.

Why is there no Dislike link for replies? /sigh

The only reason I have not been LFG on my 10 Bard and 7 SK is because I haven't needed to. I've been spending my time farming silks and pelts to sell in the tunnel. Then I spend the plat to buy gear I so desperately need. I am not in a rush to start up an Iksar. I am waiting for Luclin so I can start my Vah Shir BL

I was leveling random folks using my boxes.....
Once Kunark is out for awhile I'll make a monk / shaman for kicks.

I had no trouble getting groups. It's not like it was when the server opened, of course, but there's plenty around. At one point I got 3 different tells from people when I did a /ooc lfg with my 17 mage.

It does sound like things have slowed down a lot lately. When I started, I remember a night on the weekends where there were 29 pick zones in unrest. It looks like everybody is setting up for Kunark now.

Check the title of the this thread you posted on.

Wouldn't be surprised if many are logging in just for raids (especially the past week or two) and busy getting all RL stuff done before Wednesday's mayhem starts.

I pretty much gave up on my alts in their 20's because the only options for groups seemed to be unrest and guk. It didn't seem like anybody was playing anywhere else and I didn't have the patience for even more frog and mummy grinding.

TLPs just don't seem to have the alt turnover as it was back in the day

I agree. I think it is because most if not all of the playerbase has already tried all the classes, probably multiple times. In the past I would have 5-6 characters all started by now, instead I have focused on one (which has been good because a lack of playtime has me well behind the leveling curve). As well, you can racechange and such now. In the past I know I rerolled some characters between 10-30 because I decided I wanted to be a different race.

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There will be lots of low level characters to start Kunark. I personally much prefer leveling characters in Kunark zones for nearly every level range up to 60. I think some others feel the same way, and there is the "not paying to racechange to Iksar, going to play Iksar" factor too.

As well, if one likes gearing up low level alts cheaply, it usually gets better as a few expacs are open. Again, me personally, but I much prefer leveling a ranger with better gear than I could quest or kill for as I level that ranger in classic for example.

I'd just like to add a lot of people are farming for their epics. About 8 out of every 10 characters in Najena are level 40-50. Really well behaved, no kill stealing, just ask for loot rights and leave people leveling alone.

Lots of level 50s from my guild were in the Hole topping off their xp bars, and people who were in their mid 40s were trying to push for 50.

By now everyone PLs the alts or is putting them on hold because several more zone options become available with kunark.

Last weekend to get everything done on your main.

Yeah I am really looking forward to playing some alts in Kunark content. I got my monk to 48 last night in The Hole. I'm hoping to get 49 tonight.

I hope you like Kurns, CoM, and Seb because those are really the only Kunark zones that replace Classic zones on the main leveling path.

Chardok, too. Thankfully, most people won't run there to LFG so it shouldn't be nearly as crowded as Seb. I'll have to rediscover the 50-55 game in Chardok. I know the 55+ game there pretty well.

Don't forget Chardok. It's a great leveling zone as well.

Don't we get Burning Woods and Warslik Woods too? Best outdoor zones in the game even today IMHO for leveling in the 18<?> to 50 range. Slow moving giants dropping phat loot. Undead for Paladin and Cleric types.

There are lots of good zones in Kunark that no one will run too because they are too far outside the main strip, or they aren't as efficient as the prime leveling spots. Burning woods exp was nerfed before Kunark went live on Phinny, it's mediocre at best, and mobs are too spread out compared to a dungeon. 18+ leveling will be Kurns till 20 then Unrest. Upper -> Lower Guk, CoM, then Seb for pugs and Chardok for guild groups. Obviously there will be a smattering of folks in other areas, but the only reason you will see two picks of say, Loio, will be if a guild goes in there to force a pick for VP keys. With the new pick mechanics I think even that will be rare.

Picks changed the game in more ways than just allowing access to content. They funnel people now. Back in the day you had to spread out to find stuff to kill, now you can cluster in the main leveling path and everyone can have access to the best loot/exp combo. It means a lot of the old leveling haunts the P99 crowd is used to will be ghost towns. At least for pugs. You are going to need to bring your own group if you want to relive old times in LOIO or OT.

Not saying this to be a Debbie Downer, I just want the P99 folks to be prepared for the differences from what they are used to. The P99 folks who have stuck around this long are a decent lot. The whiney ones have long since fled, but it's going to be a bit of a culture shock to see the differences between Kunark as it was and Kunark on TLPs.

Even when you spread out, it could be hard to find a place to level. You'd run to a spot with you're fingers crossed only to find some powerleveler taking everything.

What you said is true, but overall I think picks have improved the game.