Just move the utility to separate the zone functions: Reuse shadowrest (nice big empty useless place that could easily have more access in points... even an AA like origin) as the only place buff timers don't count down outside of guild halls, aka new home of the lag pile. I'd put guild hall doors in PoK though too.
I turn left after exiting guild lobby to avoid the lag pile. My suggestion years ago when all lag piles were in GL was for doors to be put on the central throne area. That way no one would be lagged unless they went into the GL throne area. Also, you can F-9 until you are looking down, and move across lag zones that way. Your screen has fewer refreshes that way. Faster movement. Get outside the lag area, use first person via F-9 again.
There are 2 rooms in the GL that have boards for recruiting. Take the one on the east side, empty it and use that room for buffing. The west side one can be used for the boards, and that one you run through to get to Sunrise Hills. Or did they remove the boards for the SH zone line? If so, simply move the boards to PoK.
I used to have to do that when Kunark was current, to get from FV to LOIO. The part where you ran west and uphill along that stream. I don't know why it was so unbearably laggy right there, but it's the worst lag I've ever consistently (same spot, every time) seen in EQ.
You know Randy, your message could have been written a different way... Hello, I think it's about time that the people who use general chat as their own private chat channel be removed. I'm sure I'm not the only one that feels this way. I personally feel that this should be taken care of one of the following 3 ways: 1. Conversations moved to a separate channel 2. Conversations moved to guild chat 3. Set up a separate instance in PoK for Chatters and have them converse in /ooc I'm pretty sure I'm not the only person that is sick of the spam in general or the inane private conversations. If people are gonna private chat I don't feel as though it should be in the channel that a lot of the game is gonna be listening to. Again, maybe I'm the only one that is having an issue with this but I find it an issue when I am in general and it takes 30 seconds or so to find questions that I'm trying to help with or get answers to my questions cause there are 40+ messages about someone's hygiene habits. Thanks for listening! ...but I'd never do that to you Randy because it's general chat. You have to take the good with the bad. Even if you have to listen to the same hamburger conversation or Jack Sparrow wannabe message every single day... At least on Xegony, I don't think people are remembering just how bad the lag was in the guild lobby around the magus. And how many times the guild lobby doors would be nearly physically blocked by illusioned toons or toons on mounts in front. I do know that a good number (possibly even majority) of folks who stay logged in afk do it because it can be so hard to find buffs now. You see high level non-boxers but also particularly those in the 40-70 range where the top buffs don't land, but the beginning ones aren't powerful enough for the content (and yes, there are people in that range...at least on Xegony). Being near Franklin Teek is perfect for these folks...get buffs while afk, then go get the daily kill 5 and go adventuring. Most of the folks who complain (usually high-end raiders or strong group boxers) never seem to be casting buffs for others, except as one offs...if they are there and they feel like it. Someone yelled at me today for casting new buffs at our pok pile, telling me I should move (I said no) and saying they would be casting rk3 buffs in the lobby in the future (implying that those in the pile would be missing out). How many times do you think that person will REALLY cast buffs in the lobby? Going to end with a shout out to my guild leader, Corwyhn. Whenever he can play, he makes the effort to go to the pile and cast not just the high end buffs, but the buffs that hit all the levels. And he advertises in /ooc and /general to give a heads-up and does it for several rotations. He does this manually (yeah, not even with macros...I don't know how he can stand it). And if he can, will do it multiple times during the day. EQ needs more folks like that. That kind of fellow player support is one thing I miss about Al-Kabor being gone.
Exactly lag is not worse in PoK then guild lobby. That is kinda odd when you consider the number npc and retaliative sizes of the two zones. But it is what it is.
Do they camp the guild lobby on your server? Has there been any solution to it? Xegony has moved that afk camp zone out PoK. I don't think there is a solution to this problem. You can have afk camp inside the lobby are outside in PoK. That will produce a lag ball in the area of the afk camp. As a said I don't think the lag ball is as intense in PoK as Lobby for whatever reason that is.
The solution is for people to stop buffing them so that people just log out. I'm guessing 80% of those that stay logged in permanently for buffs don't even play their classes to 50% of the potential. A little more effort on their part would do so much more than what they think they're getting from the buffs.
Our server convinced them to move from GL where it was, into pok. Took some time and convincing, but at least they're out of the lobby now (where most people are bound)
But you see, people babbling about in General does not cause as much effect. If Bubba and Jake decide to fight it out in general, it does not take my framerate down to 5. Heck, I can filter general into separate window and minimize it whenever. Simply moving the PoK pile on the other side of the wall into the 'evil' sector should take care of most of lag. Those going to take the evil side portals today generally have to pass the lag pile anyways, so not a lot of change for those. But for people porting in, going in/out of GL, checking Teek's and doing TS, this would be a blessing.
Here’s a better idea - stop MGB’ing buffs in the first place. No reason for lag pile to congregate, there won’t be a lag pile for very long.
The best solution is to allow people to donate money to an npc and in return that npc will buff them appropriately with Rk 1 buffs. Takes play out of the economy and allows the lag to stop and players to move on about their business. Could even tie it behind a quest. If not that then allow a merc to cast all buff spells for 3k plat or something.
Maybe add command /hideplayers To hide players as you would corpses, could also be (/hideplayers group) to hide all but group,(/hideplayers raid) to hide all but those in raid, and (/hideplayers guild) for all but those in guild.
How about playing EQ on something other than a potato? I don't have any lag problems even in the big piles with three characters logged in on the same computer.
