Any chance for an update to heroic characters?

level 85 heroic char ( druid neck ) = 62 ac , 878 hp.

lv 85 TBM neck with augments ( type 9 ) = 95 ac, 1776 hp

{and a type 5 can be added with + 14 heroic stat } ** into all armors piece **

is it that hard for the dev to equip at least the lv 85 heroic toon with MUCH better armors. ?

Ever since EQ was sold, the devs been all about ignoring old content except with TLP. I dont think you will see any updates to level 85 heroic characters.

Gang, it literally takes a matter of hours to get from 85 to 95, even leveling slowly. You're way overselling the advantage of a few levels.

Except the beta buffed 95s would be far above the power levels that a heroic should have. By a huge amount.

That simply is not true for people who don’t have the resources to buy or connections to ask a powerlevel or who start a box group. Yes to those who get pl’ed and twinked in FM or so, but no to many other who return or want to start the real game on live with 1 char. To get from 85 to 95 takes many hours. Say you kill red cons solo (not molo, which only few classes can) and you get 10% xp per hour, it still takes you 10 hours per level - 100 hours for those 10 levels. And then you sill need 10 more levels to be near current. So 200 hours to get to 105. And then the journey only starts to get AA and gear and 5 more levels. 200 hours is not “a matter of hours”, that is a serious time investment and a barrier to many. If this barrier could be lifted by giving sufficient xp, but nothing else, by invoking a command that works only once to heroics or characters that are at least 15 years old or something, you effectively gain a lot more potential influx of players that remain and fill the gap of the slow attrition of players over the years. Dev time investedwould be minimal as no quests or items need to be developed, only some small modification of existing heroic or betabuff code to give xp (and maybe spells and forced autogrant aa).

Level 100 heroic characters is the only thing that makes sense at this point. Just update the gear and slap a few bags and let autogrant fill in the rest. Spells/discs would be the biggest timesink, really.

That's 6 expansions, 10 levels, and countless AA for a new player to explore.

That is another interesting idea thinking outside of an xp clickie that boosts someone to 105 but instead a permanent xp buff that grants say 10x normal xp but will go away once someone reaches level x. Maybe make it only available to heroic toons and it can be purchased as an add on feature. This would at least make the solo/molo grind not seem to be never ending. In all honesty something does need to happen to keep more players near current end game. They don't all have to be playing in TBL but keeping as many players close to the most recent expansion is a must for the longevity of this game especially the live servers. With every year that passes more and more players find themselves further and further behind which only means they are more likely to just quit if they hit that point where groups are no longer available or the reality has set in that they will never see current content at the snails pace they are moving.

This is not about how fast I can level or how fast players xyz can level it is about how slow players abc are leveling and we need them to be here in the future to keep this game going. Anyone already at current end game knows how to get there, they have experience and resources to pull from to do it again. The players stuck don't have these things which is why we need to advocate for a boost because after all its in everyone's best interest to have more people playing this game.

This is definitely something worth investigating. Permanent XP buff that lasts until lvl 100. Then simply extend the buff to higher levels as level increases are introduced.

Its just one idea and one that wont require making new gear for every class and all the added hassle that came along with making the original HC's plus if it is an add on its another sources of income for the game. I have zero coding or programming knowledge so this might take a lot of work but if it is something that can be done within a reasonable amount of time I am sure something like this would be popular. As you have stated once its introduced they could "simply" extend the duration of the buff to higher levels as more levels are introduced into the game. Heck even veteran players with max level toons might purchase something like this just to speed up the leveling process of an alt or box toon so they can get them into end game faster and beat more current content with different classes while they are bored and waiting for the next expansion release.

That’s an interesting alternative!
You could make it an item given to heroics after completing no heroism without fear or one gribble or something. If you click it, it will check your level versus the max at that time, depending on the difference the xp boost is bigger. The buff will last 30 mins then you need to click again so its not exploitable. Example: If max level- current level > 15, xp boost is 1000%, if >10 its 500%, if >5 100% and if less than 5 no bonus. This way the device keeps being future proof.

Is changing Heroic Players to anything above 90 at this point really just to create instant bot armies?

IF DBG wanted to upgrade Heroic Characters without much work, they could offer a Free Five Levels bonus that would only change the character from 85 to 90 without changing anything else. For All Access players, the aa's would auto-grant.

It is pretty easy to level from 85 to 105 and doesn't take much time. It doesn't even take enough time for one to learn the class enough to be competent at 105+. I don't even see the point of the heroic toons anyway as why would one play a game they wouldn't have to actually play?

85s can group with 110s, and most 110s can solo CotF HAs which will quickly level the 85s and earn the 85s coinage to upgrade their gear.

I am against heroic going higher. I mean come on, what is it you really want to do in the game? Obviously not level and learn your character. Just want to jump in and play? The name is EVERquest. Takes forEVER. No instant gratification.

Years ago we made fun of players who bought characters off that well known auction site in the bay I still laugh at them as I help there newly bought Heroic get the J5 merc they cannot solo even though the game made that quest really easy - even has yellow brick road to next step! The only difference is now DBG gets your money instead of that person in the bay.

Pull up your barbarian kilts and be a man/woman! Level that 85 to where you want! Get those groups everyone said you would get "at higher levels" Buy bonus exp potions in the marketplace or baz!

/rant off

That's silly bot armies will level via a script on free accounts for free. There isn't a single bot person who is going to pay for something they can get while they sleep for free.

What about Heroic Characters that go to max level with current end game raid gear. They can start in Gloomingdeep Mines with a special tutorial on how to link their gear in chat and how to emote /flex. =) Might as well play the game for them....

I would rather there was an item in the store that granted /veteran

While I don't agree with that, changing 3rd year Chaotic Jester, which is almost never used, with 8th year Throne of Heroes would be a great idea.

I generally agree with you and overall you are very helpful here on the forums so part of me thinks if you stop and think about what you are saying you will realize its flawed. First this is a game not a career so the whole "someone must walk ten miles up hill in six feet of snow both ways like I did" type of mentality does not really work. This is entertainment for people and yes some people take their gaming entertainment very serious but those people are not the ones that need things like heroic characters in the first place. The serious hardcore gamers are the ones writing guides, getting server first, and have BIS gear. These people will do it in EQ or any game they play because that's how they roll but these players make up a very small minority of the player base. Just look at how many people have beaten the last raid in TBL and the awesome threads revolving around it (seriously some good reads in them).

There is nothing about the current HC or a HC boost that takes anything away from another player. It does not devalue your levels or experienced earned because with those levels that you earned it has allowed you to do a lot of things in EQ already which is why you are still here. The whole point is to keep players playing so you and I still have EQ to play. Again you are always helpful on the forums so if you stop and think about this and remove emotion from the equation I think you will realize its healthy for the bottom line of the game to sell more HC's, potentially sell an add on to boost them, and in doing so getting those players stuck in limbo more current so hopefully they can find more players to group with and stick around longer.

That's nice if we were playing "would you rather" and there is already a whole thread devoted to QOL wishes and dreams where that could be posted. I don't think this needs to be either boost HC's or give me something else. Plus odds are people at end game or anyone playing is going to continue playing based on their current vet status. I have never heard someone say "I am going to quit EQ because I don't have enough veteran rewards". Lots of players quit this game because they don't have enough levels to find groups and experience content with others.

Well it is just my opinion or another view. Not sure how that can be flawed since its not a fact. And it was meant with a sense of humor hence the last line.