So I've played on and off. My longest time was 2008-2010. But I didn't make it to cap until recently and then only because someone was leveling an alt and I got to tag along. And I can say is, Everquest really isn't a game with potential for growth. While I "know" the game, to an extent. It's still mostly new to me. And learning is almost impossible. Because you need a group for most. And most people won't be wanting to group, unless you're capped. And getting to cap needs a group, luck, or cash to pay a PL in Krono. And now I am at cap, what is there to do? Well group for progression and AA's. Except everyone is boxing full groups or doing harder stuff, you need the first progression/gear for. Or need to know your class inside and out, at cap. But you don't because you're stuck still grinding AA to be at that level, and you really know how to fight with a merc. Which isn't the same as a group. Entry progression groups are few, at odd times and inconsistent. Of course, people told you "play the class you want to play," but that's actually a lie. To get groups you need to play a needed class. So you tried that. But because you're not cap with that AA's, they don't need you. So you end up playing a solo class. Which there are enough of anyways, so you're stalled solo'ing without any real chance of going anywhere. (and half the "solo" classes take a lot of know-how, and there's not a lot of teaching going on, so you're stuck with the other ones, and one playstyle) You join guilds and servers because "we have a lot of people on at all times!" But those people are leveling characters together. Or not leveling one now. Or not at your play time. Or "when you get to this level, we can help you." Seriously, I've tried a few guilds over the past few months because of their numbers, and the amount of groups that are there to help you, and not groups needing help with what they're doing, is small. And it's not that you don't want to help them. It's just that you can't yet. [I know there will be people thinking to join this guild or that. Trust me, I probably have a character in it] Of course, you ask questions too. And what are you told? Google it. Look it up. There's a guide for that. But you have. Most games/situations, a guide from 8-12 years ago, just aren't relevant. But in EQ, many are. Some guides from 2-5 years ago aren't relevant though. And some have guides from 8+ years that are relevant but the new guides from 3 years ago on the same thing aren't because the thing changed, then changed back. Well how are you supposed to know which guide is good, which isn't and which has changed? Well you just are! People don't tell you. Just google up the guide for that. (seriously, look at many questions even on this forums and within a few responses is "look up the guide") And hope they haven't changed the name of something, since that guide from 2012 was made. So there's a new server. You start at 85 and cap is 90. You're pretty confident playing any character, starting at 85, because you've created tons of heroic characters to try them out, trying to find one you can do. And you hop on that server! But you jump in six hours after everyone else. You struggle through the first bit, because Daybreak didn't think about how 90 people needing the same three spawns to get their J5 or other quests, may slow you down. (even over three pickzones) So it takes you three hours to do a ten minute quest. You start hammering things out, getting the rust off the heroic character, learning the buttons again on a class that isn't the solo one you're used to. And so really you start the next day, looking for groups/progression and all that.... But everyone are in zones you need to do the first progressions and second for. So to group with most, you need to unlock things. To unlock things, you need to group with most. The few people you get to join you, don't know their classes, don't seem to realize what the chat box is because they're ignoring you, and you spend an hour trying to get them to talk to one NPC before that rage at you and quit. In the end, you need realize you've already missed the boat, being a day late and have a decision to make. Roll the solo class you know so well, and hope that they won't be overflowing on the new server, you MIGHT catch up and be useful. Or go back to your old server and hope to get enough AA's that someone might decide to use you. You're a day late too the new server and a forever behind already. There's no teaching. And there's no group of people willing to learn the game together, like it happened back in the day. You're told to box, and you have to be All Access for all your boxes, because you need that auto grant AA's. And when you're useful, then maybe, just maybe, someone will want you. Top guilds poach raiders from middling guilds. Middling guilds lose their decent players and fizzle out. There's no new blood that's being groomed. Even though I have met people who first ever downloaded EQ in 2019. The potential is there. It's not Daybreak's fault as they've really made it a ton easier to level up characters. To a point. And it's not really players fault for not wanting to run content that they've run a hundred times again to help new people. But as people leave the game for life, boredom (as some of us are getting to that age) something is needed to be done to keep these new players in it. Because they're not going to stick with a game that is stacked against them, because you need a group and there just simply aren't any. It's hard. And it's sad. Sorry for the long post. Honestly, I want something that keeps me here after my last month of all access. Something that makes me say, buying the new xpac will be worth it. But there just isn't. As a new player, finally at cap, there's no reason for me to stay. I can't catch up without a group. And groups are racing ahead, doing new things themselves.
I find that I LIKE the lower levels of this game. The highest level I have ever achieved is a 68 Cleric, and there is a great deal I haven't seen in this game yet. I understand the mad rush to max out characters, but I don't participate. I will just "park" a toon, and raise up another one to start over again. There are SO many ways to do this, and coupled with the times I spend away from the game, I never seem to be too bored with it. The only wrong way I have found to play this game is to do so when it becomes not a game, but a job.
I agree that starting out in EQ is really tough as most are playing max level content. It sounds like you got to max level, though, and are still struggling to find groups. First off, it can be hard to find groups at 110, and has nothing to do with your abilities - there just aren't that many groups available. It does help to be in a large guild, as grouping with guildmates is the most common way to find groups. Your mileage may vary, but personally I found the new specialty servers to be rather off-putting. Everyone needs everything, so greed can become a very unpleasant part of playing on those servers. On max level = 110 servers, people are much more generous, and the jerks are less.
You haven't missed the boat, the new server hasn't even enjoyed its first weekend yet. As far as the live server you play on you don't mention which server you might make friends here on the forums. Everquest is all about the friendships you make (unless you box)
I think that Everquest is not as easy as some like, and they confuse that with not being "New-player friendly". The point of Everquest is having fun, and getting rewarded for doing things, whether a quest, or taking down a tough mob. Try to lose the thought that you have to level very quickly to have fun, and just have fun! There is so much info on EQ on the Web that there exists no reason to not find what you want, most of the time. If you are playing on Miragul or started an Heroic Character you know nothing about, you will be completely lost till you take the time and learn it. There are different ways to play each class, some have many different ways, and yes things have changed through the years. Part of the fun to me, and many others, is learning how to play a class on our own or with guildies. On Live and some progression Servers you have a Tutorial. Join a guild, explore, craft, learn the class or classes you want to play, play multiple classes to learn what you want, join the right guild, research some things, quest, do epic, join a good guild (hint..numbers are not the most important thing)! Back when EQ launched, You had no idea how anything worked because you never played a game like this, there were no maps, you lost your gear when you died if you did not go retrieve your corpse, only a player could resurrect you, XP was slow, there were hell levels, a green mob could kill you, no mounts, no fast travel, no compass, no idea what skills you could have, you kept the sound up to here mobs coming while medding or you died....it was fun and very frustrating at times, but rewarding. It made you sweat, and still does some times. The point being EQ is now very "New-player Friendly" now.
EQ is a hard game, but the biggest challenge for new players is finding a group in a game designed to be group centric.
Is there an expectation that a 20 year old game is going to be new player friendly? My intent is not to diminish your struggle, but part of EverQuest's allure and staying power is precisely what you are complaining about. It's a difficult game with a steep learning curve and more nuance than you'd typically find in a modern title. My advice would be to just go out and have fun. People having fun attract other people looking for fun. That's how groups and guilds are formed.
Pretty much where I'm at. My highest is a 68 Rogue followed by a 66 Enchanter. My hold up (aside from finding groups at that level) was being able to do leveling content. The Temple of Ssraeshza was the last I could still do with a mercenary be it warrior or healer. I tried doing Planes of Power zones, but it took too much to achieve each kill. The warrior got beat up so bad it took minutes to bandage her after each fight. The healer ran out of mana too quick, and I often had to zone out in order to survive. My solution upon coming back a few years ago, was to play with two accounts. I wore out while leveling that second character, though. Now I'm back to once again try it. My system is powerful enough to run two games at once (wish they would allow that on progression servers), and I'm slowly leveling that partner for my rogue. Nope, not going to say what class it is. I'm also leveling up a few other teams just to use as a comparison, and to provide buffs across the board. Maybe, just maybe I can finally do Planes of Power zones, get to 70, and try some of the content beyond there. Virgin territory.
There are other zones that are more friendly than PoP. Check out LoY zones and the zone Infected Splitpaw.
LoY? I can never decipher initialisms. It's why I use the full names The only Splitpaw I know about is in South Karana. Never heard of "Infected" Splitpaw before. Planes of Power are the only places I have a modicum of experience doing from way, way back in the day.
LoY is Legacy of Ykesha expansion. It's a small expansion (5 zones) that came right after PoP and has some similar content aimed at level 65 max players. Could check out Crypt of Nadox, Hate's Fury, or Torgiran Mines. Infected Paw is in the same location you remember for old school Splitpaw in South Karana, but instead of level 30ish gnolls it's now taken over by level 70ish elementals. For a zone of that level they are pretty easy.
Legacy of Ykesha. That sounds familiar. Is that when the Gulf of Gunthak was added? When I leveled back then, and that is essentially the same today, I tended to avoid dungeons. I stick to outdoor zones, mainly because adds are easier to control, and zones lines for escape are easier to find. I first joined EverQuest just after Kunark got released. Since my system back then was not "state of the art" and I had dial-up for internet, I had to avoid areas populated by many players. East Commonlands and Kelethin were the spam sales areas. I learned quick that dungeons were to be avoided due to the trains. I never reached level 50 until well after Velious got released, so only experienced a couple dungeons (Blackburrow, Crushbone, Unrest, and a few others in the entrance areas). I never made it into most of Kunark or Velious or Luclin. When I finally got into raiding, I continued to level where I was most familiar, and when the raids happened they had people teleport us around. So I played a lot, but experienced very little. I have managed to explore a few places since, but still detest Tower of Frozen Shadows with a passion. I remember only getting in, our group wiping, then an hours long corpse recovery with several more wipes. I never went back. Dungeons are still taboo to me except those I know a little about (Lower Guk), so the places you mentioned are all places I never went to. Yeah, I know. Lots of learning to do, and when I get my teams up there I will (may) try to do some of them. Safer that way since even back in the day people had a bad habit of rush, rush, rush into places without taking time to ensure everyone knew what was going on.
