So I stopped play EQ in 2003 because I joined the military. I found out 3 days ago that EQ is still online, I immediately downloaded and started playing right away! I decided on FV server because a YouTube video said it is great! Been playing for days obviously and have made it to lvl 27. For three days I have been trying to LFG with no success, didn’t know why I couldn’t find one. So I dug a little deeper in some research and have found a lot of information saying that FV is “Top Heavy” and has an insane economy. So I am starting to think it might not be a good server for me. I need guidance! Should I keep trying or switch to another server? I hate to waste my a character, I know it’s not a high level, but it wasn’t effortless... I need guidance please!
To be honest, *ALL* the servers which are not TLP ones are going to be top-heavy. They have been around 20+ years, and the player base will reflect that. Out of the standard servers, FV and Bristlebane are the two constantly touted as having highest population. If you want to have lots of people to group with around your level, you realistically have to play a special rule set (TLP) server like Mangler, or the recent announced Arrudane where the population are much lower level due to the servers only being ~12 months old or less. Be aware, these require a membership to play on. However, one thing to note about TLPs. Everything gets a bit frantic while Classic/Kunark/Velious are active, but once Gates/Omens unlocks, many people lose interest and the server population nose-dives. This is usually the time where new TLPs are announced and the horde jump from the old TLP to the new one. Just bear it in mind if you want to stay in for the long-haul, that your TLP server of choice might be a ghost-town 12-18 months after you start playing, whereas a standard server like FV will get better and better the closer you get to 100 and can start grouping with the general population. All that said, if you decide to stay on FV, I have a bunch of defiant gear sitting in my guild bank doing nothing, which you are welcome to, and will take you to 50-60 no problem. Let me know here if interested, and I can arrange an in-game delivery.
In my experience there are a couple of reasons to be on FV that are play style dependent. For me, I like to run multiple character types and will use 4 or 5 different characters every week. The drelaxed no drop rules mean if my Druid picks up something my Ranger can use, I just transfer it to them via the shared bank slots. Second and important to a lot of people is FV allows boxing i.e. running more then one account on a single computer. It is a completely different game when you are managing a team of characters and a lot of people enjoy the challenge. There are other perks that people like [f2p, faster exp, ...]. Those are just the two that stand out relative to the other live servers or tlp. I think any live server you go to will force you to box or at least use mercs to advance. TLP servers are not f2p and don't allow boxing. The TLP servers are heavy on the top with raiding guilds. If you plan on eventually or do now subscribe and play primarily for guild participation then consider either joining Mangler now or one of the new TLP servers that are about to release.
I appreciate the offer! I could definitely use the gear if you do not mind. I will be on in about a half hour, name is SpartacusTheMan, 31 Monk! I’ll be on for a while so when ever you have the time just send me a tell! Thank you very much!
Ok so after the original post I have joined a guild, received both gear and 2000 plat from my homie Elsewhere,as well as learning to use tank Mercs instead of healer I have a renewed sense of interest in staying on FV! I cannot thank everyone enough that has helped me out! I think I can make this work! I will likely stick with FV!
well it is not that easy to find group in most servers, in FV ,there are much more who play there , that mean more boxing too, but imo it is * easier * to find a group in FV , that it can be in other *live * servers . so the 50 % permanent xp bonus, ( who would let you level 50 % faster than any other servers ) and many players in FV , who help others ( for free ) . is something you can consider .. yes the economy can be * insane * but you not have to buy anything high priced . but at same time you can get much more plats in fv than other servers as well, * specially at higher levels * , why not trying to box , 2 is easy to manage and even easier if boxing a mage.
I'm a n00b coming back into the game after about 20 years and I was wondering which server to choose, looks like FV is the best choice?
I've been playing on FV, as F2P, for almost a week now & it is mostly nice. I was graciously gifted some top-notch gear, at least to me, in my teens & still using it now just into my 40s, so my experience is probably easier than a brand new toon. The experience rate is definitely faster & better. There's that language thing to overcome, I didn't consider it before joining FV, I've been suggested to learn Elvish, so it is easy enough just gotta put in the time. At least leveling-up I've had to rely upon my mercenary there seems to be no /channel for LFGing :-( but there is a new player channel to get advice. I had read that Defiant gear drops are pretty common but that is NOT my experience & when it does drop just like the good ol' Sony days it is for the other classes lol. Luckily once a day there is a quest to complete that will reward nice level gear but it only seems to be for: Shoulders, Back, & Waist, what the? No NPC buffer neither like in the tutorial, why implement such a user-friendly innovative tool then cease it? My ancient account didn't have my old toon on it & I tried all the servers, but at least I had some DB cash on it so I gave in to temptation & bought a bag bundle since 1 of my /claim rewards was a nice weight-reduction bag. I haven't joined any guild yet neither but probably should look for 1 that won't mind having a practical noobie around. The server economy is definitely hyper inflated & seems top-heavy too with high levelers. It would've been nice to join on a brand new server, but the closest from what I've read is Mangler(?) & it is a TLP so have to subscribe to use it, except right now which is free, but I was planning ahead & didn't want to level-up a toon then not have access to it in case I didn't subscribe. My main goal is/was to hopefully get some gear I never was able to back when I played, from Kunark to Omens, & see some zones I never was able to see. I'm being told & learning, in-game, that might be a difficult dream as a F2P, oh & OMG so much has changed lol it is like a have the memory of certain parts of the game & the nostalgia but it also seems completely foreign to me. Whatever you decide I hope you have fun. I mostly am, but I'm getting the feeling I'm about to hit a limit of my decent pace of progress which is a bummer.
@Ignition Playing most of the live servers is a lot like playing alone IIF you don't hook up with someone, preferably a guild. I find a lot of guilds have requirements that eliminate me, i.e. you need a maxed out character and have to raid 3-4 times a week. The guilds have a tendency to only pick up committed players, they won't bother adding someone who had not played for months and/or has a fully developed character. If that doesn't sound like something you would enjoy, then the euphemism is either 'family guild' or 'casual guild' to find other like minded players. I play a lot to experiment with different strategies and quest. This is inconsistent with what most people play the game for. I would say 90%+ of the population is about getting to the maximum level the fastest. People are pretty set in their ways, I can't tell you the number of times I have got into debates with people about a Ranger using a bow before level ~59! The duality of man, I still enjoy grouping so I don't mess around when I am in a group and I group often. One of the most rewarding experiences I have in game is watching someone else really run their character well. The game really allows me to do this type of varied play so I have stuck with it for decades. As mentioned, FV has an experience bonus so there is a constant influx of people there. If I was going f2p and/or am interested in grouping, that is where I would be. Understand f2p is only fun until maybe the 50s on a new account and 80s on a Silver on an veteran account. Problem is the character advancement and mercs are limited beyond those levels by design. Still, you can create characters on every server and run them up to 50 which is pretty generous. If you can remember anything about your account from 20 years ago by all means try to recover it. Contact customer service and give them account name or email address or anything you remember. If you can get your account back, it more then doubles the perks you get like twice as many characters per server you can create.
If you need some help i can also help with some leveling as well as gear. i wrote your name down so as soon as the servers come up and i see you online i will message you.
FV is definitely the most populated LIVE server - it's likely the best live server to play on but I see one glaring downside - it's a glorified pay-to-win server. Free trade has many benefits, but the downside to me is that you can quite easily buy yourself raid gear and set yourself well, well, apart from the average player. Truth be told, the regular grouping game isn't geared for players wearing raid armor, so the content is pretty trivial if you get a tank wearing raid gear. It's not so bad now since ToV pretty recently came out and ToV raid gear is still really expensive, but it's a bit annoying when you join a group as a tank and have, quite literally, 1/3 to 1/2 the survivability of another tank because they spent 20 kronos on a set of raid gear. That being said, when someone earns the raid gear, it's a different story.
I personally play on the Mangler progression server. That server seems to always be booming. It progression now is at Plane of Power. I started back 4 days ago and i find groups for all levels 1 to max 65. Dungeons get full enough to open other picks to join. If a dungeon has too many players a second instance is available by typing /pick within the dungeon to see if another instance of the dungeon is available. To me its well worth the membership fee to play with a great community of players. I have had 2 players give me 1k plat in 3 days. That buys my spells and gets me buffs from other players in PoK. after being gone for so long, the progression server is a great opportunity to experience the games content without rushing all of it to become relevant at high or max level.
My guild as well as a couple of folks on here has given me a great start at the game! I am now level 90 using Lucid gear. So I would say I don't need more assistance. But I do appreciate the offer though!
Thanks for such a detailed reply, it's taken me a bit to get my together but I've been watching a lot of EQ content on YouTube and I'm finally going to bite the bullet and play again. I used to play on Xegony, the TLP servers look pretty tasty as well. I'll see what expansion the latest server is on, I think I stopped playing during the Planes of Power expansion.
I couldn't even begin to remember what email addresses I was using so long ago hahaha but you know what, that's great advice, I'll have a crack at contacting customer support and seeing if my account can be recovered.
You could take a look at the Agnarr TLP server which is really special as it is the only TLP server that is constantly locked in an era (PoP, LDoN) and does no longer progress or getting closed like the other TLP servers after they do reach their progression peak. The population there is low and TLP servers do require a subscription, even for 24 years old content, which can be get for free on live servers. For live servers you have to decide if you want to stay FTP or joining the top heavy crowd by buying the latest expansion AND a subscription, once you hit lvl 115. 120 is the current cap, locked by expansions.
mischief is the better version of fv. it has the same rules (except the RP) but adds more - loot is random, and more of it drops. this means there is more loot which keeps it's pricing down and the randomized loot combined with truebox means that not everything decent is already camped by swathes of botters and krono farmers. it's also going to be easier to catch up with the level cap currently being 85 instead of 120. it just got mercs so the 1-70 game is stupid fast right now. if you ultimately hate mischief after giving it a try, you can pack all yer stuff up and transfer to FV. one way trip though.
