Possible Solution/Workaround To Adding New Races/Classes

I have read from other posters that EQ has hit their limit on what they can add in terms of another race or class. I am not exactly sure what the reason was, but the max was reached and either a lot of rework of the old code would be needed or only new combinations of existing races/classes could be achieved.

But what if the game did not add new races and classes to the existing roster, but replaced them on certain servers? Right now we have sixteen races and sixteen classes. We can still have the limit of 16/16, but have a higher ceiling of races and classes that the servers get to choose for themselves.

All existing servers would still be as they are. But another server or two could be opened to try out other races and classes. So for instance we would keep the base Trilogy races and classes as they are basically the staple of EQ (although that could be debated), but this new server would do away with the Vah Shir, Frogloks and the Drakkins for three completely new races of whatever and whatever. Also the Beastlord and the Berserker classes would also be switched to two new classes of whatever and whatever.

Now I will be the first to tell anyone that I am ignorant when it comes to coding. I am what you would call computer illiterate. However I have dabbled in creating video games, even if in a very limited capacity. All I got are ideas people. Is this doable? Is this more plausible then redoing all the old code just to make room for one more race or class? Again if the game can only feed sixteen mouthfuls, it will still only be sixteen mouthfuls to feed, but the roster to choose which to feed would be higher. And players would go to the server of their choice to get fed. ^^!

If the question then becomes will we need new starting zones, possibly, but those are what new expansions are for or the very least reworking of preexisting areas, for which there are many to choose from. Of course NPCs would need to crop up along with quests, I would hate to think Crescent Reach would be the be all and end all of new races and classes. And I am not even saying the game needs new races and classes, only giving an idea of a possible solution or workaround to the dilemma some people think EQ has. What do you think?

Not workable, all servers/clients share the same database/code. To change one you need to change all.

E.g
You want newserver1 to have this new race, well all other servers need to support the race too. The client (as it is the same for all servers) need to support the new race for every server.

Then you are talking new starter zone... all that effort for 1/2 servers ? No there is better things to do that that.

PS. new zone means new starter quest, new class means new epic/new newbie quest/new armor etc etc, it just snowballs from the simple word "new"

New class would take literally years to make and we wouldn't see any new content along side it.

As mentioned above a new race requires starting city, lore, tons of work on existing items to include the new race, new cultural armor for tlps through each expac that had them, quests to support that. The list goes on and on.
Sadly we won't see either of these two things (I wouldn't want more classes tbh tho...)

Possible solution for a new race. Permanent illusion, persists through death, starting city crescent reach.

If we are getting TOV2 in December we could have othmir, also we could go with new heroics starting at level 105-110 which offer new races.

I think races would be easier to do than classes due to illusions. Not sure you would ever be able to use other illusions...though if Othmir not sure you would want to .

Would you want to use Hero's Forge, or ride a mount?

Respectfully, the notion of a new class or race needs to be put rest.

I doubt many have maxed out all existing classes.

If you feel the urge to play a new class, I would strongly recommend playing EQ2.

In terms of modifying EQ1, you can approach P99 or TAKP with a new class idea.

As long as it is a player race you could use all those for new race/class combinations and still use mounts and Hero's Forge. Dark elf paladin instance. High elf beastlord? Do high elves have chain versions of hero's forge?

I suspect if a poll was taken offering a new race/class or the work that would not get done while they did that that most folks wouldn't go for the new race/class. Just my feeling/opinion.

He's talking about the permanent illusion thing for othmirs etc...mounts and ornaments would be out

Just unlock all classes for all races. Now you can have Troll bards, Dark Elf rangers, Dwarf necromancers, Wood Elf shamans, and High Elf beastlords. Anyone can be what they want to be to their hearts content.

no

Are you kiddin' Sturm?

No, seriously, NO !! I don't want to see montruosities like dwarf necro, SK, or chanters, wiz or mages.
Ogre bards, with special songs when we're at it, like Booga-Booga rk 0 (Rk1 is too high for their INT ) ? Nah.

And even worse, as a dark elf lover, if one day, I see a single dark elf paladin, I'll harm touch every single living or unliving soul in Neriak, all by myself.

I wont argue about the code, if it is not possible then it is not possible. However if it were, why would a new class take years (although two years for sake of argument is plural) to make though? Even if only one competent person or two, if they had all the necessary skills were working on it, it would not take years or should not anyway. Unless we are only talking modders or volunteers who have other priorities first.

I do not know about the rest of you, but I can tell you I would much prefer a whole new race and or class (if possible) then try and meld more of what we already have into what we already have or just stop altogether. I can not tell if you people are serious when you say you want a Gnome Monk or not. oO I was not amused at the last two races they put out there to begin with. And I would not mind them removing the last two races altogether and just adding two more classes, provided they were unique and purposeful enough. Then again I preferred Classic so all this is really neither here nor there. ^^!

And to be fair, I doubt most people have even seen all of the game, or every interesting corner of Norrath. If people would rather have more content, then I could argue for them to completely stop making expansions with new places to explore and just work on adding new races and classes, if the code allowed it to begin with and all those playing EQ concentrate on the massive older content already available.

I suggested this before and it's sadly a waste of breath. Even if the devs were willing to do it, the people that play live don't want it so there is no riseup enough to convince the devs. Everytime you bring this up the excuses "grow". It would take 1 dev a year. It will take years. It would take a small team and there would be no other content made, ect ,ect. Most of these excuses are now true because its been 20 expansions now and that ship has sailed. Realistically we only have a few more years of expansions before it starts getting silly. Next expansion is going to have what, 600k HP? Next one a million HP?

They needed to redo their code a long time ago and if they end up doing it now it's a waste. Personally I am just going to enjoy these two next TLP's and hope that sooner or later I can catch up to live and do a final tour de Everquest because live is on a timer. Overseer is probably the last large "addition" to the game. I for one am not going to suggest playing Everquest 2 if you want new classes. I suggest just moving on because if your looking for "new", Everquest will just disappoint. Gotta be happy for what Everquest is to enjoy your time here.

Ive read that but I think it was mere conjecture based on little to no evidence. I think the real reason is that it takes too much effort.

I recall the Visage of the Brute clickie coming into the game and a couple of other bards got all excited because stun immunity!!! The animation was really stupid with the breastplate flopping on and off and eventually I stopped seeing it at all. I asked why no more ogre illusion and was told by one and all who'd gotten it was that they didn't care if they were stun immune or not an ogre bard was ridiculous.

I could have saved them the effort

Honestly, nobody plays as a Troll, Drakkin, or Froglok. So, just delete those and replace them and we get 3 new races. Hopefully, more elves.

With the amount of items in the game after 20+ years, going through all of them to add a new class/race is quite time consuming. Also quests may need to be modified/added and so forth. They've already stated that just adding a new race/class combo (not a new race or class) would take a significant amount of work. Basically would they rather make a new race/class combo or make an expansion? From a business perspective a new expansion is always going to win, the amount of revenue a new combo would bring in wouldn't even come close to what they bring in for expansions.

I'm pretty sure the devs have confirmed this to be true. The EQ code is so ancient that there's hard caps on things like this, Baz limit is a good example. Seeing that Classes/Races were part of the original code it's probably a 16 bit code which limits it to the 16 classes/races.

If they could figure out a way to do race, I could see race being accepted. Races don't really have balance issues so it's a what ever kinda deal.

As far as class, there's no need for a new class. There's enough balance issues with the current lineup plus the actual aa limit as far as individual abilities go. 16 classes is a lot of classes.

They (the devs) posted somewhere that there's a limit that was hard programmed