Progression server - Starting with ALL classes.

The zerker specific disciplines, aka the axe skills, are on specific vendors. Just have those vendors in game. With a classic-Luclin start, all the sub level 61 disciplines should be available as well. And with 61-65 skills/disciplines, other than the Ancient disc and Battle Cry, which are handled by turn in quests, the other disciplines would then be considered PoP and would be available on the vendor in PoK like the other melee classes.

The last part of the quote is the real reason why we'd like to be able to play zerkers earlier.

With a classic-Luclin start with no changes to any code, all the classes except zerker are available and all characters starting at level 1. That leaves as the only issue to solve is that of the zerker. Now all the gear is already itemized for zerkers for those expacs. For the 1.0, all the zones are available so the quest can be completed. Now the 1.0 is slightly overpowered compared to other 1.0 wpns. My suggestion would be to change the zerker 1.0 to a type of evolving with just 2 tiers; one comparable to other 1.0 wpns, and the second having the full stats. The trigger to go from tier 1 to tier 2 could be the unlock of GoD.

For sub 61 Disciplines/Axes go, all the zerker only ones are on specific merchants, so just let those merchants and any merchant that sells the axe components, in game with luclin. We've seen it in the past where, in error, they had out of era merchants in PoK, so we know it is definitely possible to do. When PoP unlocks, all but the 2 disciplines that are tied to GoD quests, which wouldn't be on the PoK vendors anyways, the PoK vendor for zerkers will be in game.

In conclusion, by starting a server with the Luclin expac, at most, the changes necessary to include all the classes are making a change to 1 weapon, if decision is made that it is OP v other 1.0s, and allowing npc merchants that don't spawn until GoD to be in game earlier. This would solve all the issues around having berzerkers available at server start.

Battle Cry is level 30 and costs 200 endurance.
War Cry is level 50 and costs 380 endurance

Yes but you are not taking into account the use of Distracting strike or heaven forbid snares if the other snarers don't want to do it. Distracting strike (hate reducer) is 74 end every 2 ticks. Over the course of a 5 minute fight that is 1700ish endurance. I am not sure what the gear total would be at level 50 but I am guessing around maybe 2300 endurance? So by the time you use War Cry and then the fight is going past the 5 minute mark you are out of endurance meaning no Distracting Strikes and your hate is building. Throw in Cleaving/burning/blind after 50 and you have no endurance. I am not sure how many other melee actually burn through endurance other than a warrior on most fights (maybe a rogue?)

ATA: Stun is 104 end and the level 34 snare is 43 (upgraded ta level 54- cost 76 end)

Distracting Strike is a range attack, so a zerker would have to stop meleeing and move away from the mob in order to use it. The zerker just stopping attack for a 2 count accomplishes the same thing if conserving endurance is needed.

The point is as a zerker you have to manage your endurance usage, just like any mana caster. Also if you go with a luclin start, odds are most will level hard to 60 before starting to hit raid targets.

I do not care about all classes. Would be happy with starting with Kunark Unlocked.

Distracting strike can be used within melee range just like the snare or stun. it just uses the axes as a component.

Although now that I look back at the thread. I think you and I are arguing for pretty much the same thing just different starting points.

Mangler is less than 2 months away from GoD, personally looking forward to the challenge of creating a new Berserker and getting caught up before Omens.

Quite confident there will be enough raid guilds staying to make it worth the effort. Lots of people just not interested in doing yet another classic to PoP run.

Best of luck playing a Berserker, best choice I ever made was creating one of this class shortly after Gates of Discord opened & swapping mains to it during early Omens of War.

I realize this was a necro intended to subtly attack the new TLPs...but I still think they should really try to work on incorporating content into Antonica, Faydwer and Odus at the release of a TLP rather than when it is will never get used. Mainly race/class combos(Halfling Ranger, I know people make these, but more people would day 1 than 9 months from now), zones that don't change the world(The Warrens), and even maybe doing LDoN's in the already released zones(removing augs until Luclin or PoP). This could also happen with Veksar in Kunark rather than 6 months later when nobody will go there to group.

Any new TLP is just this...

Open text editor -- change a few options in a config file...

Transfer files across to host...

deploy...

(Do this every year ... rake in gazallions of money in kronos)

Nothing ever gets fixed... nothing gets added.

whats the bets this will be a botched launch... coz it's the same old code...

... maybe a bit of a dodgy queue implemented this time...


... wait for all the rage kiddies on launch week to die down...

rake in the money
...

I'd pay $50/mo for such a server. I have yet to see an excuse that would deem this an impossibility. I'd love for a dev to explain the simple logistics of why this wouldn't be possible because I think its limited only by a decision.

Have zero attraction in any new TLPs until this happens. Wasting time playing a different class than you want to because your class is not yet available is not an intelligent game structure.

New TLP with all races and all classes at opening

Starts in TSS

No this is wrong, but I can't recall the expansion where WE BL's and Froggy Monks went live

Opening at TSS (originally launched September 19, 2006) would be an interesting proposition since all the classes were in by then & you have a whole new 1-75 levelling path in that one expansion forming the basis of the Heroes Journey Questline.
The problem with that is all of the old raid content would be obsoleted unless they did a staggered level cap unlock:

For example 4 weeks at level 50 cap, then 8 weeks at level 60, then another 8 at 65, another 8 at 70 then 8 at 75.
After that move to the 12 weeks with level raise & 8 weeks with no level raise unlock schedule.

March 12 2014 - while Call of the Forsaken was current & when Heroic Characters went live.
https://forums.daybreakgames.com/eq/index.php?threads/game-update-notes-march-12-2014.208913/

I'm sure the DBG staff appreciates that oversimplification.

It could work if two things were done, the level cap of course but also setting so non-Drakkin must all start in there home city. In fact a TBM launch wouldn't be out of the question as access to those zones would be restricted until 75 anyway.

TBM? as in the level 105 expansion?

Going that far into the game you may as well just open with every expansion unlocked & only have a level cap unlock schedule, completely different proposition to a TLP unlocking expansions at set times.

That's an idea that has been touted before & could work but would be a radical departure from what has been done so far.

A Mayong 2.0 would be a server I would be most definitely interested in. 51/50 with a start in GoD and normal unlock schedule going forward.

Everyone gets their preferred class available day 1. With lots of room to spread out for xping and raiding.

Not much in the way of extra work required