If You Were a Dev, What Would You Have Done Differently?

Discussion in 'The Veterans' Lounge' started by Lockdown, Sep 27, 2020.

  1. Lockdown Elder

    With the dwindling popularity of this classic game, I've often thought about things that the Dev team might have done that would have possibly allowed this game to retain more of it's player base.

    This isn't really intended to be an indictment on the Dev Team, since I have no idea what would be involved to implement the changes I suggest. For all I know, I'm suggesting the utterly impossible. In any case, it's too late now.

    So, if you have things that you wish were done during this game's run, share them here.
    Here's mine:

    1. Raise the level cap on instanced missions as the level cap of the players increased. Why let great expansions like LDoN and DoN become obsolete? Why not just raise the level cap on these missions, add some new, higher level loot and let the players continue to enjoy them? Seems like a lot of great content went to waste that could have been kept relevant if some new level-appropriate items were added as the levels increased.

    I've always enjoyed LDoNs and DoNs. And I'd be still doing them at level cap if they were relevant, could still offer a challenge and gave me the opportunity to get some good gear. And I refuse to believe I'd be the only one doing LDoNs or DoNs at 115 if they offered something worth having. (Although I'm not at level 115 yet. I'm only 78 with 3040 AAs.)

    2. This one's probably a lot harder, but I always thought it would be cool, as the advances in techniques in game development allowed EQ to update. Rather than see our subscriber fees pay for new games, I would have liked the resources allocated to improving this one. And, if necessary, actually rebuild EQ with better graphics and fewer pathing problems, then put our characters in there.

    Of course, the testing and resources needed to realize this would probably be exorbitant, but I was always somewhat annoyed when Sony started making new games. So, my subscription is paying for the Devs to abandon this game and create new games, rather than giving radical upgrades to the game I'm actually paying for.

    3. Remove shrouding and Monster Missions. Why should I gain experience on my character when I'm not playing my character?

    4. Cows. There need to be cows. The vendors sell milk. So it has to come from somewhere.
  2. Waring_McMarrin Augur

    I think you would find that the devs would like to do some of that as well but it is not as easy as you think due to how old some of the code is for it.
    Coagagin likes this.
  3. CatsPaws No response to your post cause your on ignore

    I have always believed that the new Heroic Adventures ARE the upgraded LDON's. They start at level 75, near where LDON's leave off and are the same style. As the Dev's have mentioned in the past the LDON's were so hard to code that it is highly unlikely we will ever see an adjustment to them. I believe they are keeping LDON relevant with the Hunter Ach, the raid augs and the forages that are needed just from those. Maybe not a lot but they are still utilized.

    I also dislike shrouding and monster missions. Specifically when something is dependent on you going thru one to progress. But others in the game do like them so I can choose to just leave them alone - no reason to take them out of the game. Not everything is for everyone.

    But my main concern is your statement:
    With the dwindling popularity of this classic game

    Dwindling popularity? Not seeing it on my Live server.

    I've often thought about things that the Dev team might have done that would have possibly allowed this game to retain more of it's player base.

    Might have? Its not over. TLP are hugely popular. My Live server is very populated in the last few months. And bottom line no one still plays Chutes and Ladders or Go Fish either but they still have a following.

    I think the devs have kept up with the game very well. Plenty to do be it questing, killing, raiding, tradeskilling, farming etc etc. They may not have retained all the old school players but they have retained a ton of them and also have a nice cushion of new style players
    Coagagin likes this.
  4. Cadira Augur

    I'd probably take a few moments out of my day and try to address class imbalance.
    Coagagin and Allayna like this.
  5. German Augur

    a FEW?
    Andarriel likes this.
  6. Allayna Augur

    Agreed.

    1. Debuff limits. There is no reason that every melee that spams abilities every 30s needs to put a debuff on a mob.

    2. Spam reduction. See above, but also with an aging population, spamming discs constantly could be reduced, combined or eliminated all together. For reference of positive changes related to this, look at /autoskill, banestrike becoming automated, the combination of many AAs, like every class Spire abilities, etc.

    3. Leading to reduction in lag.

    4. Pathing improvements, to include Z axis.

    5. Improvements to already implemented parts of the game. No need for new gimmicks. The housing could see a major improvement with a parcel vendor to your housing or from it. The ability to use the Find item feature for any property that you are a co-owner of, massive improvement as far as QoL. The ability to empty an entire bag into a housing plot, to name a few. The raid window could use massive improvements, we saw one this last patch, not having to boot people to request a raid with a 54 limit while having more than 54 in the raid. Don't stop there, the ability to remove entire groups from the raid, save raid layouts like you do spell sets or extended target saves. Fixes for the main assist, looter, mark that break when the raid leader is changed. The ability to move players around in groups without locking and unlocking the tool.

    6. The artisan prize was a massive undertaking for anyone who maxed it. Allow players to combine their recipe knowledge into skill books (via tradeskills) that they can sell for other players to scribe. Basically the scribed books that are sold in PoK and around Norrath that could get you closer to 350 but done by tradeskill only and player made.

    7. Continue evolving itemization and item customization. The work put into evolving an item vs looting one from a chest of rot carries value, most would like to see these items last 2-3 expansions before being phased out or perhaps put in the effort to make a quest that continues the old evolving items forward.

    8. Separation of the coding on current content or live servers from TLP. Playing on TLP, they are cesspools of abhorrent cheating and constant changes are made that affect live in adverse ways that were not exploited. Most recently the aggro issue with people on TLP spamming Jboots for hate caused some issues with rune/taunt aggro on live. Previously, the changes to TL boxes in combat, the ability to charm mobs, etc.

    9. Agents of change for old content on live servers. There is zero reason not to do this.

    10. Graphics vs performance. Luclin was the last model update? But at the same time, I know the performance when you get 54 people together during prime time when 4 other guilds are raiding, people turn off all models anyway, the enchanter pet graphics lol. Again this would be a last priority and would prefer time spent on performance improvements, especially regarding lag and server/client mismatch or disagreement on position.

    11. Advertise, return things like refer a friend accounts, lifetime subs, hit social media rather than splitting the population of EQ to EQ2 and other failed ventures.
  7. Dythan Ban Lev in Plane of Fire guy

    Disabled Lev in Plane of Fire
    Accipiter and Bobbybick like this.
  8. Raccoo Augur

    It's ok to go back now and then to these, but the resources would be better allocated to new content imo. Also most times for me it is more fun to go back to old content and destroy it instead of having it scale to my level.

    Yes. I think most everyone will agree with this. Wish that whoever was in charge of EQ/finances for the last 21 years did too.

    Monster missions and shrouds were a nice idea, has some usability, but goes back to #1. I like to destroy old content with my characters that I've put time into improving. It is a slog running monster missions (really only ones I've done in the last few years were OMM missions for rez stick and guktan illusions). Does it need to be removed? No. I'd suggest alternate ways to obtain these items, or upgraded items in new content. I wouldn't suggest new monster missions.

    Shrouds have their uses, although not what they intended it for at the time (leveling down to your friends so you could group with them).

    If I were a dev I'd not create beastlords. Also I'd give clerics a blasted invis. :p
  9. Yinla Ye Ol' Dragon

    1. Not removed the spell potion belt!

    2. Continue with spell research and kept it limited to pure casters.

    3. Add spell runes to raid vendors for each expansion.

    4. Continue with shrouding down for higher levels but have spells and abilities based off of real classes of that level. Or find another way for us to play with friends of lower levels.

    5. Not farmed out other classes abilities to others.

    6. Not put better ports as clickies and guild teleports than the porting classes get.
  10. Windance Augur

    1. Push for 'more'/'some' advertising.

    2. Triple the estimates for how long any down time will take. Patch days are 24 hr minimum. If you get into game sooner you should grateful instead of hateful.

    3. Never come to the forums - For every good / positive idea here there are 10x that are just hateful. Look at the best vs worst zone in EQ. People just love to complain.
  11. Bobbybick Only Banned Twice

    Added the ability to unlock a 2nd active merc so that all classes can theoretically run a "trinity" setup for moloing.

    Reduced raid size to 36 or lower.

    Actual "hard mode" versions of raids and not just reduced player count maximums with more/better loot.

    Add a zone connection from commonlands->housing neighborhoods, unlock housing to be usable starting in classic. TLP players already buy housing stuff through loot crates, sell them more through the marketplace and bring in more money to reinvest into other stuff.

    Make Hero's forge unlock account based not character based

    Finished the Discord storyline.

    Auto leave on corpse selection for group master looter

    AoCs on all servers

    Illusion / Ornament reward for completing Classic->LDoN hunter achives, Hunter Achieves added for GoD->SoD content.

    Drastic AA culling / consolidation

    No boss/encounter HP locks that don't have immediate ways to remove the HP lock (click something, kill something, everyone runs in a figure 8 for 5 seconds, whatever just not standing there for 5 minutes).
    Notwau and Pumpernickel like this.
  12. Xerzist Augur



    One of the biggest things I'd like to see is an efficient way to experience older content, but at an advantage to new players, or folks who wanna stroll down that nostalgia lane on a new character.

    Change the hot zones to be weekly and based on region. Change the hot zone quests to simply consist of:

    "Kill 5 creatures in any hot zone"
    "Kill 10 creatures in any hot zone"

    Week 1: All zones in Faydwer are hot zones and have greatly increased experience gains.
    Week 2: All zones in Odus are hot zones and have greatly increased experience gains.
    Week 3: All zones in Luclin are hot zones and have greatly increased experience gains.
    Week 4: All zones in Kunark are hot zones and have greatly increased experience gains.

    Why even bother selecting zones? :D
  13. Willowtree Journeyman

    - correct the achievement system and the horrible collection tag bugs, evolving items are great but they suck so much if much time is involved and the achievement borks the evolving item

    - don't tag evolving items to an expansion/zone/mob, this makes them useless in later days

    - dont't mess around with things from Live and Classic, error in the Classic messes up Live and vice versa

    - stay on the 50% off for the last expansion if it is a year and offer that through the whole year up to the next expansion - this would possibly give double income (at least in my case) and no demotivation is done with removing them - I doubt that the new strat will be anything better - at least I will not buy it for 8€ less than a full one, but I would have upgraded my older accounts

    - tradeskill items (aug18/19, focus augs, etc) which have endless time sinks (like ToV earring) should be possible to sell instead of being forced that every toon needs the earring or the recipes (notrade sucks and makes it useless when new expansions come out)

    - I would always take into account to not make older things utterly useless, so that the need to go into older content and get the items makes sense. It is more fun, it makes items more worth and for Darkpaw it is another time sink - which is then worth the time for the players too

    - I would make another tradeskill or quest option for the Unattuner and the Perfect Distiller. People who don't want to spend the time buy them nevertheless and others could at an early stage use it too instead of leveling/playing a longer time - until it is easier to simply throw the items away and go to the next levels instead

    - I would change all missions which are not possible to continue once something goes wrong inside, I would design them so that they are a challenge but are continuable and not one way tickets based mainly on DPS

    - I would design different difficulty in missions and raids with different loot (auto-adaptable stats) makes the level and power gap between group and raid game smoother. Gearupgrades through quest progression instead of progressiondependable items would automatize some work in gear design but would smooth and differentiate the abilities more (no same toon/class/config)
  14. Andarriel Everquest player since 2000

    Add more hunter expansions GoD-SoF ima hunter junkie i admit.

    Andarriel
  15. Jhenna_BB Proudly Prestigious Pointed Purveyor of Pincusions

    If I were a Dev, I'd not have made the stats on gear in Seeds of Destruction grow as large was implemented at the time. The current mudflation on stats is in a condition where the numbers are far too great to have proper tuning. We have content that's too difficult for the masses (but easy for raiders) or content that's too easy. It would be easier to find a winning lottery ticket than find balance some where in the middle.

    We should have had a stat revamp year ago, but it'll never happen. There aren't enough resources.
    Tarvas likes this.
  16. Froglok Augur

    Well... certain things should not be a "quality of life" issue... such as quests, progression and so forth. Those are the whole basis to the game!

    >>>No flagging by-passes.

    After progression / flagging was added, it was long before they added the easy button with by-pass quests or by granting access by merit of level of after so many expansions.

    Everquest is EVER - QUEST... so such things essentially make game content irrelevant.

    It also removes many social aspects of the game (as in the need to create in-game relationships to go adventuring and help each other through said content).

    Additionally, after improved group gear, AA's, levels and so forth is added with later expansion... such content becomes far less foreboding... where groups or even an individual can defeat it (raids included).
  17. Bigstomp Augur

    Deadhills forever is what you are asking for. Please no.

    New game is what you are asking for. EQ Next was tried.
    I would prefer we just get content and keep paying the devs who create content.

    I cannot say for sure on where money goes but it feels like lately the devs we have left are more focus'd on EQ than on other stuff.

    You have my vote.
    It was recently explained where milk comes from. Check the forums.
  18. Act of Valor The Newest Member

    I would have made a flipping raid on flipping Dino Island.
    Annastasya, Nniki and Yinla like this.
  19. Bigstomp Augur

    A massive T-rex raid would have been amazing.
    Andarriel likes this.
  20. Andarriel Everquest player since 2000

    Yea i had fun on that island fun times! maybe name it Godzilla! haha

    Andarriel
    CrazyLarth likes this.