Aradune dead for leveling now.

Doubtful there would be more grouping if the 2box had been better enforced, the crowd that left was still going to leave, some might have left sooner since alot of people have PUGing and would rather go do something else if they were restricted from doing their own thing.

It's the way Everquest was designed over 20 years ago. Sure, some classes can solo in the early expansions, and some two box duos work well, but you get faster exp with a full group. Everquest was intended to be a social game from the start. Changing the game all the way back to Classic to fit a solo friendly play style would require a massive amount of time and resources that just are not worth it in the end.

Go play WoW or SWTOR if you want to level up solo. Not being dismissive here, just honest.

The box limit on aradune isn't gonna make people magically have level 30 characters halfway through pop. Early eq is solved. If you don't hit the trend of everyone leveling, you gotta figure it out yourself or find some friends.

You might also get lucky to leech off someone else PLing... but I see that as being much less likely on aradune due to the box limit.

Grouping should be more common on Aradune than other servers because of the 2-box rule, but since that rule is so poorly enforced, there aren't as many grouping opportunities as there should be. Some people overbox instead of grouping, and some camps get taken by cheaters.

There's also the issue of power leveling. Power levelers kill grouping opportunities, and most PLers on Aradune are overboxers. If the 2-box rule were properly enforced, we'd have less PLing and more grouping.

And it sucks to play with cheaters and be lied to by GMs. We probably lost some people and groups because of that.

Again, doubtful, you just wouldnt have the PL option either. No Server besides the newest TLP has an active low level scene and even that quickly evaporates.

I've been mostly soloing/duoing since Aradune came out, and it's been great. I've never had trouble leveling, and I can farm most of the items that I want. On the other hand, if I went to WoW it would take 5 characters to do a dungeon. I can do a lot more with a lot less by myself in EQ.

Sure, EQ is a social game with more perks (and perhaps enjoyment) for grouping, but I think it's entirely doable and fun with 1 or 2 boxing. You don't need to change the game at all. It already works.

Well maybe you shouldn't have bought into all the propaganda about how the new servers loot system will be bad. Judging by the playstyle you describe -- it would suit you far better than other TLPs in the longterm and completely solve your short-term problems.

I think there will be a bump when LDoN hits and there will absolutely be more grouping with GoD as people level Berserkers.

There are also quite a few people like myself that enjoy Aradune still but can't pass on the Krono pinata that Mischief is at the moment. Once it dies down a little bit I'll focus more fully on Aradune as who really wants to play Classic-Luclin for the 4th or 5th time now.

WoW is a loot pinata. Sure, you may need a group to do a dungeon, but you don't even need to do dungeons. You get quality gear through solo farming factions, world quests, and even some tradeskills. WoW is way more solo friendly than EQ. Even once moloing becomes available, WoW is still more solo friendly.

once aa come in you either keep up with them or fall behind.

As you realized, the solution is to quit the game and find a more productive use of your recreational time. The server won't have a meaningful comeback, the fast progress of their new server guarantees that. Enjoy your freedom.

There have been so many changes for the game (AoCs, pick zones, no corpse runs) to appeal to a larger consumer base, yet the one area DBG has never addressed is a catch up mechanism on TLPs. I think the TLPs need some form of accelerated xp gain up to the prior expansion at least.

The only thing that they could add at his point would be an entire line of solo quests like WoW has and the likliehood of that is absolutely tiny due to how the game is so centred on group play and how much work would be involved to create that solo path - messing with XP is not going to solve the problem only make a whole bunch of other problems.

You really do have to catch the wave or you are going to have to box or get helped thats why so many advise to wait until the next tlp & ride the wave when it arrives - missing it has a cost.

Join a guild, swallow your pride & get powerlevelled up by your guildies so you are at the level cap & then KEEP UP - or don't, but whining about it won't help you any, just remember that if you get helped to help out your guildies in return - so many forget that part.

Joining a guild and hoping they're willing to powerlevel you seems like a really dubious decision. I would just join one of the new TLPs or wait for next years release if you really can't stand the rule set. We know the limitations of EQ and it's not really going to change.

Why?

Guilds want players, raiding guilds on TLP especially so.
If they do not consider helping their fellow guild mates (& I include new recruits in that) as an investment into their own long term health & survival then they deserve all the trouble recruiting that they get.
Sure they will end up helping people that may leave them but that's the price they pay to remain successful as a guild, you will lose half or more of your recruits anyway without helping them, you will lose a few less if you do help them.
The deciding factor is that they are able to play in your raid hours often enough, if they can't right now they maybe will be able to in the future and most guilds are happy to carry a few social members anyway.
And so long as they are returning the help the guild provided them by helping others in that same guild they are living up to their end of the understanding/arrangement/expectations of most guilds.

It's as simple as "you scratch my back now & I scratch yours later" it's plain and simple cooperation, even Chimpanzees understand that helping others helps themselves.

Out of curiosity why do you think LDON will get a bump of people? Historically this has not been the case

Yeah I just don't think that's likely, it's a big time investment for someone that you don't really know. I certainly wouldn't count on it. Especially on a top heavy server that mostly raid logs.

I mean you're just wrong then. It takes 4/8 hours to get someone to max level, and half of that is doing what you're doing anyways. We powerlevel plenty of new and returning players who want to raid with us along with people who main change.