Non Multi-Box Live

Discussion in 'The Veterans' Lounge' started by KaiserSozay, Sep 5, 2021.

  1. KaiserSozay New Member

    Is it worth it trying to get to end game on Live if I don't want to multi-box? I've never been a big fan of it and I've been trying to truck along on my old paly with the help of an undead-leveling guide I found. But the more I read the more it seems like it'd be better if I just make a new character on a TLP server and work up through the expansions there. Is it possible to get groups as a paly on Live still? Last I remember, from like 15 years ago, Palys were considered sub-par to Wars and SK when it came to tanking.
  2. Szilent Augur

    If you're good, you'll find yourself in high demand as a good paladin at high level. They're rare, substantially more rare than high level paladins, and very valuable.

    Bad paladins are worse tanks than bad warriors and much worse tanks than bad shadowknights. That does not hold if the adjectives start shifting.
    Bigstomp and Ozon like this.
  3. NameAlreadyInUse #CactusGate

    I think this is the heart of your post. I do not think your class matters at all to answering your question: ANY groups on Live are rare. Generally, playing any tank gives you a huge advantage if you want to create groups of your own, but that advantage doesn't count for much if there's nobody else to group with at your level.

    Realistically, without multiboxing, the only way you will be able to level up and play with other players doing current content, in any reasonable amount of time, is through the charity of others power leveling you.
    Duder likes this.
  4. Bigstomp Augur

    It's a social game. A solid pally is very powerful in the group game. (and the raid game, but that's step 2).
    If you are solo, you can easily mindlessly grind some undead for xp in sorta recent content.
    Grab a group and you can easily tank and smoke modern group missions.

    As for finding a group on live, your are in an enviable position. You can tank and heal. 2 roles sorted. Ask for LFG, but then go on your own, and invite whoever you see LFG until you have numbers to do real stuff.

    Groups on live really depend on you being proactive. Make a group if you want it.
    Most of us are done stuff, so something like:

    Pally LFG (not gonna happen)
    Pally Gonna go blow up some mobs, maybe missions - who wants in?
    (good chance you get some names - but gotta take charge and expect to win without them doing well)
    Ozon likes this.
  5. Windance Augur

    Bigstomp nailed it.

    You will need to be proactive to get groups. Find where you can solo, then ask in general if anyone wants to join you or do harder stuff.

    /overseer is your friend.

    Pally DPS against undead can be quite good. We have a pally who consistently parses top 5 on our alternate zland raids so the potential is there, but its going to take some work.
  6. Tucoh Augur

    EQ is a magnificent game if you group or box. If you're looking to solo/molo, you might enjoy EQ if you're nostalgic but there are better games out there.

    Paladins (and the other two plate tanks) are in a really good spot right now. You might enjoy carrying along a bard box more than you think you will, they just do so much to help paladins (and everyone else) and putting together groups will be a lot easier with one.
  7. Vumad Cape Wearer

    Yes you can play without boxing. Yes you can find groups.

    Boxing is nice because you have a group immediately, on your schedule, doing what you want. The more play time you have, the less boxing matters. As I play off peak hours and for short sessions I 3-box. It's the only way I can get done what I need to get done.

    I would however suggest that if you are on live, you do make a free to play box that can slow. Having a slower when you molo will make things much easier on you even if they literally just stand there and do nothing except you tab over to cast slow. Once they get to max level, you don't even need them in the group anymore if you don't want, since they can't earn AA anyway.

    The higher level tank slow belts are pretty decent, so if you don't care for that, having a Druid or Wiz you just use for ports and snare is a huge quality of life improvement for a melee.

    So no, you don't need to box, but a FTP box is worth having around.

    Also, join a guild. You will likely find that you can do most of what you want molo as a knight, but sometimes you might need a little help with a named. A pickup group will want to roll on the loot, but if you camp the PH and a guildie comes to help with the kill, they probably wont expect loot, as long as you'd do the same for them. Plenty of times I have camped a PH and someone in my guild has come to help with the kill.
    Elyssanda likes this.
  8. Tucoh Augur

    Carrying around a f2p slower out of group that you don't level seems like a lot of work for the heavily mitigated slow results (iirc, the best shaman slow results in a 20% reduction in NPC attack speed), doesn't it?

    If bringing a box in group, a bard just playing melody and hitting fierce eye/quicktime requires less effort than a slower and provides way more.
    Szilent likes this.
  9. quakedragon Augur

    /overseer is nice but, its only 4% xp. Thats 25 days just for 1 level.

    Usually when people play EQ they spend a lot of time. They'd rather have a nice place to get the xp than log in 25 days for a level..

    Having a non box server I don't think would help with people returning, because everyone just breezes by 80 - 110 if they can. What they need is traditional expansion, where they have a zone WIDE level range, like Veksar, level 75 to 100, another zone say its like Unrest, 90 to 115. XP is easy pickings, FUN, etc.

    They need to give returning player content. Every expansion for a decade has been about end game players. A Traditional Expansion is overdue.

    Look at this DoD expansion, traditional expansion,
    Corathus Creep, level range? 70 to 75? NO NO NO. It isn't a end game only expansion, they like new players, its traditional. 45 to 65. https://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/zones.html?zstrat=294 (Brainstorm session, what about newplayers? Lets give them awesome zone like Corathus Creep, good xp, good gear, good everything. Sounds great! Loving it, return players will enjoy!)


    We are OVERDUE since a decade for a traditional expansion. All expansions since decade have been END GAME ONLY. Returning players? Figure it out.
  10. Tucoh Augur

    I can promise you that a returning player never logs in and thinks "Man, i wish there was even more content out there to split the playerbase.".

    If anything they should:
    * Increase hot zones / franklin teek quests to 115
    * Increase the bonus xp / loot from the hot zones by like, a lot
    * Rotate the hot zones daily
    * Let franklin teek port people to the current hot zone
    * Increase the variety of hot zones to nearly every zone in the game for those ranges

    Would make it way easier to find people to group with if they made it rewarding enough that it's basically the defacto place to go for kevels. Increased variety would make it more fun than doing something like deadhills grinding for weeks.
    MasterMagnus likes this.
  11. quakedragon Augur

    There is already too much content, what this would do is single zone for 80 to 105, single zone for 90 to 115.

    Current expansions, these zones at 85, these zones at 90, these zones at 95, these zones at 100, these zones at 105. Thats a lot of zones.

    Prefer 2 zones to stay in from 80 to 115. Easier to find other people when you have 2 zones that are extremely good for 80 to 115.

    Its far better than 'ask for a dungeon group (you never did any, you just returned) and people may join'.
    Thing with returning players they are completely clueless, best bet is to say, "goto new expansion lvl 80-105 zone, you'll find other returning players there if there is any'.
  12. Tarvas Redwall of Coirnav, now Drinal

    Whatever they do should only be good till max level -5. At that point, people can group or work on current content molo.
  13. NameAlreadyInUse #CactusGate

    Why? Is that more fun for them?

    If a brand new player logged on today at lvl 110, would they magically be able to reliably find a group somewhere and play with other players?

    As everybody is pointing out, EQ's population is too small to support the game's massive level range. The only time grouping works reliably is in the 1-2 months after a new expansion or after a server release. Any other time frame, be prepared to be lonely or be prepared to raid several nights a week.
  14. Tucoh Augur

    Finding a group at max - 10 is so much harder than max - 5 that the distinction isn't super relevant, but I'd be fine either way.
  15. Tarvas Redwall of Coirnav, now Drinal

    I'll answer the third question since the first two are subjective.

    Nothing is going to magically enable to a player regardless of skill, gear, or level to find a group on any server and reliably be able to play with other characters. By a 110 though, that person should know what they are doing and be an asset to any group.

    Now a question for you, how does a brand new player log in at 110?
  16. NameAlreadyInUse #CactusGate

    The point of the thread, as I understood it, was about being able to find a group vs. multiboxing. Your statement seems to imply that things change for players at 110, and they will magically find groups and won't need to multibox any more.

    That's never been my experience.
  17. Skrab East Cabilis #1 Realtor

    Please consider going to one of the TLPs. You haven’t played in 15 years and everyone is talking to you as if you were already leveled and geared. You’re going to be alone on Live and it’s going to be boring.
    NameAlreadyInUse likes this.
  18. Tarvas Redwall of Coirnav, now Drinal

    I never said anything about boxing or finding groups. I simply stated that whatever tact is taken to should stop at -5 of max level. Whether they find a PUG, steady group, decide to box, or simply molo current content is irrelevant to me.
  19. cadres Augur

    No, no no.
    I can't speak for every server, ofc
    But ours (AB) has a wealth of guilds of various sizes and inclinations, not just those on endgame/max levels

    Finding groups is trickier at low (ie under 85) levels, especially outside peak hours, but not impossible
    As others have said, you do have to be proactive.
    My suggestion: Make a disposable toon and join the general channels on servers you're considering, talk to folk and get the measure of what's going on
    Elyssanda and Yinla like this.
  20. NameAlreadyInUse #CactusGate

    No, you didn't say anything about boxing or finding groups - which is what this thread is about. While I'm not sure what tack you are referring to (maybe Tucoh's suggestions for hotzones?), I am still curious to know what you think changes at level 110 regarding a player's ability to find groups vs choosing to box to kill boredom?

    I.e., Why should anything that makes the game more fun for players 1-110 be removed for players that are over 110? Why make game the less fun for players over 110?