TBL was one of the worst expansions , mainly cause they had everything locked behind the smoke trials ... if you did the expansion when it was released it prolly wasnt bad .. However if you like myself and many others waited months if not a year after it was released to try and go back or come back to game and do it , its near impossible to find groups for TBL mainly cause of the smoke trials .. it was a really difficult expansion for the AE dmg boss mobs did and the locked progression .. I still have not done TBL and it might end up being one expansion I dont get done unless they unlock the restrictions for progresson .. They had soo much negative comments about TBL being difficult that they implemented GMM - Gnome Memorial Mountain .. I was able to gear up thru doing " The darkness Howls" mission and the gear and weapons from this zone was equal to or in some cases better than TBL .. I would still very much like to go and do TBL but atm it will have to wait .. I can understand being hesitant about subing .. but there is plenty todo even without TBL .. also what does PTF mean ?
4 105 ANYTHING is enough to make it in EQ. It's your implementation and execution, snoopy. Go watch a boxer on Twitch or Youtube and see how it's done. You need to have at least compulsory knowledge of how each class works and how they complement one another to successfully box. I used to box 3 characters before moving to boxing 6 (mercs aren't worth the group slot they take up). This is, quite simply, an issue with the way you're playing - not the game.
Don't use The Burning Lands as an example. The zone flagging in that expansion was a terrible idea. To require flags for every zone except one is a mistake such that I can't imagine the meeting at Daybreak where this was discussed and no one objected (or someone did and was ignored). If Daybreak wants to flag zones (may or may not be a good idea, there are pluses and minuses to the idea) then flag one or two zones, not the entire expansion.
People can solo/molo to cap. You got this. It's not that it is hard but tedious and slow even when you get geared and get in the right zone. Grab a guild and try to forms groups. I also wouldn't burn yourself out grinding FM daily for weeks either, unless you find a group or just prefer it. Take it slow and do progression from CotF-EoK along with a daily lesson and let out come as it comes.
Sorry, but 4 months is not even close to the amount of time you, or anyone, would need to get "caught up" without some major assistance and/or being carried by an established group. Whether or not you think that's a downfall in the game's design is up to you, but it's the reality of EQ. But if you're coming to EQ with very little in terms of recent progress, you're going to be about 2-3 years of worth of doing back content to get caught up. No one should think that they're going to just jump into EQ and be doing current xpac content in just a couple months. For reference, I came back to EQ during the RoF era and TBL was the first expac I was actually able to complete all the group content in-era, although I got real close to getting RoS down, in-era, it just didn't quite happen before the next xpac came out.
What server are you in? I’m in FV I feel you , I have been in your shoes I know it’s gonna be tough if playing this game multi box or myself alone so I decided to get my brother and his girlfriend before i got them all hooked again She starred at the tv and said : this game is so old and ugly and you guys are paying annual subscription for it ? 3 hours later , after indulging at the nolstagia and unique world design gives out that EQ vibe , she is hooked and been playing with us ever since , 3 players are much easier to adapt & absorb with others when it comes to grouping , we are now 89 LV come and play with me But be prepared in well developed established server like Firiona Vie (RP) ; the LFG is non existence and everyone are playing with themselves running 6 box full group like anti social , gotta get in a guild for grouping activities, people often have their alt to group up with you I have just returned to this EQ 3 months ago after 18 years of absence since I was a 11 kid I was saddened that the community has changed , I kinda regretted that I don’t start my return of EQ on popular time locked progression server but i also wanted an established legacy server because also wanted to catch up to how present day eq is but I just hold on because I know nothing out here can replace eq ( especially when you have played nowadays mmo and know how generic / dull boring they are ( like ESO )
I came back shortly before EoK release after being gone roughly 5 years, I had my bard and zerker. I grinded Dead Hills missions until I felt I was gonna puke for months and months and months. I got leveled, bunch or AA then Eok released and was so overwhelmed that I had to do it all over. BUT I found a raid guild, made some friends.. they saw potential in me and helped me get gear and augs and AA so I could raid. 5 expansions and "cough" a few guilds later I remain one of the top players in my class (in at least gear) and work hard to continually improve. my point is... -if you want it it will happen, if you look for opportunities in eq you will see them, if you look for failures you will find them. -at the end of the day no one cares... so you have to care or no one else will. -it's just a dumb old game so if its not for you ignore all that dribble I said and move on. But something tells me you want to play this game but you are your own worst enemy when it comes to progressing (I know I been there) p.s. those same people who helped me when I came back I am still close with them today, so make a friend or two or 53. the game will quickly change before your eyes.
You really need to box multiple accounts in today’s game to get much done, at least if you are wanting to complete all the group stuff each expansion. Most guilds will have those people that will be boxing multiple characters and will occasionally throw out task adds, but nobody in the guild will see them outside guild raids as they are doing their own thing with their box army. The rest of the guild will be people that try to get something going that rarely seems to amount to anything. My advice is to work on your AA and get into a raiding guild where you can work on gearing up a couple chars in raid gear, and then use these 2 chars to box most of the game. That’s what i did for years on a bard/beast with an SK as needed that was on the same account as my beast. Two char box in raid gear I was able to box everything except maybe the hardest mission in each expansion.
