Leveling without high-level aid

Discussion in 'Time Locked Progression Servers' started by Zintex, Oct 31, 2021.

  1. Zintex New Member

    Hey folks. I'm a returning player from 1999-2003; started on Mischief about a month ago. Trying to relive some memories and experience EQ once more.

    I bear zero negative feelings or judgments against anyone for playing this game the way that they want to play it. My question is more to inform me what is out there and what to expect.

    I'm running a duo Druid/Enc and I run just those 2 about 80-90% of the time. Once in awhile, I think it's fun to get into groups and do the whole group experience thing, get better exp, what have you... What I've noticed is that almost every single public group that I've been a part of ends up having at least 1 member who brings their level 60 Druid/Shammy/Enc/Cleric characters in and has them camp next to us, babysitting everyone with max HP heals and lvl 60 buffs.

    It seems to me that most people tend to welcome this help. For me, it kind of puts a damper on the whole experience. I remember EQ for the challenges and the fear of dying at the bottom of a scary dungeon and having to face a corpse run and what have you. Adds and trains, etc. Now it's like... there is zero danger of ever dying and you barely have to do anything at all... Don't really have to pay too much attention, and don't really have to buff anyone. It feels more like I'm getting PLed.

    I'm curious if there are any guilds or other groups of players / individuals who prefer a more classic experience and handling all the tough dungeons with buffs of their own level? Or is it that the kind of experience I'm after is only available during the initial race to 50 at TLP launch? If there are like-minded players around, I'd be interested in grouping/joining your guild! PM me or PST to Taln on Mischief.
    hooplebogart, code-zero and Duder like this.
  2. trexton New Member

    Well to be fair, that's how we all leveled when the server launched. Now you're playing with alts who are just trying to get to cap
  3. Zintex New Member

    That's what I'm looking to understand. Is the only way to experience more traditional leveling to play at TLP launch?

    And is it the case that, whenever someone levels an alt, it's not about the leveling experience, but rather to reach cap ASAP?
  4. Machen New Member


    Yes, and yes for the most part. People used to enjoy the leveling experience on alts a bit more, but after ~8 rounds of tlp's, it has gotten old for almost everyone.
  5. tollo New Member

    TLPs get very end game focused after the first months, especially when Luclin opens and hitting level cap means dozens of hours of grind still ahead of you.

    Since you are boxing dru/enc forming your own groups is a really good solution. You have a complete functional group with just those two characters. Just decide where you want to go, open LFG and ask randos if they want to join your duo for x zone. There's probably many druids, wizards and rogues who just want any xp at all and are stoked to get a tell.
  6. tikles Journeyman

    The experience rate on TLPs are counter to leveling alts in any meaningful way other than PL (box toon to buff, or gear, DS pl, AoE, etc.). Once you get in or around PoP, the duration for the next expac release is short enough that without a serious time commitment to leveling the new alt, you won't get an alt or box leveled and AA's before you are once again behind the 8-ball when the next expac launches with new levels or AA.

    The fatigue from prior TLPs as mentioned above definitely seems to cause players to PL / twink at their earliest chance. No one really wants to grind it the "hard way" outside of the initial new TLP rush.

    Strangely enough, I believe that "hard way to level", is actually a major contributor for the big turnout for each new TLP, but no one seems to want to have that experience a second time on a TLP, only on a new TLP. I guess its not fun when you have a sense of playing catch up, only when everyone is on an equal footing.
  7. HoodenShuklak Augur

    The problem is you're in a very small minority of returning players who have not yet done a TLP. The population essentially recycles from tlp to tlp so a lot of the people are less interested in the leveling journey. They're usually alt ## and seen it done it etc. For the real old school feel frankly p99 is better.

    TLP is EQ on steroids, and you're absolutely right in that the fear of death is a large missing piece of modern TLP.
  8. Tweakfour17 Augur

    Can't say I really agree with this, after PoP you have LDoN, GoD, OoW, DoN, DoDH and PoR where in only 1 of the 6 has a level increase and only 3/6 even have any AA to get. Then TSS opens and the server gets Live XP rates. Yes it is a time sink for sure to start on a late server and most likely you'll need a PL or it will be boring AF but thats because there is hardly any low level game, not because the release duration is too short post PoP. I'd argue that the big hill to climb doesn't start until SoD where every expac has tons of AA and every other expac is another 5 level increase but at least you get mercs by then.
    code-zero and Machen like this.
  9. Machen New Member


    I completely agree with this, and just to build on it... You do NOT need to have all your aa's done in Luclin to keep up. You do not need to have them all done at PoP to keep up. You're going to have a long time at level 65, and then another long time at 70 with almost no new aa's. You will have plenty of time even playing very casually to be completely caught up and maxed out by the end of PoR.
  10. yepmetoo Abazzagorath

    I have a whopping 40 aa done so far, tanking everything just fine. Most people didn't have even 50 when PoP came out originally, and gear was WAY worse. We seemed to survive.