they'd just introduce the 'later expacs' AKA after LDON from the start of a TLP. GoD to TSS is some of the most fun for every type of EQ player. If people would play that long they'd figure this out. GoD start with 2 boxes per comp. (3 total for those ogres with us)
If they were willing to merge some of the xpacs in the level 70 era together, I might agree with you. But currently it takes 9 months to go from OoW to TSS, all while level 70. It gets old. DoN should release with OoW and PoR should release with DoDH. make it 3 months for OoW/DoN and 2 months for DoDh/PoR since there isn't a level increase. Every TLP server I have played on loses a TON of population during this era because of how long it is and because there isn't enough to do in-game to hold peoples attention. Zero AAs for DoN and PoR. Honestly, I am having much more fun post-TSS than I did in any of these xpacs. I think a TSS start server would be a great way to get people familiar with some of the xpacs past LDoN if that is your goal. I dont plan to play on another TLP, other than the one I am already on, but I know if people would try TSS, TBS, SoF and beyond, they might find they like it.
If they made all placeables in Marketplace available all the time so we have access when we're actually decorating and not nine months after. Gatekeeping *placeables* does NOT drive demand, it instead kills it.
They have also discussed that having a massive amount of choices available can hurt demand as well as some find it harder to make a decision when they have more choices.
Fixed. GoD sucked. EQ lost tons of players to WoW after the disaster GoD was. EQ (and most MMO) used to show players per server, the population dropped incredibly during GoD. I don't know anyone who thought this was a "fun" expansion. I remember GoD zones being deserted and asking where everyone had gone. OOW was much better, although the factioning to get armor still sucked incredibly. DoN, DoD and TSS were amazing though. Easily the best era of EQ. Properly tuned, very lovely expansions. TSS offering content for any player from 1-75 was amazing. TSS imo is the best expansion in EQ. There is a reason Crescent Reach is now the default starting era on blue servers. DoN and DoD were very good too. PoR was fine, but a bit lacking on content.
Btw, in terms of graphics OOW-TSS is also amazing looking. This was the height of EQ graphics. While music is subjective, it also had the best musical scores imo. When you think about it, it is not that surprising that EQ was developing such good content in the OOW-TSS era. This was the height of EQ when EQ had the biggest budget and lots of experienced designers. After TSS a lot of good designers left EQ and the content went downhill fast. Much of Seeds of Destruction was just rehashed old zones with just reused old models. Underfoot was incredibly badly tuned, developers flat out ignoring tuning complaints from group players during beta, developers having to adjust content several times after launch etc. Even Underfoot raids had to be adjusted several times. Underfoot was GoD 2.0. Just like during GoD, a lot of casual EQ players left during Underfoot, but this time most left EQ for good. When House of Thule launched you could see Underfoot had taken its toll on the playerbase, the zones were increasingly empty. When Veil of Alaris launched I started wondering why EQ was still making high-level group zones, many of these zones were empty a few days after launch. OOW-PoR, just lovely graphics:
GoD on tlp is a good time though, maybe it fell flat on release but now it's one of the better early expansions.
GoD when it was originally rolled out was buggy poorly balanced expansion. However mudflation, bug fixews, and game changes over time have turned it into amazing gem of an expansion. One of the problems with OoW-PoR is that none of those expansion offer enough individual content for the TLP format. OoW: Doesn't offer enough raid content, and only Anguish offers upgrades over Tacvi. The group content is fun while you are running around working on epics and chasing augs. However once that done it dies out. DoN: Has 4 raid encounters, 3 of them offer tacvi quality loot, and the other anguish loot. The group content goes too quickly once you max your faction. DoDh: Great on group content. However the Demiplane is only zone offering upgrades over anguish, and they are marginal upgrades. PoR: Awful group content, The raid content is more filling holes in DoDh itemization then upgrades. Also a number of event are poorly designed and not very fun.
This is just flat out untrue. Look at the top 5 guilds on any server entering OOW and then look at those same guilds in PoR and count how many of the mages, wizard, necro, and enchanter mains are still there. The 9 month long level 70 era is the absolute worst for casters and guilds lose them by the droves.
Wow you couldn't be more wrong. This company knows where the money makers are. There is a reason they start every TLP at Classic. Classic start ensures every money hole is used. The first 4 or 5 expansions is where 70% of the TLP community has nostalgia. Asking people to play a 25 year old game with no nostalgia is a hard ask. I've tried. There is no drive.
building materials, like blocks gain nothing from gatekeeping. Mounts and whatnot, sure. Placeables no. They also said they could never increas bag space in 2004, 2005, 2006, etc. They also said It was utterly impossible to put a bag in a bag in EQ. They say a lot of things. I guarantee, they never once tried a period of offering all of the placables while simultaneously gatekeeping the chase loots.
And none of that addresses the concern that they have raised that having too many choices causes people to not make purchases they might have made with fewer choices. They are not removing these items from the marketplace for no reason.
I personally wish they would just open up illusions, etc in the marketplace on all TLPs. There are so many awesome illusions later on that look so cool, that I'm ready to whale for...yet I'm stuck with minotaur and lightning warrior illusions for like 3 years >_<
