EverQuest Producer’s Letter April 2023

If they are commited to FTE (because they need it tested and Test isn't going to cut it) as their stick, then they need a bigger carrot to appease the player base. A small bonus per expansion and higher XP gain for ALT's most TLP player's won't have isn't enough. If they had cut n' pasted Mischief as they new server and added FTE, I think most would have bit their tongue and accepted it, and at this stage it looks like nothing else will suffice.

All of this was incredibly badly handled by DB. Especially considering the debacle they just had with EQ2.

How is it unacceptable? The only time you want to hit on an already engaged mob (of someone not in your group) is to help/assist or to kill steal. If you're kill stealing you're a jerk - probably one of those toxic boxers that nobody likes anyway and your opinion is not what DBG should be considering. If you're trying to assist, you can still heal/buff and if anything it makes the game just a little bit harder since you can't just run up to EC tunnel anymore. That's not gamebreaking and if anything just makes the game a little harder which is fine with all of the QoL UI improvements making the game easier compared to classic.

So what's left? You can't powerlevel? So what? Griefing issues? They already exist. What about this is unacceptable? What about this makes the game unplayable or unfun? I'm pretty sure I'll barely even notice it when I'm playing besides "oh yeah I can't bash mobs for faction hits anymore". The core gameplay is unchanged. Taking on tougher mobs will be riskier since I can't run up to a group for help but I appreciate the challenge and who knows, maybe they'll add a command that permits assists from players (though it'd reopen the doors to PLing so probably not).

I see a lot of posts where people are against this. Then I see posts, like the one above, who try to drown out the masses. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. There is no reason to even get upset, it is well within their power to just give us 2 servers. It is not uprecedented. For those of you that want this FTE implemented, and the game changed, go to that server. For the majority of us that don't agree with fundamentally changing our 20 year old game, please give us another server. I think the only reason that they wont give us another server is because they are worried that the FTE server wont have a large enough playerbase, but since it is new, I think it will do just fine. At the very least, reconsider moving this to other servers. I am just going to stay on mischief and play a little more d4 and WoW classic.

That argument is so funny to me. People argueing that they want to preserve the game they love exactly like it is now and don't want "the spirit of the game changed" and in the next sentence they demand a new Mischief.

As gunstar already pointed out, FTE is only a minor change. EQ is still EQ after that. You still form groups, classes still have all sorts of unique abilities, it still will be a slow, grindy game, the best loot still comes from raiding, etc. On the other hand both random loot and free trade are objectively far more disruptive to the "spirit of the game" and change EQ way more than any FTE ever could.

So of course you can still be against FTE, but please don't pretend you want to preserve EQ in its current form because it is "your game" and nobody should change it in any way. Because as soon as a change means easier loot for you, you are all for it.

How often do you KS, PL, or provide outside assistance to others in EverQuest?

All the time. I have many friends who play inconsistent or take multiple week long breaks in between so I'm always helping them. I am helping guildies catching up who skipped expansions or helping level people main switching on expac releases to BST or Zerk. Hell I had a friend who I had to help Plvl cause he wanted to race change his rogue to vah shir but didnt want to buy a race change. There is a lot of social gameplay and commraderie in EQ that will be taken away by this. All for the sake of "solving" AoE Plvling instead of them simply policing the game and taking care of it themselves. If that is the reason they are even doing it as that is the only positive I've seen spun for this stupid idea.

Well, I have been otherwise occupied and needed an hour or two to catch up on the new server chat. First thing is Mischief and Thornblade are only coming up on two years, why do so many want a new Free Trade server already, if folk want to play to 65ish and then start new doing the same old same old, eh. A lot of questions and complaints before we even get to and through the first two weeks of new server boot camp, in what has been billed as very experimental. Since there has been a lot of naysayers who won't be on Oakwynd, I may have to go buy 4 new comps so I can play a full group, maybe even the only group or players. Yes, there will be feedback about the mechanics, some hopefully positive and likely some negative. Maybe next year we get 3 TLP, including one for the PVP people. For what it is worth my plan for Vaniki is to fold up my tents there at 85, been a fun year, failed to get the special kill achievements, but some ornaments for my main server and a year of whacky efforts against higher mobs, makes it all good. At some point the TLP servers are going to mostly wind down (be sent to live servers) to make room for new things. Should players vote with their feet and the new server does not have a decent population, it too will be gone. Such is life, some times the home team wins to cheers and some times it loses to jeers and tears, we will learn Oakwynd's fate soon enough.

I can't decide which classes to box until I know the ruleset. I take my class selection very seriously too.

Training has been a part of the game since launch....accidental trains happen and I remember many times back in the day as a Magician not being able to find groups and the only exp was me peeling mobs off trains in Karnors Castle, that happened every 2 mins probably. Trains create social interactions. It's a big part of EQ. The game just used to have GM's. Now they don't so evidence is hard to produce for the average player.

Please god get rid of FTE

Yes, it does matter how they implement it as they see it as an improvement to the game and depending on how it is done players could agree with them, we just have to little information at this time to know.

So changing the spirit of EQ is only a minor change to you? I hope no one ever leaves you in charge of anything major.

it's unacceptable period. If you allow it now, it will become more restrictive over time.

Don't have you anything better to say? I don't KS. I do however, assist others and or PL a toon almost every time I log on. Isn't that what you guys told me to do when I want to level a toon, but I am bored waiting for overseers to refresh?

There is no evidence that'll improve the game. It won't stop mass killing or PLing (no matter how it's implemented), it'll just make take longer and cost more krono.

You'll still able to grief others in a similar manner as before. And when I find a way to abuse FTE and make content easier (because of their lack oversight) am I going get suspended?

The only thing I see FTE doing is killing the joy of an average player.

just clone another "Mischief" with longer TL's . ( only thing worth Subbing for imo) stop trying to cure stuff (FTE) that isnt a problem ,you cant even stop boxer bots for 20+years.

You would be the one of the few who do that almost every time they long on.

I do not know who "you guys" are, but it is not me.

I imagine the average player does not KS, PL, buy PLs, or assist others outside their group so I am not sure how it would kill their joy.

I know it’s late in the game, and there’s probably a final draft of any additions/FAQ already sitting in the inbox as of Friday.

If Oakwynd doesn’t get free trade, and you opt to open up heirloom as an alternative, consider the following changes:

- Release Year 11 Veteran AA - Clockwork Banker. While trying to brainstorm what a raiding guild looks like who is trying to run with Legacy characters, one organizational issue pops up; the added travel and logistics of banking. While we’ve always had to consider getting the guild from point A to point B in expansions pre-PoK/pre-Guild Hall portal, giving guilds the ability to hotswap en route to new targets via the clockwork banker would allow them to make the most out of their scheduled raid evenings. It doesn’t seem like a large issue until you think about what a guild is trying to accomplish during raid hours. This would be a very big jump in QoL for Legacy raiders.

- Allow epics to be made heirloom - as they are typically no trade even on FV servers. The initial bottlenecks for epics 1.0/1.5/2.0 are always heavy on the onset of their release. Adding in a multiple of the same class to cover people using Legacy characters will be an additional pain point. Making that change will further cement people taking advantage of legacy characters.

With-out Free Trade this is a no go. If this server is EXPERIMENTAL, why not try a modified Free Trade? Characters belonging to a Fellowship for more than 30 Days are now "Family" and can swap items. This way a person with 6 accounts or a RL Family can trade no-drop items but selling them in the bazar to non-family members would be impossible. IMHO you could make the "Family Fellowship" as short as 7 days and still have the same effect. Or even "Beter", Guild members for more than 7 days are "Family". I could see if both "Fellowship" and Guild was Family it could be exploited.

Also, I assume that even with the new Target Lockout, it will still be possible to Sell Loot Rights, after that Target/corpse has been released?

I see a lot of talk about FTE, but imo the most important thing on this server is 8 weeks of Classic. How could they really expect us to swallow it again?
The standard unlock schedule has to change if we want to minimise summer attrition.

Mainly I think it is because people recognize this is supposed to be a casual server (due to how the ruleset is handled) and those usually tend to have longer unlocks. As much as the one month classic, two month Kunark seemed better for a lot of people.