Progression Server Prequel Content

Content that gives a backstory to current content, that is meant to be distributed for Progression Servers. This could mean raids, books, or specific new named introduced. We could get more backstory into the game and some small new content for Progression Servers.

Thoughts?

Who works on this new progression server content, and how many zones and content will that take away from the next expansion?

Adding new content to a progression server means it is no longer a progression server correct?

Considering TLPs bring in at least half, if not more of revenue, I think it's a valid consideration. The expansions these days are beaten in a matter of a few weeks, with artificial wait periods to drag out the content, that only a few guilds end up seeing. Whereas TLP content would be enjoyed by a much broader audience.

The current expansion release cadence has been obsolete for years and I know I am not alone in saying that I'd enjoy new, original content released on a regular cadence. In the current age of EQ, it doesn't make sense to spend 6+ months working on an expansion that maybe 30%, or less, of the current player base will ever see or enjoy.

Ya i would honestly wait two years for a swath of lvl 1-70 content to be released addressing dead factions and different story hooks.

Not stuff like newbie armor quests which don't really have any lore except "We are bertoxulous RODCET BAD!!! *roarrrgglrlgl*"

Like where the heck did Rodcet come from and when is the playable rodcet race coming? And who is the vampire that made mayong (actually i bet we can answer that one already).. that kind of stuff tho.

Also Please add dwarven bards !

With all the claims that people stick to the early expansions because they don't like the direction that Everquest has gone in and how current expansions are developed would they actually like this new content?

You also need to consider the fact that there are issues with the amount of content developed for new expansions and any new content for older expansions would make that even worse. There is already a lot of existing content developed for the TLP servers that has been made over the years and no reason to reduce current content to make more for a TLP.

It's a consideration for sure, but temporary/rotating zone revamps, that refresh up an existing zone or adding in a new quest arc, is doable in a matter of days, not weeks/months. Pathing already exists, which is the largest hurdle. Replacing existing base pop of a zone with some new drops, a quest or two, and call it done until the next (bi)monthly content update. Would go a long way.

TLP players no longer want classic EQ? They want new content?

Maybe they should play EQ longer than a year before jumping to the next TLP. There is already a shed load of content that TLP players have never seen.

If that was actually true why haven't we seen more of this? They always seem to make any changes like this seem like a big deal.

They want new content that is designed exactly like the original content which is never going to happen.

I am always a bit unsure if the players on one TLP know that there exists other TLP servers and not only live ones. If you say half of the revenue from players come from TLP. so does half of the servers. So keeping 10 live servers up with all the same settings I guess is much easier and cost much less then keeping 10 TLP servers with different settings and "content". So I think the money spent on TLP is already eating into the money gained from live servers.

And TLP are supposed to be a version of the live game, not a new game. Live players do also pay for the content some that TLP does not do. Both live players and TLP pay for gold accounts. If you do not pay for expansion on live, you cannot play the last one and if you do not pay for gold you really do not cost much as you do not use the new functions and cannot get much in the category of AAs or gear.

I think progression servers already have more relevant content than live servers do.

The team does a pretty good job of throwing in a bonus feature that is enabled on TLPs if you buy the expansion. For example, purchasing NoS on a TLP gives you the tradeskill depot, even on Agnarr that's locked to PoP/LDON. The previous expansion gave the dragon's hoard, etc.

TLP players support the game just as much as live players do, and I'd even wager more-so in some cases. Most people I know spend more in the marketplace than they do on their monthly sub.

Is there content that exist on a TLPs that doesn't exist on Live?

I suppose one could argue that Mischief/Thornblade (exclusively) have their fun, randomized loot behavior. Though personally I wouldn't call that "content", so much as a slightly different game mechanic.

Thats why I specified relevant content. When a TLP is in first expansion everything is relevant - 75 zones. When it gets to NoS there are 7 zones. No one cares about commonlands at this point.

Veksar - single Kunark zone added later would be the kind of example I would use, however with the current resources a new zone for existing expansions is zero-priority when the expansions are getting 6-7 zones, if we ever get back to 20+ zone expansions maybe the team will be big enough to justify it - and that is a pipe-dream.

But if the pipe-dream came true I'd add in the zones which were on the maps from the beginning & never got put into the game first.

Assuming every character on Live is currently hanging out at level 120? While not true, assuming it was, then I'd agree with you.

However, when any one of us create a level 1 character on a Live server, those same 75 relevant zones are still there. Plus a whole bunch more.

Just because Live doesn't have that fresh, new-server smell, and a few hundreds lowbies running around doesn't mean it has less content. Relevant or otherwise. You may not choose to participate in that content. But it's still there, always has been.

At the start of each server there is content that doesn't exist on live, various zones are pre revamps, various items are available that are not available on live.

I wouldn't object to some of the new quests they are putting in for the anniversarys and festivals being more inclusive for TLPs. Longer quests where you run round different zones rather than kill mobs.

The original point we were discussing is which needs new content more.
If live has 500 people spread out over 7 zones and 2 people leveling up in commonlands it obviously needs fresh content more than TLP which has 300 people spread out over 75 zones.

Thats not to take anything away from the 2 people in commonlands on the live server, but its just not relevant to the question of whether new content is needed.