Could today be THE day...

Along with a strict no-boxing policy for some servers that require IP exemptions to play with others in the same household. The future is looking bright for gaming!

You're not kidding anyone G, we'll see you there on any reasonable rulrset

Well apparently it isn't today...I sure hope the announcement is tomorrow or I will be verily vexed!

They typically put things that aren't automatically done months in advance up at 3pm EST/noon PST for the record - and almost always been in Producer's Letters, which are always the latter.

confirmed tomorrow - you can stop refreshing now

EQ2 Producer's letter is out. Their TLE doesn't look to be too ground breaking.

Eh... complete revert to original is actually pretty groundbreaking if you'd ever paid attention to EQ2 at all. That was 100% on the "can't possibly be done because we didn't keep the code" table last I paid attention to EQ2.

So I'd imagine quite a bit of legwork in remaking mechanics and everything.

I thought all their TLE servers started at the beginning? That Origins server doesn't even have free trade.

I guess today should be THE day since they had the EQ1 producer letter in 2023 on the same day as the EQ2 producer letter!

It doesn't even seem to be TLE - gosh I hope the EQ1 post is more informative then the EQ2 one.

To directly answer your question - no, not in the beginning from most standpoints - their equivalent to the defiant revamp has been baked into every TLE, the newbie zone was changed from to different versions into a single homogenous one, the boats to earn access to areas were trivialized, etc. etc. They began in A classic, but not a classic that was even remotely close to EQ2's true classic, closest comparison would be imagining if they did a EQ1 TLP w/ defiant from day one and how warping that would be to the experience.

To elaborate in full this already says: It's going to have the boat start, the original newbie zones, original Freeport and Qeynos w/ the racial districts, none of the item restating that they did, mechanics rewound to make much more of the world ^^^ content instead of soloable, etc.

I can understand why those that didn't ever play EQ2 would think that wasn't substantial (or only experienced it in 2008+ once they WoW-ified it to try to compete) but even the small points in this paragraph say ALOT to someone familiar with 2006 EQ.

"This new server will be called the Origins Server, and it will take you way back to old school EverQuest II from back in 2006! We'll start in The Shattered Lands era (no expansions unlocked), and you’ll get to experience the look and challenge of the classic world of Norrath. The seas have calmed enough for sea faring to resume, and you are plucked from the waters by none other than Captain Varlos. Soon you will find yourself on an island and then given passage to your racial neighborhoods in Qeynos or Freeport. Systems will seem less complex, stats and gameplay will be reflective of the 2006 era, and there will be more focus on grouping with that old school MMO feel! If you did not have the chance to play back then, or just want to revisit for nostalgia, then this server will be on your list to play. Beta will begin on May 2, 2024."

I played EQ2 in beta and at launch. I did not enjoy my experience.

I have played on EQ2 and the TLEs. They were pretty darn close. I suppose they will take some things out and perhaps they have revamped the stats back to what they were. Still. It played just fine on the other TLEs. Close enough, not sure just "closer to what it was" is enough to pull me back this time.

It's definitely a dicey play for them to make considering that was the general consensus, yep.

Even I even though I experienced it, could never go full bore into it and truly enjoy it on a par with EQ1. (Nor the later WoW-ified version)

Not saying it's going to be exciting or of interest to many/most (I'll check out the Beta for it and if they delay the beta past EQ1 25th TLP launch? Won't even do that probably, but I'd give it 50/50 odds that day of trial being my only effort on the Origins TLE) but it's undeniable the extreme effort involved, from JChan's paragraph alone, has been substantial.

EQ2's TLPs are nothing like the original game.

I was in a world first type guild (avatar) for years NPU/Confirmed then on TLPs Ex Nihilio and Dissolution so I know that game inside and out.

There is no access quests , crafting is not even remotely the same as launch , stat system is entirely different , raid content has been redone vox etc , itemization was destroyed by using a algorithm instead of being reviewed. In fact after multiple TLPs , there still messing with itemization.

I can go on and on , I have done every single quest in eq2 from classic through Alter of Malice and even half of those are destroyed. EQ2 is the what shouldn't be done to TLPs of the mmo world.

I really hope they didn't make a EQ** server to match EQ2's server as a "25th anny going back to the beginning" server. That ship has really sailed. I would rather play Monsters and memories or Evercraft if I was forced back to original EQ.

But no announcement yet. But you can go vote on a beer name...

But looks like it is coming soon. But that EQ2 TLP worries me in terms of what we are getting for Everquest.

Well we know we are getting at least 2 TLP servers for EQ1 so hopefully that means they can't screw that many up, can they?

Same devs who thought miragul and oakwynd was a good idea so i wouldn't put it past them.

Well, one could be something crazy that no one asked for, and the other could be something that has already been done and a portion of the player base not be interested in doing again. If one of the servers, on the 25th anny, doesn't capture the attention of the majority of the TLP playerbase, then I would label it unsuccessful (not really a screw things up).

But it's only 2pm in Cali, so few more hours to hope for today.