I'm certain this subject has been beaten to death, but I haven't been around the last few months so I wish to address it. Devs: When you introduced hotzones, you said the idea was to change them up every three months or so to keep things exciting. We have had the same hotzones for over thirteen months now. Over a year. It's not exciting. I suspect that part of the problem is that you have made hotzones more work than originally planned by putting quests, oddball mechanics and loot drops in them. The original idea was to just encourage people to try and experience a variety of old zones and content to keep the lower-level game refreshing. Therefore I ask that you simply return to the original premise: If making hotzones with loot and mechanics is too time-consuming to make changes every 3-4 months feasible, then I suggest you stop worrying about loot and mechanics and just go back to making the hotzones places of increased xp and change them every 3-4 months to stick with the original intent: to encourage people to experience a variety of zones as they level up. If you cannot commit to the effort to simply move zone xp modifiers around every 3-4 months, then I ask that you continue with the loot drops and quests as well as increased xp modifiers... but increase the number of zones per level range. If you are only going to change them once per year, then something like three zones per level range would be much more flexible and less tedious than the system as it is now. Thank you.
I wouldn't be entirely against that, either. But their intent was to encourage newer players to see a variety of zones using something basic that speaks to a lot of players... an increased xp bonus. It's a decent idea if they'd just keep up with it like they'd intended.
I'm surprised the Devs have undermined the importance of rotating the hotzones in a meaningful amount of time. A friend of mine was talking to me about playing again, but the first thing he went to research was the current hotzones. I cannot tell you how disappointed he was to see the hotzones being the exact same zones since he was last playing. I must admit, I've had the exact same experience myself in the past. Most people considering rejoining are NOT the max level, so the first thing many check are what the current hotzones are. I think the Devs foolishly didn't plan out what would follow the Hero's Journey hotzones and probably dug themselves a hole that they don't quite know how to correct easily. The recent Dev response kind of reinforcements this idea, and supports that we won't be seeing new hotzones anytime soon.
As much as I'd like to level in hot zones right now I can not justify going to the current hot zones when the hp pools in those zones are so large. I have found about five different areas that work even better than my current 60 and 65 hot zones. The xp per kill is less than what I would get but I can kill so many enemies in the same time frame it takes me to kite one or two mobs that I make twice what I would otherwise.
I have to agree. If I honestly have to sit in HoT one more time... I'm going to barf. Sure, I could go out to other zones and grind my little heart away. However, that would come with one flaw. I would 9/10 times be myself. Your average gamer wants the quickest experience. The developers need to realize that when you label a "particular zone" as a hot zone, players flock to these zones. Not for the uber loots, but for the idea that in-general, it is better experience. What is the point of having so much diverse, awesome content when nobody goes to explore it? I'm 81 on my Shadowknight. Yesterday, I got so bored of just getting "the best" experience and adventured in zones I had no idea existed. Most fun I have had in a very long time. I don't think they should remove hot zones, as it helps lower level players and the like find groups and make friends while making decent experience. But they should also consider the older zones. There is so much amazing content to explore, and that is what this game should be about. EVERQUEST, not ever-sit in the same darn zone forever.
I don't see what the big deal is with changing the hot zones. They are very good as they are and frankly keeping the TSS zones as hot zones should almost always be there. The issue is, even if you remove the hot zones, there will ALWAYS be zones where you get the "best" exp and it won't even have the impact most people think it would.
I avoid hot zones after level 50 or 60. They offer me nothing because they are overcamped, and I end up leveling faster by having all the mobs available to me while everyone else is fighting over spawns. If a zone has an HS area, I stay away from there, too. Them rangers get seriously about infringing upon their half of the zone they're killing off with 1 shot.
Yup I tend to agree. I avoid the hot zones (and other zones like Plane of Fire etc.) that are filled with nothing but headshotting rangers and swarming shadow knights. It's just more trouble than it's worth, and there are always good alternatives.
Rangers can headshot anything. Just anything I tell you! And good grief, every day there is a new tread on this. Maybe Piestro should just pin a "hot zone" thread to the top over forum.
/agree please change the hot zones occasionally as in this simple suggestion!! or at least - restore Ferrott to basic status!
It is near impossible to complete some tasks in Ferrott2 without having some idiotic moron yell at you for killing one mob in his "camp" now. This gets worse and worse everyday it goes on. If you can not script hotzones to auto cycle every 3 months, then remove the entire concept of hotzones from the game already.
lol -wish they add two things to the hotzones setttings. 1st remove headshoting from working in hot zones. - remove the unwanted solos from taking the group mobs. 2nd is to modify the group exp so that real players get more HOT EXP grouping bonus. - get more grouping at all levels.
In the dozens upon dozens of Hotzones over the half decade this has been ingame, headshoting has been an issue exactly once. The only reason it is an issue now is they zone is a gateway zone to an entire expansion and the zone has been a hotzone WAY too long. Your second idea would actually hurt the game. Mercs are here to stay, forever. Mercs have done more to keep EQ alive and going then any negative impact they might have. Removing mercs would not instantly open hundreds of group spots for players. Clerics were LFG for hours upon hours years before Mercs existed. Tanks same boat. DPS same deal. The problem, 99.99% of the people who complain about mercs have, is the lack to take the initiative and make a group. I see countless nights the same people spamming relentlessly for hours "Tank LFG, Please group me" then they sit on their in POK and spam that for 3 hours, then log out how no one gave them a group. I have actually seen a tank, priest and 4 DPS spamming LFG at the exact same time, and when its suggested they should all 6 make a goup. They just continue to spam LFG for another hour. Mercs are not the reason most ppl dont get groups, the reason most people dont get groups is usually self inflicted.
No thats not the point of hotzones. The point of hotzones is to encourage more people into those zones with the promise of higher experience for easier grouping. Its not to give noobies a tour of norrath its to make it easier for people to find groups. To that purpose its working fine and you dont need new ones ever 6 months. I dont even care about the low level ones but feerrot needs changed like NOW.
How would giving real players more extra exp for grouping have any detrimental impact whatsoever on mercs or the game? He didn't say nerf merc exp.
2 cents from a player who is 61 atm (returning from 02). Mercs are abit frustrating. They tend to be "too good" and of my 6 player friends we end up doing more xp when using mercs than while grouping together. However it may be different at higher level and I understand solo LFG really sucks. As for Hot Zones, the concept makes you feel that you HAVE to go to some places and thats somehow dull. Since mercs pretty much removed the absolute need of grouping why insist on gathering people in the same places? Besides the xp bonus on Hot Zones doesnt seem extremely high. I havent counted or something but Siren's Grotto, Bastion of Thunder or Acrylia Cavern seemed to give very good xp and they are not "Hot". On the other hand Guk, Cazik Thule or Karnor seemed to be horribly bad... Isnt there a bonus or a malus on some zones not liked to the "hotness"? Is there any reliable source?
Some zones have a naturally higher ZEM (zone experience modifier) than others. As far as a list, I don't know of any.
I understand why they have been reluctant to change the current set of hotzones - TSS provides a more refined and streamlined introduction to EQ. Fair enough, leave them as permanant hotzones but introduce an additional set of hotzones which change randomly every month. Just ensure that the entire spectrum of levels are included and voila. As far as the current set goes Ill utilize all zones until I hit Blackfeather. Once I get the set of ears/rings Im out!
