Classic (Not Progression) Server Rule Set; For the Fans!

The first mention of a kickstarter for this was sooo many years ago. I don't even think Vulak was past PoP and we were spitballing what ifs back then.
I personally think it would have to be set up third party somehow. I don't see SOE setting that up in the near or even far future.

Alright, if no kickstarter, how about this...

We all know SoE likes to pump out and sell expansions. Why not sell a "Classic" server the same way they do as expansion. For a one time fee of 29.99 or whatever, you can get your account access to said "Classic" server. I'm pretty sure something like this would be profitable for them and make it worth doing.

I'd pay $99.99 per account for a PoP Locked server and the subscription to play on it, on top of that.

As a resident of Fippy, I would be opposed 100% to a new TLP server until the current TLPs have run their course. It's already hard enough to get GM service on Fippy, not to mention it would draw some of the active player base away and hurt the current TLPs. Roll on fippy now and enjoy the fun~

The problem with the current TLP server is that it's already at the later part of the expansion cycles, the part that those who enjoy earlier content do not find fun to begin with. To tell people who are asking for a new slow timelocked progression server to roll on fippy and enjoy the fun, is to simply miss the whole point entirely.

Also if you do lose players from fippy due to a new TLP server, it'll be because people want to play on a new server and enjoy the early parts of the content, where many find it more fun than what the current game has to offer.

You are right, the support for the current TLP servers are very lackluster. That's a problem players should've fixed by speaking with their wallet. People who play on TLP servers have to pay premium subscriptions, therefore people should expect and demand better service & support. But people have gotten so passive these days, by paying SOE for their lackluster support is to validate and encourage their behaviors. Just as people gave in to station cash, which is why everything is on station cash now, including items with power.

I know the main reason why SOE won't merge Vulak with Fippy is because they're milking people for the transfer tokens. They'd rather see people leave and see Vulak die rather than do the right thing, which is to make that merge months ago. Just as Fippy is playing out the way it is because they hope people will pay for the server transfers from Fippy to regular servers. The way they see it is the longer they drag Fippy out, ignore the server, and let it die a slow death, the more chance people will buy a server transfer token to move off that server.

It's just a sad reality these days. I'm sure we won't see a new TLP server until EQ Landmark & EQ Next are launched. Because those 2 games already drew a big portion of EQ1's team away. They can barely keep up with the expansion cycles of the regular game, they have nothing left to deal with the TLP servers. It's really got nothing to do with Fippy or where its at. They're happy to just let Fippy slowly die off and wait for players there to pay for server transfers to get off the server.

Yes my thoughts exactly, although I appreciate the offer, Mulerian. I do have two level 50 ish toons on that server. However, I don't enjoy powerleveling. The current content is UF. I haven't enjoyed any content later then Depths of Darkhollow. SoD is cool, but it's difficult to get the equipment required to even play with SoD mobs.

I got the free heroic toons times 2. It was fun for while I admit. It was only a jump from 77 to 85. However, I do not know my toons anymore; I didn't earn their gear. Seems more empty than usual. Just like the toons we play, they are hollow on the inside

I sympathize with current progression server people. However, I think the problem with progression servers is once it gets to a certain point it loses a lot of its appeal. I can understand if they hold off on some kind of locked server until the others have run their course. My hope would be they combine the current progression servers, and consider opening a locked server.

I would have no interest in joining the current progression servers. I would have to sub to play on a server that is well out of my interest level. I might as well keep playing with my heroic character for free on a regular server, but I won't even do that because it has lost most of its interest to me.

I like the idea of those who want this locked server putting "money where are mouths are" so to say. I would certainly pay some kind of fee and sub to play on a locked classic server. Even if they only did it initially to get the server started.

OP thanks for your research efforts. Here are a couple more facts:

1. The classic server thread on the original soe forums had hundreds of pages/thousands of posts.

2. SOE said on the forums that, when the combine and sleeper opened in 2006, eighty thousand (80,000) characters were created by players in the first two days.

3. SOE stated that July 2006 (two months after progression 1.0 servers launch), EQ had, by far, it's best month in a long time. Have those words ever since been uttered by SOE?

4. When subscribers voted for a 51/50 server or a classic server, the 51/50 won out by a narrow margin; meaning just under half of the EQ players around the 51/50 launch wanted a classic server; and countless non-subscribers obviously wanted it too.

5. SOE (I think Piestro?) did post on a forum long ago asking what players want when they ask for a classic server; so the idea was certainly being floated/interrogated by SOE; even if for a little bit.

The sad truth, I think, is that SOE isn't willing to risk a little to gain a little; they are much bigger gamblers than that. They want huge risks in hopes of huge payoffs. It's their money; so not much we can do. It really is a shame that fifteen years of incredible, industry leading content will go unconsumed by countless millions who would have loved to consume it at their own pace; rather than having their server conflated by gear/levels from subsequent expansions.

^^^^^^^^^
This

I have been in a progression guild re-experiencing the wonderful old school content again and it has given me new clarity on the pop locked server idea. Just having to deal with level 100 characters and their drama over level 65 content, plus the passive-aggressiveness of raiding timed spawns in contrast to instanced content has been enough to make me see the nightmare ONE PoP Locked server would be. There would have to be more than one server. People would make guilds unenjoyable in order to get these non-instanced raid mobs. The only thing challenging about that game at that point would be finding these raid mobs up and beating or training the other guild to get to them. I do not think that SoE is going to do something like this again.

Said it several times.

You had a classic server. One that was locked in PoP. One that had no extra features that made the game easier (defiant or non-classic newbie armor). It had correct formulas for monk fists, shadowknight HT, pet damage tables. It required minimal intervention and updates.

That server was Al'Kabor. 2 years ago because it didn't jive with your infrastructure or microtransactions, you decided to shut it down. After pleas you made it FTP and then a year later shut it down for good.

You have all of the code/mob data for a completely "classic" server as it was in 2002-2003. For the years 2003-2012 you were able to charge subscriptions for all the Mac players. You have the capability to make a PC client.

All that is needed is requiring a subscription to log into this server, a legit PC Client (private 'hackers' made their own rather quickly and fixed it rather easily when it got broken... I think your employees can make one just fine) as well as keeping the Mac Client, and some GM presence/anti hacking detection. Requiring a Gold Membership to access it would remove almost all the issues the server had at the end of its life.

If you advertise to old members and do the above things (PC Client, hack detections, subscription), you can make the best possible server available without resorting to using a time machine. I'm pretty sure it would be a profitable avenue for you to follow.

Resurrect Al'Kabor (for the members who played and paid for 10 years to have the server shut on them) and make a new copied server called Miragul for those who want a fresh server.

But I'm guessing the risk of investing time into making a PC client and maybe some Warping detection is too high for the higher ups to green light this. So if anything happens, it will be a PoP server where you can kill Quarm in a week and monks are better off with fists until Luclin weapons and Mage pets solo anything not red handily.

IN the meantime - Preferred Server : Vox

GOLDEN ERA, now recruiting CLASSIC Only!

Gearing up for Eye of Veshan - POSky, Fear clears, Hate Clears, Dragons
NO MERCs; You know what Classic means!

Your Home for Classic. No one over 51/50 AA spent 0, 100% exp to AA - so you will not level.

I will not be checking board very often, So send in game email to:
Soulcrusherr
Soules

I'm really surprised about this. Is it really that hard to get GM service for Fippy? Seriously, I have personally sent in a petition twice, once this weekend, once last weekend. I was stunned when a GM contact me in game on a SUNDAY last week, and today on a Saturday, to fix my issue in less than 1 hour both times.

Granted it was a relatively easy fix. But, still the fact that they responded so quickly, on a weekend, shocked me. A couple other guildies have had very good response from them in the last couple weeks.

To be honest we've been praising the GM service lately. They truly deserve the recognition from our personal experience, given the bashing they usually take.

--

And a second note, to the OP - Nostra is starting up a new guild, to work through progression, on Vulak. I think it's a great idea, and while I won't be part of it personally it's great to see others taking interest. It's a perfect place to do it, since there's really no trolls on the server, and our guild will be more than happy to work with them, and stay out of their way when they want open world targets.

It might be worth looking into while you're waiting for the ever discussed, but never arriving, new server.

Link to his thread -
https://forums.station.sony.com/eq/...og-guild-on-vuluk-server.214607/#post-3139206

While I'm interested in the thought of a progression guild, I'd much rather have a server dedicated to classic or PoP, or somewhere in between. The appeal for a server like is so incredible that it is shocking they have yet to create such a server. Vulak and Fippy have ran their course beyond interest level, and due to their population drops I'd hate to have to wait for them to ever catch up.

Just give me a server that:
#1 Doesn't have the tutorial*(I can deal with this if it must be, it's not a deal-breaker)
#2 Starts me in my RACIAL HOME TOWN*(I can deal with this if it must be, it's not a deal-breaker)
#3 Doesn't have Defiant Gear.(Deal Breaker)
#4 No cash shop. Make it Pay to Play Server (Okay, the cash shop can exist but it's a Deal-Breaker if it contains Defiant Gear)
#5 No Mercenaries whatsoever. (Deal-Breaker)
#6 No same IP Connections. Force people to play a single character and group. No boxed characters.

Regardless of the expansion the server is at, defiant gear and the cash shop just wreck the game for me. I log in, look around a few minutes, sigh sadly to myself and log out.

Thats what modern Everquest is to me....
Modern Everquest:

#1 Me Sighing.

#2 /Quit

#6 would mean I couldn't play EQ with my wife. (Deal breaker.)

No harder than on any other server, unless what you need is code fixes for content that doesn't concern 99% of the EQ population.

Playing boxed characters, although it can be a challenge also takes away from the social aspect of the game. I suppose if both accounts were monthly paid accounts same ip connections would be more acceptable.

Never going to happen. Silly demand. I don't box, but I don't care if people do. Why do you care one way or another? This is an absurd request. It would be easier to keep our ideas for a new server logical and less filled with fail.
There are people that pay, like, 8 gold subs and buy multiple expansions a year to box their army the way they wish. That is north of paying 2,000 a year on eq. They give eq much more money than a single account, so they are not going to push them away. That would be stupid for business.

I've seen IP locked servers succeed and help enforce real players to group together. I've seen it succeed FIRST HAND.

No, this does not make the company money from boxers. I am not talking about money, I am talking about a game WORTH playing.

This is only relative to a special ruleset server, the others can continue as normal.
You wanna save money? Let's fire the high ups making big bucks that don't know what they are doing. Put the people that have a real heart and soul behind making the big choices for servers and editing SQL databases. I'd do it for free.