FV is NOT the most popular ruleset

The server is the most populated, it's true. That doesn't equate to the most popular. Let's take a look at why:

There is 1 FV rules server. Naturally, every player that actually wants such a ruleset flocks to it, which is a nontrivial percentage of the EQ population at large.

However, there are 21 other servers with the remainder of the playerbase spread out over them. Even though no one individual server may be more populous than FV, without exact population data I think it's fair to make a conservative estimate that standard rules are at least 10x more popular than FV rules.

Should they make an FV TLP in the future? Maybe. Would I have any interest in playing there? Not a chance.

Mangler is the gold standard for what a TLP should be: reasonable exp rates, start in classic, initial absence of focus items that were never in classic EQ, and unlock times that might be a small bit excessive, but are also not absurdly short like 1 month.

Yeah, I would not play a FV trade server either. I’m pleased as can be with Mangler now.... it can’t get here fast enough.

An MMORPG should have a trading economy. No trade is the antithesis of that, making it that much more of an antisocial game.

This isn't proof that people don't want open trade loot. It's more that back in the day, SOE/Verant did not consult their playerbase and made the unilateral decision to focus on no trade loot. Over time, players were forced to get used to it. Not that it was what people wanted, but it forced upon us, and many have gotten so used to it that they don't remember wanting anything else. And yes, many people did not go to FV when it opened because they were already established on their own servers. Also because FV had the extreme drawback of only having 1 character per account which tainted the server's appeal and yet it still had a high population all that time.

And at this point, the resistance to a FV server is either greed or trolling. Greed in that people don't want even one of their TLP rulesets to be something that they personally don't want, or trolling in the sense that it's a natural tendency to argue against requests for change even when a person is not personally affected. And there are a very few who philosophically do not believe in an in-game economy, that it should just be a theme park where everyone can only loot items personally.

And most of all, if open trade loot is so horrifying, I still have not seen anyone explain why Classic start TLPs are so popular, despite Classic and Kunark, having substantial amounts of tradeable loot, and there are very very few calls for all that to be made no trade. I mean, everyone is so happy to start over on every TLP, sell stuff for kronos to pay for their subscription, yet go on the forums and oppose open trade loot that would continue beyond Kunark. Does not compute.

Technically there are 2 FV style servers, you forgot Brekt.

Of course it's not the most popular. There's only been one FV ruleset server, or maybe a handful, in Everquest's history, whereas we've had the standard loot ruleset on every other server. That being said, a FV rulset TLP would switch things up and I do believe it would be just as popular if not moreso than the same re-hashed TLP they've done every year.

Spoken like someone who has never raided with AoCs. So much loot goes to waste. After 6 months of raiding Time you will wish loot was more easily shareable.

I think FV loot could be fun. As a guild leader I think FV could be amazing..... assuming you have a guild of people willing to share and work towards the common goals.

Most other games - the best loot is no trade - dungeon bosses, raid drops, etc. At best they are tradable within the group for 30 minutes or so. The major difference for most other games that I have played is that when you do a quest or dungeon as a group - EVERYONE gets a drop for their class. It might not be what you want or need, or even an upgrade but you got a chance. Raid loot is usually limited.

No trade loot isn't only an EQ thing, it's pretty common.

Doesn't FV have an XP bonus also? It seems to me that might be a big drawing point for some people.

The FV server had a faster XP rate, yes. I think when most people are clamoring for FV rule-set, they are talking about every item being tradable, not necessarily the boosted XP.

Right, I was just pointing out that part of the allure FV maintains is in fact the XP bonus.

Yeah, I just think that's not a factor for most people bringing up FV rules. Of course if the options are ultra slow XP like Coirnav/Phinny, or faster XP, people will choose the latter. But normal TLP xp rates (Agnarr, RF/LJ, Mangler) would be just fine.

Most of the people bringing up FV rules are claiming FV to be the most popular server because of the droppable loot. I think the xp bonus is also a big part of the FV server drawing power. So in that regard it becomes a factor.

There is 2 Free trade and 20 servers without free trade
Of the 20 servers without free trade 6 are TLPs and 1 is a PvP server and shouldn't be lumped in because they have other defining rules
Of those other 13 server FV dwarfs the population of like the bottom 10 of them combined. No really FV has like 1/3rd of the live player base.

Also, i've never meet anyone that has seriously tried a free trade server that prefers to have no trade.

Nah XP past TSS is so easy to make it doesn't matter at all.

Yes, this is exactly the reason why so many people want a Free Trade TLP. It simply sucks seeing all that rare stuff, like the clickies from the back of VP that most guilds only bother clearing a few times, go to waste.

But it would be best suited for a server like Agnarr that needs active alt players in order to survive. Free trade would boost the number of alts don't you think?

Maybe next time they will open a SoV locked Free Trade server with slow xp rates and longer unlocks, that might be slightly popular.

And they didn't have Origin in classic everquest either, why aren't you "classic" promoters whining about that?

There is a very simple reason why they didn't go the FV route and I'm betting it all has to do with the amount of time they had to work on these servers. They didn't even have the rulesets when they first announced these two TLP new servers were in the works. Add in finishing up an expansion and trying to roll out anniversary events for the live servers and you got a very short amount of time spent on these rulesets. So they picked the quickest rulesets to work on and that idea flopped so now their scrambling to get these two new rulesets implemented.

That is one of many of the non-classic aspects of TLP. And yes, I would like Origin to be removed, it minimizes the value of porting.

There would be nothing wrong with them offering a free trade progression server. It could do well or not, don't know till we see it.

They probably should make more early loot no drop. Farm camps in early eras = most of the drama. Make those loot rights you have to get to... less drama [harder to lockdown loot rights for extended time when DPS racing is king, plus have to get the customer there].

More no trade is more pure... "earn it yourself". Doesn't make that a better playstyle, or even a more appealing one... but would make sense as the default for early eras normal loot servers.

FV is also Hotel California --can't leave. I know a lot of us moved there when they first opened up the free transfers. I haven't played there in years, but my favorite characters collect dust there. Others still play. FV would lose population even if transfers to Brekt were allowed, but other live servers... would be significant in my view. Granted, many of paid to move characters would likely be presently inactive there.

It does matter as far as people starting new and trying to catch up.