Holly's new tweet about raid zones

I was just about to go create characters over on Lockjaw and start over (because I do want to raid at some point!) and saw this tweet, just a few minutes old:

For #Everquest Ragefire & Lockjaw we're aware of high raid zone population issues & actively looking at solutions. More news when it's ready

We've given them solutions. Given Roshen's post yesterday, I expect something idiotic like logging people off at random.

Cool. I wanted instancing but I'd be happy with any solution at this point.

Anything to help deal with epeeners and poopsockers is good.

I just saw this pop up on my phone too. Well, I said it was coming, even if several told me I was crazy. They weren't just going to ignore it forever, they seem to be listening to the community a lot more this time.

Good for you guys, it won't affect much how some of us play the game but I see it as a positive thing for these servers if they make raid content more accessible. Perhaps maybe it will help stifle some of the hatred toward those of us who are currently competing in the raid scene.

I hope you guys get everything you ever wanted and then some.

Nothing in Holly's tweet mentioned anything about making raid content more accessible.

She said something similar a few days earlier; and Roshen is still copying and pasting that same old quote. Not sure who to believe; or whether to assume her tweet actually means accessibility changes.

Correct.
But there's nothing proscribing it as well.
Whatever they do could possible increase accessibility inadvertently., or on purpose.
We'll see soon enough.

--Hopeful Jade

It will be interesting to see what the solutions are.

I started playing right before Kunark went live originally, so I never got to raid Nagafen in his glory days. I would like to, at least once.

People aren't giving Holly any credit, seriously folks, so far they haven't disappointed us. They've given us what majority have asked for; instanced zones, 2nd server, login queues, afk kick, all these things they had to spend extra time & resources to make available. I guess the downers are going to be downers.

I for one am excited to hear that Holly acknowledged the problem, and stated they're actively working on a solution. This is good news to all, except the 0.001% of the population that prefer the current state of endgame raid lockdown. Cheer up folks.

LMAO, can we get a definition of epeener and poopsocker please?

They're too busy with EQ2's TLP to care at the moment. We should expect something in July after it launches and the first wave of non-resubs happen.

The majority have asked for raid instances for months prior to launch. They have not given us these.
So I think it is fair to say that many of us feel disappointed. And I expect to continue to be disappointed.

I give Holly some credit as Exec Producer, but her statements seem at odds with Aristo/Roshen. Pardon me if I don't jump up and down at her words. It seems that Roshen and Aristo like seeing people at each others throats -- I'm reminded of The Sandkings

Wow, folks... we just got acknowledgement of a problem and word of an incoming solution and people are still trashing them. What does it really take to make you happy?

Not to mention EQ2 tlp pvp servers too.I think it can be more complicated then people think to change raid zones.Anyway we will see what comes up of it.

i wouldnt hold my breathe they said they were actively working on account to account transfers 2+ months ago and those are still down =(

The devs said "we are keeping it the way it is" despite all the forum rage. Obviously enough people hit the unsub button that now their bosses are going to change that. This is good, it means DBG hasn't lost its collective minds entirely.

Of course this tweet came out after the likely /petition backlash to yesterdays comments which clearly go against what he majority of the community wants.

My theory: deep down, DBG is not fundamentally against a raid instancing + lockout combination.

I believe they know that such a solution will retain the most customers, and therefore on the surface is the best one.

The problem is it is too much *work*, so they couldnt' go that route. Plus, eventually the problem does go away as other expansions open.

Again, my theory is tha the amount of effort, given the other workload with EQ2 TLP, means they just don't have time to do the right solution, so they only solution they could present was "We are happy with it the way it is", which involves zero work.

Big mistake IMO. I think the tweet today is proof of that. If there was no crapstorm, there's no need for the tweet...

The tweet reeks of damage control.

They have to do something. Or at least say the are going to do something (which they just did). Saying they plan to do nothing was about the WORST thing they could do.

My theory is that the problem is they really have no idea what that something is going to be. All of the good solutions I've seen proposed are probably a mountain of work to do. Furthermore, we do know that in roughly two expansions, he issue goes away. The problem is, two expansions are ~12 months way. Right?

I said this a week ago: my fear is to WHITEWASH this problem, they will open Kunark early. If that happens, I believe it will be a monumental mistake. That is akin to treating a hang nail by cutting off the finger.

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The devs are working hard as usual, but are having to come up with a solution that fits CN's budget for EQ, and we all have a pretty good idea of how liberal that is, yes?

My proposal is this - they leave Classic in for the full 6 months. They don't instance Classic raids. This fulfills the apparent promise made to many and will present a reasonable period of "contention" to those who crave it. But let us know that starting with Kunark, there will in fact be raid instancing or whatever solution they come up with; can everyone hang on til then?

I think that would be fair to those that want Classic and contention but give hope for the future to everyone else. Not to mention, it would save them the work of doing anything in Classic and give them 5 more months to prepare.

Not at all.

What it means is they couldn't DO the right solution because it was too much work to invest at this point given that:

1) It is a temporary problem that goes away with expansions
2) They are buttcrack-deep working on EQ2 TLP
3) Lots of people are crying, nay, whining to open Kunark NOW or at least revote NOW

Add it up.

They didn't do the right thing for the majority of their players.

They did the right thing for the bottom line. Maybe not the EQ bottom-line, but the EQ bottom-line doesn't matter. What matters is the DBG bottom-line.

EQ TLP brought in a TON of new $$$. Don't forget it.

They want lightning to strike twice...once again for EQ2. I can't blame them.

That takes top priority. Everything else is spin and damage control at this point.

I would probably have made the same decisions.

But, of course, saying that the status quo was fine for raids has brought about a likely /petition crapstorm.

Holly's tweet = damage control. At least that is the way it seems to me.

They had to say they are doing something.

I highly doubt that something is instances + lockouts. If that was doable easily, we'd have it already. Most logical, rational people believe that is the best solution. I have seen a mountain of obsrevations supporting it that make sense, and virtually none opposing it of equal merit, given the year of 2015.

I fully expect a new vote to come up within a month, and I fully expect it just like every other Kunark vote ever to pass. I called this a week ago, and I'm afraid it is coming true.

It will be a crying shame.