I check here every day for a new TLP...

100% this. It isn't even worth debating at this point, those who know -- know. The only players who suggest otherwise are just trying to deceive new players onto joining their servers to offset the post-POP population decline.

No one is denying that it is harder to find a group after a few expansions have passed on a TLP.

But it's not extremely difficult, on Mischief at this time, as you claim. That is my only point of disagreement.

Words. They are hard.

Aiona, you're not wrong. Social skills play a large factor in it.

It's part of what sets EQ on it's own level compared to other MMO. Team work (aside from live and 3rd party tool people) is required for a lot of this game aside from just raiding.

Why are you lying? Leveling on Mischief right now is like trying to party in a town with a population of 10. Sure, if you try real hard, and you have a good attitude, you can party. But lets be real, it's nothing like going to Las Vegas on New Years Eve (fresh TLPs).

I'd love to see the same rule set as Mischief & Thornblade but with Mercs available - this would assist those who don't (cant) box & can't find a group

Maybe you're not online at the right time of day. Maybe your general chat channel just isn't popping, when other overflow channels are. I see people of all levels forming groups, and the LFG tool is really being used by a lot of players and groups. I logged on to my 40 shaman, over the weekend, and just for S&G's put up an LFG flag. It took two minutes before I got two tells. By the end of the play session, I was four levels higher, and we were on our third iteration of the group, myself and the enchanter being the only two left from the original roster.

Yeah, it's a sample of one, on a US holiday weekend with a major storm affecting half the country, so people would be more to to staying indoors. But it COULD be the norm as well, I haven't tried but I doubt it's the xp group desert you proclaim it to be.

Some things to consider for the nearish future as well. GoD will unlock the berserker class. Lots of people, casuals included, will be rolling a berserker. And when TSS opens up, the drakkin race. More importantly, that expansion has content for all levels, 1 to level cap. LOTS of people will be rolling new alts around that time. Hell you can to the higher population Live servers now, and find lots of people just in Crescent Reach.

And of course, probably the most casual-friendly expansion ever made is about to open in about six weeks, LDON. It's up until TSS, the perfect low to mid level grouping opportunity.

Did you mean the part where it is obnoxiously overcrowded and designed to swindle you out of your hard-earned cash? That's a fresh TLP alright.

+1

#eyeroll

You mean full of energy and the potential to create memories that will last a lifetime?

Not to be a downer but, I don't think checking everyday is going to help much. They tend to release TLPs using a fairly regular time frame.

TLP history has all but Phinigel and Miragul launching in either March or May. The other 2 opened in November/December for one reason or another, possibly fourth quarter revenue goals?

Ragefire Launched: May 21, 2015
Phinigel Launched: December 9, 2015
Agnarr Launched: May 24, 2017
Coirnav Launched: March 16, 2018
Mangler Launched: March 16, 2019
Selo Launched: March 16, 2019
Miragul Launched: November 5, 2019
Rizlona Launched: May 27, 2020
Aradune Launched: May 27, 2020
Thornblade Launched: May 26, 2021
Mischief Launched: May 26, 2021

There is nothing wrong with being hopeful though!

Those are all fine points, I have been thinking about that too. LDoN was going to be how I leveled up a lot of guild mates but instead I just made a bunch of alts and leveled with them.

I out-leveled almost all of them though so I had to make more alts and try to pick them up on another pass.

---

On topic, I am very interested to see what the new TLP will be.

I am pretty content to stay on Mischief but I would move if they made it even more attractive for me

They specifically mentioned their TLP 'release window' in the producers letter last year. Reading between the lines makes it clear that the last two launches were an anomaly and they consider March to be their window. They probably want expansion unlocks to line up with holiday sales/bonuses to drive a bunch of cash store spending in a predictable way. Expect the announcement mid February, and launch mid March.

I assume Mischief/Thornblade were given rapid expansion unlocks chiefly to get Daybreak back into their March release window. Even though hardcore players beg constantly for shortened early expansions I doubt you'll see them be that fast again.

Disregard, posted in wrong thread.

You mean memories that will last a few months before the "Vegas on new years" crowd bails and starts posting about the next TLP?

Hyperbolic much? Most of those people are gone, never to be seen again on that server, by the time Kunark arrives. I guess that's a lifetime if you're a house fly.

One of the biggest differences I've noticed in the population of TLPs vs Live is TLP population seems way more fickle. The core players in my live guilds have been around for many years, consistently playing and stable. This is like 40-50 players that have been around each other for a longer time than the oldest TLP. Meanwhile, there's more turnover in TLP than a bakery, from what I've seen.

I'll take that bakery that has thousands of customers on a seasonal basis vs. the bakery with 50 customers year round.

Or a bakery that has thousands and manages to keep their customers happy and don't leave at a moment's notice?

Last two? 6 of the 11 TLP servers were launched in May. Even if you look at double releases as just one thing, 4 years they released in May (2015, 17, 20, 21, as opposed to 2 years where they released in March (2018, 19). I am not trying to claim that May is their release window, but you have no leg to stand on to claim it is March either.