Idea for a Progression server where every expansion is unlocked, but -

Discussion in 'Time Locked Progression Servers' started by Hateseeker, Apr 18, 2015.

  1. Hateseeker Augur

    Yes, I'm sure this idea requires too much work, wouldn't be popular, would affect Live, isn't Classic, and the current dev/producer wouldn't personally like it, but I figure I will ask anyway and see what people think?

    What if we had a progression server where every expansion is open as far as the server goes, but expansions are locked on a per-character basis?

    For example you need to kill Naggy, Vox, CT, etc before you can travel to Kunark or level past 50. Think of your own unlock ideas for all the expansions past that; but it should be somewhat relaxed compared to a progression server, as you want to require a player to do most of an expansion's content, but not every single thing.

    Thoughts? Variations on this idea? I also thought about a server that starts at PoP, but I thought this idea might be more popular because in theory, due to the locking nature, it should result in more cooperation between players and more new characters being created over time.
  2. Crayon123 Augur

    It's been proposed before, think it was just dismissed by the community overall because having character flags for everything would be an absolute complete nightmare for the dev team to implement.
  3. Hateseeker Augur

    Perhaps...though isn't the achievement system just as difficult to implement yet practically the same thing?

    Also, they could keep it simple - Kill Tunat Muram could be the one character flag required to open OoW. By completing it, it forces you to have done a lot of stuff to get there, but without them having to create individual character flags for all of it.

    Note: That's only an example, I am not saying I would want people to have go THAT far to unlock Omens, or they might quit.
  4. Sinzz Augur

    every person getting to kill certain mobs would create blocks by top guilds they would just kill the mobs keeping folks from progressing
  5. Bandok Augur

    Also, a person could just get stuck because they can't find enough people to help them get through whichever expansion's content. That's a major point that's come up when this idea has been tossed up before.
    Nolrog likes this.
  6. Hateseeker Augur

    For expansions Classic through PoP they would have to do something to prevent the blocking. Set the bar low, or, gee, I dunno...instancing.

    But also, it would be in the interest of higher level guilds to help people get this stuff done; otherwise they have no source of new recruits.

    Also, a server like this would be infinitely better for a guild to do progression than a regular server, because doing this on a regular server, your guild members can just level past 50, past 60, past 65, etc, no problem. Here, they can't do that until your guild flags them past. Perhaps that feature would result in entire guilds signing up at once?
  7. PathToEternity pathtoeternity.pro

    I think with a little thought something reasonable could be developed that would make this work. I know I've thought about it over the years and think it could be a lot of fun.
  8. taliefer Augur

    sounds like a recipe for an even more fractured playerbase to me
  9. liveitup1216 Augur

    It's adorable that you think most people would even get want to get that far.
  10. Archess Elder

    If the unlocking method is too easy and can be relaxed throughout the process...isnt that going to be the same thing as not having any progression.

    If i hit level 50 and to unlock Kunark i need todo a quest that takes me an hour to finish, what point is there in the quest ?

    On the other hand, if i need to kill Nagafen, if i start on the server when everyone is in Velious, ill be locked into Classic forever...

    Sounds like a bad idea.
  11. Argosh Augur


    Not sure I understand what the purpose of this would be. Seems like a lot of work just for a different way of unlocking expansions.
  12. Demoncrusher Lorekeeper

    I've always liked this idea. If you look around the web, you can find there are other examples of just this kind of progression.

    The key is to have not one, but two paths for progression - a shortcut "raiding" path and a longer "grouping" method. This allows the raiders to progress at a faster pace, but also allows non-raiders the same progress at their own pace by completing single or group tasks. Conceptually it's similar to the original GoD flagging for Kod'Taz - you could either flag by doing Smith Rondo (raid) or by completing the group trials.

    However, I don't think it will ever happen with Everquest. One issue is itemization. How do you prevent player A, who has progressed to PoP, from gearing up player B, who has not progressed beyond Kunark? You would have to add "expansion" flags to all gear or something like that, and prevent a character from using items flagged beyond their current unlocked expansion. It would take a ton of work.

    Also, if you have the whole population on a single server, the highly advanced players that have progressed will have no trouble coming back and soloing/grouping earlier raid content, preventing the less progressed players from accessing it. You would almost need some kind of phasing to separate players based on their level of progression - which is fracturing your player base. I guess instancing could solve this problem to an extent, but you would have to work out the details.

    So, love the idea, but not sure how it could be made to work for an actual server.

    Demoncrusher Debonair
    Retired Gnome Shadowknight of Quellious
  13. Hateseeker Augur

    Actually, not necessarily. For some of the early gear there might be some twinking, but starting with Luclin when everything really begins to be no-drop, if you can't enter the expansion, you can't loot it, so no need to put expansion flags on an item.
  14. Skai New Member

    So, to move on from Level 70, one would have to:
    1. Get attuned to Anguish.
    2. Kill Mata Muram.
    3. Finish Epic 2.0
    4. Kill Vishimtar
    5. Do attunement for Demi-Plane
    6. Kill Mayong
    7. Do the long attunement for Deathknell
    8. Kill Ayonae Ro

    Yeah, I foresee this going over real well.
  15. Hateseeker Augur

    Not sure if you read, but I implied it wouldn't have to go as far as killing the bosses:

    1. Attune to Anguish
    2. Inflict damage on the Citadel (kill at least one raid mob)
    3. Take a side in DoN factions (ally to one or the other)
    4. Attune to Demi-plane
    5. Inflict damage on the residents of the Demi-Plane of Blood (kill at least one raid mob)

    Wasn't raiding much during PoR so can't make anything up about Deathknell