Jumpstart option - new toons level 65

What server is that? Because on Bristlebane, those level ranges are dead outside of alts being power-leveled, or bored raiders grouped up playing their lowbie alts leveling up legit. My server is far from being alone in that regard.

I also feel like your last comment is an exaggeration unless your on a special rule-set server.

@Kelefane server is bertoxxulous
I didnt have any trouble grouping at all especially since I didnt have to wait around to start doing something and could xp with help of some mercs.

That's your experience.

Someone logs in for the first time ( new, returning or even current player) and is presented with a level 65 or 75 or 80 or 90 or 100 character along with anywhere from 500 to 5000 (or more) AA's.

Who selects which Alternate Advancement points go where? Sony? Wouldn't that be removing all but the choice of race, class and gender from the hands of the player? How very exciting.

Or will the player get to decide, with NO gaming experience with the character, how they want to distribute those AA's? That should be easy, no?

Is the character running around sans any coins?
Is the character running around sans weapons?
Is the character running around sans armor?
Is the character running around sans spells and tomes?
Is the character running around with 0 weapon skills?
Is the character running around with 0 casting skills?

Or will Sony decide what is appropriate for the character, further removing tedious decision making and even more tedious game play to acquire items from the hands of the player?

Where would it end?

It's pretty easily figured out really.

Armor and Weapons - Just like test buffing can get you gear they could just release a base set of gear for jumpstart characters. If they do it around level 70 then they can just use defiant weapons and armor.

Money - No plat needed to play EQ if you start with gear. You can easily make some money to buy anything you need. The only thing you might need cash for is a merc which they could remove the cost for up to that level if it was really that hard or start them out with some Bayle Marks.

Spells, Abilities, and Skills - Give the characters all the skills/spells up to the level of their jumpstart character, just like test buffing.

As for AAs, this would probably be best implemented after auto-granting comes in later this year (if Elidroth keeps them on schedule). If they decide to give more AAs than the auto granted ones to jumpstart characters, they could do the same as they do when you create a character. You can either choose to customize how your AAs are spent or you can choose to let the system do it for you which would work off of a template for the class.

The jumpstart character isn't an idea to bypass the whole game, just get into the part of the game where there are actually other players or, and this is my own desire on top of helping new and returning players, help create alts. I would even be okay with them selling the option on the Marketplace.

I wouldn't mind if they created a jumpstart option that was similar to the 51/50 Mayong Mistmoore, but ONLY for accounts that have at least one max level character.

I think they would be better off, if they were going to limit it, making it so you have to get to the level with that many AAs in order to use the system. If they are going to give level 60 with 1k AAs, then you would have just needed to get to level 70 with 1k AAs in order to jumpstart another character.

I actually think people who already have max level characters don't need the level-boost as much. When people with high level characters make a new alt, they either box with themselves, or get guildies/friends to help pl their new alts through the 1-80/90 grind. It's the people who have no high level alts and no friends or guild connections that need the boost the most to get into the more social end of the game.

See, Djin, I'd strongly beg to differ with you on that. Someone who still doesn't have a single max level character really isn't looking to get a max level character at this point. They're happy where they're at.

Obviously I'm not talking about a new or returning player here; I'm talking about players who have been here for years.

I honestly have better social interactions/opportunity to meet new folks at low levels. The higher you get, folks become more and more performance and goal oriented. The lowbie alt game basically exists 100% for fun.