My name is Morefuzz, i'm a halfling Cleric. I haven't played EQ since 2004, when Gates of Discord came out. By then I was got very busy with School and life and well, lived outside of Norrath. Now that my life has leveled out more, I've decided to come back and play! It's been roughly 10-11 years since I left, lost my original accounts and the recovery process isn't something that's possible since I don't remember it. (Yay!) So as a returning newbie, I'd love some advice. I tried reading some of the forum posts but a lot of it went over my head or it was to long/off topic. I did start on Cazic Thule a few days ago and got to level 6, but couldn't find anyone to grind with. Maybe I should try Lockjaw? What are time locked servers? I feel old and confused like when I was younger and my parents asked me how to set the time on the VCR. But if anyone would like to chat and listen to my millions of questions as I stumble along trying to relearn my beloved game, send me a tell in game! I'm a great conversationalist with a cheerful personality and I love to explore and grind out levels!
First, you can play for free to level 100, in almost all released zones- this allows folk to try the game out before committing to spend $ to have more benefits, or buying the current expansion which includes access to all previous ones. The TLP servers require All Access (monthly or longer payment) and basically are restarted game, Ragefire is currently doing Kunark i think, and maybe Lockjaw as well. On regular servers like Cazic Thule, you might head to Plane of Knowledge and the Guild Lobby, where you can find boards and possibly a friendly guild or two that helps out new/returnees. Sixteen years is a long time and player levels are mostly top heavy, with lower levels usually being parts mules or Bazaar buyers or sellers. Regular servers you might find some helpful folk who will buff you out, Temperance is great AC/HP buff and lasts quite a while, optionally, a druid level 49 or so can give you a good skin buff, plus good regen and damage shield to make you overpowered for a number of levels. If you find a friendly 85 druid they can give you AA Spirit of Eagle and Permanent Levitation (and their other buffs last much longer). An alternate option is to hire a Merc Tank, and let them carry you thru levels, as mercs auto improve their armor and skills each level. In any case, leveling is usually fairly quick to 60 or so compared to the pace of early years, or the slowed down rate on the TLP servers. Carry on and have fun.
If you pay a sub you can access Lockjaw; it's thinning out at the lower levels, but even so it is far easier to find groups at low levels than on F2P servers (i.e. the normal ones). TLP means that they are restricting access to expansions, and generally making some sort of attempt to give an old timey experience - even though people rose tint their world through nostalgia, and forget all the bad things (and bad people). So you currently can play in Classic and Kunark, it will be six months (at lest before Velious is available), and so on for several years until the current expansion is reached. With mercs, levelling is so easy and fast for any class that there's no need to group until you need help with epics or current expansion progression and gear. That's the result of maturing populations (players and characters).
