Mix it up a bit for new expansions

i don't see the sense of it either and it is true it would eat into the end game content so....... an expansion for the minority of players over the majority doesn't make any sense unfortunately. It would be great if everybody could get an expansion geared towards them but it is not reality.

My guild has been the go to place for returning players for many years. I love helping returning players and the occasional new ones. But I will be the first to admit its a small demographic that only dribbles in.

Can attest. Lion of the Heart on Xegony is where I was last time before I quit. Corwyhn and his buffage in PoK was always something to look forward too <3 bless this man

If that is true, I demand that those expansions do get locked for FTP. It would affect ToV until NoS. I don't want to end up again in a situation, where I do buy a car without a motor.

This is why we need a happy easy catchup path.
There maybe zones now, plethora but they aint easy easy, for a catchup player.
They ok for a player whose been here for awhile and knows how to play, still time consuming but doable.

However, returning/newplayer you want retention, thats what happy path, catchup path is.
No one wants to figure out out of 14 zones what to do. Those T1 those are not catchup paths those T1. Theres no bunch of quests to get you full geared and caught up, its T1. killed nameds and progress to T2, not a happy catchup tier.

No hunters, vitality/fortitude is maybe 30/80, etc.
Catchup players do not get this.
This is too time consuming, too burning out for catchup players.
Just like if they had to get 30k AAs, thats a burnout, this right same kinda deal.
Play through expansions 21-29, thats a huge burnout. Thats end game timewaster thing.
However it stacked year after year after year.

It matters just like AA.
Those augs type 7, you can't buy them, those stack too.

Look at Skuz signature
115 290k HME
115 395k HME
returner/newplayer thats gonna be like 165k HME
no joke.
difference 115 395k HME , 115 165K HME thats huge.
This means newplayer/returner 115 but they can't even do TBL ToV, ToL, probably struggle on RoS. See this is where happy paths come into effect.
People don't want to play alone and feel like the game is too hard now. Thats burnout phase. Progres progress people want that, its not the way EQ is right now, its a happy path progress, catchup content progress, like TSS in era.

The progress setup now, is exactly what Cicelee is talking about. ugh I gotta all stuff again, just thinking about, ugh. Exactly how a new player returner feels and they don't have a max level raid geared main to make it easy, they have the 175kish HME character.

Thats what it is going from expansion to expansion
newplayer is not doing that they going straight 90 to 125, they ain't going to smell the roses while they have no around to play with.


33:01, the most legit feedback for newplayer/returner experience. 100% agreed with these statements, same in EQ, especially 90 - 125. Solo/Molo. Newplayers don't box right outta the gates. Returners will and its still not good enough.
https://forums.daybreakgames.com/eq/index.php?threads/bst-bard-113-120-suggestions.292988/
Returner getting frustrated.

No one wants to overseer to max level, do something, happy path something. See progress, it doesn't have to be a lot, but seeing progress. Like getting a catchup item gear/augs and 5% xp from quests that like 30 mins to do. That are solo/molo friendly. Thats progress. Thats what people want.

These end game players think returners/newplayers want handouts, join a guild get handouts. Get someone to give you TAs, do overseer handouts.

Newplayers/returners are not looking for handouts, they looking for something to contiually progress through 90-125, 1-85 you have heros journey, its something and mercs melt everything too. Then 90-125 you get melted now, mercs don't do squat now.

No one has fully geared mercs fully AA'd mercs, whatever makes mercs good.
Just like how they are in this situation

raider, ugh I gotta do all that
No hunters, vitality/fortitude is maybe 30/80, etc.
again, ugh. If you hating it think about newplayer/returner. Thats burnout, burnout leads to another game. Not everyone goes to the TLPs from Live burnout.

Past 10 years year after year
49/140
https://mmo-population.com/r/everquest
embarassing, what they are doing, they think they have the right system/rhythm to just keep doing over and over.
Wrong.
Was top 10, not anymore was top 20, not anymore. Thats the trajectory EQ is going. It's not maintaining its position in a somewhat good spot, no its like not even mentioned when they mention many MMOs now. 10 MMOs mentioned and EQ isn't even it. Thats bad.

Marketing, thats fine, you have several videos EQ is in 1 million views, its the game, its the system, the past 10 years of expansions year after year they have. It's wrong. 49/140 thats not something to be proud of, its only getting worse. Maintaining 49/140 isn't something to be proud of either.

Catering to end game/raiders, 100%. Thats not going to change 49/140 in a positive way.
Those people are going to whine about not enough newplayers, because hypocrites they don't invest newplayers. 100% investment into old players, don't even talk about newplayers you want these 100% expansion to be focused end game players, which consist of raiders. Not because thats what EQ is, but because the past 10 years year after year thats all you did and now we have next to none newplayers/returners on Live servers due to the policies, 100% end game content past 10 years.

That video,
my progress will be inch by inch enemy by enemy aka struggle. This is EQ 90-125.
No returner/newplayer wants to feel that way, especially when there is next to one else around.

Because you can't kill them solo/molo everyone who plays FTP shouldn't have the chance to see it?

It can include the possibility to level up faster but it does not have to. To me it would be bad design doing so, because it could make all other content uninteresting. The benefits of a catch-up expansion are others, and I already named most of them. Basically it is about motivating the player to enjoy the game and to keep him hooked in the game, until he does reach the top end content. A single, coherent expansion can provide that much better than 17 scattered expansions with 17 completely different main stories.

No, it does not. 5-level expansions can include some of those elements, and only for a small level range while a good catch-up expansion does include all of those elements, and for a huge level range. Most expansions are outdated a little bit in many aspects so they cannot provide the point "modernization". They also cannot provide the point "newbie experience" as they do start at lvl 85 in pro player expansions like HoT. Their replay factor is also somewhat limited by worse accessibility. Another important point to add is that catch-up expansions can concentrate the player crowd into one expansion instead of many, where they would get lost. Guidance is very important.

The last expansion with low level content had been made 17 years ago, and that was TSS. As already mentioned, that is long ago and now would be the perfect time to start the development of a further catch-up expansion that does, level wise, continue where TSS did end, because heroic character catch-up features got released without appropriate content. Especially the level 100 heroic characters do struggle, but HoT is also not newbie friendly, even that it got desiged for level 85 heroic characters. It is not about releasing another low level expansion (1-84).

No, because it does only create unhappiness, as the players do buy something that they cannot use. It does come very close to fraud and coercion to offer a product that is of no use and does require further purchases to make it usefull. DBG is moving on thin ice by doing that.

Then don't buy a car without a motor. That's on you.

Again, because you lack the skills to do so, does not mean others do. Not everyone has to be held back simply because you're unable to progress.

That is the definition of catching up...The rest of that response is null and void. Stop using "catch up" expansion as your phrase if it is indeed, not a catch up expansion.

Wrong. Every expansion has ALL of those things. Name one that does not.

Now would not be a great time. Just because coloring books were good for you at the age of 5, does not mean they'd be great to bring back at the age of 25. On live, the player base is beyond anywhere a catch up expansion would touch.

And for the "new/returning" players...all 1% of them...it's not worth it. You don't risk the healthy player base looking forward to new content in hopes of bringing in meager amounts of new players. The amount of truly "new players" is abysmal. And the returning players..again...dismal at best.

You don't cater to the shopper that shows up maybe once a month that is unsure if they'll stick around. No, you cater to the return customers that have been loyal for the last 10 years

Only to the unskilled. My tank account is the only account that's all access. My casters are FTP and they do just fine.

Good post uberkingkong, here some highlights:

It is much more than 1%. Catering only loyal customers is the best way to ruin a business. New customers are more important because the old ones do return anyways. You have no clue how to create a successfull business or a game but you can learn it here if you would stop being an ignorant narcist.

Ah I found the problem.

Your guys audience is players like you: bad ones.

I returned after 10 years and have had no issues leveling and getting to end game content, even while spending most of my focus on a TLP.

If you're bad and need help, just say so!

1) I didn't need a catch up path to stick around and keep playing. I like the game. I liked seeing what I missed in my absence. And it didn't take me long to catch up at all.

2) I found groups in most level ranges. And in the times i couldn't, there were alternate paths to level up

3) I didn't go straight from 90-125. I smelled the roses, went through the expansions and it didn't hinder me at all

4) I forget about Overseer more times than not honestly. Still not hampering my progression

5) New players have about 13 expansions and 100+ zones to progress through to go from 90-120

6) No one is complaining about a lack of new players. That ship sailed over 10 years ago. They're focused on keeping the loyal customers happy.

As a returning player I don't have a single issue Uber pointed out...so you guys must be talking about bad players then.

I highly doubt it's more than 1% lol

Look, DB has the numbers. They know who is coming and who is going. If the new/returning players were high enough to dedicate resources to, they would. They're a multi-million dollar company. They know what they're doing far better than someone who has absolutely no idea how many new players are truly coming in or not.

That's the simple truth. Not enough of them to worry about.

It is for all players without you and that is why you get jealous and angry.

Of course. For sure you were the fastest one.

Yeah, 10 years ago that ship sailed away with you and I just see it returning with a free seat for you.

Jealous and angry? I'm not the one over here getting upset when everyone shuts my ideas down lol
Pregnancy tests can be bought by anyone...know how many people out of 7 billion actually buy them?

I never claimed I was the fastest. But i can surely say it didn't take me a year, nor did I need to be catered in any form to get there.

Why would i leave? I'm not the one who's mad at the current state of the game and asking for the game to create something specifically for me and 500 other people while tens of thousands of other players get nothing.

Even if you are paying for a subscription doesn't mean that you will be able to do the content. Just because you are struggling doesn't mean the chance should be removed from everyone.

We had a husband / wife team recently come back to EQ after being out of the game for 10+ years.

They play a warrior and a cleric and were in the mid 80's. They worked their way though the older content. Relearning the game as they went along. They politely turned down offers to PL them up and choose to work their way up through the older content.

Its taken them about six months, but they hit 120 a few days ago.

Makes sense for the recent expansions.
However past 10 expansions, 7 expansions ago and

No one to play with either, those zones are now empty too.


did you watch 33:00 yet, watch it. This is the vibe in EQ

You don't understand newplayer/returner is going through. Think you do, but you do not.

Not sure what your point is, but restricting that content from FTP players isn't going to help any of those problems.

Real newplayers/returners vibes thoughts. You are not providing any good suggestions for newplayers/returns you're pretty much defending why the current system is good. ToV/CoV/ToL/NoS, 100% end game player content past 10 years year after year.

This is real vibe checks,
YouTube
Sneak Peek into Laurion's Song
@sidewinder86ify
4 hours ago
"
Only a handfull of players can do the missions and raids.. rest waits for TA pls, TA pls.. TA, TA... (Taskadd) haha, game devs need to start focus on single player mode and remove the thoughts of groups. Also, add Raid ore to the Overseer.. would be epic.

I have done 0 raids on the latest expac's.. not possible solo, yet I pay for it.. Hmmmm.

-Add Raid ore to the Overseer
-Make solo missions
-Make a solo player based server
-5 active merc's at once, for a group
-Hire an Army for raids


Game would be really epic, if we actually could play it.. today its way to hard.
"

This is real impact of 100% end game player past 10 years year after year.
https://mmo-population.com/r/everquest
EQ is 49/140 compared to other MMORPGs

No one is looking for join a guild to get handouts
No one is looking for max level handouts
No one is looking for overseer handouts

They want something to do, a happy path, progress.

33:00 did you watch it.

btw in that video he has a max level boost but doesn't use it. Why?
GW2 they give you a max level boost for buying the game, I saw a streamer don't use it.

Cheating, people aren't looking for instant max level, they looking for a pathway to the max level.
https://forums.daybreakgames.com/eq/index.php?threads/bst-bard-113-120-suggestions.292988/
There's no pathway.
You think that there is a happy path, catchup path for people?
Dead wrong.

Frustrated and quit.
Just like in that video 33:00
Thats the state of the game for newplayers/returners.

This person can do all that stuff they have a max level main, but they know.
Time consuming, not fun, dreadful, and that will cause burnout.

Lose interest once you start getting whooped a few times. Which happens at around 90. Around 100.
You have a long ways to go from 90 or 100.

You just don't this because you have a max level main, raid geared, breeze through anything. Been around know who to talk to.

Newplayers/returners they don't have that.
They gotta do that content with gear less than great.

Look at Skuz signature
pick the worst 115 he has, and -50000 HME
thats what newplayers returners are dealing with

lots of issues.
Gear, no friends, alone, no one to PUG with, behind in levels, uninterested level range for people to help you in.

Look at the video 33:00 thats harsh truth of the state of this game returners/newplayers.
Singeplayer experience is lacking.
Not this boxing experience that this game has turned into. Which doesn't make it that much easier, still inch by inch going up a mountain progression. https://forums.daybreakgames.com/eq/index.php?threads/bst-bard-113-120-suggestions.292988/
they basically said enough is enough, there's better games out there.

EQ is always in the situation of, better games out there.

If you watch 33:00 again, he explains the trickle in method and trickle out method, why its not working here.
Lack of happy path, lack of catchup zones is the cause of that.
16+ zones thats not gonna help 2 returners find each other. Going through inch by inch mountain like path to end game. That the game has setup the past 10 years year after year.

EQ 49/140 facts, compared to other MMORPGs, has gotten worse and worse over the years, its not in a good system ToV/CoV/ToL/NoS wrong, worse and worse. UF like expansions not received expansion thats the motto we use year after year after UF.