Returning player from back in the day. I like that Phinigel is a true box server, my only concern that comes with that is if I'll be able to find groups at a low level if I start there. (seeing as it has been open for 5 years now?) Anyways any information on Phinigel server status (population, player atmosphere, etc) would be greatly appreciated in helping me decide if I want to sub and start there! Thanks
Phinny is very top heavy, like the live servers are, but there are often people leveling up alts (especially late in an expansion, like we currently are). The good news is that those alts are almost invariably power-leveled by a higher level toon, and a lot of players seem happy enough to drag others along for the right. The bad news is that, if you were actually looking to find a group and play normally (i.e. no power level help) in low level zones, that's probably going to be difficult. There are two more expansions (DoDH and PoR) before the next level increase (TSS, in late May), which makes this a good time to get caught up.
Phinigel has under 2 months per expansion moving forward, while Ragefire has about 3.5 months per expansion. Ragefire is 2 weeks into GoD so there's plenty of time to get caught up and enjoy the late PoP/GoD era before we move to the OoW/DoN era, which Phinny is about to move on from. Ragefire also has higher experience rates, making it easier to get caught up on. While Ragefire isn't true box, there are still plenty of guilds who emphasize individual players over box play, and offer solid group content. If your big concern with Ragefire is that there are less grouping options, I can promise you that most every guild is recruiting and makes big efforts to help people get caught up. The grind from 1 to max level will be rough at low levels on any server, but wherever you go, I suggest joining a guild that's recruiting lower level players to help you get caught up.
Phinny has 8 weeks per expansion that doesn't raise the level cap and 12 for ones that do. So it's not always under 2 months. As to the OP question, it will be hard to find groups at lower levels, but not impossible. The exp saw a boost when GoD opened on the server though and it's not as hard to level as it was. You can get buffed in the guild lobby and level solo as any class really. As far as population goes, Phinny and Agnarr both have a lot of people playing. Phinny is very top heavy as others have said. Also Phinny has only been open a little over 2 years, not 5. https://forums.daybreakgames.com/eq...-box-progression-server-available-now.229097/
Well I just logged onto Vox and found a guy selling a Krono for only 7,500 plat. I gave the poor bastard 10,000. Looks like I have 1 month to try out!
Where everyone is level 100 and has 20k AAs and even if you pay you start at level 85? Then get dumped into content you've never seen before... this is a hard pill to swallow.
Lockjaw is 10x better than any other server atm. Live servers suffer from overpriced expansions that you have to buy on every box account just to stay relevant to your guild. Test is barren, lacks an economy and reliable guild populations. Agnarr/Phinny both should be renamed to EA servers cause literally everything is monetized by the community. I watched a guy have to pay over 1k for rezzes in the guild lobby where atleast 20 clerics were idle. PL'ing costs kronos on all servers. I can't elaborate but Lockjaw/Ragefire have something going on that makes monetization a non issue and it really makes the game more enjoyable. Theres no competition so theres no witholding of services/buffs so its very easy to get PL'ed on them, extremely easy, take my word for it. At the end of the day, starting out fresh, you shouldn't decide by server, but instead decide by time. Wait for an exp weekend/holiday if you want to play on Agnarr/phinny. Otherwise play on Lockjaw/ragefire. Easily the best servers. All servers are top heavy, don't let agnarr/phinny players get away with the lie that they aren't. My 26 enchanter has gone a week with just 1 level gain with proof nobody lets you play unless you pay kronos.
Progression servers are all about RMT and Kronos. I've tried playing on them, and unless you are at the top edge of players, EVERYTHING is about people's boxed krono farms. Its a disater
Isn't this just live servers? Most players boxing 2-3 with 2-3 Mercenaries? Having spent only a few days in RoS so far most of my travels have appeared to be 3-6 box groups holding down single camps. I started on Phinigel in Luclin and casually grouped to 60 with a few friends and in PuGs, got some AAs and started to raid VT with a guild. I didn't box until level 70 and even then just 1 box.
I have to tear this assumption apart to be more accurate. The old day playing eq to level mentality is dead, people come back expecting it and it is dead. For a few days maybe a week after an expansion unlocks on TLP there is a similar feeling as that which draws players to these servers. The opening month/months of a TLP is also a longer version of this feeling. Once the server gets to a multi expansion level cap everything goes top heavy. Once a server is top heavy, theres a few things that players rotate around doing. Raiding, AA farming, plat farming for kronos, leveling alts via Lessons. All servers have RMT but RMT is most prevalent on Agnarr and Phinny because they are the newest servers with an easy plat gain method. Ragefire/lockjaw are not really RMT central anymore they are basically Live server populations with that great fealing of progression and every expansion unlock things get really fun for a bit. Returning players should really focus on Lockjaw/Ragefire unless they don't mind playing with worse exp gains and faster unlocks or a server that stops at PoP so that you never see good augs for your time gear. For a returning player, you should return during an exp holiday event. You will have more people to play with at your levels, you will have faster leveling rates to get to the top, and there will be higher chances of landing a spot in a PL group. Anyone claiming agnarr/phinny to be a good leveling server is lying. I have a toon there, I waste all my plat on buffs and either charmkite alone for my lesson burn or if I'm lucky I score a PL group, which has happened just once. I highly recommend Lockjaw/ragefire. I can't elaborate but it is by far the easiest server to level on outside of the exp holidays. People buff for free there and the RMT system is not really there anymore. You can play in peace. The top guilds get along mostly and instancing keeps them out of each others ways anyway now in GoD.
i was gonna go phinny till i saw they were well past Omens .. and moving fast i went to ragefire instead GoD just came out cone on over boys its nothing like it was back in classic
There are groups. Not a lot but I do see them in general. Mostly during primetime. I think it has already been mentioned but if you want to start on the server I would level up a toon to 20 or so then wait for the next xp bonus to land buy a few xp pots with that and go to town. Starting fresh now is rough since the next xpac lands on Wednesday so there wont be a lot playing low level alts for a few weeks. If you have a class in mind you want to play great! If you dont and are still deciding I would recommend against a tank ( great in groups but are an abundance in raids ) plus the time it takes to gear them ( raid gear/augs ) is harder as a lot of classes can skate by with so so gear but tanks can not. Would also recommend not playing mdps like monk, berserker. Other classes like shaman, bard are overplayed but still needed. Wizards/Rogues seem to be rough place group wise as they are over shadowed by other classes. Classes that seem to be in demand in both groups and raids are druids/clerics. Mages/Enc seem to be in demand for raids because there are so few. I think beastlords are in a good spot as well. Basically play what you want just giving suggestions.
1. There is no lesson on Agnarr and there never will be any veteran rewards on this sever. 2. People don't charge for buffs - occasionally you will see someone buffing for donations but you will also see people just giving out free buffs to newbies while waiting for group / raid / at work etc - and they are not required to level. Buffs help sure but many a time a group is without a class (enchanter / shaman / cleric) but can get by without those buffs. Not every group has to have the trinity to work. 3. I am an alt-a-holic and usually do not have any problems finding a group at most levels, occasionally I will at an off time, but most of the time no more than 30 min lfg. - Invite the other people LFG and get some experience, again don't need the perfect group to xp. 4. A lot of the time now people are leveling alts and have out of group characters to help Power level the whole group and they do not charge for this. 5. Yes there are people who sell power leveling and more come out during the xp bonus times. But you dont need these services unless you just want to spend plat.. I came back to the game almost 2 years ago (before agnarr) I checked out live grouped up with a couple old friends but the server was pretty dead and it was just me unless they were on. I left bored and came back right before Agnarr started and I figured why not and I haven'ed looked back. I'm having a blast. I will agree Agnarr has a limited shelf life with it only going to LDoN, what happens after that? no idea. But Im have a lot of fun on Agnarr actually grouping with people. I can't comment on Phinigel as I haven't played there. I started a character there once when agnarr was down and the newbie zone was empty and i've not gone back.
You have to go to tutorial and no one really groups there mostly just go for the gear. The early levels you are very much on your own. Gear you get from tutorial helps a bit but solo xp is crap and it will take you forever to level if that is your path. I see the occasional PC, LGuK groups. As you get higher groups can become more frequent but still not a ton. Velk, GE, WoS are still somewhat popular. After you get past them you are stuck in Paw for a very long time. If your starting on Phinny your best bet is to: - Get a guild as a friends and family rank and hope they take pitty on you with some PL and gear love. - Buy a bunch of krono and have Corrupted PL you from 1-46 and Roakie or Robmean PL you from 46-60. I see these guys advertise in general quite a bit for PL services. - Try and form your own groups and make friends. Add people you group with to your friends list and spam them when you see anyone online. Guess what I am saying is Phinny is a raiding server. Grouping is a means to an end and people try to get through it as fast as possible. The slower xp curve which I will never understand is a major turn off for people to create alts or level through "normal means". We do get one boon or at least it is expected ( not confirmed ) auto grant will kick in affect next week and Luclin AA's will be auto granted if desired. Not that luclin aa's were ground breaking but that is a huge + in terms of leveling.
Also note we will hit TSS before any of the other TLPs by a long shot and I believe Hot Zones are enabled with that xpac.
