PROS of Free Trade Loot and the 1 CON

Are you being sarcastic? Or maybe kidding around? Because free-trade servers are guaranteed piles of krono for RMTers or krono collectors. Most of us that are against free-trade are against it because we've been there done that (on one or more of the 3 free trade servers) and know it's just pay-to-win with nothing based on work, merit, tenacity or skill. Even if you're into the krono aspect it's just achieving a certain number of kronos in your pile. It completely circumvents the rpg progression game loop for cash and removes the dopamine drop from legit gearing, even if you got the drop yourself, because the next guy just got the same or better by flipping burgers for 30 minutes. I made so many kronos on mischief that I'll never need to buy a sub again, yet I'm anti-free-trade, I think that shows that my opinion is not just an anecdote or being "scared Krono prices will inflate too quickly". I understand people need to learn this for themselves, but QQing and trying to bully dpg constantly (not saying you're doing this but people are) every time they roll out a tlp, because it's not free-trade, is just sad. If free-trade becomes the default tlp ruleset, as many free-traders have requested, I predict it will be the beginning of the end of EQ. That's not even mentioning the obvious fact that rolling out a free-trade server would crush Mischief's population. It's still a high pop server, why would they want to do that? I think the people that want to experience free-trade from the start just need to form a Mischief progression guild and go to town. You don't need to wait until May, you can start today.

Dude, why do you care so much how other people play? It is like you have a personal vendetta against players who love free-trade. this right here is in the eye of the beholder and is extremely subjective "based on work, merit, tenacity or skill" plus you can still get all that by never buying anything that would of been non-free trade which now is. I don't get why you think your perspective trumps everyone elses. But you need to check yourself. I think the guy you were responding too struck a nerve, usually when you answer back like you just did, means he is probably right.

Krono and free trade broke that poor man.

I think the fact that they didn't immediately launch another Free Trade server afterwards shows what proportion of players think it's actually good for the game and what proportion just sees it as the easymode route to mindless sales of high-end loot that defines the Mischief ruleset. I strongly suspect that the server sold a lot of kronos for the first month or two, and then the income plummeted as it became clear to everyone that it was an ezmode funserver that served as a home for casuals who found it entertaining to put in a minimal effort to get maximum gains, and that proved not to be profitable. For all that Mischief is hailed as the pinnacle of TLPs, it has been the home of the pickers of the lowest-hanging fruit, those who scoff at the slightest notion of a challenge and want everything to be as easy as possible. There's not a lot of long-term income in those kinds of 'I Click Story Mode In Games' players. As an old Everquester, that's not the crowd I once knew.

It remains bizarre to me that they play Everquest at all. Of all games that they might choose, this is perhaps the one game that least represent what they look for. Of all games ever made, this is surely the one that most embodies the notion of being satisfying because it's hard to accomplish the things that really matter. How Mischief, which stands in stark defiance of that ideal, ever became the thing that Everquesters flocked to, I will never know. It stands out in glaring contrast to what this game has always been known for: a vehicle for satisfaction because it took real effort, knowledge and experience to arrive at an impressive end goal. Mischief is the utter antithesis to that, and it will probably never make sense to me that this has somehow become what everyone demands. Maybe the TLP playerbase is just way more softcore and ezmode-seeking than I thought.

Why don't they play D3 where you can just go and effortlessly kill some sh*t and finish your 'build' in the first 24 hours of a season, and then feel like you had accomplished something? I don't know. I really don't. In my personal opinion, that mentality has no place in Everquest. Of all games ever produced, this is perhaps the one where that line of thinking is least at home. That makes it hard to take it seriously when anyone espouses the Mischief ruleset as anything that remotely embodies the spirit of Everquest. More likely, they want to feel what it was like to have done well in EQ without having to do what it took to deserve that. And given how easy that is now with even the vanilla TLP ruleset, that's saying a lot about them. In short, this was never meant to be a game where being handed easy success for free was originally inteded, and if that's what you enjoy, your preferences are directly contrary to the spirit of Everquest. Simple as that. There you have it. It's the way it is. Free Trade lovers are super softcore.

Mischief is sh*t for all the same reasons that mercenaries are sh*t, that's what I'm saying. But here we are with a community that loves it, and that says all that needs to be said about the TLP crowd. I have spoken.

It doesnt take much effort and knowledge to win in EQ dude you need to start leveling up in the MMO space if you think EQ is a challenge.

Nah, but very astute input by you. Great job.

Quotes a post about people throwing tantrums, then proceeds to throw down this insane meltdown. I honesty did not know free trade mentally broke people to this degree.

Ah, what insight. Feeling targeted? The vitriol suggests it.

Feel the same. It's like the twilight zone every time I look at these forums. I've now been called a super casual by free-trade QQers lol.

It's ok bro. Free trade cant hurt you anymore, you'll make it through this trying time.

Given the fact that they chose not to make the next batch of servers Free Trade, or the next one after it, I think we can conclude that the ones who literally run this game have seen that it isn't in line with the Everquest experience. If you prefer something that is not conducive to the Everquest experience, go right ahead. The world of modern gaming is a smorgesbord of softcore easymode all catered to you. Enjoy it. I'm sure you will. I'm satisfied with the fact that the Free Trade joke is a thing of the past.

In b4 the hilarious, future meltdowns that occur when next year's ruleset ends up being mischief 2.0

Hope they add even more extra loot or maybe just a bis vendor that I can link my paypal account to.

As I said, behold, in the post above, the state of the TLP playerbase in 2023.

He's being facetious, but it's not even far off what Mischief was.