Realistic path to end game

I've been playing TLPs off and on for a few years now. Live EQ never interested me much before, but in the last few months that has started to change. Ive heard stories of Live servers being ghost towns for leveling, and I'm not opposed to using a heroic character, but I would rather not (i think leveling and getting new skills / AA as you level helps you learn how to play your class).

What is the realistic path to end game for a new character in 2024? In general would be my first question, and then as a new leveling or heroic char tank would be my follow up question.

You said "realistic", so here it is:

1 - You pay a guy, who is the same guy botting on dozens of servers with thousands of accounts running at once, sufficient Krono to get you from 1-95 and then 85-125. And then AAs which aren't autogranted.
2 - You purchase a heroic character, and then pay that same guy to get you from 100-125.
3 - You use 3rd party software to do it on your own and assume a very high risk that the accounts are suspended and/or banned. They've run automated script-driven waves suspending and banning accounts three times this month.


So here are the "unrealistic" ways of getting this done:

1 - You start the game with 5 real life friends/spouses and learn the game from the ground up. As you're a TLP player, things beyond 50-60-70-ish will be new to you. Lots to unpack. You won't be able to defeat raid content as a 6-member team but you can still enjoy the game in group-only gear. You will potentially spend months getting to the 90+ range.
2 - You petition in various public chat channels for players who would like to group up and do lower-end content. This may take days, weeks, months, or simply never happen at all.


This all depends on the speed at which you want to accomplish this, the enjoyment you'll get from it, and the goals you have set for yourself.

If I were starting 100% new on a Live server today, I would:

1. Choose the class I want to play as a level 1.
2. Make a level 100 heroic character as a complimentary buffing class for my level 1. (Enchanter to pair with Int-Casters, Shaman to pair with melee, etc.)
3. Level up the lowbie toon with a merc tank ~level 60 and then switch to a healer merc. (Use the buffing toon to support as necessary.)
4. Once the two characters are groupable, group them with a pair of mercs.
5. Keep on progressing until I found a guild to join for reliable teaming up.

Read:
https://forums.daybreakgames.com/eq/index.php?threads/leveling-up-alts-on-live-server.284135/
then read more:
https://forums.daybreakgames.com/eq/index.php?threads/aa-catch-up-time.299578/#post-4328586
https://forums.daybreakgames.com/eq...ur-highest-persona.297215/page-7#post-4333258
https://forums.daybreakgames.com/eq/index.php?threads/109.298525/#post-4317392

If you have never played the Hero's Journey questline as a new character before, that's you best starting point. You can optionally run through the Tutorial zone first, which is an interesting questline, and will give you decent visible armor pieces to start with. Many TLP players have never done the tutorial either. You'll get lots and lots of Defiant armor as global drops as you progress. You'll be wearing whatever drops until around 75 or so. At that point you can switch to the modern game's progression track at SoF. If you finish the Hero's Journey, it will take you to 85, regardless of class; there is some group content at the end the end of that which will be hard to solo. Once you ding 85, the SoD progression track is essential. At that point you can mix progression tasks, exploring, and using the Overseer to add some extra XP and AAs. Do some networking on whichever server you choose, there will be guilds who will have at least a few other people working on more or less the same progression points as you are, with either main or alt. Almost all grouping with human players will be via your guild, PUGs on Live servers are rare.

You are very wise to recognize that learning how to play your chosen class the most important thing. The shortcuts (heroic characters, the AA auto-grant) are there for players who have done the full levelling process at least once before. Otherwise it can be a lot of information overload. Also look at the New Players forum, even though you're not exactly a new player. You'll find lots of helpful suggestions there, with many different approaches being presented.

Somebody should set up a "dating" application for returning / restarting players. There are enough of these sorts of posts that a person would think a few groups a month could start and sync their game play.

Prior to the server mergers, Stromm was labeled the "Newbie Server" and it had a strong population. When it merged with Luclin, I think it lost the label. I think it should regain that label to establish it as THE live server for new players.

If you are still playing on TLP servers you could check to see who in your group of friends, guild, or raid force also plays on live and you might look to join them and get some help from them.

Stromm wasn't "labeled" as newbie server, it was a newbie server - when it opened there were no transfers to it, everybody had to start from level 1 without twinking. My guildmates from Solusek Ro (and myself) went to it once it opened and we had a blast running around on a fresh server. It was a fully-featured "live" server with a newly created population. All the politics of old servers were left behind and it was truly a fun time.

you can certainly level up, there is a huge amount of content, and mercs will definately help. If you can find a static (a couple friends to play with), thats very nice too. Auto grant means you don't have to care about grinding AA until 115.
Consider do you need to rush to 125 right away? Enjoy the ride. There are guilds you can join to find people to play with too. The major difference between live and tlp is slapping an lfg tag on yourself doesn't work. But honestly, lfg always sucked. I dont think most people miss it. FAR better to group with people you know won't chump out on you.

I'd join a high pop server, use a 100 heroic, join a big guild, and make friends, start mission/progression groups, and work /overseer.

In a bonus exp weekend and with any luck, you'll be 115+, and can join up with the 120+ crowd killing monsters in the current expansion.

I try to invite as many folks as possible to TOV+ missions during bonus exp events in my guild on Bristlebane. I'm sure others do the same.

Thanks all for your insights and comments

Are you saying it wasn't officially labeled as the "Newbie Server"? I seem to remember that label on server select. Aside from it being a genuinely new server to start with, it continually served to attract new players because of the label.