Some simple tips for newer players or first timer TLP'ers

You forgot to add

" Lower your expectations to the lowest possible level."

My expectation in the first month is an endless wave of "I'm an elite endgame raider on P99 and here is some wildly wrong information about basic mechanics, classes, and mob behavior. I will not believe you that all of this was changed over 15 years ago. Also, I'm a crossfit vegan"

You'd be unsurprised at some of the stuff a lot of people on TLPs believe.... like... that charisma actually really really matters on Enchanters lmao.

The /system command from EQ, EQ keybinds, multi keybinds and GINA are your friend when boxing.

Wish they would improve the graphics and include some well needed QoL UI improvements.

Also, expect to see dozens of bots macro farming high interest "camps" that will not hesitate to cause trains or become triggered and spam vulgarities to you if you try to talk to them or DPS race with them.

Protip: Absolutely nobody cares about your P99 track record; for better or for worse.

Find a guild that raids at a time you can attend, and...show up. A small number of guilds are toxic and will fail, but with Agents of Change, many guilds will clear era-appropriate content in era. Even a "family type" guild will often fully clear 1 expansion back each week if they can't do current content for some reason. So there's no reason not to be a "raider". When you get tired of pixels, its the guildmates who keep you logging in. WIthout them, most solo players will move on at some point early.

Don't forget to talk to your local priest of discord to take advantage of free experience on launch.

You mean "/hidecorpse alwaysnpc"

Don't forget to claim your 'free' 500 DB cash each month using the square DB button on your screen. This is only for people on pay to play servers I believe. If you con't claim them every month you lose them. If you do claim them they accumulate.

Each month you will be offered the option of getting 3 XP II pots instead of the 500 cash. This is a much better deal than buying the pots after the fact from the DB store, although when and at what lvl to use the XP pots is open to debate.

If you accumulate the points instead of spending them on pots, the next best purchase, or maybe THE best purchase, is for a Worg mount from the store, takes about 4 months worth of points. It's fast and when you you mount up you get a very nice perma buff that's excellent when at lower levels. These are only available once...what was it, Velius or Luclin unlocks on your TLP.

Don't play a weak class that takes forever to get useful... you'll be passed over by groups and have an unpleasant time. Avoid Rogues, Rangers, Wizards... at all costs on a standard TLP. I've done all 3, and while the classes themselves are enjoyable and blossom later in game...

Playing them the first few months SUCKED.

My experience playing Shaman, Bard, Enchanter, Monk, Cleric, Necro, SK, just for example was VASTLY different and HAPPY!!!

Spare yourself the agony. If you must make those other toons, make them ALTS you can lvl or swap to later.

Alternative to this advice: Join a guild and build a social structure of people who will group with you regardless of meta, because PUGing sucks for any class.

I would disagree and just play whatever. There is always attrition but if everyone and their moth is a Shaman, Bard, Enchanter, Monk... etc unless you are a krono farm, gearing and getting groups is gonna be a pita anyway.

My best advice is play what appeals to you and enjoy it. Be social and always always make your own groups if you can. A lot of people I've met who have struggled or found they weren't getting groups is because they are always LFG but never making the effort to form the groups. So people tend to blame the class.

TL;DR

1. Play what you enjoy and have fun.
2. Take the initiative and make groups if you aren't finding them.
2b. Be social and make friends this is an MMO for a reason. Find a guild even if its just temporarily until you find what you are looking for.
3. Enjoy the ride.

I disagree with your disagreement. The rogue is seriously underwhelming and positional melee and unwanted in xp groups for a long, long (SEVERAL EXPACS) time. A monk out dps's him, and outdoes him in utility, so a group with 2 monks or even 3 is far more wanted than putting a rogue in a group. The best a rogue has is backstab with a cool down, that requires being behind the mob. A monk's every hit is equivalent of a backstab, without a timer or positional limitations.. Hell, even a ranger adds more to a group with snares, small heals, SOW, invis, cures.

I played TLPs on most classes, and unless you already have a dedicated group of friends to GIVE YOU A GROUP SPOT.. it's a MISERABLE first experience to level a new TLP playing a rogue...
It's even HARD as a wizard, but not AS HARD, due to mana inefficiency (compared to a necro who also gets FD and a marvelous pet) and trouble having spells land compared to a mage who also has consistent pet dps and marvelous group utility, with mod rods, malo, and later COH.

Thing is... "play what you want" doesn't translate into fun on a server where it matters if you're playing a wanted class or not. You can be sociable and sweet... but... groups generally want the best bang for their time... and if you play a rogue, they will pick an extra monk, enc, bard, shaman, druid, mage over your toon... because those other classes give them so much more. Now, once the rogue has his epic... it's better but not great. And early new TLP... that's a LONG ways off. And he will sit... for DAYS sometimes, past lvl 30... LFG. I seriously leveled 3 alts to max because my rogue was forever LFG and that's just a bad way to play the game you pay a sub for. If you're playing with friends, you won't have that experience. A good guild? Honestly, a good guild is very competitive and will still stack the A-team groups.

I had a miserable time "early game" playing Rogue, because they SUCK early game.. It was hard playing a Wizard and even Ranger though it was better... I had an AMAZING experience playing enchanter, mage, monk, shaman, bard, cleric, SK..WHY? I was the SAME PERSON! Because WHAT you play matters as to how needed you are, valued for contribution.. OR NOT. I would spare a new guy coming back to the game from having my worst experiences on needlessly weak and undeveloped classes that take several expansions to come into their own.
If any new player wants a rogue, make it a dedicated ALT. Later it will be a BLAST... but early game... do yourself a favor, and give your EQ experience a CHANCE to be a lot of fun, and play something more useful to groups that is WANTED by them, so you aren't spending literal HOURS LFG...

Great new player toons: Shaman, Monk, Enchanter, Bard, Necro... Good new player toons: Druid, Mage, SK, Cleric. Okay toons: Paladin, Warrior. Sorta Sad toons: Wizard, Ranger. VERY SAD PANDA toon: Rogue.

We may believe in playing fair... but honestly, the game is not fair.

Ok.

Super improtant idk if someone mentioned, THIS IS NOT P99

It has been said but find a GUILD of people you like to hang out with. It makes the game much better. Also try Mischief. Easy to catch up on because of the Free trade / Random Loot.

Lots of friendly people on that server.

Aint that the truth

Are zones like Veeshans Peak and Vex Thal raided on the TLP's or are they skipped over because the keys would take too long to farm before a new expansion is released?