Classic Start with LDoN Adventures All Classes Available* All Raid Loot is no Trade Raid Currency system expanded backwards with a Raid Currency Vendor in main hub zone of each expansion. Progression XP 08 weeks Classic + LDoN** 12 weeks Kunark 08 Weeks Velious 08 weeks Luclin 12 weeks Planes of Power + LoY 08 weeks Gates of Discord 08 weeks OoW 04 weeks DoN 08 Weeks DoDH 04 weeks PoR 12 weeks TSS 08 weeks TBS 10 weeks SoD 10 weeks HoT 10 Weeks UF 12/8 schedule thereafter *Beastlords & Berserkers start at a LDoN camp which will have trainers & spell/ability merchants for them, once their respective expansion unlocks these are removed. Barbarians - EverFrost Dwarves - Butcherblock Ogres - South Ro Trolls - South Ro **Level 51+ Adventures & gear are unlocked with Kunark/Velious. Level 61+ adventures & gear unlock with PoP as do LDoN Raids.
they wouldn't even need to go this far; just enable the trainers/vendors already in the home cities and enable the class (by switching both's requirements to classic.) They won't because 1) this would effect all servers and 2) they don't want to. I beat this horse for so long even I gave up. Only so many times you can be told "Its not that we can't, we just don't wan to". No comment on the rest.
IMHO, saying it's all because "they don't want to" is disingenuous. There is a design philosophy which has been in place since the very first TLP, which is a strong desire to re-create the original experience as closely as possible. Because TLPs share a common codebase with live servers, we get certain modernizations on the TLP side because it's too much development work to try and revert. A few QoL improvements have been left in because they don't affect balance and they enhance player retention. Beyond that, the concept is, if it was in the game at the beginning, leave it in now, and if it wasn't in the game in the beginning, it comes into play at the same time it did in-era. I personally like this approach a lot, and I have always felt that the pool of players constantly demanding these major changes (in this case adding the B classes at server launch) are in the distinct minority.
My point was that it isn't a technical problem; its their design choice. Those classes in their eyes are a part of those expansions features. BTW, saying "recreate the classic experience as close as possible" is really bullsh*t, as they keep creeping in QOL stuff. (xtarget window anyone? click from bags? all leadership AA's autogranted to all, origin?, etc etc) In any case, the real reason is they don't want to do it. Take that however you want but its not a hard task, or has any technical basis for the decision. You may not like those words (though I don't know why?) but its the simple truth. They could do it, but don't want to (for various reasons). I wish they would do it, but they won't. It doesn't even seem open to debate with them but I hope more people keep trying. ME? I gave up.
When it comes to moving these classes up, there is a technical basis. They have to revisit both itemization and model art, and that takes time and $. How much, exactly, I have no way of knowing. To win the argument, you have to persuade the decision-makers that the demand justifies the cost. And there is a cost, which is why I said what I said before. It doesn't help your cause that this forum has filled itself with all sorts of fringe elements each demanding major design changes (often contradictory), and there is now precious little forum activity discussing actual gameplay.
I've said as much myself multiple times, but on a server not aiming to be a "Standard TLP" I think "outside the box ideas" should be given some thought. LDoN is an expansion that has 1-65 content, throwing that in with Classic has a lot of potential, with a bit of time-gating it opens up a much more interesting Classic period & I think it is a wholly suitable companion expansion to Classic & then no longer prevents GoD arriving immediately after PoP.
Umm what are you talking about? both classes are fully itemized from classic forward. Even have Plane of Fear, Kunark, and Velious armor sets. (Ignore the higher level sets w/ the same names in those search links) Its literally just changing the xpac the vendors, trainers, and classes are tied to. That's it. (Last reply to this. And only for the sake of whomever might pick the drum up after me). As for gauging demand? That's hard to do on a forum that ban's polls of any kind... ya know Not that this would even be accurate, they'd have to do an in-game poll for any real sense of the playerbase. And they won't.
I don't see them ever enabling classes on a TLP server that can't do things such as get their epic at the time they are unlocked due to the epic being locked in the expansion the class comes from.
There are ways they could address this if they applied some of that "Vaniki creativity" to something players would actually like to see and have been asking for. If such a server were to launch, I'd play a berserker and I'd happily not have access to my epic. Never done it on past TLPs (because it's pointless at that point), why start now?
Berserker: Velious (Stonebrunt Mountains) Beastlord: Luclin (about all of it) I don't know too many who would pass up being able to start as their preferred class, and not have to hit the reset button at luclin or worse, gates. Anyways I guess if they made SM part of Kunark and ... well they could just let beastlords do the ranger epic and be rewarded their claws as they're basically copies anyways. Laziest epic ever.. at least the claws look cool
With all this going on, what it really sounds like is, some people want a Live server, but locked behind expansion zones. Live xp rates, all of Live QoL including mercs so that the casuals can keep up when they can't find a group. Might as well throw in LDoN in there, coz it will get more use during these times then normally. <2box with 2 mercs is all you need.> Quick unlocks. 4 weeks Classic 6 weeks Kunark 8 weeks Velious 8 weeks Luclin 12 weeks PoK/LoY From there the norm of 8/12 for expansion unlocks. All current Tradeskills unlocked. All we can do is give them suggestions, which we have multiple times. It is up to them to take those ideas and see what they can/want to do with them. DPG is playing a smart game this time around with TLPs. Yes, they could use alittle help with something of a carrot on the stick. But, not breaking up current TLPs that are healthy could be a win in the long run. What people should realize is that we need to get new blood into the game. More and more you are hearing of players who just retired IRL, and want to enjoy the game and see it through to Live. Which means the player base is getting old and hate to say it, going to die off. To keep this game going, what is needed is a push of young blood. Now I am sure DPG would love to hear ideas about that. How can we get new players to come to the game? Anyone want to talk about that......?......'Nah we play forumquest to flame others.' /extinguisher loaded and ready for the fire.
They addressed it by unlocking all expansions up to GoD and doing a level cap instead. Also need to remember just because you don't care about the epic doesn't mean that everyone else feels the same way.
We're talking about a new game in the franchise to get new blood in. Outside of superficial things like dated graphics, I don't see how the game experience would appeal to younger audiences that favor games with higher APM, expect more interesting mechanics on boss/raid fights, expect to be able to get content done solo, expect a robust LFG tool with little downtime, expect a well balanced PVP experience, etc. EQ1 can't compete for modern audiences, but a new entry in the franchise could if it offered a more modern experience. That may have the effect of people checking out the original, with the modern game giving them a reason to. This idea of new blood for EQ though, yeah good luck with that.
If this is what players want though there's nothing stopping them from doing this on a Live server, or even test. Just set some parameters for your guild to follow and go do it. There have been plenty of guilds through the years that have cropped up to do this.
I don't think that's the issue at all or if it is then it's a very minor concern, it's classes being considered expansion content that holds sway with the devs.
I agree, in current form it is outdated. And people I have ran with have all stated if we could even just get a relaunch of EQ1 with graphics like New World. It would be a hit. Change up the game play alittle so it's not a button mashing, but more of an even flow game.
Well they just released a TLP with all classes available at launch that also has it setup so that they can complete their epics. Seems to me that part of the reason for the setup was to let people play those classes at launch.
I'm skeptical that a reskin would solve all of the core gameplay issues that prevent new players from picking up and sticking with EQ. If/when Pantheon comes out that would be a good test of whether EQ style gameplay is still relevant for current audiences.
Vaniki isn't a TLP, it's a challenge server. You can start with these classes, IFF you agree to these weird changes to core game mechanics. Doesn't satisfy my itch for a classic berserker start. Remove the -10 level cap and the changes to spells, gear, etc, and yes, it would be a step in the right direction.
