WHAT IF? What if instead or in parallel of progression servers we had “expansion servers”? For “All Access” members only, access to create characters on expansion only servers. Maybe even up to a new status of membership to foot the bill and make such a venture worth while? Meaning, the Classic server would only have pre-Kunark content. Kunark would only have pre-Velious content. To whatever extent such a thing wouldn’t break the game. Etc etc etc. Anyone could start a character at any time on any of these servers or transfer into the next expansion once they have experienced the content they wanted. Caveat could be that players can’t transfer until max level and that players from regular servers can’t transfer in unless they are at or under the level cap of the current expansion and any gear/items etc that they have on them that isn’t available on that expansion server would be deleted, or transfer in naked with a upgrade similar to what is done to boost minimum characters to the new expansion released content, leaving them with only tradeskill gear close to their level etc. Transfers wouldn’t be available for six months to allow for starting population to complete raid content first. Point? Some folks like or liked specific expansions or never got to experience raids on them. Might bring back a lot of folks or give current folks an opportunity to see content they never saw. Once Kunark opens on Ragefire and Lockjaw, might be a good time to release “Classic” and “Kunark” only servers. Just a thought. Ragefire has really brought back a lot of folks. There is definitely that edge of "Who can raid or kill this or that mob first", the competition is there, which will lead to opening new expansions, but for the casual player or someone that liked a particular expansion more than another, it will leave them in the same place the regular servers do.
Because it spreads out the population to the point where there is no one to play with. What is the point in the classic only server when 95% of the population has moved on? No one will stay in the old expansions, they could do that on any TLP server. Any TLP Guild could decided to just stop at PoP, but they don't, they move with the crowd because that is where the grouping is. The majority would move with the crowd because they felt compelled to and you would be left with a hand full of stragglers clinging to dead servers.
What I have suggested is keep both Ragefire and Lockjaw CLASSIC ONLY. Once Kunark is ready to be open, it will be open in a NEW SERVER and players in both Ragefire and Lockjaw may transfer in (FREE) to continue on with the Progression. That new server will be the official TLP server - assuming, at that time, population overall has decreased and 1 server can handle everyone that came from Ragefire and Lockjaw. Maintaining Ragefire and Lockjaw in CLASSIC only will allow casuals to also experience raid content hopefully. https://forums.daybreakgames.com/eq...-lockjaw-to-merge-when-the-time-comes.222658/ See this thread for details and suggestions on how to handle Player Names, Guild Names, influx of rare gears and how to minimize/mitigated items coming into Server 3. How to weaken or slow RMT'ers and Top guilds from perma-camping on Ragefire/Lockjaw from going into Server 3. Thus they giving up and Casuals can now enjoy Classic Ragefire/Lockjaw before finally being gear ready to move onto Kunark Expansion. Eventually, Ragefire/Lockjaw will be shut down. Probably when Server #3 opens up the next expansion.
If any server were to be made, I'd like them to actually make a classic server. Get with P99 and get the code for the game that is missing. Create a server separate from the others that you can make changes on without changing the other others. I'd be all over that. ((No, I have no interest in going to P99 and leaving EQ. First, it's been going on for too long and I don't want to start there when people are already begging for Velious and maxed out. Two, I have a thing against emulators until the actual product is no longer available. I stick to the official servers.))
Why create a THIRD server? How about the community get off their butts and make a "halt' in progression happen at say PoP/LDoN? So many people clamour that they would sacrifice a child for a PoP locked server (but adding LDoN would be nice). Why not organize all the guilds that aren't planning on steamrolling content, get people up to the level to be able to vote, and get as many to vote NO each time the vote comes to move paste PoP/LDoN? After a while, the botters will get tired of it and move on, as there will be no new content to steamroll. Voting needs to be restricted to once per account, if it is not already. The casuals outnumber the hardcores by a large margin, and it would take all of them to buy dozens of accounts to generate a competing vote, unless casual players do nothing to stop them.
