The EQ2 Time-Locked Server Discussion Thread

Nostalgia breh

I have played EQ1 and later EQ2 since launch and really got my money's worth over the years. While I have taken breaks at times to play other MMO's, none have come close to the enjoyment that both of the EQ games have provided me. I recently started following EQ1 again with the release of the new TLP servers and despite a few flaws that have more to do with present-day gamer trends and play styles, I think you guys did great to bring back that "at the beginning" feeling for EQ1.

That said, there are far too many changes and limitations that have been made to EQ2 over the years to bring back that feeling in EQ2. You can ignore some of the things like removal of class progression hierarchy (ex: scout->predator->ranger), but having no Isle starting zone, no suburb racial zones (ex: Willowood), post-revamped Qeynos/Freeport graphics, very few city quests compared to launch, etc. just makes the game too different and kills the "let's go back and get that first time feeling again".

When you factor in that you are not allowing /claim items (you know, for realism sake), yet you are likely to put the DBG cash shop front-and-center with pay-to-win (P2W) items such as exp potions and such, it just screams money-grab rather than nostalgia.

In my opinion, if you are really hoping to bring back a lot of former subscribers, which, let's be honest, it is the goal (not that it is bad, just being realistic) and you plan to feature the DBG cash shop (marketplace), I suggest skipping over the poor attempt of nostalgia and just launch it for what it is .. a simple progression server. Don't try to hack the game just to give a few players a false sense of nostalgia and just keep it simple (KISS).

I think a lot of players would be interested in going back and playing EQ2 expansion by expansion. I know on AB there are always a few progression guilds running through old world zones so the interest is there. While it worked quite well in EQ1 because the changes to that game's original environments and such were not significant, EQ2 has changed too much since it launched and, as you have stated, there's just no easy way to undo, modify or hack the game to get those things back.

Just keep it simple and launch a general progression server. You can do that with minimal effort and see what kind of interest you get from players. You can always look to do a more classic-feeling (if that is even possible) progression server in the future if the general progression server(s) do quiet well.

No matter what you ultimately do or don't do, I can honestly say I have gotten my money's worth over the years, so thank you for everything!

Isle of Refuge is tied to the earlier class system if I understand you right? But, is Queen's Colony and Overlord's Outpost? Couldn't they be utilized as starter cities?

I think they are literally gone fromt he database. You used to be able to log into characters in the old zones for a few months after they put the new ones in but if you try logging in a character in one of the old zones now. Zone doesn't exist.

Easy-to-Read Timeline Idea:

• Shattered Lands (+Splitpaw, BLC) - Clear raids, 4 Mo. timer
• Desert of Flames - Clear all raids, 6 Mo. timer
• Kingdom of Sky - Clear all raids, 6 Mo. timer
• Echoes of Faydwer (+ Fallen Dynasty) - Clear all raids, 6 Mo. timer
• Rise of Kunark - Clear all raids, 1 Yr. timer*
• The Shadow Oddessy - Clear all raids, 1 Yr. timer*
• Sentinel's Fate - Clear all raids, 1 Yr. timer*
• Destiny of Velious + Age of Discovery [Because this is a content pack] - Clear all raids, 1 Yr timer
• Chains of Eternity - Clear all raids, 1 Yr. timer
• Tears of Veeshan - Clear all raids, 1 Yr. timer
• Altar of Malice (+Rum Cellar) - Clear all raids, and you're kinda done.

* - The ones with stars could potentially be reduced in time after the 1 Yr. Kunark timer, maybe make after RoK a player vote rather an a timer after raid clears?


I want to add on to this post.

The addition of clearing the raids , the original contested and avatars in there various versions needs to be accomplished as well.

Perhaps in addition of needing to have one person on server per class complete all the major quest chains. IE prismatic , claymore etc.

Also :

AA lines need to be released based on expansion . Ie T5 no AA lines where available. The AA lines need to be introduced based on there original expansions.

Removal of Epic Repercussions until its intended expansion and any other major bypass ability or questline.

No server transfers onto new server (no brainer)

Removal of account based loyalty bonus tokens.

Removal of Vet Rewards based on account age. (tons o free mods etc)

Removal of agnostics / dungeon lfg finder.

Weren't the Queen's and Overlords just the good and evil versions of the Isle of Refuge ?

Personally, I think features of an expansion should be voted on too.... especially on the PvP server.

Expansion X will include:

1. ......

2. Flying Mounts

3. AA slider

etc...

Voting results:

1. Yes (87%)

2. No (99%)

3. No (98%)

etc...

Then use these results to locate this 1% and 2% and move them to the PvE server. Dev PvP!

Does this mean no SOGA models? They were a part of The Fallen Dynasty adventure pack.

Also, curious to see what happens with harvesting and crafting? For example, we used to only get 3 attempts of harvesting a node. After three attempts, the node would be gone, regardless of success/fails. Also, the yield per harvest was very different back in the day. And leveling a crafter used to take some legitimate effort (unlike the current system).

I am assuming all zones not present at the games release, will be disabled. This does happen to include some starter cities (Halas, Timorous deep, G-Fay, Neriak & Darklight woods)

When ever the Splitpaw expansion is enabled, it is my opinion that the part which was mass farmed for easy solo EXP should be "fixed".

Based on comments from DBG thus far, I am guessing currencies will auto-convert, and there will be no such thing as weight?


My main concern - Itemization (post revamp)
I have seen some glaring discrepancies in various tiers of loot, and any zone happening to be in the "golden path" having gear far more powerful than alternatives. Also handcrafted gear now blows original handcrafted gear out of the water...

I have also seen some raid loot from various old expansions no better (or even worse) than solo quested gear, because it got missed by the sweep. If this has not been rectified since I last ran through any of that content, it will cause serious problems for the servers viability and longevity. If it has been fixed, awesome.

Also, the amount of crit bonus, potency and combat stats on lower level gear... A group of six may very well be more powerful (comparably) than a kitted out 24 man raid back in the day. The gear revamp was just... ugh. Full of fail and then some. It would not surprise me if the legacy of that total cluster**** will be the biggest challenge the progression servers face.


Edit to end on a positive note - Thank you DBG for taking a crack at this. I am seriously considering having a go when it comes out. I hope any issues with itemization and encounter difficulty are easy to resolve, to give us a game play experience that is within the same ballpark as back in the day.

Well, sort of, but they were revamped (to a degree) after the change to class advancements, so I thought mebbe it would be more workable.

It's not a nostalgia server.

Thanks for doing this. Here is my wishlist.

1. Have a minimum of 3 months between unlocking the next expansion. Including other objectives it fine but I'd really like a minimum of 3 months. The reason for this is I want my 'work' to have a period of benefit. If I do the armor questline it would be nice for the armor to be 'beneficial' for a period of time.

2. Remove fast travel options from the Marketplace for that server.

3. If possible, disable AA XP and have a linear progression of AA points with adv/ts level.

4. Increase the number of 'roaming' EPIC mobs in zones. Add a bit of danger to overland adventuring.

5. I also agree with increasing mob difficulty. Maybe a 25% increase in mob health and dmg. It should be a little too hard to solo at level.

Yeah, I get that. It's not a nostalgia server. But...and I say this with the enthusiasm of someone who wants it to work. I wish it were. I have been involved in a couple different progression guilds. Where we made these rules and self-monitored. No AA's. Turing off vet experience bonuses. Not allowing us to use marketplace items. We set criteria for advancement. Rules about levels etc etc. Only using crafted items. Not twinking.
Nothing worked. We still rolled over the content. Nostalgia would be the biggest draw for me, so not having the option (and I understand totally it's not malicious decision but a practical one) to get that feel would make it a tougher sell for me.

SOGA was not added as a feature to a certain expansion or AP. it was released along side the Japanese version of EQ2. It's purely cosmetic to the viewer so there is no sense in removing it. I am well aware of being in the minority but (yes I started at launch) I much, MUCH prefer SOGA to original with a few exceptions (Dark elf female for one).

Need to have to leave a character logged in to sell on the market place

I hope they have the new models because I really can't stand the original ones. I don't think that's such a big deal since it's an option only the player themselves can see.

Pretty sure soga rolled out with Fallen Dynasty because that whole adventure pack was developed by their Taiwan studio.

I am also wondering how group curing will work?

Back in the first few expansions, a healers group cures did not cure all types of effects, only some, and it varied from one healer to the next. To give an example (my memory may be off, it has been a long time), is the Templar group cure worked for Trauma + Arcane, while the Inq group cure worked for Nox + Elemental?

You seem to remember it differently to me. After this many years, I can't claim complete certainty, but as per below...

That is how I remember it, that they were made by the Asian studio that made The Fallen Dynasty adventure pack. If the models were not released at the launch of TFD, they were released not long after (because the main EQ2 team thought the models that the Asian version got, looked awesome).

Either way, SOGA/Alternate models did not exist until (or after) the release of The Fallen Dynasty. If we want to do progression game play style, I believe SOGA models should be introduced at the relevant time, not before.

Overland zones should be locked behind level/quest restrictions as they once were. You couldn't just go to zek or enchanted lands without either doing the boat quest or leveling beyond a certain level, which was higher than the boat quest difficulty.

For me it would just be nice to go through expansions like desert of flames or kingdom of sky or even as far as echoes of fay at original attainable level gear an aa. I enjoyed everything so much back then when you strugled to find that new piece that a plus four to a key stat. Anyway just my thoughts on it.