Why so few new players?

Or how about: more Tradeskill XP potions!

Not necessarily generic ones (adventuring, AA, TS, etc., etc., etc.), just Tradeskill. Or even something to help with Tinkering, potion-wise! Many's the hairs I've yanked out just trying to get to level 25 there, simply to be able to make Tinkerfest stuff. :-/

Uwk

As a brand new player I agree with the above. I don't mind paying a sub and/or paying a fee for an expac. But, if I do that I want to know I have access to all content, not have to wait for months to have enough SC or break out the wallet again.

Hey Uwk, not sure what you would be looking for in a guild, but we are a very small (just a handful of accounts), level 52 guild, on the GUK server, with a nicely appointed guildhall. We're are mainly solo/duo-ers and are happy for people to just play the way they enjoy. You can message me on here for more if you if you would be interested, or look for me as Enoibia, Ellunia or Ukiria in game.

I'm newish, I was in EQ2 beta and played for a few months at live. Had a Dirge and only just hit the dungeon in Neriak when I moved to other things with my friends. I mean let's face it 2004 was a damn bang up year for MMO's. After the disappointment that was ToA we finally managed to acept things and got our arti's levelled and active in the Frontiers when they started talking about New Frontiers. Then we had the best ever release bar none from City of Heroes which was just mind blowing in killing off the 'holy trinity' we'd learned to know and love while camping in LG Deadside/Liveside and Sol B. But the 'war' was coming with both WoW and EQ2 betas about. Tested em both, WoW cartoons were a let down and it was a simple play but EQ2 was just what we remembered from 5 years previous, depth of narrative and character development only better looking. Even some of the Mithril Warhammers from the Battle of Ro were going to be about. The whole thing even took a little of the sour taste of jedi's out of our mouths for a bit.

At any rate we got em both had my mini diablo but in the end they both got shelved. Damn you Mythic for catas and a slight roleback on ToA crap. So after trying to ignore the fact AoC even existed and loving my time digging in sewers and graveyards about Stormreach I jumped in and out of a lot of games for a while. The CU had me turn my back on SOE for a long time but then in a roundabout way I had been helping Defender keep the bots and aliens and gangs at bay when someone suggested I take a good look at DCUO. Then someone figured they'd buy me a sub for that game as a gift. Tried it but wasn't too big of a fan but it did get me onto the SOE page and I saw PS2 coming. Tried it, loved it, persistant world I could impact on. I'd been beamed up and down and summoned all around but I just couldn't get the dakka dakka dakka of dual bursters out of my head. Then came the silly decision of "our games, our way" with one item up to 2K and the not too long after sudden reversal. So now a gamer can pay one sub and get access to a online persistant FPS, a Superhero game and a fantasy MMO. Sounds more than reasonable to me!

So now I'm back, I'm relatively new even if I am a nine year+ vet according to my account dates but best of all I'm using recruit a friend to get a few more old gamer mates back with me. And my brief time back on these forums trying to make head or tail of a few issues has shown me that at least the CS on these forums are relatively sensible and SOE are actually trying to make things work. So H1Z1 is on the horizon and EQNext is on the way. Things are kind of looking up a bit. We got over the price issues and the furphy on tax and the aussie dollar subs so I'm going to wait and see how SOE manages the introduction of these new titles into the All Access gig going on. Fact is we've come a long way from a few bouts of Tanarus to kill some time during the 'peak hour' Monday night patch nights for EQ*.

I don't think it's all so bleak, All Access is bring a few players back and even promoting more and more crossplay too. As long as SOE continue to give a little to the playerbase I'm happy to spruik their virtues to my gaming mates. EQ Next on the horizon should get a few folks looking at other games available, especially if All Access is going to offer any bonus to EQ Next costs or access. Hell I already have a Landmark beta invite. Guess all we can do is highlight things do change and hope people will be prepared to give SOE the benefit of the doubt Happy agming folks.

Regards,

Coir

* GMT +8 once upon a time we ran EQ Plane raids with a 400+ ping on PC's with less power than a present day mobile

Depending on how user friendly the game got, I may come back, I loved this game for not having a simple structure.

Here is my take on this all. I feel we've been ignored since Luprenza left. Afista is good but she is not able to do all the stuff Luprenza did. The guy who came on can't think of the name came out right from the start saying he was a EQ1 guy and we hear little from him. Gone it seems are the monthly streams like Luprenza did. sad. Gone are the real contests where live SOE folks judged entries...that is also sad. It is now some name generated thing that picks winners. Gone it seems is the dev picks as well....again sad.

But I love this game and will stay with it till it is no longer. I see lots of folks returning...forums are full of such. I just wish they would bring another Luprenza back to the community...one who really cares and bring back all the things she did. Landmark and EQN seem to be getting all the workers these days. But I'm here and will stay here.

I don't mind researching some of the quests, to me it adds to the game. But then again I'm not one of the instant gratification crowd. There is so much to do and see in this game. I have numerous alts and I always find something new. To me this game rocks! Just wish it got the attention it deserves.

I know many love all they give to the ftp folks but it does take away from the game and in the end I feel it will hurt the game. I like how wow does it...play to a certain point for free and if you like it subscribe. Eq2 should follow that model. But that is just me. I love this game. I love all I do in it...and I spend the money to subscribe and love supporting the Player Studio artist that come out with awesome stuff.

I just wish we would get the support and attention from SOE that Luprenza gave us. I got spoiled...now feel ignored.

The quality is not worth a mandatory subscription. Not enough added content/changes/bug fixes to merit it. Plus BG's, groups are slow going. Adding a mandatory subscription would drive away more than attract. I have seen plenty of threads on this forum why we aren't getting new numbers. The current mechanics only cater to a certain mentality of players, which is a minority. If you want to add more players they are going to have to widen the net. That simple.

And advertise...you'd think, with SONY being a "real" company and all, they'd know about that and offer SOE some more official love from the Powers Above the Powers. :-/

Uwk
who doesn't mind the "ftp to level 20 or whatever" option (the main reason I have free accounts is for house visiting, and it doesn't matter what level my toons are there), but also acknowledges that the economy's still not perfect yet :-/