Endless Re-roll syndrome?

[Tethyr]

Was just curious if anyone else ever had the same problem on live or in p1999: the inability to commit to a character for the long term. Even now on p1999 I can never get a character past level 20-25 because I inevitably end up deciding I want to try something else or come up with some reason why I shouldn't continue with the character I've been playing.

[Grimfan]

35 is currently the level I get bored of playing by myself and stop to make a new toon generally, not sure why.

[rollin5k]

its because after that point you stop making big gains unless you put alot of time in

[Sarajo]

35 is currently the level I get bored of playing by myself and stop to make a new toon generally, not sure why.

That's so weird; in classic through PoP, once I got to level 34, I'd always reroll or make it to 60. Those were the only 2 possibilities.
I think because 30 was such a hell level and after the 30s the group situation gets really weird... you found out who your real friends were, and your real friends found out what they were made of.

OP: Yes, that's why I didn't even let myself have a forum account until I had a first "main" that I was committed to getting to 60. I had to find something that matched, on some level, all of the criteria for being a first good main.
-Can solo if necessary
-useful to any group
-not stuck running at normal speed everywhere

Or something like that. So I went with bard at the end. But it was so bad before then that I needed more than one account to hold all of my alts.

[NextGenesis88]

Well, it IS fun to play many characters. Depends on what your goals are or if you have any. If not then it really doesn't matter and as long as you are having fun then that is what matters. I personally don't feel that I need to rush to 60 so I think that explains why I had no issues choosing a Troll Shadowknight. I will get there, but main goal for him was to at least get to 30-35 for Velious.

In my case I have SO many slots filled with characters. Some just to have a name reserved and some which were just spontaneous to just get in and go through some early levels on a time where I just felt like going casual and taking it easy. Or some I just made because I know if I play this class then this is the race/class combo that I would want so when I get there I can just log right in.

But these main 3 I have are levels 30 troll/sk, 22 gnome/wiz, 17 elf bard. so if I put all the time from every single character I played into my main I would probably be at least level 50 I think.

[BahamutDF]

For whatever reason EQ seems to encourage the worst alt-fever I've ever had in any MMO.

[NextGenesis88]

Maybe they need to do a study on this disease.

[Tethyr]

I've finally found a character I *think* I might actually stick with this time, of course there are tons of them on p1999 right now (enchanter). My highest was actually on here and not on live: I played a mage to 34 before retiring him. On live I got my ranger up to 30 but ended up retiring him because it was impossible to get a group since the hate for rangers was so high at the time.

[Marglar]

if you can stick it out and get a little higher your plat earning potential goes up quite a bit - if it's important for you to have well equipped alts.. well, that goes a long ways :)

[myriverse]

For whatever reason EQ seems to encourage the worst alt-fever I've ever had in any MMO.
Nooo. Until P99, I only ever really had two EQ characters. Each character took way too much time and energy. City of Heroes is what turned me into an altaholic.

[Sarajo]

Nooo. Until P99, I only ever really had two EQ characters. Each character took way too much time and energy. City of Heroes is what turned me into an altaholic.

Not me. Even on FV, where we could only have one, I had to go and pay the extra $15 a month to get myself an alt. EQ might have started that for me because I
1) Don't do well at sitting around waiting for the possibility of finding someone to fill a slot
2) Want to just be able to fill whatever slot it is. Need a tank? Okay I'll log on my tank. DPS? Cool I'll jump on my rogue.

City of Heroes? Well that was just a fashion trap. There was no way for most to stick to one character when you had billions (trillions?) of customization options.

[Champion_Standing]

I wouldn't call it a syndrome, I roll alts to have fun.. I have a 20+ everything with decent gear at this point. I think the horrid state the end game was in for so long kept me from wanting to make the push to 60 with anymore characters.

[Coolname]

my opinion;

1) 1-45 you meet less hardcore players, i.e the possibility to make gaming friends gets easier if you avoid soloing in this range.

2) Relative power of twinks, 1-45 your twinks are a powerhouse and the game can feel more fun and fast paced for some.

3) Slow speed of endgame, this was previously referenced by Sarajo, why spend 2 hours LFG with your main when in that same time frame an alt could gain 1-2 levels (or more)

4) Endgame seems to be more of a business of farming,raiding ect. At 60 many players/guilds view other players as direct competition. This could lead to burnout.

5) Dealing with guilds on P99 is a chore, once your 60 your motivation to play your primary could quickly fade if not guilded, however at the same time applying to established guilds can be more trouble than its worth.

[webrunner5]

My hangup with alts is I LOVE equipping them. It is a blast for me sitting in the tunnel finding this or that for them. And moving things I already have around to make the stats work.

I have 16 alts alone on here. Had like 12 on EQmac, 14 on Sleeper server, like 34 on live, and 14 on EQ live Test. I have a HELL of a lot of them. But I have been playing EQ non stop since 2000. And am retired now so have WAY too much time on my hands.
This is a damn additive game for sure. :eek::eek:

[Twainz]

Instead of leveling my 55 ench or 53 cleric or 42 rogue, I made another alt =/. I feel your pain.

[August]

I have a 60 enc, 50 sham, 40 sk, 35 mnk, and 11 nec.

I don't even log on my ENC anymore - what's the point, really?

I think the problem, which modern MMOs try to alleviate, is 'what do you do at level 60'.

If you are a non gear dependent class, you pretty much have no real reason to play at 60 on this server. Yes, you can raid, but for what - gear? What do you need gear for? To raid more?

It's the whole treadmill cycle. Modern MMOs lose out because they've devalued the journey to 60. It only exists to get you to their end-game-badge-farming mania so you can be at the tip-top of that rotating sheet of plastic. I first realized this when WoW turned their ratings from percentages (+1% crit to 21 crit rating) to ratings that scaled back percentage inversely with level. So, I gained 10 levels, and my crit got worse - awesome. Now my time was spent trying to get back to the same crit level that I originally enjoyed.

In EQ, the journey to 60 is literally everything, because the end game is just so shitty. Timer-based, non-instanced, trivial (with today's knowledge) mobs that provide better loot for..... ??? what purpose. You're already doing the hardest things in game - the best thing you can hope for is some droppable gear to twink out a toon.

Which leads me to the altoholic syndrome. I have a 60 enc that I farmed sweet gear with, so I could enjoy leveling on another class. Leveling on another class.

Now I have enough money that I can comfortably equip up to 3 toons at a time, which is why I have a 50 shm, a 35 mnk, and a 11 nec. They all represent different areas of leveling in Classic+RoK, so I tend to hop on whichever one has the right level of enjoyment to fit my mood for the day.

[mnemonikos82]

I started when the server had just come out and played to 18 on my bard and then took a 3 year break. When I came back I wanted to start over and my necro was born... he is stuck at level 18. Now I'm playing a monk I geared with money from the necro (farmed bronze from bandits) and am immensely enjoying it. He's 24 now.

I have plans for a ranger and an iksar of some sort. The way I'm doing it is I only want to level (until level 46 or 50) in the old world, Odus, Fadywer, Antonica. My Iksar will be next and I will level him mostly in Kunark only (I'm thinking maybe Sk, but not sure). My ranger is hard to say. Moral of the story is that I want to get my monk to high enough level to raid and then I will enjoy my other alts more.

[Ganjar]

I am stuck in the 50's, it gets comfortable to play at that level but not as something... I blame the mind control!I'm currently playing a gnome warrior!

[Swish]

I am stuck in the 50's, it gets comfortable to play at that level but not as something... I blame the mind control!I'm currently playing a gnome warrior!

Still haven't managed a 60 on this server...though I'm getting close, a 57 and two 56's!

I agree the end game XP'ing gets boring/annoying. Had way more fun leveling in MM, Unrest, etc. Rolled an iksar SK and having fun with that at the moment when the Sebilis grind gets too boring.

[Clark]

its because after that point you stop making big gains unless you put alot of time in

[dbouya]

with so many years before velious it makes sense. with free accounts it makes sense. p99 is even worse for alt-itis than live probably ever was? another thing.... different classes are very different to play... it's not a matter of other mmos where warriors and rogues have mana and nukes and are basically just themed mages :-p

I think a good mmo breads alt-itis because alts are DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES you want to have. not just pointless slogs of the same shit over again like in some mmos.

[joppykid]

I absolutley hate leveling in all mmo's but I still seem to have managed 4 characters 46+. Trying to finally focus and hit 60 on my monk lol.

I did sac my monk from 54 to 46 in order to help me focus on one toon. Worst decision ever, he is now almost 57 lol. Would be be 60 or pretty damn close if I never sacced him haha. Sloppay was in a bad place. I told him no!

[Vexenu]

My hangup with alts is I LOVE equipping them. It is a blast for me sitting in the tunnel finding this or that for them. And moving things I already have around to make the stats work.


This gets me as well, and I'm not sure why. Researching a new class on the wiki/forums, doing a min/max value analysis on the gear it will need, then doing the scanvenger hunt thing and questing/farming/buying until you have a decently equipped twink, etc... I find the whole process strangely engaging. I've done this for almost every class at this point. It's a sickness!

[Vlak]

This gets me as well, and I'm not sure why. Researching a new class on the wiki/forums, doing a min/max value analysis on the gear it will need, then doing the scanvenger hunt thing and questing/farming/buying until you have a decently equipped twink, etc... I find the whole process strangely engaging. I've done this for almost every class at this point. It's a sickness!

This

[Locust]

I have a 60 enc, 50 sham, 40 sk, 35 mnk, and 11 nec.

I don't even log on my ENC anymore - what's the point, really?

I think the problem, which modern MMOs try to alleviate, is 'what do you do at level 60'.

If you are a non gear dependent class, you pretty much have no real reason to play at 60 on this server. Yes, you can raid, but for what - gear? What do you need gear for? To raid more?


EQ has always been about making your own challenge. If you have a 60 enchanter, practice soloing/duoing nameds in HS south, sebilis crypt, etc. If charm soloing isn't something you're familiar with you can start in lower guk. Take some inspiration from Loraen's solo artist challenge. There is a world of magic wonders and magical treasures out there waiting to be plucked by your magical fingers. Parking an enchanter at 60 is a shame.

[Nuggets]

This thread actually turned out something nice. Honestly questioning my recent EQ playtime. Especially the past month or so since the raid re-format. Batphone, poopsock, grinding the last few levels to 60... All for sock fights, trivial zerges, and most of the time, nothing. Highlight of the month was farming resist gear.

Taking a step back,
Fun > Pixels

Disclaimer: This was a personal reflection, and by no means Trolling the end game losers with absolutely no lives. There are plenty of other threads for that.

[August]

EQ has always been about making your own challenge. If you have a 60 enchanter, practice soloing/duoing nameds in HS south, sebilis crypt, etc. If charm soloing isn't something you're familiar with you can start in lower guk. Take some inspiration from Loraen's solo artist challenge. There is a world of magic wonders and magical treasures out there waiting to be plucked by your magical fingers. Parking an enchanter at 60 is a shame.

How do you think I made money to gear out my 3 alts?

That was my point. I made a 60 enc. I went and camped high value loots in HS / seb, sold them, bought myself a couple fungis, t-staffs, jbb, shaman epic mq, etc. etc. etc.

I just don't have a need for cash anymore.

[Locust]

Quote: "I think the problem, which modern MMOs try to alleviate, is 'what do you do at level 60'."

Quote: "That was my point. I made a 60 enc. I went and camped high value loots in HS / seb, sold them, bought myself a couple fungis, t-staffs, jbb, shaman epic mq, etc. etc. etc."

So your point is there's nothing to do at 60, once you're done farming loot?

Farming loot is one of the things you can do at 60.

The implication when you said there's no point to logging in your 60 because there's nothing to do, is that you haven't done anything.

There are challenging things to do at 60..

If your goals are trivialized by having cash then it sounds like you beat the game.

[mnemonikos82]

I spent my career on live (and I say career because I truly treated it like a job) at max level. I went from 1-60 in Velious era right before Luclin was launched and except for the few days after a new expansion I was never below max level. Raiding ever increasing targets is the point of being max level. Farming for me is something I do when I'm bored and want to fund alts.

It's easy right now to skip progression if you join a major raiding guild, that's why I like being in Knights of Ni because they're just starting fresh raiding the Hole and SOME planes. Eventually (hopefully I'll be raid worthy by then) we'll progress to Naggy/Vox, and then to CT Gods and then dragons of Kunark and so forth. You can't access that level of game play and progression without being max level. Eventually level 46 isn't going to cut it and you're going to be left behind.

There's no experience in any game I've every played that has come close to the feeling of exhilaration when your guild takes down a target for the first time after weeks or months of failing and then doing it again and again till you're ready to try to next target. That's why I like Pop so much, the progression was fantastic on raid targets.

[August]

Quote: "I think the problem, which modern MMOs try to alleviate, is 'what do you do at level 60'."

Quote: "That was my point. I made a 60 enc. I went and camped high value loots in HS / seb, sold them, bought myself a couple fungis, t-staffs, jbb, shaman epic mq, etc. etc. etc."

So your point is there's nothing to do at 60, once you're done farming loot?

Farming loot is one of the things you can do at 60.

The implication when you said there's no point to logging in your 60 because there's nothing to do, is that you haven't done anything.

There are challenging things to do at 60..

If your goals are trivialized by having cash then it sounds like you beat the game.

Obviously hit a sour note with you. I am very familiar with charm-soloing - I have been playing enchanter for over a decade now. I personally don't find the game very rewarding to play by myself. There are much harder, solo-player games out there than classic everquest.

I absolutely love leveling an enchanter. I love being in a group and saving us from a wipe. I love charming and providing more dps than the rogue.

Once I'm 60, there's no point to group like this, except to gain more cash from item drops. I can do it 'for fun', as well, but it ends up just being KC + Seb + HS always.

For me, my enjoyment comes from leveling in this game. Being OP as a monk or shaman, makes leveling more fun for me. Thus, I had a great time leveling my enchanter, got bored at 60, farmed several 100kpp, and made a bunch of alts to level on.

I'm sorry that you feel like I'm wasting my 60 enc. Honestly, if they hadn't banned account trading, I would have traded it away. I was in talks with someone right as they announced the ban, so it sits unused.

[Danth]

August and Locust are both correct within the framework of their own points of view. Both have valid opinions--theirs is a difference of preference, not of fact. I understand how it can feel like 60 is "game over" if you don't want to raid, but at the same time I also understand that for some folks hitting 60 simply means having one less thing to worry about.

The bottom line is that you have to play the game in a way that suits you as a player. If you want to dedicate to one character and push the limits of what you can do with it, do so. If you'd rather spread your time around half a dozen level 20 alts, then go for it. The only time you're "wrong" is if you find yourself spending weeks or months doing something you don't enjoy.

Danth

[August]

August and Locust are both correct within the framework of their own points of view. Both have valid opinions--theirs is a difference of preference, not of fact. I understand how it can feel like 60 is "game over" if you don't want to raid, but at the same time I also understand that for some folks hitting 60 simply means having one less thing to worry about.

The bottom line is that you have to play the game in a way that suits you as a player. If you want to dedicate to one character and push the limits of what you can do with it, do so. If you'd rather spread your time around half a dozen level 20 alts, then go for it. The only time you're "wrong" is if you find yourself spending weeks or months doing something you don't enjoy.

Danth

Agreed. Probably also affected by the fact that when RoK/Classic were out, my max level was 34. I only got into raiding at Velious end (think very end), Luclin, and PoP. My raiding nostalgia is from those periods, not this one. I've also had enough of raiding on Fippy/Sleeper from this era to last me another decade.