Noobs report in!

[Estu]

I was reading the Plane of Mischief thread and the following two comments struck me:

"I LOVED PoM. Was my home for a long time, unfortunately I think it'll be kinda sucky on P99 now that everyone knows the deal."

"almost all the player base here knows the secrets of most of the game...or at least, is highly familiar with them."

Really? Everyone knows the deal? Almost everyone knows the secrets of most of the game? Let me paint you a little picture. I played EQ for a couple of years starting when I was in 8th grade and ending in 10th or so. When I joined, either Kunark was out or Velious was. I enjoyed the game a lot, but I had severe altitis; I kept wanting to try every race and every class to the point that I never got a character past the teens or so. I think my highest level character on EQ was a 20 monk. When Planes of Power came out I became disillusioned by the easy teleporting between zones and all the tradeskill stuff being available in one place, and although I did a little instancing with LDoN on my monk, ultimately I decided EQ had jumped the shark and I quit. I play WoW for a while and although I have some altitis I actually end up getting some characters to high levels, and one or two to 70, or whatever the max level was during Wrath of the Lich King. Then I become bored with the game and quit it for good.

Cut to about a month ago when I'm browsing 4chan, as I do, and I see a thread about a private classic EQ server. I've seen these threads before from time to time, and though I've salivated extensively, I've just been led to some website saying that the thing is still in development or they are waiting for approval from Sony or some such garbage. So imagine my surprise when I'm reading the 'getting started' guide for P99 and it looks like it's legit and it works! I load everything up, I start playing, and this nostalgic old game that I was worried I might not like because of the flaws I remember about it, thinking maybe I just had nostalgia goggles about it, that my older and more refined gaming sensibilities would now have distaste for it - this game is still an excellent play! Life is good.

But from the beginning until now? Still a newbie! No experience with post-level-20 EverQuest. I can tell you all about starting up your tradeskills, about how you should keep your bat wings and snake eggs and snake scales but sell/trash your bat fur and snake fangs - but Plane of Mischief? My sum total of knowledge about Plane of Mischief is that it's some high level zone that maybe you need a wizard to teleport you to that has Bristlebane, the god of thieves, in it, and I've seen screenshots and I think his character model looks pretty cool. Now I'm wondering if I'm the only person like this out there, or if there's a sizable number of us and nobody seems to be aware of it! Hence this poll.

By the way: I realized just after making this poll that people who have played official EQ but only reached 50 on an emulator might not know where to put their vote. I'd put your vote in the second option.

[Tiggles]

I think the MASS majority of this server has post 20 experience.

[Harmonicdeth]

I am like that... to a certain extent. I played at release, but I didn't play in all the zones that are classic. Kunark is where I am mostly familiar with, I did it all, except raid Gorenaire. Had my epics on my ranger, had Kanors done inside and out, Seb inside and out, cept Trakakanon. VP I never touched either, though I did it in EQ2, which from what I hear aside from updated graphics is pretty damn close to the real thing.

Velious I did ToV, Kael, the 10th ring raid, and my fav zone of all time that I remember well and cant wait for, Velks lab....

I am enjoying the classic experience so far, because I don't remember leveling up my toons that well, and I don't remember all the lower level dungeons.

Have fun, of course to the hardcores all these PoM, PoG will be easy to them, but the few of us that were too young, or too stoned, will have lots of fun.

[Arclanz]

Joined Brell Serilis server July 25, 1999 which is shortly after its launch. Was among the first to get 50; and either the first or ALMOST the first paladin to get full valorium. The second Paladin, I think, to get soulfire. Played Kunark for a few months; quit at 55 and made cameos ever since.

[Seritaph]

I've leveled an enchanter past 50, but the only raid type action I've seen is Vox and Sathir. So there's still plenty out there for me to see and do. Not sure if I have the time to invest for raiding, but we'll see. Even if not, I'm still enjoying myself immensely. So far I'm finding this a great recreation with a equally great community.

[Jarnauga]

played on live for a year and quit shortly after the release of luclin.. i didn't have a computer at home, played at a relative who was moving..

long story short, my highest was a 47 war who never really raid, had also a shamy in his 30's.. loved the game, but couldn't play as i would :'(

when i heard about this server, i instantly installed the titanium client and made a shamy.. happiness.

[Lagaidh]

I got to L70 in OoW.

When the cap was raised to 75, that's when I quit. I logged in a few more times and farted around. I thought I'd made it to 73, but I think that's wrong. I think I dinged 71, sighed, and never logged back in.

I didn't reach 50 until a few months into Kunark. I didn't reach 60 until Luclin.

I'm hoping I can reach 50 before Kunark this time. I dinged 5 last night =) I even bought my first magic weapon!

I'm loving it all so, so, so much!

[Savok]

Where are the 'I still play' options?

[Estu]

Right, Savok, somehow slipped my mind. Just go with the 'I used to play' ones.

[Lagaidh]

Where are the 'I still play' options?

Man really?

This is interesting to me. Could you explain how you feel about live at this time? Do you own all the expansions and play actively in new content, or do you just kick around in what strikes your fancy?

I'm not riding you or anything, just curious about the perspective of a player who cares enough to join the p99 community (which seems to me chock full of those of us who adore the original experience) but still plays live.

Could you elaborate on some of these questions if I've made any sense at all? I know I haven't logged in since 2007 at least, and that was a cameo really.

I think I'm still logged out in Veksar. Wish I could xfer my AoN here, hehe.

[tj218]

I think the highest I got between 1999-2001 was level 38. Biggest reason was I played on Vallon Zek, so I devoted a large percentage of my time to hunting other players. I had a Dark Elf Rogue, and a Wood Elf Rouge...if someone on the Elf team irritated me, I made it a mission to hunt them with the Darkie, and vice-versa. Ooooo how I loved sneaking up to a meditating caster and backstabbing. "Oh noes!"

I'm already level 29 in under a month on this server (and not hard-core playing either).....and I am starting to miss the variety that PvP allowed. It really opened the game up IMO.

[Tealia]

I had real life step in a few times (mostly just college semesters would start) so i'd play for a while and then leave and then come back with months long gaps. I quit shortly after Luclin was released.

I never made it to every Plane. I think i was only in Hate and Fear ever. I killed Gorenaire (got to bard kite her to OOM :) ) but I never got Nagafen or Vox. I think I got to try Nagafen once, but I forget what happened. I raided in Velious mostly and had a bunch of that gear. I think I wore a Vindicator BP when I quit from that one Giants zone, which I can't recall the name of. Was that in Velious or Kunark? I remember getting lost in kunark jungles around the old sebilis area.

I had a 52 druid on a pvp server pre and post kunark, retired her, and then a 60 bard on a pve server when 60 was still the max. I might've had 10aa points when i quit. I did have my epic. There were very few high level bards. I recall about 5-8 on the server. People were often shocked i could keep 4 mobs mezzed if they knew we could do that at all. Shrug. I was pissed I never got the mask that would make me a gnome. I always wanted to go deep into The Hole and never got to. I never got to see sleeper's tomb or whatever it was called. Booooo.

Anyway I know nothing about the other planes. I actually know quite little about a lot of the stuff that was "big" during my layoffs. I have little memory of ever fighting in Highhold even before expansions.

Some of you might know everything, but I know that I never spent days scouring for secrets on websites or talking to people about them. I just play and experience it mostly.

Tealia - 16 Gnome Enchanter - No idea what gear to get since I've never played an INT caster :)

[YendorLootmonkey]

I always wanted to go deep into The Hole and never got to.

Much like many of us here.

Oh, you're talking about the EQ zone.

[Lazortag]

I was a ridiculous noob back in the day (played a Dark Elf SK and leveled it to about 27 in the space of almost two years of playing). I play a Bard now but I think the fact that I knew so little about it going in has actually benefited me, because I can never whine about how the class doesn't meet my classic expectations, because I never played one before. This means that I make the best of what I have rather than rerolling at 27 like some morons when they find out that swarm kiting is bugged.

I stopped around Luclin because the game was really just too much for my crappy internet at the time, plus my parents were too poor to afford it.

[Estu]

Bumping this thread for fresh votes and to point out that 20% of respondents thus far had never reached 50.

[Noleafclover]

Everyone does know everything, if they have a desire to. The knowledge is floating around on the internet - are you upset that you're a newbie w/ respect to the Totemic quests? Check allas. Raid strat? google it, or ask your guildies who have.

That's more what is meant by "everyone knows everything." Most of the knowledge is confirmable with ease, and someone surely knows so if you want to know something you can.

[RKromwell]

While I hit 50 more than once, my highest level character was 56 or 57. Can't remember now.

[Elissa]

Got to level 54 at max, but had numerous alts 30 and 40+. Shoulda focused on one :( Started playing in beta, quit just before Kunark was released. Started up again right after Velious came out. Excited for kunark since it feels like brand new stuff to me :)

[Sareil]

I quit at 66 (only because I was max xp 65 when OoW came out) and 100 or so AAs. It's strange, I did a lot of classic: bb, cb, sola, guk, hhk, oot, all kinds of weird classic spots. May not seem like a lot but I started right after pop came out and quit basically after OoW came out, so that much classic was odd I think for the time. But i did almost no kunark and only really kited wyvs in velious (wizard). I raided NToV once I think and that goddamn statue probably a hundred times, and then it was to luclin and VT and then I think my guild (Verocitus:Maelin Starpyre) got about halfway through PoP before I packed it in when the cap got raised to 70. I loved the amazingly intricate PoP raids, but OoW and more leveling for the sake of leveling bored me. So, I am extremely excited about classic because I got to see almost none of it.

[Holey]

I quit at 66 (only because I was max xp 65 when OoW came out) and 100 or so AAs. It's strange, I did a lot of classic: bb, cb, sola, guk, hhk, oot, all kinds of weird classic spots. May not seem like a lot but I started right after pop came out and quit basically after OoW came out, so that much classic was odd I think for the time. But i did almost no kunark and only really kited wyvs in velious (wizard). I raided NToV once I think and that goddamn statue probably a hundred times, and then it was to luclin and VT and then I think my guild (Verocitus:Maelin Starpyre) got about halfway through PoP before I packed it in when the cap got raised to 70. I loved the amazingly intricate PoP raids, but OoW and more leveling for the sake of leveling bored me. So, I am extremely excited about classic because I got to see almost none of it.

to bad you wont see any of it :/

[Aetherial]

Rejoined in 08 after a break from 04-08... went from 62 to 73, got a whack of cash and about 1300 AA's

I did that all solo (ranger headshot FTW!).

So, I still have no idea what the Plane of Mischief is...

and, unlike Yendor, I am NOT playing a ranger again this time :) (although I will sorely miss tracking).

[Tallenn]

I envy you in a way, the things you are going to see and discover over the next few months.

I started in January 2000, and re-rolled when the Luclin server was released, about 1-2 months before Kunark. I was only 14-15 when Kunark was released, and didn't have a character reach 50 until well into Kunark, or 60 until well into Luclin. I played until shortly before Gates of Discord came out.

There is a LOT I haven't seen or done, even in classic EQ. I've killed Vox (once), but never tried Nagafen. I've done Hate and Fear many times, but Sky only once. I've been in on kills on all the Kunark dragons (not counting Veeshan's Peak), but only a handful of times. I did get an epic weapon on two of my characters, a cleric and a druid, but the druid one I finished solo just last year at level 64, with a mercenary. I've gotten the VP key once, but never been in the zone, and I've been in Sleeper's a couple of times, but only after the Sleeper had been awakened. Finally, I've been in Mischief, but it was already old news at the time (sometime during Luclin, I think).

[Fanon_EMarr]

Played a whole lot of Live -- 1999 'til early 2007 or so. I wish I could remember what level I got Fanon to on live. Magelo says 74, but I think that was just the last time I updated it.

I actually only went to Mischief once or twice, long after it was relevant to my content level. I did just about everything else in content-appropriate gear though, from Fear/Hate/Sky all the way on up to the endgame for whatever expansion came out after Omens of War (my favorite of the "modern" EQ expansions).

As far as I'm concerned, it goes:
1) Velious
2) Planes of Power
3) Kunark
4) Omens
...
10) Everything else.

[hedbonker]

Before SOE put a drake at the zone-in to POM in nToV, we had a guild mage load up his monk, flop drag the dead mage up to the POM house, rez it with a rez stick and then CoH guildies up so we could XP in POM. He would also offer to CoH anyone up there for a fee and he did pretty well cash wise doing that...

As for classic - Killed Naggy MANY times - there was an open raid on him on Saturdays on my old server (if he was up). Killed Vox like 2X. The only classic content I never did was I never XPed in uGuk. As a guild leader for 3 different guilds over the course of a few years, I got to do every single class epic 1.0 many many times and 2.0 about half as many times. I cannot count the number of times that I camped the stupid monk epic pipe in Chardok at the bridge. The horror...

[Fanon_EMarr]

As for classic - Killed Naggy MANY times - there was an open raid on him on Saturdays on my old server (if he was up). Killed Vox like 2X. The only classic content I never did was I never XPed in uGuk. As a guild leader for 3 different guilds over the course of a few years, I got to do every single class epic 1.0 many many times and 2.0 about half as many times. I cannot count the number of times that I camped the stupid monk epic pipe in Chardok at the bridge. The horror...

Did you ever have the pleasure of camping the SolB for the Cleric epic? On my live server, it was heavily contested and you pretty much needed a presence there 24/7 and enough people on call to get the kill.

One of the most mind-numbing (yet rewarding) camps I ever did.

[hedbonker]

Since I played a cleric and was the GL and defacto class leader, I cannot count the number of times that I camped SolB waiting on the filthy human to spawn - As well as making the poor cleric in question wait for the final ragefire to pop - Multiple 24 hr shifts for that garbage. Good times...

[Aetherial]

Did you ever have the pleasure of camping the SolB for the Cleric epic? On my live server, it was heavily contested and you pretty much needed a presence there 24/7 and enough people on call to get the kill.

One of the most mind-numbing (yet rewarding) camps I ever did.

Oh my God,

You just reminded me of Stormfeather.
I literally stay up for 37 hours, but I finally got my eyepatch of plunder.

If Proj1999 gets to Vellious, I bet Stormfeather will be camped for 2 years straight.

[wldmn13]

I never got past level 24 and quit before kunark.