You're building a "custom content" server...

[Morningbreath]

Just to narrow the focus of the discussion to something somewhat feasible for an unpaid dev team, pick the choice below that you would MOST want to play in. The main goal is to preserve the overall gameplay style of classic Everquest but with some new things added to the mix.

-Class revisions/spell changes

-New zones

-Mob AI/behavior

-New Quests

-New Loot/item effects

-Tradeskills

If it was me I'd go with Class revisions/spell changes.

-Wizard damage spells would be reworked from the ground up with some ability cues from the enchanter and rogue.
-Warriors would have a temporary self-haste ability as well as a broader array of combat skills
-Druids get Spirit of Cobra, a strength-based-on-level poison DD proc buff
-Rangers would have access to a completely viable Archery ability at all levels, some spells transferred to magic arrow effects
-Mages could summon a healing pet(gasp!!)--moderate heals of course nothing close to CH
-Clerics would have self-ports to most dungeons
-Bards would have Bind Affinity
-Rogues would have trainable access to all playable race illusions/faction adjust
-Necros could reanimate fallen players temporarily
-Shaman could bestow Spirit Walk on fallen players
-Monks would be able to craft self-only bandages and pull from longer range
-Shadowknights would have a much better and lower level Life Tap proc buff
-Paladin would have a Increase Healing Effect self-buff
-Enchanter slow would be changed to Spell Slow ONLY, with higher percentage returns starting at lower levels

[Swish]

I was trying hard not to post it, really I tried...but...wheres the pvp option??

<3

[Swish]

That aside, you've got some very good creative ideas :)

[Tann]

I was trying hard not to post it, really I tried...but...wheres the pvp option??

<3

sadly EQ wasn't designed for pvp so that would be too big a stretch even for a fictitious thread..

http://i.imgur.com/sKQ7Kdk.gif

j/k <3

[titanshub]

New playable race: Gungans.

You're Welcome.

[newagemystic]

of all the things to do with a Bard, Bind Affinity?

[Aalderon Crystafire]

of all the things to do with a Bard, Bind Affinity?
Agreed. Boo.

Give us MemBlur and Feign Death.

MemBlur..

Paladin = part cleric = has Rez
Bard = part enchanter = ...give me MemBlur

Feign Death..

Rogues would have trainable access to all playable race illusions/faction adjust

We already have access to the best faction adjustment I'm going to invoke the "Acting" clause on the race illusions and say for Bard again. :D

Bard...song, dance, acting... acting, faking death.... = Feign Death.

[kasghost]

I'd like to see a rework of POP where ZI and ZO are to and from EC tunnel. Following similar flagging that was required for this expansion zones would be level restricted where nightmare were geared towards levels 10-15. Mobs and encounters would be geared towards these levels and all encounters are only available to the appropriate level ranges. A pass would be given to those already above the required level with the exception of time where all proper flags are required with no option to back flag. To keep things open for more players only a few players previously flagged for an encounter would be allowed to repeat the encounter. Additionally once a player engages in an encounter beyond their first they would be locked out for at least the next 4 possible encounters. Add to this no binding in zones and if you camp out you are ported back to POK. This prevents, in theory, guilds from monopolizing content.

Would surely need some tweeking but could make for a fun time for players with everyone given the chance to play.

Just my 2cp

[Vrez ZVyx]

The fact that is wasn't built for PvP is what makes it good for PvP. The gear disparity sucks, but aside from that the PvP is very good.

[Borak]

The bards in this thread fail.

The 'custom' content that bards need, is a few AE songs from later expansions, it makes no sense that you can't feel the effects of a bard singing 10 feet away from you but not in a group. If the devs don't want resist songs to be AE for mob tuning reasons, fine. But at the very least, bring in the AE mana song. It is totally in character, for newbies to follow a bard singing cantata. There should always be a group of lowbies in the EC tunnel around that nice guy singing AE cantata. That should have been 'classic' from day one.

[Piercesyu]

Just add Planes of Power zones, without Plane of Knowledge and with the proper zone connections that should have been there on release.

Plane of Nightmare entrance inside the temple in the fire ring of plane of fear.

Plane of Disease entrance on 2nd floor of plane of hate.

Plane of Storm entrance on 8th island of plane of sky.

Plane of Justice entrance ?

And then 2nd tier zones inside the 1st tier zones and so on.

No extra levels, no AAs, just the new gear with level required 60.

To be honest I probably read that zone connection pattern somewhere here, still the best idea I can come up.

That and server wide resets every week, or two weeks, or montly.. At euro times. =)

[Hakun]

Just add Planes of Power zones, without Plane of Knowledge and with the proper zone connections that should have been there on release.

Plane of Nightmare entrance inside the temple in the fire ring of plane of fear.

Plane of Disease entrance on 2nd floor of plane of hate.

Plane of Storm entrance on 8th island of plane of sky.

Plane of Justice entrance ?

And then 2nd tier zones inside the 1st tier zones and so on.

No extra levels, no AAs, just the new gear with level required 60.

To be honest I probably read that zone connection pattern somewhere here, still the best idea I can come up.

That and server wide resets every week, or two weeks, or montly.. At euro times. =)

+1

There are probably a lot well designed zones/encounters from future expansions that could be appended to the existing world, Ssra temple for instance comes to mind.

[indiscriminate_hater]

bring back the compass

[Pyrion]

Plane of justice entrance should be in Halas, where the tribunal is worshipped.

[Getsmurfed]

Bards already have memblur, just have to be good with controlling attack and on a target that is calmed (by yourself or someone else).

[am0n]

Luclin.

(Or at least all the balancing features introduced in Luclin)

[Gaunja]

I wouldn't mind seeing those newbie armor quests implemented. If it was a new server of course. I always thought they were neat, and gave you a reason to stick around your starter city and do quests worth doing.

http://everquest.allakhazam.com/db/quest.html?quest=1679

[Daldaen]

Or just add Plane of Tranquility, Plane of Knowledge and all of Luclin/PoP, as those were EQ's highest rated and best expansions $$$.

[maskedmelon]

I would like to see race/class restrictions removed because artificial limitations like that are just plain boring. Ideally, restrictions would remain effective via faction, trainer locations, etc.

For example, a player could roll a dark elf shaman, but they would need to travel to grobb or oggok to train and purchase spells. Conversely a player rolling a high elf me romanced would bed to travel and likely faction for admittance to the Akanon necro guild. Gnome monks would need to travel to and gain favor with the monasteries in either Qeynos or Freeport and so on.

Additionally, while any non-traditional combinations would start outside their home cities as outcasts,the more egregious combinations such as the high elf necro would likely start KOS to their homes.

[myriverse]

More baking recipes than you can possibly imagine. And 50 types of cheese.

[douglas1999]

Plane of justice entrance should be in Halas, where the tribunal is worshipped.

It would be awesome as a newbie barbarian in Everfrost killing polar bears to see a raid force run past on their way to PoJ. Seeing groups of other players on their way to do stuff was always so mesmerizing to me for some reason.

[Aalderon Crystafire]

Bards already have memblur, just have to be good with controlling attack and on a target that is calmed (by yourself or someone else).

No? We have a "Decrease Hate." None of our songs have "MemBlur" effect - that is, erasing and resetting aggro from a mob that is already aggro'd.

Must be misunderstanding each other.

[Tann]

Or just add Plane of Tranquility, Plane of Knowledge and all of Luclin/PoP, as those were EQ's highest rated and best expansions $$$.

#Nilbogplease

[pogs4ever]

Put an elusive sea monster in lake rathe

[anonymous666]

Put an elusive sea monster in lake rathe

[khanable]

Put an elusive sea monster in lake rathe

winner

[Vrez ZVyx]

I would change nothing in EQ. P1999 is doing it right... thought I think the servers should have a limited lifespan.

[SNIPERS]

The fact that is wasn't built for PvP is what makes it good for PvP. The gear disparity sucks, but aside from that the PvP is very good.

You only use about 25% of your spellbook on blue and about 75% of your spellbook on red, so i'd like to think it's designed for pvp.

[Xaanka]

You're building a "custom content" server...
and nobody will play it

[Troxx]

Give bards double attack, our luclin songs, our singing/instrument mastery, and fading memories.

Ah hell just give bards luclin crap and we'd be gold.


Aoe resists and chorus. Yum.
Mastery aa. Yum
Fading memories. Yum.
Some mana regen. Yum.

[AxerJ]

I would like to see race/class restrictions removed because artificial limitations like that are just plain boring. Ideally, restrictions would remain effective via faction, trainer locations, etc.

For example, a player could roll a dark elf shaman, but they would need to travel to grobb or oggok to train and purchase spells. Conversely a player rolling a high elf me romanced would bed to travel and likely faction for admittance to the Akanon necro guild. Gnome monks would need to travel to and gain favor with the monasteries in either Qeynos or Freeport and so on.

Additionally, while any non-traditional combinations would start outside their home cities as outcasts,the more egregious combinations such as the high elf necro would likely start KOS to their homes.

Sweet ideas!

[talian21]

Just add Planes of Power zones, without Plane of Knowledge and with the proper zone connections that should have been there on release.

Plane of Nightmare entrance inside the temple in the fire ring of plane of fear.

Plane of Disease entrance on 2nd floor of plane of hate.

Plane of Storm entrance on 8th island of plane of sky.

Plane of Justice entrance -Everfrost Peaks a la Feerrott -> PoFear

And then 2nd tier zones inside the 1st tier zones and so on.

Surefall Glade zone, because western antonica desperately needs a port-in.

Yea I modified it. Sue me. :)

for an unpaid dev team, leveraging already existing, but currently unused assets is pretty obviously the way to go, so +1 here. While overall the quality of expacs declined after velious, and declined significantly after PoP, there were many good ideas/zones/quests/etc that could be cherry-picked, and leave the rest out. Fighting gods on their own plane has been a winner idea since PoFear/Hate, but PoK was just giving up on boats, and ruined many aspects of immersion such as the entire concept of geography, etc.

There are also many things that need adjusting that will make ppl complain, but still should be done:

1.) /asbestos_on, some bazaar-like place (that doesn't require you to stay logged in, eating bandwidth) like NPC vendors that you "sell(trader)" the item to (where the sell button says Trade, or Consign or something instead of Sell), you put in price to sell, etc. and then the NPC deducts 10% of the plat when sold. This would also help fight mudflation by removing some plat from the economy. (that's also less plat available to RMT) It'll need a time/space limit, to stop ppl from just dumping everything they find (upfront fee, perhaps? there's a better idea in there somewhere), and to appease the EC ppl who will of course complain that this will Ruin Everything(tm), you could put these vendors in the large room in EC tunnel and you are *done*, with nothing more than a handful of modified NPC vendors. Tunnelquest if you enjoy, (but not be forced to) or, stop in, "sell off" (/trader off, hehe) and get the heck out. It's not tunnelquesting that bugs many, it's having no other option, and while tunnelquesting can be fun and social, sometimes you just wanna put your crap up for sale and log off b/c the family/RL is waiting on you or whatnot.

2.) As far as gameplay adjustments, one thing I think should be done is finally closing the entirely-too-popular NPC inventory bug that allows exploits such as multi-questing nodrop items and recharging items by selling 2 and buying them back. In theory, closing MQ is fixing an exploit that bypasses the nodrop tag (and it is), and in practicality it will stop a domino effect of plat farming starting with the guy that farms say, an important epic piece, not only blocking the gameplay of other players (important), but also forcing that next player to *also* begin farming to pay for that epic piece (in this example), so he also stops questing, xp'ing, not available to heal for a group, etc. We'll call it the platfarming domino effect, and I'll make bumper stickers for the cause. :) It'll also lessen the pressure/opportunity for RMT obviously. lotta crying at first, esp among the wealthy, but the p99 dev team has never blinked at changes that make users scream temporarily (compass,map, color con'd target box, pet xp, etc). I'd *so* rather see "/ooc monk pipe rotting p550 n1452 lemme know if you need a hand gettin here." than "/ooc monk pipe MQ 30K and my guild has this spawn locked, so GL gettin it any other way. u mad bro?"


3.) Another easy to poke at, but useful change would be the addition of a *few* "fixer" AA's:

Let me be very *very* clear about this provocative issue of AA's:

I am not saying 9 out of 10 aa's should never see the light of day; I am saying 19 out of 20 aa's should never see the light of day.

At some point, to make it look like they were doing more than they (soe devs) were, and to not have to back off/admit wrong on some hotly contested points, the devs began using aa's as a vehicle for bugfixes, and character deficit-reductions that should have always been there. While runspeed3 should never be seen on p99 for example, b/c it trivializes 99% of the danger of the game (pfft, you can just outrun it now /shrug entire zones), /pet discipline was a bugfix making a pet do what you told it to do. Those mere *handful* fixing something should see the light of day on p99, and the other 95%, never.

-----------

IMO, where the brain cycles of the devs should go, is the brilliant integration of the existing material already in a Titanium install, that is currently not used. In the time *ONE* single zone could be made from scratch, from textures to quests to items, to mobs, *dozens* of zones, hundreds of quests, and a thousand pieces of gear/quest/tradeskill items that are already beta'd, released, and already distributed to our hard drive installs, could be implemented. We have what, 22 expacs installed, and are currently using 2. If you even consider a tiny fraction of things that came later, worthy, the current p99 "world" could be easily tripled (or more) in size by stuff chosen with a "Best of EQ" mentality. Already there, sittin on our hard drives, right now, just waiting...

gah, I gotta stop, I could rant this troll thread for days. I'll prolly be back lol.

[Troxx]

I dunno, I think the first round of aa's released with Luclin really helped round out and complete many of the classes.

[azeth]

I dunno, I think the first round of aa's released with Luclin really helped round out and complete many of the classes.

ah runspeed 3 <3

[Monty405]

You're building a "custom content" server...
and nobody will play it

It may get about the same pop as red 99.

[HallyVee]

EverQuest Changes

-Force Grouping
I'd change most items to No Trade. Eliminate twinking. I need you playing a vulnerable character in my dungeon sweating as hard as I am. I don't want you prodigiously inhaling my mobs.

-Currency
Substantially reduce the zeroes after currency amounts. There is absolutely no reason to have four levels of value if only two are ever relevant. Make level 60 characters gasp in shock when looting an item worth 50 platinum. Make level 10 characters scrape and save to bank 1 silver. (An adjustment to coin weight may be needed).

-Bottlenecks
If a particular zone is often fully occupied, add more content. Model some more tunnels, add some more packs of mobs, whatever. If a particular camp is generally taken, perhaps due to loot or experience quality, add another of similar value elsewhere (and adjust difficulty correspondingly).

-Muddy Textures
Upgrade many of the ground textures. Walls, trees, buildings, and similar generally look just fine, but so many of the ground textures are egregiously bad. Squeeze a few extra pixels in there.

-Cracked Staff of Hacks
Reduce the value of Cracked Staves by half and add around 4 to the delay. They are too good on both fronts.

-Server Throb
Fix the server tick adjustment visible in HP regeneration. It is weird.

[Pokesan]

EverQuest Changes

-Force Grouping
I'd change most items to No Trade. Eliminate twinking. I need you playing a vulnerable character in my dungeon sweating as hard as I am. I don't want you prodigiously inhaling my mobs.

-Currency
Substantially reduce the zeroes after currency amounts. There is absolutely no reason to have four levels of value if only two are ever relevant. Make level 60 characters gasp in shock when looting an item worth 50 platinum. Make level 10 characters scrape and save to bank 1 silver. (An adjustment to coin weight may be needed).

-Bottlenecks
If a particular zone is often fully occupied, add more content. Model some more tunnels, add some more packs of mobs, whatever. If a particular camp is generally taken, perhaps due to loot or experience quality, add another of similar value elsewhere (and adjust difficulty correspondingly).

-Muddy Textures
Upgrade many of the ground textures. Walls, trees, buildings, and similar generally look just fine, but so many of the ground textures are egregiously bad. Squeeze a few extra pixels in there.

-Cracked Staff of Hacks
Reduce the value of Cracked Staves by half and add around 4 to the delay. They are too good on both fronts.

-Server Throb
Fix the server tick adjustment visible in HP regeneration. It is weird.

that's a moron opinion are you a moron you have to tell me if you're a moron thats the law :D

[HallyVee]

Id have to disagree and say im rather clever. Although my short term memory is rather standard, i must admit.

[azeth]

-Bottlenecks
If a particular zone is often fully occupied, add more content. Model some more tunnels, add some more packs of mobs, whatever. If a particular camp is generally taken, perhaps due to loot or experience quality, add another of similar value elsewhere (and adjust difficulty correspondingly)

This would be really cool.

[Secrets]

Custom content ideas:

-AOE Cone Spells. EQ is distinctly missing rangers being able to expel an AOE cone of arrows or a wizard blasting with an AOE snare of frost on a short cast time.
-Channeled Spells - Long DoT spells with different effects. For example, Necromancers could siphon life, enchanters could siphon mana over time. Ticks for channeled spells would be once per second. Could be interrupted with duck.
-Sentinel-style spells that provide AOE benefits/detriments to the group when triggered. Example, a rogue/ranger can plant tradeskilled traps for NPCs to trigger.

[talian21]

-Force Grouping
Please never, ever do this. EQ2 did this, as do many shit mmo's. Sandbox you get to choose.

I'd change most items to No Trade. Eliminate twinking.
Good idea; bad application. many better ways to do this. one way would be to make the *magic* of an item bind to a soul. anyone can wear it, sure, but the magic (stats) bind to a player. simple to implement too.

I need you playing a vulnerable character in my dungeon sweating as hard as I am. I don't want you prodigiously inhaling my mobs.
frankly agree.

-Currency
Substantially reduce the zeroes after currency amounts.
again, good idea, bad application. since the beginning of mmo'd (post-mud) there has been the problem of money and items "filling up" a server, b/c they endlessly spawn, but are never destroyed. (DeathTraps in the old muds helped with this). More things need to cost money, like repairing armor/weapons, perhaps a "locker system" where yo u can rent a chest, or whatnot temporarily. forget drop n swamp, forget the shared bank slot, make it part of the game, not part of the game mechanics. and have, for say 10 plat, you get a RNG generated combo to a chest/locker/whatever for one game day (72 minutes) to exchange stuff/money. solves 2 problems at once, by making something ppl ask for, simply an in-game service, that aksi extracts plat from the economy every time it's used. many things could be done this way. to remove plat/items. Like making many research/tradeskill components, be made by extracting the magic(stats) from existing items, (destroying the item, even on fail).

-Bottlenecks
If a particular zone is often fully occupied, add more content.
again, good idea, bad implementation. changing maps is a lotta work, and adding mobs is unnecesary work. This can be solved by simply adjusting ZEM's to something more common sense. You *do* remember that 8 out of 10 zones in EQ sit completely empty most of the time, while certain high-ZEM zones have people waiting on lists, right? there are other ways other than (much needed) ZEM adjustment, that don't involve changing the world (lotta work)

-Muddy Textures
Good idea, already done. in the old trilogy client are the high res texture you seek. which are also downloadable from :
http://p99.yourfirefly.com/downloads/highres_s3d.zip
256x256 textures instead of the 32x32 ones. Sony downgraded the textures when they started downloading clients, to save themselves money.

-Server Throb
completely agree, as a caster, catching the tick is a nightmare here.

If you wanna add some custom content, how about some player-owned housing? Return of the guildhall wouldn't suck either. They don't OP players, upset game balance and player LOVE THEM. :)


I'm gonna turn my post into a living document, and start copy/pasting every good idea I see, into it. Wanna see what happens. :)

[Soandso]

I always thought it would be cool that when you reach a high level instead of mobs just not aggroing you, that they would run away. I know this would be hard to implement with the potential for griefing lowbies trying to kill mobs but it never made sense to me that mobs that wouldnt attack you would just stand there and let you pass. At least make them go ring an alarm or something lel.

[jcr4990]

-Server Throb
Fix the server tick adjustment visible in HP regeneration. It is weird.
Omg I'd kill to see this fixed. Server tick is so screwed up and annoying.

[astuce999]

To add to your thread I'll link my old thread (over 2 years ago).

Let me know if you think some of those ideas are good, always fun to dream out loud.

http://www.project1999.com/forums/showthread.php?t=105887

Astuce

[Eldon]

animated sex emotes

[Madbad]

I would love the chance to re-distribute mobs and loot, using the p99 guts.

"With the help of a cabal of Necromancers, the Gobins have broken their centuries long curse. Their new leaders order the take over of the Misty Thicket and Rivervale, driving the Halflings to seek refuge in Highkeep."

-All Necromancers (except Iksar) now start in Rivervale.

-Rivervale is now a Super-Evil faction (similar to Iksar) town populated by various necromancer races and goblins living in racial harmony.

-Halflings now start in Highkeep (with Highpass being converted to a Newbie Zone now populated by lower level trash mobs and gnolls)

-Shralok orcs now live in Kithicor, captured as slaves when the Pickclaw Goblin Clan fled Highkeep.

-Runnyeye is now a level 35-50 dungeon, itemized appropriately.


I could keep going, but, really, who is going to read it, LOL.