Green starting areas

[Diogene]

And if the soon to be «*green server*» happens to hit 2k+ at launch, we’ll see crowded starting areas and we’ll be forced to wait in line for spawns at least for a few weeks. The smart way to do this ? Hmmm, crowded kinda means every single starting zones would be mobless anyway and everyone fighting for fractions of xp. So if you were to start green on a crowded server, what would be the smartest area to land lol ? think Qeynos might be the wise choice, newbie zone being quite large, blackburrow, sewers and city catacombs, western karanas, then east and north plains of karana could sustain a fair amount of players, but I can be totally wrong. Im used to think EQ is extremly unbalanced by design, and so are the zones. Well, we’ll see but I cant see myself in gfay or nektulos for some reason, not to talk about Odus.... Also kinda wish this green server could dictate a new commerce hub location, so we wont have to experience that same old east antonica thing again...

[Dolalin]

Look at which races and classes get the massive xp penalties. Their newbie zones will be deserted. Go there if you can.

[Chortles Snort|eS]

DIS IS MY SWAMP

[Thrombosis]

Butcherblock is the best starting area imo, it's big and the newbie mobs are spread out across the whole zone, so difficult for one group of players to monopolise. Nek Forest/West Freeport/East Commonlands will be the pits.

[Nagoya]

The worst is probably going to be Faydwer in general.
The "best" is probably going to be Lulz's Swamp.
Actually, Innothule and Feerrott is usually bad on Blue, but if you are 30 in zone suddenly you can group here and there and it becomes not so bad.
Qeynos hills and blackburrow will be fun but super crowded, every gnoll will drop dead within 2 sec and gnoll fangs will be looted in alpha order within full groups...
Obviously Toxxulia and Nektulos will suck.

But I think the excitation/hype of a brand new server will be fun no matter what. EQ is the journey, not the destination, and it will be cool to compete on a staff-holding decaying skeleton FTE for that sweet Cracked Staff lol.

I think I will start in Everfrost personnally. And it will suck, but it's okay /o/

[Fammaden]

I thought there had been mention of dynamic spawn timers in newbie yards to adjust to overcrowding, but don't think it was mentioned in the announcement.

[Shrubwise]

DIS IS MY SWAMP

[Cen]

I'm going to murder the aquaducts, rip the teeth from mice, get bonus HP and become the king of the alligators. All you crushbone losers stay out of my tunnels or ill send beggar fanatics your way

[BlackBellamy]

The newbie log in Nek can handle 600-700 no prob.

[aaezil]

What are you doing in my swamp? ? ? ?

[soronil]

Also kinda wish this green server could dictate a new commerce hub location, so we wont have to experience that same old east antonica thing again...

Sure, just find another place that has both good and evil banks ~10 minutes away also convenient to ports that has a very large area with minimal mob spawns.

[Jibartik]

On Rallos Zek the trade hub was Kelethin.

I liked it better than EC but EC has obvious advantages.

Bad banks anger me though, just do your NFP faction chores like the rest of us! :)

But kelethin is a inferior hub but that dont stop me from wanting to see it become one again.

[zaneosak]

Do you really think Faydwer will be that bad? I don't disagree but I think BBM is pretty large, GFay is decently large as well, obviously the orcs and Crushbone will be almost unplayable unless you get the camp claimed but once you hit 12 via GFay/BBM/Steamfont you can go to LFay , its dangerous but decent camps (undead/bandits) I guess now that I am typing it out, you are kind of hamstrung.... I think XPing anywhere will be better than sitting waiting for the high ZEM camps though, Steady XP can be gained in regular 75 ZEM with a group of 2+, especially with pet classes like necro mage in the early levels.

I actually bet Qeynos will be the best place to play before having to head for EC. You have Qeynos Hills and all of the Karana's, all the karanas can support a shit ton of people and all have mobs in the 10-20 range and higher in SK. Those karana zones are so damn big where the Faydwer zones are pretty small in comparison, except maybe BBM.

[Benanov]

On Rallos Zek the trade hub was Kelethin.

Or as my guildmates called it, Ghetto Faydark. Full of newb PKs and auction spam. So much butthurt a Preparation H salesman could retire after a month.

It was kind of that way on Firiona Vie too, but for different reasons.

[Aaramis]

Or as my guildmates called it, Ghetto Faydark. Full of newb PKs and auction spam. So much butthurt a Preparation H salesman could retire after a month.

It was kind of that way on Firiona Vie too, but for different reasons.

Which is a shame the Going Postal quests might not be in.
I would happily run those for 5 hours in relative peace and quiet to avoid having to fight over orc spawns.

[Verityn]

I thought I would chime in as someone who played a whole lot of new characters back in the original era from release to Velious. I also heavily played on brand new servers as they opened up. All in all I've probably had this new server green experience about 6 or 7 times if you count the open beta and the more recent TLP servers. There's just something so fun about starting on a new server with everyone and trying to level past the crowds.

Ultimately, Qeynos, Freeport, and gfay have a similar leveling experience from 1 to 10. In gfay you have the high zem Crushbone to balance out with the high population there. Freeport has Befallen which is a much smaller dungeon, but still equally high zem. Qeynos has Blackburrow which doesn't have the best zem, but it does have a lot of easy mobs like the snakes. All 3 areas also have good exp quests for getting 5ish to 10 quickly. This is key because it helps prevent bottlenecks created by the first people to get to around levels 6-8 . The first groups to get into blackburrow and crushbone will find themselves leveling really quickly relatively and will move on faster to leave room for the next groups. Once it's eventually saturated with players those exp quests will keep things moving along better than the starting zones that don't have those quests.

Gfay is always the most crowded by a lot for me. However it has a big zone and things move along quick enough once you start killing orcs and bandits. I've never seen it so bad that you can't even find a level 1 or 2 mob to kill while I have experienced that in Qeynos and Freeport during the first few hours on a new server. You also have butcherblock and steamfont nearby to help at certain levels. As with any of the 3 major starting zones I mentioned you might find that you'll have to log in at off peak hours to make some headway depending on how crowded it gets.

Freeport can be rough. The starting areas are pretty small and it's possible to have to resort to kill stealing just to get any exp at all. Into the commons area there are always predators wondering around and at certain levels you might find it hard to find enough mobs to get exp from while also have a hard time finding a safe place to heal up. Even when those zones are empty it can still be hard to find mobs. However, Freeport is a great place to meet up if you have friends starting elsewhere. It's not too hard to get there for more than half the other races and it's too far even if you wanted to travel all the way to Crushbone.

Qeynos is one my favorites. There are quite a few quests to make things interesting. The nearby zones aren't too large or confusing. Blackburrow has some soloable areas and I find most times even on the first day that the snake pit has no one there. You can make quite a bit of money which is a nice a balance with all of the pennyless animals walking around in the karanas. Those snake fangs and the bandit sash quests will make you plenty of money for all of your spells and armor. The biggest downside though is when it's time to leave and you have to trek through dangerous zones to do so. I've never stayed on that side of the continent past 15 and I often will leave at level 12 to go to ro or unrest. If I'm not a class that can reliably invis then it can be very frustrating to get through highkeep.

[Benanov]

The biggest downside though is when it's time to leave and you have to trek through dangerous zones to do so. I've never stayed on that side of the continent past 15 and I often will leave at level 12 to go to ro or unrest. If I'm not a class that can reliably invis then it can be very frustrating to get through highkeep.

There are 3 routes from Qeynos to Freeport.

QH -> WK -> NK -> EK...

Then first is through Highpass. You need invis to get through Highpass Hold.

The second is through Runnyeye, Misty Thicket, then Rivervale If you're a good race that can't invis, this is your best bet.

Then Kithicor -> WC -> EC -> WFP.

The third is the long way: QH -> WK -> NK -> SK -> Rathetear -> Rathe Mtns -> Feerott -> Innothule -> S Ro -> Oasis -> N Ro -> EFP

[Glenzig]

I would assume that Toxxulia would be fairly empty.

[AbstractVision]

If there is a starting population of 2000, then that is 166 people per race.

If there is a starting population of 4000, then that is 333 people per race.

For zones with 1 race per newbie area, that is 100-300 people.

For zones with 2+ races per newbie area, that is 200-600+ people.

Doesn't matter where you go, you will be fighting over scraps.

[Spock2020]

I'm gonna try sk ogre in feerrott and /or troll shaman in innothule because with the big racial penalties I think its gonna be more manageable. I also think toxxulia wont have much because by experience erudite tend to move to other areas to level.

[Jimjam]

I love Qeynos Aqueducts on new servers :D

[Jibartik]

I love Qeynos Aqueducts on new servers :D

https://i.imgur.com/kmly6Ju.png

"Are ye ready to go adventurer?"

[Maker_Mayhem]

I have a feeling Field of Bone will be the only empty starting zone and MAYBE paineel’s little newbie yard.

[Videri]

I have a feeling Field of Bone will be the only empty starting zone and MAYBE paineel’s little newbie yard.

Ha! Nice one.

[Wenai]

I love Qeynos Aqueducts on new servers :D

I should really learn to navigate this place. The thought of adventuring down there is always terrifying due to me constantly getting lost.

[Deathrydar]

I should really learn to navigate this place. The thought of adventuring down there is always terrifying due to me constantly getting lost.

Yeah, I don't mess with that zone...

[Jibartik]

I should really learn to navigate this place. The thought of adventuring down there is always terrifying due to me constantly getting lost.

Its a pita zone but its not as complicated as it looks on the map lol

[Seungkyu]

Yeah, I don't mess with that zone...

I remember my Paladin newbie getting lost, but I kept an open mind. Cool!
Hidden Treasure?
Secret Quest?

No, my low level ass found myself staring at a Spectre which curb stomped me to re-roll another character.

[Lojik]

I hope tox doesn't have a billion infected rats

[Palemoon]

No mention of misty thicket? I think its a great newb zone

[Jimjam]

I remember my Paladin newbie getting lost, but I kept an open mind. Cool!
Hidden Treasure?
Secret Quest?

No, my low level ass found myself staring at a Spectre which curb stomped me to re-roll another character.

The loot in the dungeon is incredible though. Hp earrings and rings, magic cloth. Thick black cape saves you some gold on buying your own leather shoulders. Quests for an ac/hp neck, 5 charge courage click, a +3 int earring and even a 'boss fight' xp quest for rat slayers!

Highly recommended!

[Videri]

I remember my Paladin newbie getting lost, but I kept an open mind. Cool!
Hidden Treasure?
Secret Quest?

No, my low level ass found myself staring at a Spectre which curb stomped me to re-roll another character.

Lol Seungkyu, as long as you stay away from the Temple of Bertoxxulous, and watch out for the level 9-10 Dread Corpse that sometimes spawns at the northern end, the catacombs are a nice place! There is Cuburt and the quest for a 3int earring (Golden Ear Stud), there are 3 frogloks (of Guk), several cute little drops and quests that Jimjam mentioned...it's a favorite zone of mine.

[Whoop]

Lol Seungkyu, as long as you stay away from the Temple of Bertoxxulous, and watch out for the level 9-10 Dread Corpse that sometimes spawns at the northern end, the catacombs are a nice place! There is Cuburt and the quest for a 3int earring (Golden Ear Stud), there are 3 frogloks (of Guk), several cute little drops and quests that Jimjam mentioned...it's a favorite zone of mine.

Cuburt is a very fast spawn, 30 sec or so. It's going to be the first taste of the shit-storm to come :D

*double thumbs up

[Jimjam]

So is Cubert the remains of a girl that turned into a cube, or just a cube that ate a small child?

[Videri]

So is Cubert the remains of a girl that turned into a cube, or just a cube that ate a small child?

Yeah no, Cuburt is a little villain that is the primary suspect in the disappearance and death of little Lucie Elron.

[Whoop]

Nasty little bugger.

[Tethler]

I'd guess halflings will be the best off as they have 2 newbie zones. Kithicor forest should be in it's pre-Plane of Hate revamp state and just be like a normal newb zone. I never leveled there before the change though, so no idea if it's actually good or not.

[Palemoon]

I'd guess halflings will be the best off as they have 2 newbie zones. Kithicor forest should be in it's pre-Plane of Hate revamp state and just be like a normal newb zone. I never leveled there before the change though, so no idea if it's actually good or not.

I recall it being similar to tox forest. Very low mob density, you had to run around and search for your next noob mob to kill so it was mostly deserted.

[Tethler]

I recall it being similar to tox forest. Very low mob density, you had to run around and search for your next noob mob to kill so it was mostly deserted.

Ahh, same as Nektulos too, heh.

[Fammaden]

I recall it being similar to tox forest. Very low mob density, you had to run around and search for your next noob mob to kill so it was mostly deserted.

Its not as bad as Toxx in that regard, but yeah. I've been screwing around with naked level ones of different races and Misty is worse than I thought. Its got some benefits, like outdoor vendors, but with the probably large amount of people going for halfling xp bonus and/or druids it will likely be a mess trying to find mobs to kill.

Also feels like a wide level range right in the immediate newb yard with low density of level one mobs for your first couple levels...AND seems like a low amount of humanoids or skeletons so less cash/weapons/bags/cloth armor to go around. The quests don't seem great to me either but I'm not too knowledgeable on newbie questing.

Bleh, realized this is about Kith. Not sure but that might be interesting for the halfling starters.

[brussel]

The loot in the dungeon is incredible though. Hp earrings and rings, magic cloth. Thick black cape saves you some gold on buying your own leather shoulders. Quests for an ac/hp neck, 5 charge courage click, a +3 int earring and even a 'boss fight' xp quest for rat slayers!

Highly recommended!

What is the quest for the AC/HP neck?
What is the magical cloth drops?

Are you able to link please? I couldn't find anything.

[bigjeff100]

Man, Steamfont's gotta be my go to joint. Stayed there as long as i could back in the day due to the fear of the unknown outside that zone!! Plus, used to love seeing all the druids hang around killing the watchmen guards!! Used to look up to people in wolf form!!

[Verityn]

What is the quest for the AC/HP neck?
What is the magical cloth drops?

Are you able to link please? I couldn't find anything.


I think he's referring to this quest: http://wiki.project1999.com/Indaria%27s_Doll. It starts with a doll that drops of the sharks which can be level 15 at times.

I've been reading up on all of these Qeynos quests for my start there on green especially the aqueducts quests since I'm going to be a rogue. It really is crazy how many quests there are even if I can't do 75% of them without hurting my rogue faction.

[Ferahgo]

Completed a 'dry run' with a Dwarf and I reached level 6 with a compliment of sharpened weapons and a full set of patchwork/tattered with 15p or so relatively quickly. Granted there wasn't much competition for decaying skeletons but bone chips can go a long way!

The problem is that now I'm in an awkward place where the newbie yard gives no XP or skill ups and giant snakes, scarabs, goblins & skeletons are a roll of the dice to solo in this gear. I guess at this point on green I'd have to start grouping as a melee (which is what I want to do anyhow).

[Jibartik]

I've been reading up on all of these Qeynos quests for my start there on green especially the aqueducts quests since I'm going to be a rogue. It really is crazy how many quests there are even if I can't do 75% of them without hurting my rogue faction.

https://i.imgur.com/kNiqRH3.png

I made this character to practice for green but then I got everything I wanted sans the Runners Ring, so I decided to make a evil necro instead of a druid on green99

I obtained every one of these items with zero buffs and solo 100% :)

Shameless humble brag about my fully decked out classic quest qeynos druid. Though some items are from Misty.

If i was a cleric, I'd have a shield as a cape! (also this druids cape is on another character, its a rat pelt cloak, which is a quest in qeynos! :cool: )

Some of these rewards re stuuuuupid rare lol :o That band of tunare I would atempt to get, but not try to get if I was on green99 and could wear it.

[Barantor]

Rat Pelt Cape is also an item you can get from a simple quest in Kaladim as well, which is nice for those on Faydwer.