Project 1999 - Project 1999 needs to evolve with the players, just a bit

Project 1999 (/forums/index.php)

- Blue Server Chat (/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=17)

Quote:

Originally Posted by theguyy (Post 737449)

Hello I've been playing here off and on for awhile now and really love this server. I do think it has some major issues that actually take away from the original EQ, namely the evolution of players.

I've found that although fun, this server doesn't have alot in common with EQ 1999 due to the extreme learned playerbase.

The newbie population is healthy but once you hit the higher levels melee vanish off the face of norrath with the exception of monks. People know now that casters completely rule this game and as a result parties get less and less balanced with each level.

The majority of every group consists of a pet tanking or a caster manipulating the game in order to bypass the use of any form of trinity. At higher levels paladins, rangers and sk's are all but extinct compared to any spell casting class. This hurts the group game alot as well because casters can also solo very well, making duo's alot more popular then full groups, xp wise.

It just doesn't pay to be melee in EQ and the EQ of today knows this. That's the biggest difference between now and then. All the good melee races have xp penalties, most the melee can't solo, giant gear requirements and worst of all pally/sk/ranger have unwarranted xp penalties.

Now I realize this is all classic stuff here but I believe even EQ99 needs to evolve with the more experienced players, if only a little. I'm proposing a small incentive to play those rarely leveled tanks/hybrids. AKA the xp penalty changed to 10% for pally/sk/ranger. Start with that for a few months then consider other small changes or none at all if it begins to alleviate the issue.

I am actually very happy playing a sk, this is my third sk since 99 and I have never regretted my choice. And I would disagree that a monk or whatever is better, at least in my own eyes. I have a serious exp penalty, but the reward in the end outweighs the work in my opinion. I can solo, tank, pull, cc, snare, off tank, whatever is required in some form or fashion I try to fit the role, and I enjoy it every time I get the chance to be a part of a group :)

A monk can't out tank me, out taunt me, and in some environments I would say a sk is actually a better puller. In some of course, def not all.

Plus I see tons of tanks on hehe, I don't see a exodus of tanks, this server has more ogre warriors then prolly any server on live ever had lol, or it sure feels that way when i see 8 ogre warriors in the same zone hehe. Either way though, my main point is, I love my class and I don't think there will ever be a game that can create a class as unique as the everquest sk. Heck when I quit eq on live, both times, all I did was play games and try to make a char that emulated my sk on everquest, and I always came up short to what eq could offer me with the sk class. So if your an sk, rock on.

I was in KC as my mage. Shout goes out for DPS. I ask if I could bring my ranger to the group. Long silence. I get the response back that the SK in the group doesn't want to group with a ranger for max xp. So I join them for a minute in KC as the mage but leave b/c the mage is 54 and they were fighting mainly at the entrance and were mostly light blue to my mage. I ended up leaving that group as the mage b/c it was shit xp and no loot. But that would of been purfect for the ranger who just needs to level up. Not easy to get a group even in the most populous zone on the server.

In my opinion the sucky thing about Paladins and Rangers is that they are mediocre for XP groups and mediocre for raids. As a Warrior or Rogue, sure your solo ability is limited but you know that if you hit 60 you'll be far more useful on raids than any caster except perhaps a wizard. All of those pimp soloing Enchanters and Shamans get to sit and buff on most raids and do very little.

However Paladins (while vastly underrated group tanks) don't really have a good role on raids. I spent a little time with Divinity and in my opinion one of their better decisions was to have hybrids tank anything they could, which turns out to be more than you think. Obviously hybrids will do better in Fear and Hate with their snap aggro. I remember in VD we usually had Anthrax tank everything but I think other than the actual bosses you'll probably get more mileage out of a hybrid tank.

Rangers unfortunately are just underpowered. A ranger is literally a worse tank, worse dps, and worse puller than a monk. Go blame Aradune.

Shadowknights are just as good as Paladins in group tanks and also have FD (keeps you alive), Harmtouch (great for Kunark mobs with 32k hp), and FD/CoS pulling for raids. So they are a lot more useful in the endgame.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Splorf22 (Post 737801)

Problem is the pros who beat the game as SK's, pallies, and rangers all rolled, bard, necro, sham, ench, mage as their mains, twinked an SK/pal/range hybrid alt and got bored, rolled wars found out what real mitigation was and stuck with it.

Not saying SK/Pal/Ranger isnt good... (and F u splorf ranger can pull U KNOW U watched one pull). And Ironicly (yes yes) frackkin TMo's best pullers (particularly in fear) back in the day were ... rangers ;p snare kiting half the zone. (were clicky snare is really nice in kubark people scoff at it) but you can keep like 20 mobs snared as a ranger with that.

Umm just they are no longer optimal and people who were attracted to them initially found nicer slices of cake... I'm sure theres allot of them out there shelved from 34-55. I think all the hybrids get a little better and funner in velious, at least rangers geat fear for animals and theres plenty of critters 1-55 to level on. But on both servers the mentality is to roll a level 1 with full pre planar BIS and play that way reguardless of class. Back on blue I was giggled at for rolling naked toons ;p

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roth (Post 737644)

Honestly I don't think the exp penalty really matters at all as far as when people decide what they want to play. Maybe I'm just being naive, but to me when I pick a character I consider two things: 1) am I going to enjoy playing this character, and 2) will I be viable at end game. The biggest problem I think with the weak classes is not the exp penalty, it's just that they're generally unappealing. I think for example, any class without bind affinity is not something I'd be interested in playing without a cleric constantly with me. It really limits what you can do in the game. There are a lot of other issues as well, but I think people generally just want to be powerful and useful. There has to be a solid reward for playing a paladin or whatever that makes someone want to make one over something else.

edit: ill further say I think the game would be overall better and more fun if ANY class could bind affinity at level 1, with no restrictions other than the obvious ones like no dungeons, but for obvious reasons that can't happen. It's really hard to say what from classic made the experience more fun/better and what made it worse.

I disagree with this. My first toon was a bard that I leveled to 34. 40% xp penalty pissed me off and made me not as enthusiastic about him. I'm rolling a rogue now specifically because it's the lowest xp penalty melee. It's a fun class, but I'd prefer doing a Pally or even my Bard. Unfortunately xp penalty makes it tough for me to handle (knowing there's better classes that are desirable to groups and faster leveling). And this isn't just me, I know lots of people who are experiencing the same regarding their class choices. In fact, I've seen fights in groups over inviting hybrids. Some people scream and throw a shit-fit over it and don't want them in group etc.

Can't wait until Velious when penalty is gone - waiting until then to roll some fun toons and less group-drama.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Twin (Post 737696)

You guys are playing an emulated version of a game that's practically 15 years old. I'm pretty sure if you go in with the mentality that you need to min/max everything that you couldn't before, you're going to shoot yourself in the foot (enjoyment wise).

I agree completely and haven't be able to put it that succinctly.

I've been flabbergasted at the min maxer here on p99. I've wondered if they were tops back in the day, or weren't and are really trying to compensate here...

I just don't understand why you'd search for something like p99 only to blow through the content as quickly as possible.

I'd also like to say, that I hear more stories of hybrid snubbing on forums and as tales from somebody's "friend" than I've ever experienced on p99.

There were times in live that I sure felt it... namely where we are now- folks used to Kunark with Velious on the way. That's about the time I was so disgusted with how paladins were treated by Sony and other players that I wanted to quit. But I realized something... the real "bad treatment" of my class, what actually affected me, was all of the bitching about paladins/rangers/rogues/wiz/insert class here on boards!

If you just log in to play, you can find something to do. You may progress, you may simply escape for a while. At least every thread I've seen near these topics on p99 has more than one person saying to play what you love.

I'll always love how a paladin interacts with Norrath.

Im Zartron.

And I happily group with hybrids (including rangers).

Ooo feels better to get it out in the open :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lagaidh (Post 737988)

I just don't understand why you'd search for something like p99 only to blow through the content as quickly as possible.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lagaidh (Post 737993)

At least every thread I've seen near these topics on p99 has more than one person saying to play what you love.

So you're going to bring up the "this server is all about having fun, so you should play the class/the style/the times/etc. that are fun for you" point, but basically in the same breath hate on someone who doesn't enjoy playing in exactly the same way you do.

Cool.

If you can't understand why someone wants to level up as quickly as they can and therefore feels like grouping with hybrids (or wizards, or bad players, or whatever) should generally be kept to a minimum, then you're just plain dense. No min/maxers are ever making threads on these forums telling you that they think your choices in p99 are idiotic, but the forums are rife with casual-ish folk slamming everyone who doesn't like to spend their hours /played in lcy in a group of 57+ troll sk, rang, iksar monk, druid, druid, wizard.

Quote:

Originally Posted by runlvlzero (Post 737809)

my main is and always will be a SK :-)

Min/Maxer will never choose a pal/rng/sk or bard- they are not BEST at DPS or TANKING

SK/Pal are better tanks because of one situation or another- but never as a pure pure tank

Ranger can in situations be best DPS- well only once the bow stuff is fixed...

a hybrid's fun and enoyablity comes in that they can do alot of things that the traditional TANK or DPS role cannot so you get to experiance more things...the pentalty really sucks...