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So for the past month or so I've been talking to various guilds about a "Calendar Alliance". Vesica Dei, The Mystical Order, Divinity, Blackwater, Darkwind, Bregan D'Aerth, Peace Pipe, Dark Ascension, yes even IB. All guilds capable of doing at the very least planar raids, some minibosses, and some the big boys.
All at the very least "interested" in seeing an alternative to poopsocking. Or an alternative to the constant friction on the server.
I've also spent considerable time doing research online trying to find what made Rotations work/fail in the past. I've looked at probably 10 different systems (including the one used here on P99 back in the day).
The general consensus is this:
Everquest is about general respect for the community as a whole. We are all here playing on P99 becuz for whatever reason it may be, we want to have fun in a game we enjoyed for so many years in the past. Some people have fun doing the batphone mob domination. Some are more casual and just enjoy the social aspect of the game. Some just enjoy flipping items in EC.
Regardless, in order for a Calendar System to work - it needs to be based on 1 simple principle. Respect.
Smaller guilds need to respect the size, ability, and desires of the bigger guilds. And the bigger guilds need to respect the fact that some guilds just simply don't have the time to batphone members at 5am, or have 15 people sitting in Permafrost for days on end, yet still have the ability to do the mob in question.
In order for a calendar system to work properly - it needs to address both sides of the argument. You need to make sure the larger guilds are able to maintain considerable leverage on certain raid targets. You need to make sure the "thrill of the chase" is not removed from the game. And you need to also respect the fact that small and mid-sized guilds would also like to experience some of this content from time to time.
If guilds monopolize the top - they get too big. And then they implode (see Dozekar/Blackwater/Inglorious Basterds). It happened on Live all the time.
You WILL eventually close your doors for recruitment, at which point if people don't have anywhere to go or anything to do, the future for your own guild gets bleaker and bleaker. Suddenly you hafta re-gear every 3 months a new wave of recruits becuz you never gave anyone else the opportunity to do anything. You slow yourself down in the long run.
You cut your own wrists by cutting off everyone else.
I'm working on something that I think will appeal to all sides.
Fact of the matter is - everyone can benefit from a Calendar in one way or another. If you hafta perma camp trackers in every zone, you lose that person for ports/raids.
If you have to constantly squabble in Hate/Fear, it only takes that much longer to gear up members (or back-flag whatever the case may be). Accidental trains, having to work pulls around other guilds, having other guilds pull your mob mid-pull becuz you feign the adds, whatever. It only adds time and effort where there doesn't need to be.
You can have the same 4 guilds fight for Hate 4 nights in a row. Everyone taking that much longer to get shit done becuz you hafta work around other guilds. Or you can each have 1 night to yourself. It's more efficient. It just makes sense.
Like I said tho - the problem with rotations in the past is too often, EVERY mob is put on a SET rotation. (ie Guild A does Vox, then becuz there are 9 other guilds in line hafta wait 2 months for another Vox raid). That's not FAIR for the big guns.
I've got an idea (or rather I should say a combination of other peoples ideas) that I think, at the very least, is worth consideration.
I've been gathering email addresses of officers/guildleaders and should shoot out a rough draft within a week or so (holidays). But like I said - we are all here to have fun. And nobody is asking for Rusty Long Swords to have the same amount of Vox kills as IB or DA over the course of a month. But some moderation would do the server good.
It would cut down on the poopsocking.
It would cut down on GM /petitions.
It would cut down on general pettiness over the stupidest shit.
It would free up MORE time to do things your guild wants to do.
Big or small, this game has alwayz been about Risk vs Reward. It's also been about Time in versus Reward out. But there is a flaw in the system when no matter how much time people put in, there is no reward.
It's up to us, the community, to have the foresight to at least CONSIDER an option, when presented, that can benefit the server.
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[50 Wizard] Acillatem Zoso <Vesica Dei>
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