[Messianic]

I've read this entire thread. Good info for someone who wasn't around for the multiple other boxing debates.

Here are my conclusions based on this discussion and lots of mmo experience:

1) Boxing has a minimal to moderate negative effect on actual individual person server population as a whole. It does, marginally to moderately, depending on circumstances, affect individual ability to group across all levels, far moreso for levels 1-30ish. After you pass those levels, 2boxing is less of a detractor, but still has a negative effect, especially for people who play group-centric or weak solo classes, or people who want to group at heavily contested camps (Frenzy/Lord in lguk, etc).
2) Boxing has a net benefit to the economy of a server because most goods are farmed faster than pure platinum (since a good chunk of platinum is lost to the black hole of vendors for mats, spells, etc), and therefore prices on very good twink gear tends to fall, meaning buying that set of lambent or crafted actually becomes easier because people farm more effectively. However, this does also decrease grouping in areas where those items drop, since individuals now use platinum to acquire good gear and not groups. This even moreso makes the game more plat-market-farming centric as opposed to grouping centric. It gives incentive to those people who specifically farm platinum as opposed to actual drops. Example: since the other guy with an awesome geared-Necro/mage/Enc is farming that FBSS for you and selling it to you for 60% average price (I remember FBSS dropping in value very quickly after a month or so into Kunark), you'd rather just pay the cash or farm a different drop which you can sell than group for it.

Because of 1 and 2, boxing makes the game far more economy-centric. I actually like that, because I enjoy buying-selling and playing the markets, and i'd prefer to just build up cash (which can be done on an as-you-go basis) as opposed to camping for some item for hours.

The logic that states that "no one changes their playstyle because boxing is illegal" is valid, but not entirely accurate. It's over-idealized. People will resist heavily things that seek to change their playstyles, but they will seek substitutes for what they would ideally prefer (2boxing) or they go the illegal route and get taken care of (for the most part). The high server population of Enchanters, Shaman, Magicians, Druids, and Necros is evidence of a pressure valve for this slight playstyle change (From boxing to building up a solo class to farm and twink your class which you actually wanted to play).

Granted all of this, I would prefer if 2boxing were enabled because I simply do not have consistent, large blocs of time to devote to EQ. Every now and then I get a few hours, but I don't know when I might have to quit. I might have 30 minutes, I might have 4 hours, but it depends. My playtime is far too erratic to group effectively (although I have been in a few good ones). I generally lose so much time trying to find a group as opposed to camping Osargen in HK or Saben Tucross in lfay, then have to leave less than an hour after entering the group. I am currently 24, and it hasn't been easy to come across decent groups that exceeded my solo xp (I am a wizard) up to this point.

I prefer not to put groups through all that if i'm just going to have to bail in a short period of time. That's why I would prefer to 2box. I'm okay without it, and would really like to have it at my disposal now (with my perpetual desire to play every single class), but I understand that it does have a negative impact on the server as it stands.

Would it kill P1999? I strongly doubt it. Is it necessary right now? Nah. I think most people don't think it's absolutely necessary. But I don't understand people who say "OMG 2BOXING IS THE DEVIL." I've played too many mmos (some more group-centric than EQ) where people 2boxed and the evidence showed that it wasn't a game-killer.

I also find it silly to leave just because it is or is not banned. It may be slightly more difficult for you either way, but the game is still very playable.

I have sympathy for you EU folks, and I think you're the hardest hit by the ban. But there are always solutions available for those who are willing to do the hard work of finding them. I know plenty of European players who band together and form a tight-knit community of people who play during the same time, and they are almost always grouped.

In conclusion, this isn't as huge a deal as people make it out to be, and that's from me as a person who really wants to 2box, but wants to preserve the integrity of the server as best as possible.