[Acillatem]

I usually don't respond to these types of threads but...

EQ PvP was never 100% balanced. BUT, it was as close to being balanced as it could get from Classic thru Velious which puts this server in the sweet spot for PvP.

People who say "if you want PvP, there's a zone already PvP enabled" are missing the whole point of PvP. It wasn't JUST about fighting other players - it was about zone control, spawn control, the thrill of doing /who every 30 seconds (a habit I STILL do from my TZ days), /guildstat every anon person around, reputations were more important (as an individual AND as a Guild). It was knowing that you weren't about to try and "solo" Frenzied cuz you were gunna get smoked by that full group. It meant Guild Alliances etc.

In other words - it was everything that came WITH PvP - not just killing other players that made it exciting. It meant the rivalries were that much better and the alliances were that much stronger. Player-enforced rules (we called them Play Nice Policies) actually worked. GM's didn't get involved if there was a "PvP option" to take care of the situation.

It wasn't until Luclin/PoP that PvP started to get seriously imbalanced, and even then it wasn't because of class, it was because the gap between casuals and hardcores got to the point that it became more gear based than skill based. But early PvP was fukin awesome. Casuals could go toe-to-toe with hardcores because skill made a difference up thru Velious which meant the entire server was in it to win it.

Also - as far as finding "likeminded" individuals to go Team:Red, then I ostracize myself from the rest of the server should I need a SoW, Clarity, etc down the line, or an XP group and no friends are online etc. If I could still receive heals/buffs/ports etc and turn in my book I'd do it in a heartbeat.

Until then tho - that's simply not an option for those who want PvP.