[Nirgon]

Originally Posted by loramin [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I think what it all boils down to is, if you can't change the fundamental game itself (eg. the way live EQ does, using instancing), there's only so many "sharing mechanisms" to choose from.

Option #1: Race. The problem with this is you either need to add non-EQ rules to make racing fair (see raid racing on P99, with its "starting lines"), or it ultimately boils down to a clickfest, where the players who cheat the best (using the least detectable autoclickers) win.

Option #2: Queue. This is the /list approach, and taken to the extreme you get the extremely un-EverQuest-like "wait in line for guaranteed treasure" that we have on Green.

Option #3 Random: This is the fairest approach ... until you try for some mob 50 times in a row and keep missing your random chance. Then it feels decidedly unfair to the person who can never win.

Option #4: Popularity: This is what happens if you allow "lock-downs" in your PNP: inevitably some group of players will "lock a camp down", and then only they and their friends can camp it.

Personally, I think the best "play nice policies" mix the above. For instance, on P99 any uncontested (non-raid) mob is "FTE", ie. a race. But then once someone has the camp, it can turn into a lockdown (eg. current Heiro camp on Green, or countless camps in Blue's history), or it can turn into a queue (eg. OOT AC camp).

My true hope is that most things in P99 will ultimately move towards a combination of race, list, and random. In other words ... race to any uncontested, /list2.0 to be "next in line", and any subsequent people who arrive can /list2.0 to have a random chance to become "next in line" once the current "next in line" becomes the camp holder.

This system would eliminate lock-downs, while still giving the people who show up first their due advantage ... but it wouldn't turn any camp into "sit here for guaranteed loot". If you're not first/second, there's no guaranteed loot for you: you still have to be lucky ... just like it was on live.

Option #5 - form Erudite RP guild and make fun of/dunk on them until they harass the staff into disbanding it.