A vanilla classic only server would be wonderful. The original oldworld zones are definitely my favorite part of EQ. They just have this unique look and feel, from the vast, open grass and woodlands of the plains of Karana, to the frozen everfrost peaks, to the thick and dense swamps and jungles of the Innothule and Feerrott, to the mysterious foggy forests of Faydwer and Odus.
Compared to classic, I think Kunark just looks.. ugly. Pure and simple. Ugly ugly. The zones themselves are annoying to travel through or fight in, especially the outdoor ones. The ground is never flat and the trees are thick and constantly moving their branches, making sightlines ridiculously short in many places. Plus, the color palette they chose to use is just drab. Boring browns, muddy greens, and faded grays, ugh. The bright colors of the artstyle of the original zones is just so much more pleasant and fun to look at.
I also like how the original game was itemized. It took time and effort to get gear with stat boosts, which made even basic levels of gear like bronze, ringmail, and cloth valuable well into the 30's and 40's.. which makes sense to me. Magic gear should be rare and hard to come by.. and stats boosts, even small ones, should matter. Having +5 or more to multiple stats on a single piece of gear, as is common on Kunark and especially Velious items, makes everything too easy. I like having to choose between limited options for a single slot.. for example, the classic Thick Banded Belt versus Flowing Black Silk Sash dillemma: one gives great boosts to armor and strength, and the other nothing but haste (which is otherwise very hard to find). Both are valuable to have, but you can only choose one!
As someone pointed out earlier in the thread, Ssoys are great! Until five minutes after Kunark becomes available, that is. And yes, the lower quality of the gear makes the game harder, but that is the point, and totally part of the charm. Mobs are overpowered compared to players, especially melee who have to stand toe to toe with them.. so you need groups, you need friends and allies to work with to defeat your enemies and gain skill and levels.. or you could just toss a fungi and a pair of exquisite velium whatevers on your new twink warrior and solo them to 50. Woo, sounds fun.. blech.
So, that's another vote for a Classic only server from me. Down with Kunark! Down with Velious! Odus, Antonica, and Faydwer forever!
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