There is no reason to allow folks to get to level 50. If you want to beat the game..keep playing on a server where you already have hit max level. The experience of walking through level 1-50 on a PVP server is the entire enjoyable part of the game.
These "hurt server pop" arguments, and these "look at vztz and how it failed big time" arguments are really really shallow. Look at EQ live, and the rallos zek server there. There was item loot..people still played and enjoyed it. There was slow grinding..people still played and enjoyed it. YES pvp is in general less popular than PVE but as we all know (thanks sony) a watered down PVP server is worse than all of the above. If we wanted mass appeal we would be playing WOW or some other crappy game.
This server has the opportunity to recreate the rare mix of PK oriented players and PVE oriented pvp players like rallos zek had. There is a strong population on P99 and many of them are interested in playing PVP just to hear what all the fuss is about. Many of them simply love everquest and are looking to enjoy it in a way they have not enjoyed it before.
This population is readily adaptable to any pvp environment and consists of more than the disenfranchised ex VZTZ players. These PVE oriented PVP players could easily out number the PK oriented players which would bring good balance to the server. Item loot is a key part of this balance because it means low level twinks are actually risking their loot by going out and hunting lowbies. It makes it actually worthwhile for lowbies to gang up on twinks because they are likely to drop good gear. They might manage to bag it all, the might manage to suicide one way or another, they might manage to zone plug in which case you can call them a pansy for the rest of their lives..but you might get lucky, and that chance is what makes it fun.
It is also completely wrong to say that item loot means casters utterly dominate. They do dominate in old world PVP, that is a fact regardless of gear. But a naked caster will die in about 3 hits from any melee player. What it all comes down to is this - who is the hunter and who is the hunted? Whoever attacks first has a massive advantage regardless of class. People that want to avoid being oppressed by these "really mean casters that I experienced when I got killed by them on vztz" will have a fun time when one enters your zone and you and your group get to try to kill him before he kills you.
There is no argument for increased EXP rates at all. People aren't playing just to get to the end. If they are playing just to get to the end, then a slow EXP rate makes the bragging rights they are seeking even more valuable.
Really, increased EXP rates just mean that the game progresses towards stagnation quicker, people hit max level quicker and get all of the valuable items they wanted quicker and start tapping their foot waiting for kunark to be released so they can race to the finish on the next new continent.
How does that help server population?
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