Solution to lower level grouping woes: hotzones or group XP?

[Galaa]

After years of hopping around different MMORPGs (even played FFXIV, Rift and still having an active SWTOR sub), Im coming back to Everquest again LOL.

Just started a character and cant seem to find much people playing around in the newbie zones. I did a /who all 10-20 and saw that everyone is scattered around in different zones, probably soloing. Im sure not everyone wants to solo, but many lowbies are forced to due to unable to find people to group with.

Makes me wonder, if there are hotzones (level 10-49) and group XPs, will it encourage people to gather around specific zones? With more people within the same zone, it will lead to more chance of grouping IMO.

With a small XP gain in hotzones (10%), it will encourage low level characters to congregate in specific zones, and giving an additional XP bonus for grouping, it makes people want to group as well.

These measures will encourage more new players into the server as well IMO, as they know they have a chance to group with people again (the reason why we all wanna play EQ), as well as encourage players to create alts (again adding to more chance for grouping for new players).

[Kassel]

Not classic

[formallydickman]

~ 10 people in blackburrow atm
~ 20 people in oasis in their teens
~ 15 people in unrest
~ 12 people in mistmoore
I can't remember /w all command for upper guk but I'm sure its pretty full as well.

Seems pretty good, not great, but it is Monday night and about 100 less people online than the last few days had.

[Raelador]

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

Not classic

Yeah having 300 active people on a server isn't classic either. So your argument is null.

This community is nice on the forums, but in game people are usually solo. Sure sometimes you will get a random group in Unrest, Mistmoore, or Lower Guk but that is pretty much it. Most of the camps in those zones are on lockdown so you won't get to any of the good camps like on classic. This server is for people who want to hear the old music and hit the old mobs. As far as a classic experience it really doesn't measure up.

As far as making friends with people who are over 50 when you're lvl1... Yeah I'm sure you could tell a random person and make friends, but then you're the weird random guy who won't stop telling me... I'm not friends with that guy.

[Hitchens]

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

This community is nice on the forums, but in game people are usually solo. Sure sometimes you will get a random group in Unrest, Mistmoore, or Lower Guk but that is pretty much it. Most of the camps in those zones are on lockdown so you won't get to any of the good camps like on classic. This server is for people who want to hear the old music and hit the old mobs. As far as a classic experience it really doesn't measure up.

This hasn't been my experience at all. I thought when I got out of Oasis I'd be spending the rest of my time solo, but that hasn't been the case. I've been pleasantly surprised at how easy it is to get groups on an emu server. I think I've spent maybe one level soloing.

I've had great luck grouping with random people to hit up Mistmoore, Lower Guk, Sol A, Droga, etc. Places I never thought I'd find pick up groups in. Not to mention the outdoor zones.

In my experience, P1999 has measured up quite well to providing a classic experience. The only thing that isn't classic is not finding myself grouped with asshats. But I'm okay with that.

[Kika Maslyaka]

that's inherited problem with running EQ on a smaller scale - too many low end zones, too many starting cities - causes high population scattering.
EQ world was designed to support 1.5-2.5k population per server. With about 500 as average max, server still only at 25% capacity.

Nothing can really be done about it without breaking the "classic" set up, other than player driven "hubs"...
Or, recruiting another 1k-2k prime time players [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

[Flunklesnarkin]

you didn't just put FF14 as the first of your mmo credentials did you?

[bizzum]

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

you didn't just put FF14 as the first of your mmo credentials did you?

I remember the time I got beta, installed it, ran it for 15 seconds, turned it off, and uninstalled it. FUN.

OP > 1-15 is probably the hardest but there are always groups in the good zones, even late at night. It's not hard to find groups if you try to put it together! If you can't find one, find some people to do it with. There is a big influx of new players now it should be easier than a few weeks ago to find some people to play with.

[classic_o]

http://thepiratebay.se/torrent/7014906/

^ Possible Fix?

[fischsemmel]

The grouping issue is simple, really.

Groups are shitty.


I have yet to be in a group in this game, after 52 levels on a necro, 50 levels on a cleric, 49 levels on a bard, and ~20 levels on each a shadowknight and a rogue, where any group earned better xp than I could have earned solo (excepting the rogue, of course).

I don't know if players are bad, or if they don't pay attention, or what. But group xp is just terrible on the whole, and even in a great zone with a balanced group of good, attentive players, group xp is only "good."

Because of this, anyone who can solo decently or better (aka everyone except rogues and warriors) WILL solo. They will avoid having to spend time and effort moving to groups, dealing with bad players, putting groups together, sitting around with /lfg on. And they will earn more xp for less effort.

There being too few people grouping is just incidental to this.