Will the game become too easy once exp penalties are removed?

[Fett]

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

I loved PoP.
I loved AAs.
I loved the keying, the tradeskilling, the exp zones (fire, earth, hello).


Game is about people. Complaining about removing 1 interaction (reliance on druids/wizards) because of books is stupid. You're assuming that druids/wizards only exist to perform this task for you. Good chance they also want to go out and exp and do stuff as well.

Almost every major MMO has enabled fast travel, and they have enabled it to a way greater degree than the PoK books. You can typically go to the quest hub you want via flight path, etc. At least you only got the 'general area' and still had to run.

People claim it makes the world feel smaller. But question- how many of you actually choose to hoof it from EC tunnel to lguk -? To oasis and to hit up kunark? Or do you port and pay someone for the pleasure?

But it's all moot. Server won't be headed to PoP. I'd love to see some custom content that incorporated the zones, though.

You're seeing this from the wrong angle. It's not about the wizard/druid existing only to port you, but instead leaving them with a valuable and useful utility role they wouldn't otherwise have. This game isn't solely about killing stuff and and gaining exp, and as far as I'm concerned, classes having a useful utility role that gives them something to do outside combat is fantastic. RPGs are supposed to be about playing roles, and the journey. This type of mechanic adds to that experience.

[August]

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

You're seeing this from the wrong angle. It's not about the wizard/druid existing only to port you, but instead leaving them with a valuable and useful utility role they wouldn't otherwise have. This game isn't solely about killing stuff and and gaining exp, and as far as I'm concerned, classes having a useful utility role that gives them something to do outside combat is fantastic. RPGs are supposed to be about playing roles, and the journey. This type of mechanic adds to that experience.

I understand both sides of the coin. I used to make a killing during PoP era due to translocation spells on my wizard.

The problem is that you've been given a hard dependency. When the world is so large, if you don't have a self-serve travel mechanism, you are forcing people to either

a) beg people for ports
b) run really long distances.

I understand the desire to be needed, wanted, hell even loved. However travel is something that everyone must do in this game, and to make one part of it so integral, with the world so large, it becomes overwhelming. There is a reason they implemented books. The game still required groups to do even generically hard content (bothunder, povalor, ponightmare - not to mention elemental plane farming).

[Roth]

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

I understand both sides of the coin. I used to make a killing during PoP era due to translocation spells on my wizard.

The problem is that you've been given a hard dependency. When the world is so large, if you don't have a self-serve travel mechanism, you are forcing people to either

a) beg people for ports
b) run really long distances.

I understand the desire to be needed, wanted, hell even loved. However travel is something that everyone must do in this game, and to make one part of it so integral, with the world so large, it becomes overwhelming. There is a reason they implemented books. The game still required groups to do even generically hard content (bothunder, povalor, ponightmare - not to mention elemental plane farming).

I just really fail to understand why people play on a classic server but don't really want a classic server. If there was fast travel enabled I would probably still play but I would be annoyed. I like being forced to travel or find a port or anything of that nature. Many people are here because they like it this way and then you have the nerve to tell them it just doesn't matter? To you maybe fast travel is w/e but A LOT of people like it this way and that's why they play here. It's really annoying for someone to say "just don't use the books or it doesn't really matter get over it". People are on this server because they want that so don't tell them what they're supposed to like or care about.

[August]

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

I just really fail to understand why people play on a classic server but don't really want a classic server. If there was fast travel enabled I would probably still play but I would be annoyed. I like being forced to travel or find a port or anything of that nature. Many people are here because they like it this way and then you have the nerve to tell them it just doesn't matter? To you maybe fast travel is w/e but A LOT of people like it this way and that's why they play here. It's really annoying for someone to say "just don't use the books or it doesn't really matter get over it". People are on this server because they want that so don't tell them what they're supposed to like or care about.

Didn't say 'just don't use the books or it doesn't really matter get over it'.

You're also conflating the issue of fast travel. I'm not saying put in books on classic content (no PoP). I'm saying the books arose out of necessity in PoP because of the expansion of the world. It's simply a matter of scale.

Also your 'failure to understand' is somewhat mindboggling considering you said you'd play here if it had fast travel, you'd just be annoyed. If it existed, with a large population, I'd play a PoP server in a heartbeat. I think there are way more things to do (AAs, tradeskills being worth something, keying for raids) at 60 than there are here. That being said, this server has a huge population and exists in an era that I also enjoyed playing in. That doesn't mean I also don't like PoP (or rather, some aspects of luclin/PoP).

[Weekapaug]

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

Didn't say 'just don't use the books or it doesn't really matter get over it'.

You're also conflating the issue of fast travel. I'm not saying put in books on classic content (no PoP). I'm saying the books arose out of necessity in PoP because of the expansion of the world. It's simply a matter of scale.

Also your 'failure to understand' is somewhat mindboggling considering you said you'd play here if it had fast travel, you'd just be annoyed. If it existed, with a large population, I'd play a PoP server in a heartbeat. I think there are way more things to do (AAs, tradeskills being worth something, keying for raids) at 60 than there are here. That being said, this server has a huge population and exists in an era that I also enjoyed playing in. That doesn't mean I also don't like PoP (or rather, some aspects of luclin/PoP).

Exactly.

I don't know why people insist on mistaking an appreciation for later eras of the game for a desire to have it here. Nobody has remotely suggested that we should have Luclin or PoP here. Removing the hybrid exp penalties, the most retarded design decision in the history of this game in light of the other compounding hybrid penalties, as acknowledged and removed from the game by Brad McQuade himself during velious, has exactly NOTHING to do with clicky books, portals or any of the later era changes that these people claim made the sky fell and "ended" the game. It's absurd.

Like anything, the classic era has its positives and negatives. As did later eras. But EQ didn't suddenly "die" or become stupid easy once clicky books went in as a lot of these people suggest. It just changed, is all. The challenges shifted. That's it. But in many ways to more interesting things. Have you had to grind AA here to be able to do your job? Dealt with any rampaging or flurrying mobs lately? Have you had to have a curse cured off of you here, the spell scroll only available from end game raid mobs? No? Oh, I forget, you have bigger fish to fry...riding boats and buying ports. Its ridiculous.

The game has always been great, arguably the best mmo across all eras compared to any other game. And that's what constantly astounds and amuses me when these conversations come up here. Statistically, most of these people left EQ for the AOL of mmos, WoW, probably bitching about how hard EQ was at the time, it took them years to realize what complete shyte it was, and they came back to find that the game had changed and passed them by or, worse, went to EQ2. They discover p99 a decade later and now, suddenly, everything post velious completely sucks.

Seriously, I ask anyone who played live classic and hated everything after, what were YOU playing instead that was better? Because there are a lot of us who loved classic EQ but also lover the later eras because we realized in the first weeks and months of the alternatives that EQ was still the best game available. What were YOU playing that was better?

Sue us for happening to have enjoyed it. Get over yourselves.

[gwideon]

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

I understand both sides of the coin. I used to make a killing during PoP era due to translocation spells on my wizard.

The problem is that you've been given a hard dependency. When the world is so large, if you don't have a self-serve travel mechanism, you are forcing people to either

a) beg people for ports
b) run really long distances.
C) GROUP WITH A WIZARD OR DRUID

I understand the desire to be needed, wanted, hell even loved. However travel is something that everyone must do in this game, and to make one part of it so integral, with the world so large, it becomes overwhelming. There is a reason they implemented books. The game still required groups to do even generically hard content (bothunder, povalor, ponightmare - not to mention elemental plane farming).

ftfy