Your dream expansion set

[Overcast]

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

That's kinda brilliant and would've been sweet. The entry to PoI (one of my favorites) could've been in gnome territory. Perhaps an entry to PoD in Innothule, and the list goes on. They could've been really creative in associating old-school zones with PoP content.

Yeah, then - even keying would have made more sense.

[Phallax]

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

I found that hardcore raiding for me destroys all the magic behind a game.

It did that to me in EQ2, it almost turns into a mundane job.

Raiding is a job, thats why those that put in the most work get the most loot...mostly.

[Harmonicdeth]

Oh I agree with you there...

I have very well geared toons on EQ2...

But now I am at the point where I do not want to raid much anymore, too much pressure for doing this and that.... just not my tea anymore.

To each their own.

I also feel that the release of AA's helped though, because it allowed people to customize their toons more, but eventually all toons became cookie cutter... Though I really did love Endless Quiver for my ranger.

I agree Bazaar killed the market as far as making people haggle. That is one of my fav aspects to Classic EQ.

[Phallax]

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

I also feel that the release of AA's helped though, because it allowed people to customize their toons more, but eventually all toons became cookie cutter... Though I really did love Endless Quiver for my ranger.

AA's gave people another reason to play rather than max out level, then farm or make a new toon and max out level. It gave you something to shoot for as a raider or non-raider.

[Nedala]

Classic-Kunark-Velious-Luclin(without Bazaar, withou nexus portals and without weird aliens)-PoP (just for the raid content without PoK books). Thats how i would love it[You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

[Overcast]

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

Classic-Kunark-Velious-Luclin(without Bazaar, withou nexus portals and without weird aliens)-PoP (just for the raid content without PoK books). Thats how i would love it[You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

And LDoN would be a perfect counter balance for PoP gear for more casuals.

Move the zone ins to odd places for the planes - like out of the way.. big time. Places people just don't normally go often.

Like - deep in Droga (I think - that place in FM) - deep in SkyShrine, Qeynos Sewers, Kerra Island.. bust the population up to different areas. You'd see people hanging in various cities then.

Then pick one of the more frequented zones - make the key quest giver a mob in Chardok - so you need faction. *Rawrr!!!*
That would pick up the 'difficulty level', lol.

But you have a good idea - get those Aliens out of Luclin - now the mobs in Maiden's Eye - the robes and such - they were cool.


Funny - SO MUCH could have been done right with Classic EQ if they would have stuck with the concepts in EQClassic/Kunark/Velious.

[frefaln]

Luclin might've made it in my OP list if it'd been trimmed down to roughly half the zones, i.e. without Bazaar and Paludal (which felt like a "required stop" to soar through ten levels). It was the Luclin expansion that started the trend where the newest expansion tramples on its predecessors, making some zones feel empty and depressing.

It made me realize that expanding outward in virtual space isn't necessarily a good thing; IMO it's more important to have meaningful, dynamic, and atmospheric content that people experience together. Lots of big zones don't really mean anything if /who returns 1 result.

[frefaln]

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

And LDoN would be a perfect counter balance for PoP gear for more casuals.

...

Like - deep in Droga (I think - that place in FM) - deep in SkyShrine, Qeynos Sewers, Kerra Island.. bust the population up to different areas. You'd see people hanging in various cities then.

I kinda wish you'd been one of the original Devs, we're on the same wavelength. You're exactly right, LDoN and PoP could've been presented as two different methods toward the same goal. If you like the adrenalin and teamwork of raids, go PoP. If you like to grind it out and don't mind investing a lot more time (fragmented over "casual" sessions), go LDoN. Nobody's wrong and everybody wins.

As for people hanging out in cities, I'm glad you think that's important too. The original cities were designed so freakin' well, each with their own distinct personality and racial influences. It kills me that Live left them decay into ghost towns.

[Overcast]

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

I kinda wish you'd been one of the original Devs, we're on the same wavelength. You're exactly right, LDoN and PoP could've been presented as two different methods toward the same goal. If you like the adrenalin and teamwork of raids, go PoP. If you like to grind it out and don't mind investing a lot more time (fragmented over "casual" sessions), go LDoN. Nobody's wrong and everybody wins.

As for people hanging out in cities, I'm glad you think that's important too. The original cities were designed so freakin' well, each with their own distinct personality and racial influences. It kills me that Live left them decay into ghost towns.

Yeah, me too. I don't like 'gimmie' games where everything's too easy. No sense of accomplishment when you get there. The other thing I liked about it - was different sets of 'viable' gear instead of 'well you need the Armor of the Cookie-Cutter - like everyone else to do the raid for the Armor of the Pie-Cutter for the new raids'...

When 'everyone else' has it too - it's not a big deal. That's what was so cool about EQ - not everyone had a manastone or a fungi. The time sinks were such that you had to pick and choose what you wanted and likely - well, you weren't going to get everything.

I agree with the above too - Luclin *could* have been cool. Other than the aliens, it was fitting ok. But of course, it was too 'odd' on a Team PvP server having that 'common zone'.

So maybe... scale down Shadowhaven to a 'offbeat' city - yank out all the trasdeskill people and such - less reason to be there, remove the bazaar or perhaps just the ability to trade with 'bots' there - the arena in there was kinda cool - just make the zone open PvP, lol.

I guess the nexus + portals is an ok way to get there.

PC could stay - just rip out the XP bonus in that place - that or make the mobs hit twice as hard practically *requiring* a group.

That and move PC a zone away from Shadowhaven or two. XP bonus is fine I guess, if it's hard to get to. It was too easy to get too + too big of an XP bonus - that's why it became pretty much the defacto zone for 14-25ish.

[Reiker]

Don't just shoehorn LDON in because "it had casual content" because that expansion was horrible. It was like EQ meets Diablo II. And what made it worse was that everyone was required to spend 10 hours a day running the same 20 minute, boring as fuck dungeon to get necessary spells/augs.

It was actually the casual players who suffered, because the rewards were designed around hardcore raiders who could clear Hards with maximum efficiency receiving their shiny new aggro aug in a week. Whereas it'd take your average joe barely being able to clear Normals in the time limit a month to get the same reward.

Only LoY (the worst EverQuest expansion of all time) was a worse idea.