Question about future custom content

[kruptcy]

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

If I could make a suggestion, I would complete all the zones that appeared in the original EQ map that never made it to the game.

I second this. I think custom content should not touch original content (aside from making a zone line in a classic zone or something).

[myriverse]

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

I still play tabletop AD&D 2e [nerd alert]

It's always cool to run into someone that didn't jump to 3e.

[Skydash]

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

You know.. I don't mind certain class defining AAs, but given the option, I'd like to do it in a way other than hey, paladin, complete level 51 'X' amount of times, and you magically get Slay Undead. I think an epic quest line for things like this makes more sense.

Praise our True Heavenly Father Nilbog!

This makes so much more sense then how it was implemented on Live (i.e. mindless hamster wheel.)

[Danyelle]

I've always kinda liked the idea of, once Velious hits it's finish point (just prior to Luclin release), cloning P99 blue/red and making seperate blue/red servers where the expacs keep going BUT are "reimagined" in the style of original EQ.

Basically like this, let's say the original dev team from Classic-Velious never changed. Sony never reconstructed Verant into SoE (or even if they did it was nothing more than a name change, not a guard change), WoW/EQ2 and other paste-eater MMOs never were made and, as such, there was never any competition for EQ's simpler players that would force EQ to change it's direction in order to compete and remain profitable. Nothing changed at all. But the expacs Luclin+ still got made. what would they look like?

A couple examples, just taking Luclin (as the next expac in line) and "reimagining" it.

Firstly, ignoring graphical styles. Because that is far more of a diverse opinion even among P99's purist community than you might initially estimate. Many more people than you may think at first are ok with, or at least indifferent to, graphical changes. What CAN be universally agreed upon by P99's community is (and, in addition to nostalgia, is why you are all here in the first place) that EQ's content got more and more boring, stat-driven, uninspired, and easy-mode saftey-scissors tier as time went on. To cater to the short bus riders that ultimately overtook modern MMO gaming when it became "cool". So ignoring the graphical changes, what would the content look like?

For one let's take some of Luclin's more critical (negative) points and "classicify" them. Starting with the Nexus:

Problem: Travel became much easier and it paved the way for retard-level Plane of Knowledge in the next expac. Druids and Wizards became poor and cried many non-manly tears.

Solution: The lore for luclin basically states that the knowledge of how to use the Nexus spires was unlocked sometime after Velious, allowing them to travel the way of the fallen Combine empire to their final place of retreat, Luclin, through the use of a trained Wizard. Maybe we add Druids to the mix. Treehuggers can hug stones too. Now rather than placing an npc wizard at each Nexus spire to do it for us like Live did, let's give Wizards/Druids a port spell to the nexus that is quested once Luclin drops from a relatively simple quest (to permit quicker access to the content, but not a sudden flood) and is only scribable/castable at level 60 and ONLY within range of a Norrath bound Nexus spire. IE Wizards/Druids can only cast their port spells at the designated Nexus spires and the spell will not function outside of range of the spires (even within the same zone as one) or from the surface of Luclin itself. People wishing to travel to Luclin, or new sexy kitties wishing to go Norrathside, will need to find a local wizard/druid. This should allow Druids/Wizards to keep their jobs, should eliminate shrinking of the world of Norrath through widespread npc porting, and still allow for a method of accessing the new content.

The Bazaar:

Problem: Many, but most are more complex and economy based so let's just focus on the one that is simpler but also was one of the largest issues. Bazaar, along with the Nexus itself, started the trend of 'hub-zoning' by centralizing trade and killing off old trade zones.

Solution: Don't release the Bazaar, as in the ACTUAL zone itself, at all. Block the zone line in Nexus and shadow Haven with rocks. Instead, assuming this is possible (I'm sure it is it would just take work..), add bazaar functionality to ALL current/classic trade zones (like East Commonlands obviously. Greater Faydark too). Now here's the trick. Doing an item search will pull up sold items from all different trade zones, but you still must interact with the player directly to buy it. Meaning if you're in East Commonlands, and see someone selling an item you want at half the price as an EW vendor, allll the way over in Greater faydark, you then have to run alll the way out there. Wait on boats, or spend extra money donating for a port, and hope the guy still has it when you get there (since you lose bazaar search ability when you zone out and start running, and cannot track the item anymore). Adds a bit of competition into the market, maybe even between trade zones. You could also just not implement Bazaar functionality at all.

AAs:

Problem: They became a grind fest and, as time went on, no longer became "alternate" at all but rather became "required"....in copious amounts.

Solution. for one, do not make them earned through exp gain. Make them a static reward of a set number of AA points from quests along with the typical rewards and regular xp reward (like nilbog suggested earlier). Not just in Luclin+ quests either, but go back and add them as rewards to older quests too. especially pivital ones (epics, Coldain shawl, etc) that can be done by any class/race and is expected to be done by players at LEAST 51+. This should eliminate the grind aspect and ensure not only do people continue to immerse themselves in quests and lore, but that older content retains relevancy. Secondly, you can easily pick and choose what AAs go into the game as well as create custom ones. Making sure the total AA count spent is the same for every class, it's nothing too over powering or game changing that it becomes REQUIRED but at the same time is enough to make people want them, or even FEEL like they need them even though they don't, and eliminates AAs that ultimately destroyed immersion (Innate See Invis.... Innate Enduring Breath....)

Mounts:

Problem: People cry about stuff.

Solution: Stop crying. Mounts honestly should have been in since Classic. What knight on a valiant quest doesn't ride into battle on a trusty steed? I never saw an issue with the way they functioned but you can easily put it up to a vote on how they are obtained and how they function.

Soulbinders:

Problem: They sucked ass.

Solution: Kill them all with fire and napalm (Don't even put them in...ever)

This is just Luclin, you can rebuild each expac as it 'should have been'. Choose when and how level caps raise. Carefully planning it and gear increases to prevent inflating too much and invalidating older content. Preferably keeping everything relevant. A very tough and daunting task but I'm sure with careful planning, and no corporate time frames to abide by, it can be done. You can eliminate hub-zoning and ensure trade zones and starting cities remain useful and populated. You can give the new lore and content the expacs gave, expand upon it to make it even better, and do so without any of the simplifying idiotic gimmicks and crap they were originally pushed with.

I, for one, think this would be fun as hell.

[Rhambuk]

imo after the end of velious we should start a new blue(even red...maybe) and start from beginning with classic timeline/all the fixes that have been put in place since making it a far more classic experience up through velious.

then we move on to new custom content!

[Faisca]

One of the problems with Luclin’s graphics is they make previous expansions’ graphics look old and outdated. Sure, we all know the game is old, but having an added expansion throwing it at our faces every time we play, it’s not a very pleasant thing.

Although people are well aware they are playing an old game, I’m sure they don’t want to be constantly reminded of that every time they are playing it. [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Obviously, revamping old zones is not an option because it would kill all the nostalgia.

That said, I find it much more exciting for project 1999 to breakaway completely from the Everquest expansion line after Velious, and begin delivering brand new content, starting with brand new zones with the same classic feel, old graphics and all, designed from scratch.

[Taeoz]

I had no idea there might be more content after Velious - this sounds great. P1999 is the true EQ Next.

[sox7d]

I like the idea of PoP minus PoK. And once you ascend to PoT, you can never return to Norrath but you can visit old-world players in the classic-velious planes. No trading to them, but at least they can assist on planar raids.

[Dragonsblood1987]

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

You know.. I don't mind certain class defining AAs, but given the option, I'd like to do it in a way other than hey, paladin, complete level 51 'X' amount of times, and you magically get Slay Undead. I think an epic quest line for things like this makes more sense.

having quest lines that reward you with special abilities that would otherwise be gotten through AA xp would be neat, but what about general, not-so-class-defining AAs? increased crit for tank and melee classes, spell crits for casters, innate durability/mitigation ect.. it would make it so that even if you arent decked out in kunark BIS gear, your toons could get a little stronger if the time was invested in grinding AAs. plus it would give people something to do at 60 in stead of letting toons rot or camping that one drop for the billionth time. it would also make toons more unique. it wouldnt come down to every toon of a given class being identical, doing the exact same thing over and over in a fight. customization, man!

[Messianic]

Originally Posted by Dragonsblood1987 [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

customization, man!

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