RED OR BLUE (New Player)

[Izmael]

Red is EQ on hard mode because face it, PvE is EASY, mobs are dumb, predictable and there's not a single mob on P99 that hasn't been killed repeatedly for the last 15 years (save for Kerafyrm or Jaled Dar I suppose). I guess there still are PvE challenges such as soloing or duoing very challenging stuff, or basically killing stuff with very insufficient forces.

But it all boils down to bringing enough tankage / healage / pullage and outhealing the damage the mob deals while pounding on them.

PvP adds (potential) intelligence to your opponents, and makes the game a lot harder at times and (therefore) makes your achievements so much more satisfying.

[Swish]

Another +1, some great posts in this thread.

[tizznyres]

It will all depend on how you prefer spending your time in an MMORPG, more specifically, a well dated and emulated one.

PVP in classic EverQuest is extremely awkward, and what myself and many of my friends have always called "clunky", let alone horrifically imbalanced on a one-to-one basis.

That being said, EverQuest PVP actually has a lot going for it, and when it is truly fun, can be lot more enjoyable and immersive than most of the modern PVP MMO renditions we've been getting in the last 10ish years.

If you are not very familiar with PVP in Classic EQ, and don't have an itch to play on a PVP server from the get-go, I would definitely recommend at least starting on Blue.

Blue will let you enjoy all the nostalgia and feels of classic EQ, and Red has massive EXP bonuses for new players anyway. You will likely level much, much faster on Red with refreshed knowledge from Blue + the EXP boosts of Red.

Population figures, I'm sure plenty of people have already answered. Blue is quite thriving, to the point of being overly congested in many areas. Red is the exact opposite.

Blue you will likely always continue to meet new people as you play, Red you will likely be encountering the same small group over and over.

If you really love Classic EQ, try them both out, like many of the players here have.

[Rastignac]

That being said, EverQuest PVP actually has a lot going for it, and when it is truly fun, can be lot more enjoyable and immersive than most of the modern PVP MMO renditions we've been getting in the last 10ish years.



So true. The difficulty and clunkiness do somehow make it more immersive. Maybe because it reminds us more of RL. PvP games are way too simplified. Life is full of difficulty and error.

Also when you pull of something smooth in EQ it actually means something because shit is so difficult and clunky.

Kinda reminds me of how EQ graphics achieve such a better sense of scale (bridge in GD, Overthere chasm, Gorge of King Xorb) than modern games, despite having like 20 polygons and 10 textures to work with.

[JboxCSU]

I've played both, red>blue, and I'm not interested in pvp (yet).

The people on red who comment about the griefing is accurate. The people who don't play red generally have exaggerated stories on how bad it is.

There are some people who get jollies by heading to crushbone/unrest/MM and dominating new players with there far superior gear. You can either expect it and level there, or go somewhere else with your stalwart group of adventurers and kill stuff in peace. Outside of those 3 zones, I've never been griefed.

[Rastignac]

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

I've played both, red>blue, and I'm not interested in pvp (yet).

The people on red who comment about the griefing is accurate. The people who don't play red generally have exaggerated stories on how bad it is.

There are some people who get jollies by heading to crushbone/unrest/MM and dominating new players with there far superior gear. You can either expect it and level there, or go somewhere else with your stalwart group of adventurers and kill stuff in peace. Outside of those 3 zones, I've never been griefed.

The griefing thing is true but I'm in my 50's and it has not been a major element of my red experience, despite camping all those zones. It really just doesn't measure up to a large portion.

[JboxCSU]

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

The griefing thing is true but I'm in my 50's and it has not been a major element of my red experience, despite camping all those zones. It really just doesn't measure up to a large portion.

True. Even when I decide to level in MM, for instance, there are plenty of times my group is left alone or the griefers main is off raiding somewhere. It really isn't that bad.

But, if that sort of thing would really bother you, then maybe red isn't for you...just letting you know what you're getting into!

[Rastignac]

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

True. Even when I decide to level in MM, for instance, there are plenty of times my group is left alone or the griefers main is off raiding somewhere. It really isn't that bad.

But, if that sort of thing would really bother you, then maybe red isn't for you...just letting you know what you're getting into!

Yeah, if you are super risk-averse Red is not the place for you. If you are someone who rages (and you aren't going to suffer through until you are geared enough to take your rage out on noobs) then red isn't for you.

[Crawdad]

Play both, see which one you like. Same advice I'd give for what class to play- roll everything that sounds fun and give it a try before settling for one.

I personally enjoy Blue more due to the population (700-1400), community and my unreliable schedule. There are very few zones that are completely empty, and there's always someone in a newbie yard to buff/toss a velium weapon. Most people are sociable if not very friendly and quick to chat about the whole feel good EQ-nostalgia train we're all here for. You wont always be able to get X camp, but that's the price you pay for having a similar-to-Live population (which is more important to me than camping item-X). There's plenty of zones and plenty of people to enjoy your time on Blue, so long as you don't get frustrated by the presence of others. Blue might be for you if you like meeting people, leveling classically, and aren't in a rush for acquiring specific items.

I play on Red occasionally too, and it can be a lot of fun. Some people prefer the Exp bonus to fly through levels and the lack of competition due to the low population (100-350). If PvP is your thing you may or may not have fun, depending on how seriously you take it. EQ made no attempt at balancing PvP, so some classes can be frustrating when coupled with EQ mechanics. Red does have a much smaller population, so if you don't dig the ghost town vibe it might not be your thing. Global OOC helps the server not feel so empty, but comes with what I'll call "lack-luster" banter by and large. Red might be for you if you want to level extremely fast, don't care about the population, and don't mind or enjoy PvP.

So! Play both, see which one you dig. Maybe play both if that's your style.

[Xaanka]

the population gap's a lot smaller when you consider that usually at least 1/3 the blue pop is AFK at any given time, whether it be in EC tunnel or waiting for a camp to spawn. when you look at red population, those are all players at their keyboard actually playing the game. i mean yeah the population gap is definitely pretty big -- the AFK population on blue alone is probably the entire pop of red, but it's not quite as crazy as you'd think when you consider that.

red off-peak population is abyssmal though. during hours where US people are awake the server feels very much alive, but if you're euro/aus you aren't going to have a good time unless your goal is to farm endgame content uncontested. if anything it's a huge advantage for those guys, but i'm sure it's super frustrating when they try to level alts.