The Pinnacle of Everquest (In your opinion)

[Pookieson]

This is a tough question, too many facets. I think PoP ruined a lot with the pok book system, but it brought epic raid and group conent in the planes and an awesome hub zone. The books fucked up a lot of player interaction.

As far as my favorite times playing EQ, i loved OOW. Wall of Slaughter, MPG, RS, Anguish raiding. Lots of good times had in OOW.

PoK books ruined so much though, imo.

[Spriggen]

I voted POP just because I believe it was harder. Needing keys to get into certain zones was awesome, and weeded out those that couldn't cut it.

[webrunner5]

You do realize that is like, I bet, well over 300 zones on live now. If they did not have the pok books it would take you 5 hours to run to some. So they are there for a reason like it or not. [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

[Pookieson]

Thats why druids and wizards exist! I think the timed spires in nexus were a good move, though. Sparse auto-teleporting, and not to necessarily central areas. A PoK book was just too convenient. Killed the adventure aspect i think. Its not always just about the destination, its about the journey, and in the case of EverQuest, how long and/or treacherous it can be. Look at poor iksars. Getting out of Cabilis is a fucking mission if you want to do it at low level. Not with a pok book though [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

[heartbrand]

Did you guys all start playing EQ in 2001 that the PoK books traumatized you so much? I spent the vast majority of my time in Plane of Tranquility and the PoP zones. I don't think I went to somewhere like Cabilis even once. They put the books in because no one was using the three year old content and it was a hinderence to game play. Obviously had the books been in the game in 1999 it would've been a different story.

[Pookieson]

i mean, i agree that PoT and PoK were awesome hub zones, and that the planes probably brought more good than bad. i spent hours in PoJ, PoI, and grinding in Fire(still one of my favorite zones). i just didnt like the simplification of travel to such an extreme. maybe less books would have been better.

[webrunner5]

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

i mean, i agree that PoT and PoK were awesome hub zones, and that the planes probably brought more good than bad. i spent hours in PoJ, PoI, and grinding in Fire(still one of my favorite zones). i just didnt like the simplification of travel to such an extreme. maybe less books would have been better.

I would agree with you about less books. PoT was really too easy to get to other planes.

[Daldaen]

PoT was fantastic because it allowed a hub for all group-making and raid-prep.

I really hate group-making in this era of the game. You can /ooc LFG in KC or Seb... or you can put up LFG. But getting a tell for a Seb group when youre in KC and aren't a porter, is lame. Sure... I would love a Sebilis group, but that actually means I have to spend like 30 minutes running from KC -> DL -> FV -> SoNH -> FoB -> EJ -> TT -> Seb. By the time I'm arrived maybe the group has broken up or lost a crucial member, or wiped. Then I am stuck in Seb for awhile.

Whereas during PoP, I would say LFG in PoTranq if nothing, would check the zones applicable to my level. At 50ish, I'd check PoJ, PoN, PoI, and PoD. Each zone contained atleast a group. At high 50-low 60s PoV had a few groups and PoS usually had a group doing giants or frogs.

I can't say enough good stuff about PoP. I really can't think about any of its failures other than the alpha-flagging system without the level-barrier of entry for higher planes. Once they added that, it was damn near perfect. Raiding, Grouping, Soloing... the spell system, the AAs added, the tradeskills, the quests added in PoK and PoT.

The central hub of PoK and PoT really increased player interaction rather than decreased it. You were all pushed together into those zones depending on level, and would interact and group far more with randoms.

[Jimjam]

If people weren't so keen on /anon and /role while Xping it would be easier to /who all (my level range) and see people who are potentially in a group I could join (or might be willing to join a forming/existing group).

[Zuranthium]

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

The central hub of PoK and PoT really increased player interaction rather than decreased it.

Increased as compared to the shit state the game was in during Luclin, maybe. You might as well be playing Starcraft, sitting in the virtual chat lounge before entering a match. There's no more true fantasy immersion or adventure game left at that point; everyone in the world beaming up to some "plane" that feels like you're all floating around in a weird box up in the sky where a bunch of random vendors have taken up residence and everyone can just beam down almost anywhere at will.

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

I really hate group-making in this era of the game. You can /ooc LFG in KC or Seb... or you can put up LFG. But getting a tell for a Seb group when youre in KC and aren't a porter, is lame.

There's other places to go. City of Mist. Burning Woods. Chardok. Skyfire. Howling Stones. Do a /who all, ask people in the zones, and/or put your own group together. Granted that's less options for the Seb area but plenty for the other side.

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

PoT was fantastic because it allowed a hub for all group-making and raid-prep.

That's not how raids are supposed to operate, though. They should be epic, not something routine.