Insta-60 server, good idea? Bad idea?

[Ivory]

People like something to do.....when they don't have something to do, they get bored.

But not just something to do, something that makes them feel like they overcame something (and "earned" what they have). Something that feels like an achievement and is worthwhile. That is why when you tell a bunch of 60's "hay, want to go clear hate with one group? [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]"....a lot of them actually find it fun (even if they are already geared out). The "achievement" is doing something challenging in the game (which, is just one of many things everquest offers "to do").

Levels, gear, plat from farming or selling.....doing challenging dungeons or raids....heck, even saving someone with a teleport to help them with a corpse recovery. These are all different things "to do" and mini achievements.

Taking away some of the stuff for people to do isn't the answer to making people less bored.

We want to give people MORE stuff to do....more challenges, and more feeling like they are achieving things.

This is why you don't get the same satisfaction out of leveling a twink to level 10 as you do a new character on a new server to level 10.

Yea, both have the shared achievement of "levels"...but on the fresh character, you also have a lot of achievements in overcoming newbie equipment and buying bags and a host of other micro-achievements that keep players on an achievement high.

You are thinking about things backwards. You are focusing in on ONE possible thing for people to do (raiding and gearing at level 60)....and cutting out the rest of the game.

Right now, on such an old server....a lot of the "stuff to do" achievements are being eaten up by a broken economy. Doing the quest (for example) for an electrum-bladed wakizashi or burning rapier doesn't give the same sense of achievement on this server as it would in a different environment...because it is so weak compared to easily available higher level loot. That is 2 less things "to do" and have fun with.

That is why a lot of people are bored. Because the only thing "to do" is get exp or high end raid (high end raid being horribly overcrowded). That means the only real thing to do is grind exp (instead of feeling achievement in leveling alts or getting more equipment).

But, if you are already high level....suddenly you don't even really have grinding exp as a thing to do (since there is no reason to get higher level, since even if you do high end raiding is broken, and high end loot is over farmed....which only leaves plat farming to try and get better loot).

Everquest is a pretty fun game with a lot of challenge (isn't that why people get excited about playing classic over live? Because it is more of a challenge?).

Right now, the server isn't offering that challenge. It is like a billionaire longing for the exciting days of starting and building their first company.

[Lopretni]

The attitude of rush to max level is what ruined MMOs and turned grinding into a boring monotonous slog that's supposed to pad out the game because all their resources went into end game stuff. I don't think that's necessary here because for the most part mechanics seem to be shared across encounters no matter the level. The shit you do at 60 will be mostly the same shit you do at 30 or 40, you just have more spell particles.

[Swish]

Good post Ivory.

One of the reasons for posting was the amount of discussion around powerleveling and who's best at it, who gets you from point A to point B the fastest and all that.

People want their characters to hit 60 as fast as possible, so perhaps they'd prefer if we opened a 60 only server?

Or is it the thrill of "tee hee, I got PL'ed... look at all those scrubs in KC still doing it the hard way! [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]" ?

[Swish]

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

The attitude of rush to max level is what ruined MMOs and turned grinding into a boring monotonous slog that's supposed to pad out the game because all their resources went into end game stuff. I don't think that's necessary here because for the most part mechanics seem to be shared across encounters no matter the level. The shit you do at 60 will be mostly the same shit you do at 30 or 40, you just have more spell particles.

I'm inclined to agree... on that "slow" journey you meet new people, make pals and do things you otherwise wouldn't do if you fast tracked to 60 (such as quests, learning your class thoroughly, and enjoying the process).

[fastboy21]

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

Well except for the 1 person online right now.

Question:

if someone has to login to check server population can the server ever really be dead?

Answer:

there is no spoon.

Question:

which bear is best?

Answer:

bears eat beets. bears, beets, battlestar gallactica.

[Swish]

If accurate, server pops are on the front page: http://www.project1999.com/

[Pheer]

i wonder how long this thread will go before swish finds a way to segue into an advertisement for red

[Ivory]

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

Good post Ivory.

One of the reasons for posting was the amount of discussion around powerleveling and who's best at it, who gets you from point A to point B the fastest and all that.

People want their characters to hit 60 as fast as possible, so perhaps they'd prefer if we opened a 60 only server?

Or is it the thrill of "tee hee, I got PL'ed... look at all those scrubs in KC still doing it the hard way! [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]" ?

But that isn't what is happening... people have a really good reason to rush to 60 on this server....because EVERYTHING they do besides exp before 50 (even mid 50's?) is pretty meaningless (and doesn't bring any sense of accomplishment).

On this server, sub 50 level loot is largely taken out of the game (since you can find so much better so easily....even new players can save up the plat to buy some +50 weapons by 15.

The game is set up to chase equipment and is a HUGE driving force behind getting people out into the world. From drops in permafrost, to doing the burning rapier quest in Najena... to even trying to get a flowing black silk sash from guk. But, most of those things are made irrelevant by such an aged server (and the things that are still needed, like FBSS are HEAVILY camped by single level 60's trying to grind out plat).

So, all you really have left is the desire to level up (and reach levels where you can start doing your epic, or start raiding for gear). Sadly, when a lot of people reach over 50...they quickly realize just how bad the raiding scene is (goodbye hopes of ever getting a sky weapon quest finished). Eventually they get bored...and try and alt again (thinking maybe some more newbie grinding will be what they are missing...but it ends up in the same problem of only ever having a single focus on what to do....grind exp OR high end loot).

The game was made to do MULTIPLE things at a time. Grinding for exp sometimes, but also adventures and questing (everQUEST) to get loot upgrades. When people got bored of grinding at level 30, they would go try to find a weapon upgrade (since likely their weapon was making grinding a lot harder).

This balance of stuff to do made the game more interesting and fun. Throw in some tradeskill stuff (and tradeskills which were actually desired and IMPORTANT)...and suddenly you had a range of stuff to keep you busy.

On this server? A new character that wants to be a blacksmith? Just not enough people who want to buy what you are selling (unless you are maxed out). There is no path way up since everyone is sitting at 50+ loot (invalidating the rest of the game).

Like I said...a refresh server would solve a lot of these problems (leveling alts on a fresh server would always be a fun alternative when people get bored). And the fact that it keeps refreshing would mean it would always be a source of this fresh game play with varied "stuff to do" ((though, the refreshes would dump alts onto the old server, for those that want to keep going)).

[August]

People only enjoy having things because the absence of those things is present for others.

Money is only good when most people have a lot less than you. Levels are only good when the only way to get htem is a long slog. Paying to get them or getting them quickly is like getting rich quick.

If everyone could get rich quick, then being rich wouldn't be a thing. Thus it would suck.

[iruinedyourday]

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

But that isn't what is happening... people have a really good reason to rush to 60 on this server....because EVERYTHING they do besides exp before 50 (even mid 50's?) is pretty meaningless (and doesn't bring any sense of accomplishment).

Yea thats fair. But it's not totally absolute but its close. I mean I camped a HBC when i was 36 and that was awesome and I still wear it! But come velious what you say will be even more true than it is now. [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

I was really glad I got to play on the server when the old old stuff was still "good" but I dont want to switch to a new server or anything. Im fine with the cut off being velious [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

But hey thats just me!

altho... permadeath XD