Solution to lower level grouping woes: hotzones or group XP?

[Hitchens]

I've found grouping on P1999 to be easy and enjoyable. I've had lots of fun grouping in both indoor and outdoor zones.

The community in-game is great and quite active.

[acid_reflux]

E.Q. live has hotzones. You can even buy a rotdog that you can ride around on like a skinless quadrupedal penis. Check it out...

. . . oh btw, they also do bonus exp days on top of the hotzone exp. Noob zones are vacant and buggy as hell.

[eqravenprince]

There is a reason I do not play a group only class like a Rogue. It's mainly because I cannot stand sitting LFG for more than a minute or two =). So I like any idea of how to make getting into a group much much easier.

Firstly, I would amp up the experience bonus for grouping. Second, instead of hotzones, I would actually modify the zone experience modifier percentages to be more in line with actual risk of a zone and then publish it so everyone knows.

But with all that being said, I am fairly convinced nothing is going to happen that is not classic. And I am ok with that, I just won't be playing a Rogue anytime soon unless he is super twinked.

[Pomaikai]

I've soloed a lot. It's just painful at this point in EQ. I pretty much soloed all of 44 killing the undead cleric in Kithicor getting about 1.5% exp per kill, and 5 kills per EQ night cycle. It's just the fact that you can kill a few and then have a long break waiting on mana again. Yes, you can solo but there is a whole lot more downtime for us than most other classes when it comes to soloing. It was our penalty for being the most sought after class for grouping in the game.

As for grouping exp? 10-20% every 30 mins in a good group was about right, depending upon level. Hell levels being the exception here. I think part of the reason that I get very good group exp, is that I get invited into groups which are capable of taking on much higher levels mobs than I could ever handle solo, and I go into dungeons and areas that other classes at my level would not be asked to go to.

Before Cheal its all about being one of two healers to keep the mobs going non-stop, but once you get Cheal, you can get into groups with players much higher level than you are in dungeons that are much higher level as well. At least that has been my experience playing a Cleric both here, and on live for many many many years. If you're good, you'll get the groups that generate great exp. Plus, I enjoy not only the interaction with other players chatting in group, but also the chess game that is managing mana, agro, and keeping your group alive. That's the appeal of playing a Cleric to me.

But yeah, soloing in Classic is still teh suck compared to what we became later on in EQ Live. Bash was a big one. Just the ability to help interrupt casters, either soloing or in groups was a real help. The DA Hammer from Griegs End coupled with our self proccing damage shield and self healing damage shield turned us into incredible soloers though. Not many people understood the power of that combination, but those that did had some of the most fun ever in our Clerical career. Watching 10-20 mobs at a time suicide on you while swung and healed yourself like a madman gave you an adrenaline high like you wouldn't believe. Watching other classes freak out and try and "save" you was both hilarious and frustrating. The frustrating part being that they took away from my exp gravy train when they tried to "help" me, and then quite often the inevitable break I had to take rezzing and buffing them after they died in the process. I don't know if you ever got to solo using those tools on Live, but if you did you'd understand why soloing on a Classic server is just a painfully slow experience.

[Faisca]

If you LD while soloing chances are you have a CR when you get back in the game.

[Raelador]

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

Not classic

Yeah having 300 active people on a server isn't classic either. So your argument is null.

This community is nice on the forums, but in game people are usually solo. Sure sometimes you will get a random group in Unrest, Mistmoore, or Lower Guk but that is pretty much it. Most of the camps in those zones are on lockdown so you won't get to any of the good camps like on classic. This server is for people who want to hear the old music and hit the old mobs. As far as a classic experience it really doesn't measure up.

As far as making friends with people who are over 50 when you're lvl1... Yeah I'm sure you could tell a random person and make friends, but then you're the weird random guy who won't stop telling me... I'm not friends with that guy.

[Hitchens]

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

This community is nice on the forums, but in game people are usually solo. Sure sometimes you will get a random group in Unrest, Mistmoore, or Lower Guk but that is pretty much it. Most of the camps in those zones are on lockdown so you won't get to any of the good camps like on classic. This server is for people who want to hear the old music and hit the old mobs. As far as a classic experience it really doesn't measure up.

This hasn't been my experience at all. I thought when I got out of Oasis I'd be spending the rest of my time solo, but that hasn't been the case. I've been pleasantly surprised at how easy it is to get groups on an emu server. I think I've spent maybe one level soloing.

I've had great luck grouping with random people to hit up Mistmoore, Lower Guk, Sol A, Droga, etc. Places I never thought I'd find pick up groups in. Not to mention the outdoor zones.

In my experience, P1999 has measured up quite well to providing a classic experience. The only thing that isn't classic is not finding myself grouped with asshats. But I'm okay with that.

[Raelador]

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

The classic experience is to do the research (aided by memory) and find the zones/mobs/group that yield optimal experience. People come here for the classic experience.

The classic experience on this server is hitting up project1999 wiki then.

[Raelador]

I'm sure you will find a random group in Mistmoore or Lower Guk. Those were the big zones on classic.

New people coming to the server can listen to embellished sunshine crap that Hitchens is spreading around, or you can realize that we have about 5 posts a week about new people not finding groups. I realized a long time ago there were no steady groups. It's a solo game if you can't solo you get plvled. If you can't plvl and you want to group you do a lot of sitting around and random telling. That is just the truth of a low pop server.

[Hitchens]

If your attitude is that P1999 sucks and you have to spend all your time soloing, chances are your attitude will make sure that's what happens.