Will the game become too easy once exp penalties are removed?

[Daldaen]

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

I'm a recently returning player to EQ, I played through Velious, and came back shortly in Luclin/PoP.

I came back to EQ because of the "classic" era nature of P1999. There's a couple things EQ does that go beyond many modern MMOs that I've tried and that's the forced player interaction. you have to interact with people to play this game. You have to ask a wizard/druid for a port. You have to speak to people in auction channel instead of their being an auction house. Etc. I definitely think the PoP books helped ruin the game, because it was one more thing they took away from having to make relationships and make people interact with each other.

MMOs are about interacting with other people. Otherwise you're just playing a single player game. This is just one of the things classic EQ does so well. I would be quite sad if the PoP got added into P1999.

As far as the exp penalty goes. I rolled an SK. I'm not that far yet (only 15). At first the penalty was driving me insane, but by now I'm used to it. I don't feel that strongly either way about it be removed in Velious. I would feel a little bad for everyone else who's leveled a hybrid to 60 already if it was removed and hey, if other people could get to 60 pre-removal, then so can I. I'm not going to complain if it's removed though.

That's all good and fine. Until you are anon/role 100% of the time and only talking to your guildmates. Which is what happens to many people on this server. They don't interact at all with other people.


Then they don't understand why I refuse to port their anon/role toons. If you don't want people to interact with you, I don't want to interact with you either. /who all anon Druid and ask them for a port... Oh wait, you can't.

Anon/Role killed interacting with others 100x more than any silly PoK books did.

[Fett]

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

That's all good and fine. Until you are anon/role 100% of the time and only talking to your guildmates. Which is what happens to many people on this server. They don't interact at all with other people.


Then they don't understand why I refuse to port their anon/role toons. If you don't want people to interact with you, I don't want to interact with you either. /who all anon Druid and ask them for a port... Oh wait, you can't.

Anon/Role killed interacting with others 100x more than any silly PoK books did.

Weren't Anon/Role always in the game? Is that really a fair comparison to make?

[Weekapaug]

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

Weren't Anon/Role always in the game? Is that really a fair comparison to make?

Yes, always.

There's always been a small but vocal group of players that bitch about it being responsible for everything from lack of groups to the price of gas. Shits classic, as they say.

Ironically, an excellent argument could be made for having everyonr anon being better for community.

[Buns]

I want the exp penalties to go away largely because I started playing EQ1 a few months before Velious, so I never even knew there were exp penalties until P1999. The race penalties make sense to me, but I don't understand at all the reason for class penalties (like how does a Ranger have an advantage over a Druid?). I'm glad they'll be going. Stupid mechanic tbh.

[August]

I loved PoP.
I loved AAs.
I loved the keying, the tradeskilling, the exp zones (fire, earth, hello).


Game is about people. Complaining about removing 1 interaction (reliance on druids/wizards) because of books is stupid. You're assuming that druids/wizards only exist to perform this task for you. Good chance they also want to go out and exp and do stuff as well.

Almost every major MMO has enabled fast travel, and they have enabled it to a way greater degree than the PoK books. You can typically go to the quest hub you want via flight path, etc. At least you only got the 'general area' and still had to run.

People claim it makes the world feel smaller. But question- how many of you actually choose to hoof it from EC tunnel to lguk -? To oasis and to hit up kunark? Or do you port and pay someone for the pleasure?

But it's all moot. Server won't be headed to PoP. I'd love to see some custom content that incorporated the zones, though.

[Fett]

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

I loved PoP.
I loved AAs.
I loved the keying, the tradeskilling, the exp zones (fire, earth, hello).


Game is about people. Complaining about removing 1 interaction (reliance on druids/wizards) because of books is stupid. You're assuming that druids/wizards only exist to perform this task for you. Good chance they also want to go out and exp and do stuff as well.

Almost every major MMO has enabled fast travel, and they have enabled it to a way greater degree than the PoK books. You can typically go to the quest hub you want via flight path, etc. At least you only got the 'general area' and still had to run.

People claim it makes the world feel smaller. But question- how many of you actually choose to hoof it from EC tunnel to lguk -? To oasis and to hit up kunark? Or do you port and pay someone for the pleasure?

But it's all moot. Server won't be headed to PoP. I'd love to see some custom content that incorporated the zones, though.

You're seeing this from the wrong angle. It's not about the wizard/druid existing only to port you, but instead leaving them with a valuable and useful utility role they wouldn't otherwise have. This game isn't solely about killing stuff and and gaining exp, and as far as I'm concerned, classes having a useful utility role that gives them something to do outside combat is fantastic. RPGs are supposed to be about playing roles, and the journey. This type of mechanic adds to that experience.

[August]

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

You're seeing this from the wrong angle. It's not about the wizard/druid existing only to port you, but instead leaving them with a valuable and useful utility role they wouldn't otherwise have. This game isn't solely about killing stuff and and gaining exp, and as far as I'm concerned, classes having a useful utility role that gives them something to do outside combat is fantastic. RPGs are supposed to be about playing roles, and the journey. This type of mechanic adds to that experience.

I understand both sides of the coin. I used to make a killing during PoP era due to translocation spells on my wizard.

The problem is that you've been given a hard dependency. When the world is so large, if you don't have a self-serve travel mechanism, you are forcing people to either

a) beg people for ports
b) run really long distances.

I understand the desire to be needed, wanted, hell even loved. However travel is something that everyone must do in this game, and to make one part of it so integral, with the world so large, it becomes overwhelming. There is a reason they implemented books. The game still required groups to do even generically hard content (bothunder, povalor, ponightmare - not to mention elemental plane farming).

[Roth]

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

I understand both sides of the coin. I used to make a killing during PoP era due to translocation spells on my wizard.

The problem is that you've been given a hard dependency. When the world is so large, if you don't have a self-serve travel mechanism, you are forcing people to either

a) beg people for ports
b) run really long distances.

I understand the desire to be needed, wanted, hell even loved. However travel is something that everyone must do in this game, and to make one part of it so integral, with the world so large, it becomes overwhelming. There is a reason they implemented books. The game still required groups to do even generically hard content (bothunder, povalor, ponightmare - not to mention elemental plane farming).

I just really fail to understand why people play on a classic server but don't really want a classic server. If there was fast travel enabled I would probably still play but I would be annoyed. I like being forced to travel or find a port or anything of that nature. Many people are here because they like it this way and then you have the nerve to tell them it just doesn't matter? To you maybe fast travel is w/e but A LOT of people like it this way and that's why they play here. It's really annoying for someone to say "just don't use the books or it doesn't really matter get over it". People are on this server because they want that so don't tell them what they're supposed to like or care about.

[Pinolian]

If you want a game where its easy to level, the content from 1-60 (90) is largely ignored, people do not talk in groups because they are spamming "skills", then GTFO and go play WOW.

Keep the game hard, keep it slow. The leveling is part of the journey. If leveling bothers you so much then go play a different game. Why is it so hard for you to earn something, instead of complaining that its tedious. The Tedious that you are complaining about is what makes this game different.

The grind, the tedious, the difficulty is why you came back here to begin with. You came back because you actually felt like you accomplished something when you dinged. You met new friends along the way and shared their victories and losses, adversity and successes. You know what, screw it, why not let our devs here make some cash for the server and lets sell level 60 toons! That way you can skip tedious for a few bucks. If you are gonna do it, may as well go all the way I say..

The hard is what makes it great

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNeWa8zH3_8

[baalzy]

1-60 is still a pretty long time even as a cleric/druid that have no penalties and a minor bonus as best. I mean seriously, how long would it take a druid to get to 60 100% solo? How many hours would it take a cleric to get to 60 assuming they immediately get a group that and the group kills with 100% efficiency until the cleric logs out? In the most efficient xp gaining scenario possible (without flat-out powerleveling via a bard or something stupid) I still bet it would take more than 200 hours.

How is making that journey equal length for paladins/rangers/bards/someSKs making the game 'too easy'?

All it really does is allow hybrids the chance to get into groups more often and actually experience the game because people will be less concerned with the penalty. Sure, a ranger may not be as useful as a rogue in certain party arrangements but now you're not worrying about an 11% drop in xp per kill so maybe you will invite them and bask in their glorious utility.

The premise behind the OP is pretty stupid and weak.