Is the server overpopulated? Or is it something more?

[Nirgon]

Personally? I was trolling eq mac scum but carry on

[Portasaurus]

Nothing wrong with p99. This server's population is healthy, sustainable, and antibiotic-free.














And delicious.

[Wizardling]

When useful loot (a tiny percentage of overall drops, anyway) in EQ has always either been extremely minor upgrades for the most part, or very rare decent upgrades I hardly ever see or win if I do see... well, I wouldn't still be playing EQ1 in 2014 if loot was all I cared about.

For me EQ1 is about the grouping, and to a lesser extent the solo adventures and questing. The only thing that can destroy that for me is finding myself having to travel to the same tiny subset of zones on every damn alt, to find other people.

Now I do make an effort at times to create groups where I'd rather play, and sometimes that gets off the ground - which is awesome. If I'm really lucky I create a self-sustaining group that repopulates as members leaving get others to fill their spots, or word gets out and people hang about to get in on the action.

But it's rare that it works out that well. On some alts I just thank my lucky stars I found an UGuk group instead of Oasis again, heh. And you know something is wrong when you consider UGuk a break from the usual (no matter how much I love that zone - and I really do :-) *mucho warm fuzzies for Guk*).

What it comes down to is not only making an effort to create interesting varied group destinations, but the rest of the players making some effort not to just fall into the same old CLs->Ro->Oasis->etc progression.

I mean really - how boring are most people to do the same zones over and over, when just a tiny bit more effort will get them somewhere unusual? Not to say I've not been guilty of being lazy and falling into popular spots, but I like to think I at least make some effort on each alt to break the pattern a few times on the rise to 60.

[Ivory]

The problem is when you remove the incentive for loot from the sub 50 game...the only thing left to do is to grind up to level 50 before you can start seeing loot again.

That is why everyone concentrates on the highest exp areas, because there is nothing else to go after.

You might say loot isn't of interest to you...but most people enjoy getting upgrades (and it is one of the main things that drives games like these).

When useful loot (a tiny percentage of overall drops, anyway) in EQ has always either been extremely minor upgrades for the most part

That is how the game is designed. Leveling up, and finding new loot along the way. The upgrades aren't staggering...but there a lot of them up to level 50.

~gasp~ A rogue that does their burning rapier quest to actually use it? Impossible on the current server since you can get a Jagged Chokidai Spine for less than 100pp.

Yea, it is possible to try and avoid buying higher end gear and intentionally nerf yourself. But then you join a group and are being outdamaged by everyone and not contributing much ((which, isn't really much fun? Most people want to feel like they are contributing a valuable amount)).

[Wizardling]

I didn't say I don't like upgrades or get them for my characters. But EQ1 isn't like many newer MMOs - it doesn't shower you with multiple magical stat items every play session. You learn to live with very modest upgrades, often - when not twinking (which I enjoy in it's own way, but it's a different style of play. Sometimes I do, sometimes not, depending on my preference at the time... and wealth on the server, of course, heh) - not seeing more than a couple minor stat items for a considerable time.

In EQ1 getting a nice upgrade from loot is a special occasion. Something I get excited about, it's so rare. Which is good IMO. In WoW, for example, I never got excited about anything less than epic, by the time I bailed, as I'd seen so much green and blue gear overflowing with stats.

However my point was that if played only for loot upgrades, I doubt EQ1 could sustain me. It's no Diablo II in that respect. However EQ1 has held my interest for well over a decade because it's the best social MMO I've ever played, IMO. Nice gear is just icing on the cake when it happens. On live constant homogenised Defiant gear drops ruined my appreciation for loot. On 1999 it's just right, IMO. Here I get excited when I get my first decent DPS magic weapon, or armour with nice AC - forget stats. But the grouping is the key to EQ1 for me :-)

[Wizardling]

Oh - and as to feeling inadequate in a group. Well, what can I say? I've never been an OCD combat log examiner. If we're staying alive, having fun, and are not bored, I'm happy. For that matter I actually enjoy playing toons like my Troll SHD with 68% less XP gain. I see it as a way to group longer earlier on. My best times have all been in lower level zones, not high end raids. I've raided plenty - most recently up to early DoDh on Fippy Darkpaw progression. But most of my fun from raiding came by taking raid gear into groups and having a blast being powerful. Still, again: if I'm having fun, I couldn't care less about my XP bar, provided I get to new content before I'm bored with the current.

[mtb tripper]

sounds familiar

[Flotsam]

I have no idea if a server wipe or a wipe-server would fix the problem, but it is clear that the main objection to having another server (excluding the cost, and work involved which is beyond my knowledge), is "splitting the community". It seems obvious that this is a fallacious argument, since the server is, in fact, over-populated to an extreme degree. The over-population mostly occurs at level 60, so having another server ought to help a lot.

Another objection is that the new server will look like this one after a year or less, but why is that a problem? We'll then have two servers, both over-populated at level 60, but with a bit more breathing space.

I am a new player here, and this thread suggests that what I have to look forward to is a massively crowded raiding scene where I have no realistic hope of camping level-appropriate gear or achieving my own epic, because they are camped for cash by level 60's. So far, I am enjoying the low level experience, but this thread is disquieting.

How about allowing people to transfer characters plus equipment or even full guilds to red? Nihilum might not be able to grief TMO quite so easily, and it could create a bit of breathing space as well as more competition on both servers (since blue could afford to be slightly less regimented, and a few campers would be doing something else). I know, no blue guild would dare to go there, though maybe they might be willing to transfer a pack of level 60 alts, which would still be helpful in evening out average population a little.

[BlkCamel]

Tunare Regularly had over 2k pop prime time. For years. Tunare was one of the first servers to split due to this over population. And I am talking Kunark into Velious time frame, prior to Kunark I don't remember them showing population numbers.

[Tenlaar]

Wow, how has nobody ever thought of TMO going to red before? It's so simple, so elegant. It was right there this whole time, just staring us in the face. Did we see it? No. We just kept plodding along, a huddled mass staring at our feet like poor snow-covered Russians in line for government cheese. Why, I say why, why has it taken so long for us to raise our heads and see the Flotsam descending from the heavens with it's message of hope? There can be a brighter future, we no longer need live in fear, we can all bask in a warm golden shower of pixels, we can just...send TMO to red.