Miss this game =(Follow

People aren't in the old zones not because of the graphics, but, as Joph has lamented several times, the old world experience and loot SUCK compared to what you can get in the newer areas. The only way they can spark interest in the old world zones is by 1. making them hotzones with large experience bonuses 2. upgrading the loot significantly 3. revamping the zone graphically.

We know from experience now that 3 just doesn't cut it. Mistmoore castle and Splitpaw are perfect examples. That means loot upgrades, and that's just not likely to happen at a significant pace.

There's also the problem that there just aren't that many TRUE newbies to EQ, and I guess that's what your post is really aimed at; how to get true newbies playing. Graphics MAY help there, but I think the EQ legacy will keep them from playing. Just think about the rep that EQ has: "Evercrack", "EQ-Widows", the "EQ suicide" reports, the EQ related child neglect reports, the crucade of Ben Stein against EQ, etc. Frankly, it scares a lot of people, or it scares the people that pay for the games said people play.

You make great points and i gave you a big rate up for that. When i said update in graphics i didnt mean just as in this zone or that zone, i ment in the big picture... character graphics, game interaction ect.

The statement about "true newbies" is something pretty serious if you think about it. Peoples lives change they may not keep playing EQ for whatever reason, and since it has a very small appeal to newbies anymore its very sad to sit and watch something that was so amazing slowly die infront of my eyes. I don't know if you have tried EQ2 but IMO it has NO comparison to EQ1 other than the name. My point being there isn't another MMOG out there that IMO can compair to EQ1. These new MMOG's seems to all support the 'casual' gamer with the hp/mp regen on its own and the fast xp/lvl gains. That to me isn't a true MMOG.

Also when i was lvl'ing i should have added that i used the LFG tool and there were 3 people of lower lvl (lvls 1-20) looking for grp in thw whole world.

Was a sad sight.

Edited, Mon Aug 15 22:26:39 2005 by anfcollegeguy

Edited, Mon Aug 15 22:16:18 2005 by anfcollegeguy

The problem with most new MMO's is that they take all the gripes from players of everquest and try to "fix" them, SoE even did this with EQ2. What this does is break the system. I would like to say that even though SoE drives me up the freaking wall sometimes, with EQ1 they really got it right. If the game was easier, I would grow bored and quit playing.

For another MMO to be as successful as EQ, not just more players but being able to have 10 expansions and still doing great, they need to stick with the ground rules of EQ1. Anyone remember how level 30,35,40,45, and 51-59 SUCKED because they were "hell levels." Anyone remember the feeling of accomplishment after dinging out of one of those levels? I loved it, plus it ensured that people would just not do a continuous grind to the top.

The problem EQ1 has now is they never planned well for expansions. From the beginning they should have said that with every 3 expansions they old world zones would be updated a little. That way when, lets say, Luclin came out the original eq zones/mobs/items would be slightly updated to fit current Luclin standards. Then when Planes of Power is release Kunark gets a small revamp, LDoN releases and Velious is updated, etc. These don't have to me MAJOR updates, just enough to keep old world zones utilized.

I don't think anyone expected EQ to last as long as it has, therefore never came up with a good long term strategy.

You're all 100% correct in that one of the major hits to EQ is the low pop of true noobs.
On Fen I recently made a SK, I have honestly yet to group with anyone that wasn't twinked to high heaven. It' just the way it goes.

But, there is a solution.
Recruit!

EQ should, and I honestly don't know if they do now, offer some kind of an incentive to players who bring in new accounts.
They should also apply this to new account holders who open a new account as a result of a player with an existing account. So everybody wins.

I am pleased to see that there are many old school players who have started to return. Perhaps the week that it took to get to 60 in WoW, and the fact that there is like 1 zone for high level raids has lost its appeal.
At least, I'm seeing this on Fen.

If you feel as though the game is dieing, then recruit new players.
WoW had no trouble with this. I saw people who never would have thought about playing EQ running to the stores to purchase, and play WoW.
The hype in GI etc helped that mad rush, but people helped as well.

Recruit recruit recruit. Talk to people you work with, get them excited about the game, then they'll tell two people, and they'll tell...you get the picture.

Just my 2cp.

Thanks.

also, and I just thought of this after I closed my browser,
when was the last time you saw a commercial on TV for EQ?
Yes well, me neither. So its kinda like wth is up with that?
SOE has the dough I'm thinkin to put together something pretty sweet. I bet a months worth of average rotation on major stations would bring a whole buttload of new players in.
Ponder, why does SOE not advertise EQ on TV??

Edited, Tue Aug 16 12:38:19 2005 by CraigD

Lots of good stuff here, and i do really miss the game

I am one of those people who has played EQ in the past but stopped for awhile to try other games (FFXI, WoW). However, I've found FFXI to be more like a second job and WoW to be way too easy. Plus, in both of those games, i just haven't found the sense of community i always found in EQ.

So it is extremely hard for me to come back to EQ and see the old world zones empty and not many people around. One good thing that really got my spirits up was last night there was a whopping 37 people in the tutorial! This was on Maelin Starpyre server, and it truly brought a smile to my face :)

But as for the tv commercials, I agree! SOE certainly has the money and resources to do even a moderate advertising campaign for the game. Can't say they've given up on it if they are still releasing expansions, you know? As for graphics, that isn't an issue for me. I've never really cared about graphics, I'm one of those people who will play games like Nexus, Graal and FF Tactics until the day I die, even if the graphics are outdated. So the graphics in EQ are fine for me, but I do agree that perhaps a slight lift will make more people pay some attention to the game!

Having not created a new character in EQ in years, I had no idea there was a whole tutorial section now. Is it like the Isle of Refuge on EQ2?

I do miss EQ a lot though. I have so many fond memories. I still have an active account though through my Station Pass. I keep meaning to get back into it, but sometimes I only have about an hour or less to play and something like WoW makes it feel like I've accomplished something. With EQ the most I can do in an hour is run to a good hunting spot then log. It takes much more time per session to get anything meaningful done. Unfortunately, even when I have a few hours to kill, I usually end up playing WoW. I wish I had time for all of them. :(

Isn't that the buyline for EQII?

A report by G4

And apparently, EQ really isn't the cause of those "EQ suicides" (as we all suspected). No, it was actually the fault of that damn blinking harddrive light!

your pet will lose its power to 'tank' mobs, instead you can snare the mob and dot it so it will chase you and your pet can beat on it while you run around in circles. This is better than fearing too because you can control where the mob goes so it wont agro its friends.

Heheh....I wasn't expecting accolades...it's not an original idea by any means.....I just want that feeling I had when I first played EQ, back on Day 1. Everything was new and I was afraid to go too far too fast because no one REALLY knew anything about what was out there.

(I know, there still were the people who played in beta, but.....)

I like the way EQ is now, so I don't want too much change...

I still want a ranger to be a ranger. I don't want an enchanter to be an enchanter...and not devolved into a 3rd rate nuker...

but since we have all these cool items in the game now, any new item introduced has to have awesome stats or no one wants to go find a way to go get it. Old world zones are underplayed because the stuff that drops there doesn't compare to the new stuff. 5 expansions from now no one will go to OOW zones...and the new stuff dropping will have +200 int or +100,000 hps because they have to keep outdoing the stuff they came out with last time...

I miss we all band together to stay alive.... instead of we got together to go grind and kill that same thing over and over and over...

I dont think it would be that hard to upgrade the old zones, I mean they seem to pull it off pretty easy for the Fabled Mobs. I would say just increase the curve in the old zones people will go there.

Thanks to tutorial places like Qhills, EC, and Misty Thicket may never be used again and can probably be left off the list. But, other zones like NRO lets say make it that derv rings are worth 2pp to vendor or that their stats are like 5 ac 5str like or something instead of 1 ac 2dex, make that dorn dagger like 10/20 ratio with a lower level weaker proc like fleeting fury or something at level 9.

The new newbie armor quests dont work either I have done about 6 of em on a baby necro ( I wanted a frog ) I made on another server. In most cases I was underskilled til I levelled up to take on what I needed to kill for my next 1ac 2int 5m/h/e item (best AC so far was 5 too. Funny too that these are level restricted =P). So I would try it 2 or 3 times die, go out level a couple levels come back try it again and pull it off, and then get rewarded with an item that was worth less then I could have farmed money and expierence for in the same time. I will admit there is a feeling of accomplishment but geesh.

Example on the level 12 newbie quest: (this only one actually good for your level as far as what you have to kill) kill 5 sand scarab, loot eggsack off sand scarab, kill five dune tarantula, loot one spider venom sack, kill 5 giant snakes all this in NRO zone. Scarabs were easy, turns out that sand scarab hatchlings count as sand scarabs so like 5-10 minutes to run from FP to NRO and 5-10 minutes hunting I have 2 of tasks done, giant snakes a lil harder as they are a lil rarer. But Dune Tarantulas are a mother.... super rare spawn, like 1-2 every 30 minutes. Continuing everforward though I have in about 45-60 minutes more killed the snakes and the tarantulas I need,but no venom sack.

Well it became a pride thing, roaming all over NRO killing anything that moved and getting excited everytime it was a spider. I ended up with 5 stacks of spiderling silk, 5 stacks of spider silk, 2 levels and 1 fargin spider venom sack that dropped off a desert tarantula not a dune tarantula that the quest decided to count, thank god. (8 hours in NRO for that, not the other stuff just the stupid sack)So my level 12 armor quest counting running to and from pok took me about 9 and 1/2 hours.

I could have spent 91/2 hours in PC and gotten to level 24 with around 200-300pp easy, or If I wanted to farm spiders I could have done FoB or Ferrort and gotten like 3x that at least. Doing the newbie quests I have found I cannot afford all my spells right away, and get worse for my return then if I had farmed tradeskill stuff and set up a trader or just gone straight experience and bought everything in the bazaar. I worked for 91/2 hours to get a 1 ac 3 int 5/h/m/e ring when I could have gotten a moonstone ring for 10pp. (which is like 3ac 30 mana iirc) Only good thing I can say about these quests is that it did take me to parts of RM and WW I had never been too and let me revisit a few haunts like chessboard in BB.

So ya the new newbie armor quests suck and to be honest the nostalgia so far hasnt done it for me. To me they are just as bad as the old ones done in the newbie zones off the newbie towns that no one even goes to anymore. Still kinda funny Sony callin them your starting cities... kinda depressing too for those of us who been there. Anymore those cities are kinda like Katta Kastellem... you really only run there if you need something that can only be gotten from there.