So, Eq may not be dead yet :)Follow

You asked earlier to look at the facts, yet you still haven't produced a single 'fact' or one piece of data to support your argument that EQ's population is somewhere at 100k or less.

The above quote is about as ancedotal as it gets.

We only have our own experiences to make our decisions about playing a game or not. Here's my story:

Currently, I pay little attention to the numbers of people in pok or elsewhere, as I rarely need to look beyond my own guild roster or alliance channel for a group.

Currently we still get enough people for open raids on Saturday and Sundays to take out most any of the PoP bosses, with the problem only being flagging/piggy issues.

Currently if I want to go explore some old world zone with little to offer in the way of xp or loot, I can easily find a trusted friend or two (not too mention my husband) to join me. (Yes, there is little reason to go to these zones anymore except for the fun. Is that a problem? I dunno...it's not for me.)

Currently, I think to get the most out of this game, you need acquaintances...a network of folks that log on fairly regularly at about the same time you do. You can get pick up groups, but you're not likely to get them to do lots of diverse stuff or check-out out-of-way zones. It's not WoW. You're not often gonna find yourself in some zone needing help to finish up a quest and be able to send an invite to the 3 or 4 other people you see hanging around that may be doing the same quest. There are too many quests, with lots of steps, spread across too many zones.

Currently, I don't think SoE has immediate plans to shut down the game. Heck they just put the EQ box in the store for the first time in a couple years, and we know there is another expansion on the way.

That is not a Masively Multiplayer Online Game.

That is a LAN party.

This is the dilemma many older MMOGs like Everquest and Dark Age of Camelot are facing. Justifying a monthly fee for a game where you can't experience much of the content due to the lack of random social encounters (aka pick up groups, etc.)

Even on Zek, the pvp server, where you have to wonder if that offer for a group or raid is really a trick to pk you , I never have trouble getting groups or hearing about pick up groups, raids, or even epic runs.

Last night, had a great 5 man group that we put together over general chat, and I had never seen these people before.

Then I got in a pk group , and that was great as well.

I agree with E, with a just a little work, you can get most any grouping or raiding done, at least from what I have seen. Even big guilds need help, and just a little networking can get you in.

For me, it has always been like this, even back in the day (99 Vallon ). So, other than easier communication and travel, it still works.

Hopefully the population surge continues through the other servers. I'm not expecting miracles, no, but I've bounced from game to game looking for a replacement. And shun me as you should for trying to find a replacement for 'evercrack'. It was the first mmorpg that I played and it wouldn't bother me a bit if it were my last. To all those on the Povar server, I'm commin' back, with many alts!