Coming back after 7 (!) years!!Follow

Welcome back!

Thanks for coming back. We need the population. Get your friends to come back also.

Gonzo!!!!

This post might sound a bit blunt in parts but I'm just trying to be candid. Also, if something seems patronizing, it's not meant to be (just trying to make it as simple as possible). Now, disclaimer outta the way, let's see if I can shed some light.

1) Monk. I have both, heavily developed (75 monk with 1695 AA in anguish/demiplane raid gear and 71 Berserker with 1554 AA in Guk chain (read: group) gear). The monk outdamages the berserker due almost solely to the disparity in gear level (2.0 monk with Cryptwood Tonfa, among other toys vs 1.5 zerker). The AA after about 1200 or so are a wash (due to diminishing returns) but the levels do matter. Plus, the monk is a bit sturdier and easier to heal and brings Monk utility (like pulling and such) to the table. I love 'em both but if I had to choose between the two, I'd go berserker (haha, switched it up on ya due to pure DPS and being a force multiplier (berserker buffs)). In a 4some with a tank & healer merc, I'd want as much damage as possible. But for the group you describe, go Monk since you already have one at the level you need.

2) Slot types have to do with something called 'augmentations'. Look here for more information.

3) Focus you should be familiar with, since they were added during the Luclin era. They used to be called 'focus effects' or 'foci' (in plural) and it used to be for casters only. At some point, the old system was merged into the focus system so effects like 'Vengeance' became just straight ATK buffs and semi-new effects like 'Cleave' came into being. So now, both casters and melee have focus effects they clamor for (though casters moreso than melee). You'll also see terms like 'mod2' and 'mod3' thrown about. These are all the various effects you see listed (primarily for mod2s) on the far right side of an item's info window. Stuff like Spellshield, DoT shielding, Avoidance, Clairvoyance, HP regen, Mana regen, Damage Shield, all of these things are mod2s/mod3s.

Purity is a trait that was introduced in the Buried Sea expansion. It has to do with the power source slot you might have noticed. Power sources are basically buff batteries. They add (and subtract, in some cases) stats and mods to your gear while the power source (PS) is equipped. But, while the PS is equipped, it drains like a real battery until it gets to 0% at which time it stops giving the bonuses. Purity determines how much of a PS's buff you get. More purity = more buff, basically. How much a PS is drained depends on how many items are drawing "power" from it. So, if you have 10 slots pulling power, you'll only get like 10 or so consecutive hours of "buff" from that power source. Purity determines how much of the buff you get. It's a percentage (so 50 purity = 50% of the PS's bonus) so higher is always better. Look here for some more basic info.

4) Mercenaries are available in the Plane of Knowledge from the various Mercenary liaisons you see. But, keep in mind the restriction. You can have any race tank or healer you want EXCEPT if that race does not inherently have clerics or warriors available. So while you can't have an Erudite tank (because they can't be Warriors), you can have an Erudite cleric. So no Barbarian healer merc (no clerics) and no Erudite tank (no warriors). But, mercs do not have racial benefits. They're just skins on a robot. So your Ogre tank merc WILL be stunnable from the front. Pick a race you like the looks of that has access to the role you want (warrior for tank, cleric for healer) and have at it. Make sure you have enough coin to pay for the purchase AND the upkeep though.

5) Most servers aren't teeming with people anymore. As far as I know, the most populated servers in EQ right now are Antonious Bayle (Euro server but there are more than enough folks on during US prime times), Maelin Starpyre (seemingly the server everyone transfers to for the highest end content), and Stromm (perhaps the most new player/returning player friendly server). The servers with "dead" populations (or rather, less than ideal player populations) seem to be Zek, Firiona Vie (the Hotel California server), Drinal and right now The Combine (though it's being merged with Druzzil Ro supposedly next week...assuming they don't delay it.....again). I can say Fennin Ro isn't exactly Guantanamo Bay either.

a) Not really. Once you hit 70+, you'll find that while pulling can be good, it's often unnecessary. In fact, in most situations, a bard will pull better than you do (better and/or faster). Post-80, add Ranger, Rogue, Necro, SK, Enchanter, and Cleric (situationally in most of these cases) to that list. You'll find that your monk can lull now but after 80, there are mobs that are flagged immune to that ability (or extremely resistant) but not to things like Ranger's Harmonious Arrow or Bard tactics or even pacify. That's probably why you hear people say monks suck now (they're wrong of course, but such is the way of lemmings and parrots).

b) Any level appropriate zone will have defiant armor drops. The closer you are to the recommended/required level of the armor you want, the better your chance of getting A drop (not necessarily the one you want or need). It might be easier to just farm up some plat (it's a lot easier to do than you remember) and buy it since those tiers of armor are typically the cheapest (Elaborate, that is. Elegant can get pricey, depending on armor type and slot).

c) None right now. The only flags or keys you'll need at this point aren't attainable by you now. Those are the Secrets of Faydwer and Seeds of Destruction flags and keys and chances are good your monk in his current form would be shredded (1-2 rounds, tops) by many of the mobs you're required to kill. Everything you remember being locked behind a flag or key is now open by level (yes, even Vex Thal). Heck, you can even get level 1 characters into the Temple of Veeshan and (I think) Sleeper's Tomb. Your best bet is going to be looking into starting your characters' 1.5 epic quests (assuming you already have 1.0). While doing those, you'll get decent to good xp at your level, tackle challenging content that's new to you, die a whole lot (but learn a whole lot as well) and progress your characters really quickly (far faster than you remember). By the time you hit 75, you should have epic 2.0 done (or almost done), 300+ more AA, and much better gear. You'll find a lot of upgrades in bazaar for dirt cheap (look up 'Adornment of Frenzy' ). Look in bazaar by slot and you'll find tons of stuff like that for under 500pp on most servers (seriously!).

Hope this helps and welcome back! If you're on Fennin Ro, send a tell to anyone in Rendition and we'll see if we can help ya out. Can probably group with ya too since I have a cleric and wizard at 65 and a rogue at 67.

You can also find mercs in home towns.

It is my understanding Power sources/energerian orbs only run while you are in combat. So while they do burn out you don't have a constant drain. NOTE. You can sell empty ones to merchants and donate them for tribute.


NOW go read the many sticky posts at the top of the forum here for those coming back. Then reread them.

Yes a ranger + merc, you can only have 1 (unless you box 2 accounts), can solo up to 80 at the very least. 85 is the current cap. With hot zones, mercs, potions, and easily obtainable gear, its fairly easy to get to 65-70 these days.

If you stay in the hotzones you could easily be 50-60 in a week's time (casual play time).

Probably superfluous, but here is my returning story.

My hubby is totally new to this and now regrets he didn't join me to play this game 5 years ago. He and I started playing last summer. I returned from a 4 year hiatus and took the bait when EQ offered the old players some good deals. But it was lonely and so my hubby who had played WoW before with me (and we stopped, no more time), joined as well and we started all over with new characters. We have each three toons we play now and the highest are 65, then 57 and the 35. I have more low ones and perhaps I will revive them, when he is willing to create new lower ones too.

We only have time to play about two evenings a week, so not superfast. In effect it did take us a couple of months to get one set of characters up. But it is pure pleasure. I don't need to race through all the levels. I want to see them too. It is almost already too fast with the Hot Zones. It is so nice to be able to explore a zone a bit longer. The patience required to camp fableds right now is something totally different from the fast paced WoW. Actually quite relaxing and then a sudden rush to fight and be killed because you weren't paying attention! oops. LOL.

Mercs are great! And my bazaar mule got enough plat for all the sets of characters to hire mercs and other things. I hear others talk about 100k, and I am happy to have seen my first 10k of plat. The game is not just about fighting, it is about exploring and questing and especially about FUN.

So welcome back! and forever quest. I think I will stick with this game for years to come now, even if playing only for one or two nights a week. I do miss the old grouping etc and raids, guild stuff, but I just don't have the time for that, so as it is, EQ suits me quite alright.... Hope it will for you too!

Zenduri, Zweezdaa, and Zibelius on Stromm