A proposal to SOE and the players of EQ2

Krushiev · 08-10-2007, 02:44 PM

I’ve been lurking this site for a good while, good drama, sweet flames, and some great laughs. I don’t normally post on the sites I visit, I just read most of the time, but after reading a certain thread in the general gameplay forums (here at eq2flames), I had to post my thoughts.

I’ve been turned off of EQ2 because of the changes (left game about 6 months ago) and won’t dare come back with the further changes that will be implemented with RoK. But no other game out there compares to how EQ2 was for me “back in the day”… Not one. I tried WoW (uhhhh, not for me), Eve (Very decent game, but not my style), LOTRO (WoW with a bit of lore), Vanguard (let’s no go there, kthx), CoH/CoV (pretty mindless fun but not enough to keep me for more than a month), Tabula Rasa Beta (I can’t give any details due to the NDA, but it’s not really for me- Thus I’m no longer testing, but will respect NCsoft), Guildwars (best played as a 1 player PC game like Oblivion), tried DAoC (nice, but a dead game), Planetside (too many cheaters, plus it’s about as dead as DAoC)… I’ve been looking around but can’t find that same spark as EQ2…

And EQ2 was my first… Started about a month after launch.

We all understand that SOE is big business… To keep the game(s) running they need to make money, and Big Business NEEDS (and wants of course) to make money. The only way to make money is to create a game that would appeal to the average person. Bring in more subs, and bring in more revenue. But the folks that have been playing EQ2 since launch (or shortly after) might want to return to what it once was. Maybe this proposal can bring back the old subs that left because of the changes.

What I propose is, a new server opened up for the “Hardcore / Old School fans” of EQ2.

Keep many game mechanics as it was a few days prior to LU 13, and some of the present mechanics.
- Keep AA points and level cap of present game
- Keep character creation same as present (Start as a Necro or any Class instead of class progression)
- Bring back access quests to access T4, T5 zones and create new access quests for T6 and T7.
- Bring back OLD character mechanics, days prior to LU 13 (Combat only – Spell mechanics can stay the same as is now… The reactive stacking for Templars was a bit much, and that was my personal main character)...
- Re-populate the zones with the heroics and wandering epics, create new heroic encounters for EoF.
- Old debt… Group debt (set at .25% instead of 1%)/Shards/and all the glorious debilitating effects that came with…
- Crafting… Bring back the sub-combines please, and the old harvesting three shot, but gain only one item.
- Bring back the old encounter system… Heh, anyone remember getting killed by Holly Windstalker right in front of the Qeynos guards? Lol, let them chase us.
- Leave training too… Need to kill bots somehow :P
- Drop diminishing returns please.
- Take vitality out of the picture

I realize that another folder for EQ2 will have to be created and saved on the hard-drive much like the test server option. But in the end, wouldn’t it be worth it? It would be an option for all those who want the difficulty, and the intensity that EQ2 was. Yes it wouldn’t really sit well for Joe the casual gamer, but it would at least give Joe Casual the chance to see what the game was like before it changed to the casual friendly game it is now.

Former guildmates, group buddies and RL friends left EQ2 for one game or another… Looking for that magic that was lost. Pretty much everyone I spoke to on this subject (ok a small number, about 50 or so people) would love to see EQ2 as described above. Challenging, rewarding, and intense. I wouldn’t change the standard servers to what was described above, because there are plenty of casuals that would leave or be turned off…

…I’m just looking for something that would turn me back onto EQ2, and hopefully bring back the players that left (The ones I do know and especially the ones I don’t J).

Maybe it is too much to ask, but I thought I’d put this thought out there and see what you guys think, maybe add a few more ideas. Hopefully we could get some support for this and see if maybe SOE would go for it.

Peace everyone.

Krushiev

Avaela · 08-10-2007, 03:51 PM

dee dee dee

Illuziun · 08-10-2007, 04:13 PM

EQ2 devs are way to lazy to ever implement something like this.

And they don't give a shit about the hardcore community.

Krushiev · 08-10-2007, 04:21 PM

Sometimes it really feels that way... But heck, we'll never find out if we don't ask. Personally, I don't see any harm (for SOE) to give it a shot, if anything it could bring back some folks that left because of the changes.

People might not agree with this proposal, that's all fine and good, but who amongst the old crowd would like to see this done, and who among the newer crowd would be curious to see what it was like.

The Devs "might be lazy" or maybe no one on their end considered doing something like this. I won't give up on the dev's just yet (The game maybe in it's present format though :P )

Krushiev

Alania · 08-10-2007, 04:37 PM

The whole concept of a "hard core" server is just lame. Sorry, but the "hard core" can't live without the casuals who supply the stuff they don't want to deal with (harvesting raws, selling treasured stuff for transmuting, crafting, masters from lower level zones, etc). Casuals would suffer without the hard core to supply them the cash they use to gear themselves, which in turn supplies cash to those who barely play. Its a trickle down economy, no matter how you slice it. Sure someone who plays 2 hours a week could make a fortune if that is their deal, but it would be at the hand of the people who play more and are willing to pay for whatever services they supply.

Wozamil · 08-10-2007, 04:47 PM

different color font please. Some of us with old shitty monitors with the contrast and brightness to half or lower can't read the text

Krushiev · 08-10-2007, 05:58 PM

Sorry 'bout that :/

Khalan · 08-10-2007, 06:01 PM

I'm going to say No.

Most of the changes you mentioned were done for good reason.

Do not pass go, Do not collect $200. Go Directly to Game Design School.

Gori · 08-10-2007, 06:08 PM

Minus the combat imbalances prior to LU13 and beyond, and possibly shared debt (although you did mention decreasing it), I preferred the pre-lu13 game. Rares were rare, master spells didn't fall from the sky, and there was some fear in the game.

Not saying I don't enjoy the game now, because I do, but I just think I liked it better then. I don't know if there are enough people to run a server, and I don't know if I would have the tenacity to make it my main home given a choice, but it would be nice to have as an option.

Khalan · 08-10-2007, 06:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gori

. Rares were rare, master spells didn't fall from the sky, and there was some fear in the game.

I will agree with this. I definitely want a return to the "rare" rares, I remember finally having my 7/7 Ebon Chainmail Set in t5 and it was fucking glorious. It took so long and I was really proud of it.

Likewise I remember our tank killing Darathar in Half Ebon because Raid loot didn't drop like candy.

I also remember taking a lot of pride Collecting masters. I mean back then Adept 3's was "really good" and having 5-6 Masters was uber. Nowadays not having Adept 3's makes you a suck and Masters are expected.

I do not enjoy the entitlement mentality of the masses.