Originally Posted by Reiker000
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SoD is the oldest running eqemu server still running. They're still on the GoD (Gates of Discord) client, which was current when they started. This means the client is extremely outdated and clunky, lacks features, etc. But... classic purists might like that.
It's sort of like the game up through PoP but completely customized, even with new lore/storylines/map layout. I say PoP because there is a mass travel system (Mansion of Portals) although it's not nearly as powerful as PoK was. The gear levels are sort of PoP-esque, but like I said the server has been out for almost a decade so the top end raid gear is extremely powerful. This causes a gigantic divide between raiders and casual people. To make it worse, most raids severely limit how many people you can bring to keep them "challenging." So, raid guilds are extremely exclusive and difficult to get into. The fact that the gear raiders have is so much better than "normally obtainable" gear, means there's pretty much no way to make yourself attractive to a raid guild. Your gear will be immediately obsolete in these raids. So, most guilds are just a handful of people and if they need more they just bring in their friends. It's hard to get anywhere as an unknown, new player.
The customization and balancing they've done is super cool. The classes are very balanced. Hybrids can actually block with shields. OP abilities have been removed or tuned down (shaman slow, etc.). Tradeskills are useful, even fishing (you can fish up treasure maps which are kind of like mini raid spawners).
There's too many features to really mention. There are Adept raids that limit what level people can fight them (if the mob is red to you, you cannot attack, heal/buff people with aggro, etc). So, this drives people to get together at levels under max to raid things.
There's a "main quest" that you complete as you progress through the server, and you choose a deity later in the game. There's an alignment system, which is affected by actions you take in certain quests (mostly the main quest). If your character's alignment matches you deity's alignment, you gain bonuses to nearly all of your abilities.
Weather/environment/time of day affects spells, for example undead are stronger and heals are weaker during the night.
There are different types of procs (boots proc on kicks, shoulders on slam, bp when hit, etc.)
And just a ton of cool custom stuff that can't all be listed here.
Despite that, just remember that the mudflation is out of control. The game is well designed up to max level (65), but then it gets a little murky. Most of the content will own you, and even grinding AA slowly will be dangerous. You won't be able to do anything in the vast majority of 65+ zones/dungeons, so gearing is difficult. AA is difficult. Progressing is difficult. There is a lot of excellent content on the server, but it's artificially made difficult to access. I feel this is because raid gear has become so insane, since that's all they've been expanding for years, but the average player isn't going to be seeing this gear.
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