How to Increase Red99's population -- A suggestion.

[Shatford]

If you really want to increase the population of Red, do it right. Offer a one-time character transfer from Blue99 to Red99. You can do it with one character, once. Or better yet, give some kind of bonus for entire guilds that wish to switch to Red. Or make it so only entire guilds can transfer. I understand this may lead to an influx of decked-out twinks, but I don't foresee a mass exodus away from Blue. Yes, this may lead to some form of abuse from a few bad apples, but I think it is the only way to get the kind of numbers you want on Red.

When I heard of Project1999, I immediately wanted to go to a PvP server. I played on Tallon-Zek on live, and loved the PvP aspect of the game.

When I got to the server select screen, I was put off by the low population of Red. I thought it would be difficult to enjoy the game on a server that had so few people to interact with.

Since I wanted to start playing EverQuest again, I opted to join Blue only because it had more players.

I see a lot of recruitment ads for Red, which are all well and good, but they don't offer any sort of enticement to join. Start over on a new server? But what about all the time I've invested on my toons on Blue? The months and years of playtime? All the wealth/gear I've accumulated would be for nothing. I don't want to re-roll and start over. I don't want to split my time between different toons on both Red and Blue. I don't want to trade plat on Blue at a terrible ratio for plat on Red. I also think there's a lot of trepidation on starting a new toon on Red: will there be people to group with? Will I be annihilated as soon as I start playing by a twink with a fungi? Those kind of fears are what keep a lot of people from switching.

I want to bring my main from Blue to Red and there's currently no mechanic that allows you to do so.

They even had server transfers back on classic. You could switch one toon, with all of his inventory/bank, from one server over to another. Why isn't that here? Shit I'll even pay $20.00 USD to do so.

[Fame]

naw

[Swish]

what about all the time I've invested on my toons on Blue? The months and years of playtime?

I don't want to re-roll and start over.

I don't want to split my time between different toons on both Red and Blue.

I don't want to trade plat on Blue at a terrible ratio for plat on Red.

Then don't play there Shatford if you feel like it'll be too hard. Starting from square one is classic, and with the XP rate it really isn't hard to get levels with even the most basic gear, particularly in a group.

I also think there's a lot of trepidation on starting a new toon on Red: will there be people to group with? Will I be annihilated as soon as I start playing by a twink with a fungi? Those kind of fears are what keep a lot of people from switching.

If you think about it forever you'll never do it. Roll one when you can't find a group on blue, or when you're just bored and want to try something different.

Red pals say it time and again... just stay out of Unrest/Mistmoore and you'll be far less likely to encounter someone like that. Don't flat out avoid PvP and run for the zoneline as soon as someone swings a sword at you though - you'll never improve if you don't engage.


Honestly, give it a try... you'll be pleasantly surprised.

[CreamyCowboy]

You always have to start fresh somewhere ..

I started a new toon on red two days ago and I've already had someone give me a little bit of plat and an item to help get me started .. complete stranger.

I've only been killed once in my starting zone, got a friendly message afterwards.

The few starting areas I've been in were pretty scarcely populated .. which left plenty of mobs to kill to get exp.

I've been enjoying it so far aside from the disconnect issues ( not red related but twc / charter / p99 issues ). There is a world wide ooc channel for auctions, no actual trade zone except maybe nfp for mules. I've only leveled up to 6 so far and it takes no time at all really.

[w1zard]

I started on red today. You can play on blue and red at the same time so while I'm medding up mana on blue I play on red and vice versa.

Hopefully red will yield higher chance at raid targets someday.

[Evia]

I actually like this idea although I don't think the devs will actually go for it. I'd transfer my rogue over in a heartbeat. All the time I've invested in him is the only reason I won't completely quit blue. I like red a million times better though. Hell, I'd even be stoked if they let me x-fer him over naked and with only his no drops. I'll just sell off all my gear and 3-1 ratio it over to red.

[iruinedyourday]

/transfer

[captnamazing]

I don't see what the big deal is about someone giving you some plat and an item? That shit happens on blue all the time. That's just classic! It's like saying "play red, we kill NPCs"

[jpetrick]

I'm level 45 on my red monk and I've played him for all of a few hours every other night for a couple weeks. Just fucking roll there and level its really not hard, you have to actively look to not get experience there.

[thieros]

I'm level 45 on my red monk and I've played him for all of a few hours every other night for a couple weeks. Just fucking roll there and level its really not hard, you have to actively look to not get experience there.

it really is very little effort OP. stop bein a wuss and keep your blue char and roll red. youll go from rusty sword and a cloth shirt to 60 and a member of the zerglings in a trivial amount of time and then you will still have your blue char to play when waiting for your weekly vp spawns!

also, R99 is so awful

[Swish]

it really is very little effort OP. stop bein a wuss and keep your blue char and roll red. youll go from rusty sword and a cloth shirt to 60 and a member of the zerglings in a trivial amount of time and then you will still have your blue char to play when waiting for your weekly vp spawns!

also, R99 is so awful

Maybe roll a real pvp class rather than judging it on the merits of your time as a healer up to level 33.

[Shatford]

"Stop being a wuss. Just go roll a toon there. The XP flows like wine. Blah blah."

If this is the current model of recruitment, then why isn't it working? Why are there recruitment drives by other players and GMs on the forum here, and then no mass exodus over to Red?

All I was stating is that maybe the current model is not working and maybe there needs to be an incentive of some sort.

[jpetrick]

Because some people don't like to pvp and think competition should be 16 hour wall staring contests. That's why the red population isn't higher.

[Gotze]

Id say it's working pretty well, can't force feed people to enjoy pvp. I fucking hated EQ pvp before I tried out red And now I really enjoy and respect that aspect of the game

[mr_jon3s]

If they really want to increase the population on red what they should do is release velious as it is now and have red beta test it. A bunch of people from blue will come to red to lvl up and play. Velious gets beta tested and some of the people from blue will like red and stay.

[Glenzig]

Wait. People group on blue? I thought it was all solo fungi twinks and raid guilds?

[Swish]

It is working, 300+ nightly. Confirmed thriving... the only thing missing, is you!

Not that 10 pop desolate box it used to be.

[untergang]

Because some people don't like to pvp and think competition should be 16 hour wall staring contests. That's why the red population isn't higher.

I like PvP, but I've always hated the EverQuest implementation of it. Unlike Ultima Online, it never felt like something the developers took into consideration while the game was being made. It always felt like something that was tacked on to a PvE game.

[myriverse]

"Stop being a wuss. Just go roll a toon there. The XP flows like wine. Blah blah."

If this is the current model of recruitment, then why isn't it working? Why are there recruitment drives by other players and GMs on the forum here, and then no mass exodus over to Red?

All I was stating is that maybe the current model is not working and maybe there needs to be an incentive of some sort.
PVP just isn't popular... especially EQ PVP... and especially R99.

[Juevento]

Have classic LnS rules and PvP encounter rules.

Loot and scoot is something demanded by the victor, not as don't corpse camp me bro thing. On live if you caused exp loss, you were suspended/banned. I remember it being a common thing to sit next to someone who you intended to engage in PvP if they were fighting a mob. I would wait for them to kill the mob, then waste em.

Those would go a long way to making PvP more palatable.