Origins of the OT Hammer

[Doil_Boil]

Just wondering if anyone knows the story of who figured out that the OT hammer could be used the way we use it here? Seems like the least classic part of this server.

[Triiz]

Quest requires Amiable faction, Charm makes the caster Amiable to the pet, Puppet Strings allow any class to cast charm. Sounds classic to me.

I hear that KoS bards have been getting this by pulling then charming the foreman.
^Allakhazam Post from 2001, there were just less Puppet Strings in 2001 since people hadn't been farming them for the better part of a decade.

[Doil_Boil]

Its not classic in that back in the velious/kunark era it was far from common. I remember getting groups with my druid because people needed evacs out of dungeons.

[commongood]

It’s not really a “classic / not classic” discussion as this was obviously possible during Velious.

As to the reason you don’t remember it being a thing back then it might be that Golems hadn’t been insta-killed non-stop for years on end. Even with that being the case on p99 Puppet Strings are still relatively rare.

[elwing]

I got it without charm, as a human sk, for all evil people it is easy to get, around 30 or so turn ins of braid is enough, obviously for the good people it's not really possible without charm, but even without charms a third of the server could got it with a bit of faction work...

[Jimjam]

I did this quest on all my characters on live.

with the evil eye enchanter shroud way, way past classic

[elwing]

Got it on both of my char on live... A bard who charmed and my sk who factionned...

[Darkyle]

Agnostic human monk - I got it in like 30 turn ins or so too.

[loramin]

Seems like the least classic part of this server.

As others have said, a big part of it is Blue's seven years of Kunark. However, even on Green this is still going to be a classic (pun intended) Project 1999 dilemma: classic environment or classic rules.

Many things like the OT hammer, WC cap, or various raid techniques were not commonly seen on live ... but the rules for them had always been there. This leaves emulators with a lose/lose proposition: if they don't include that stuff, then the server's rules won't be classic. However, if they do include it, the server's environment won't be classic.

Someday (years from now) Green will come, and it will be a lot more classic ... but OT hammers and other non-classic environment features will still be there (they'll probably just cost more). Rogen/Nilbog had to choose either classic rules or classic environment: they couldn't choose both, so they went with classic rules.

[Foxplay]

As others have said, a big part of it is Blue's seven years of Kunark. However, even on Green this is still going to be a classic (pun intended) Project 1999 dilemma: classic environment or classic rules.

Many things like the OT hammer, WC cap, or various raid techniques were not commonly seen on live ... but the rules for them had always been there. This leaves emulators with a lose/lose proposition: if they don't include that stuff, then the server's rules won't be classic. However, if they do include it, the server's environment won't be classic.

Someday (years from now) Green will come, and it will be a lot more classic ... but OT hammers and other non-classic environment features will still be there (they'll probably just cost more). Rogen/Nilbog had to choose either classic rules or classic environment: they couldn't choose both, so they went with classic rules.

Prior game knowledge and experience in the player base makes alot of things not as they where on classic servers

Take the raid scene for example...

[Triiz]

Its not classic in that back in the velious/kunark era it was far from common. I remember getting groups with my druid because people needed evacs out of dungeons.

A lot of things on P99 are more common than they were during Velious on Live, look at how many people have level 60's on p99. There are more of every item on P99 than there was on Live during Velious, epics, jboots, haste items, and everything else.

I would bet the top guilds that actually had access to Puppet Strings were doing this on a small scale by 2001, but didn't post it on Allakhazam/forums because Verant was so notorious for nerfing things.

[Daud]

I think a lot of has to do with recharging not being mainstream knowledge on live rather then the mechanics of charm and quests or the existence of Puppet Strings. Recharging was much more of an "in" thing among higher end guilds and that's really the key to churning out OT hammers on the scale you see here.

[Bboboo]

You know what else isn't classic? Kunark era for 5+ years.

Try red today pals.

[loramin]

You know what else isn't classic? Kunark era for 5+ years.

Try red today pals.

Didn't Red also have Kunark for way longer than it should have?

[Doil_Boil]

Didn't Red also have Kunark for way longer than it should have?

Doesn't red have such a low population that it feels like a godforsaken ghost town?

During classic era I remember how camped everything was. Pretty sure the server pops for most servers was more like 1600-2000 during the heyday. Either that, or the population trended much lower in level.

[Doil_Boil]

The main problem I see with the hammer, by the way, is that it essentially has made wizards and druids useless in deep dungeon groups.

[Dreenk317]

Hammers via puppet strings definitely happened on live in kunark era. Same as bard AOE kiting definitely happened, and MQ's/Recharges definitely happened. The player base on live was much more fractured though. Most of this stuff was talked about in guild irc channels and forums. Here, everyone uses this one forum and learns how everyone else is playing the game. On live, in classic era, most people were happy to be able to camp 5 spawns with a full group. Here, trio's are laying waste to 15-20 spawns before repops. Player knowledge, server age, gear saturation, all very very different than classic on live. Which leads to things like everyone over level 50 buying an OT hammer via puppet strings if they are feeling lazy.

[fastboy21]

I actually did the quest on live. Back in the day it wasn't AS bad because the OT was a pretty happening spot for exp grps. You just kept your eyes out for braids.

I'm pretty sure most folks knew about the quest, but expectations for fast travel weren't really a thing yet. Taking an hour to move from A to B in game was just part of the charm of EQ...also, fewer folks were raiding and required fast urgent travel.

In the top guilds I'm certain that they were using puppet strings in era.

[Bummey]

The main problem I see with the hammer, by the way, is that it essentially has made wizards and druids useless in deep dungeon groups.

Druids and wizards, especially wizards, are nearly useless in deep dungeon groups anyways. Besides, your average grouper doesn't have an OT hammer.

[Cen]

I think one of the most amazing things about P99 is that we are reliving a classic game, and using our current day game knowledge and technology to play it out in a way it never was before.

I wonder how many other games if rebooted would end up vastly different.

[Ezrick]

Druids and wizards, especially wizards, are nearly useless in deep dungeon groups anyways. Besides, your average grouper doesn't have an OT hammer.

This, also, is a product of the game being around a long time. The absolutely ridiculous gear that everyone has makes deep dungeon groups nearly trivial. Imagine doing it with armor with 40% less AC and weapons with 40% less DPS. Believe me, going into, say, disco in Seb in 2000 was absolutely not trivial, it was a hair's breadth from disaster every time. A wizard, or druid then didn't rely nearly as heavily on gear as melee classes and enchanter was a relatively rare class (no one really knew what an enchanter could do at launch, they didn't really come into their own until Kunark).

You took a wizard for DPS, and/or a druid for snare, or either for the inevitable evac that happened once or twice a night.

[Tuurin]

Don't forget the ubiquitous epic cleric parked at every dungeon zone-in...

[Bummey]

Believe me, going into, say, disco in Seb in 2000 was absolutely not trivial, it was a hair's breadth from disaster every time.

You took a wizard for DPS, and/or a druid for snare, or either for the inevitable evac that happened once or twice a night.


I know. I was there too.

[robbybenson24]

So if i have a friend (i have no friends) that can charm and a jade, I can have one of these mallets for myself?

Are these services bought and sold?

[Supaskillz]

So if i have a friend (i have no friends) that can charm and a jade, I can have one of these mallets for myself?

Are these services bought and sold?

You have to charm it yourself. someone else charming is not high enough faction.

Yes people sell this service by loaning your their puppet strings to charm the npc and get your hammer in exchange for platinum.

[Nordenwatch]

https://www.project1999.com/forums/showthread.php?t=83622

[robbybenson24]

https://www.project1999.com/forums/showthread.php?t=83622

Someone selling these services? No one associated with the linked thread will respond to PMs.

WTB OT Hammer x2

[Raavak]

Its not classic in that back in the velious/kunark era it was far from common. I remember getting groups with my druid because people needed evacs out of dungeons.
I remember faction being "broken" on Live. A paladin friend killed VS so many times his faction "rolled over" and he was able to do the quest.

[Maliant]

Someone selling these services? No one associated with the linked thread will respond to PMs.

WTB OT Hammer x2

https://www.project1999.com/forums/showthread.php?t=292210

[mycoolrausch]

I would have done it questing cause im cheap, but my evil warrior was loved in FV and hated in OT after dungeoning in Kunark. Go figure.