Ssraeshza Temple

[Ryba]

I am aware that this is a ridiculous suggestion but indulge the fantasy for a moment.

If this server's progression timeline ends before Luclin then I think an exception should be made for Ssraeshza Temple--bar-none the most unique and fun raiding experience in the first 3 expansions and original release, and arguably the high water mark of EQ raiding. Put the zone line in the back of PoF, do a pain-in-the-ass retuning of all the encounters to match up to Velious itemization/level cap/spells and I don't think anyone who would get to experience it would care that it was not classic.

Just seems like a shame that the one zone that was the diamond in the rough that was Luclin should be missed on a good emu box.

[thrump]

My god, what were your other raiding experiences?

Just shoot me now..

[milsorgen]

Ssraeszha Temple is the Luclin stronghold of the Shissar.
is the Luclin stronghold of
the Luclin stronghold
Luclin

[Ryba]

My god, what were your other raiding experiences?

Just shoot me now..

This is the guy that can't figure out how to FD, right? If I was a PMSing housewife, this is where I would say, "Just shoot me now" and maybe tack on an ellipsis to make sure you knew I was not done being disgusted just because I stopped talking.

Ssra was fun. Interesting loot for everyone, didn't take forever except for emp fight and cool zone layout/lore.

[thrump]

Not even a guy!

It wasn't meant to be nasty, truly, relax a little! Was just laughing IRL because it was the bane of my raiding experience (Kunark to OoW) -- the zone where everyone we'd ever had retire from the guild logged in and wanted to be keyed then quit again the week after. Misery. Can't say I knew anyone who liked ssra, or would admit to it, so I just found it amusing.

[Mardur]

Probably top 5 in EQ raid zones. Everything about Ssra was amazing.

[Werlop]

Not even a guy!

It wasn't meant to be nasty, truly, relax a little! Was just laughing IRL because it was the bane of my raiding experience (Kunark to OoW) -- the zone where everyone we'd ever had retire from the guild logged in and wanted to be keyed then quit again the week after. Misery. Can't say I knew anyone who liked ssra, or would admit to it, so I just found it amusing.

Are you Thinking of VT? That key was the real pita.

[thrump]

I am not thinking of VT. Ssra was a pain because of the sheer number of individuals we had to key. For those who logged in and did a single group, it wasn't bad. For those who helped groups and groups of guildies for weeks it was miserable by the end.

I do like gflux encounters though, so it had that going for it.

[Awwalike]

Ssra was ridiculously awesome, noobs will be noobs.

[Mardur]

All nostalgia aside, Ssra Temple might be the greatest raid zone in EQ history. The obvious contender is NTOV. They both are similar, a semi non-linear branching of the way you can tackle raid content, and a "head honcho" at the end. NTOV required the defeat of all Lord and Lady dragons, whereas Ssra was a bit more forgiving, requiring you to complete a key that could be grouped.

While NTOV was somewhat difficult in its era (especially Nevederia and Vyemm), it doesn't compare to learning fights like High Priest and Cursed. Temple Ssra was the first zone that actually required a bit of thinking outside of the box other than dodging AEs and CH chains.

Then to compare final bosses - Vulak was a complete let down. If you could beat Vyemm, then Vulak was a complete pussy that just took 30 minutes of your time before you bust open the loot pinata.

Emperor Ssraeshza was a complete badass; perhaps the badassiest of all EQ mobs. Ssra Temple is very unforgiving until you get to Emp who is just a murdering machine who will fuck you up with just one glance. Defeating Emp Ssra is the highest accomplishment until Quarm. Not convinced of his badassness? His text when he kills a player: 'Your god has found you lacking.' Without going into his lore, Emperor Ssraeshza is my favorite character in EverQuest.

The only thing that cheapens him is that he's the last step to gaining access to Vex Thal - the worst shit ever implemented into EverQuest. Going from the most epic fight EQ has ever seen to the shitfest that is Vex Thal was quite the rollercoaster of terrible. I'm not sure how they had a zone like Vex Thal follow such a perfect zone like Ssra Temple, but they did.

[Mardur]

I am not thinking of VT. Ssra was a pain because of the sheer number of individuals we had to key. For those who logged in and did a single group, it wasn't bad. For those who helped groups and groups of guildies for weeks it was miserable by the end.

I do like gflux encounters though, so it had that going for it.

You're thinking of VT, bro. VT had the gflux encounters. Ssra Temple didn't require a key at all. Emperor did require a key, but it was easy and one-groupable. Emperor kill was 1 part of the VT key.

[thrump]

VT required bits from all over Luclin as I recall, people mostly did those bits themselves or in small groups. I didn't mind the basement skellies.

The emp key was irritating to me as it was just constant cycling people in and out of the group for those pieces on the various floors for what seemed like weeks at a time. I was a college student at the time and online most of the day, so perhaps that's why I found it annoying. Little mobs, nothing exciting going on, just sitting at the one camp nonstop to key everyone. It wasn't difficult, just irritating.

The raid encounters were indeed new and exciting.

I realize you didn't need the key for the majority of the encounters within ssra, it is just apparently what I first think of this many years later when I think of the zone.

I liked VT. Guess I'm the weirdo.

[Ryba]

Not even a guy!

It wasn't meant to be nasty, truly, relax a little! Was just laughing IRL because it was the bane of my raiding experience (Kunark to OoW) -- the zone where everyone we'd ever had retire from the guild logged in and wanted to be keyed then quit again the week after. Misery. Can't say I knew anyone who liked ssra, or would admit to it, so I just found it amusing.

Haha sorry man I was reading the PvP forums before this and it got me all internet-angry.

Ssra DID require a pretty easily quested key for emp chamber (all in-zone) as well as shissar bane weapons to take him down, but everything else was unkeyed content that just required showing up with a force of above average knuckleheads. And if you think about it, requiring a key to fight the big boss is a necessary and pretty effective way of keeping the hot loot off of alts and randoms for at least a few months. Funny how nobody ever objects to PoA keys.

VT was dog shit on a stick. VT key quest was the first time-sink in EQ (other than the game itself) to be so poorly disguised as something other than a time-sink. The second one was actually raiding VT.

[Ryba]

I liked VT too...twice. Then you start to notice that raiding VT is like having a part-time job that doesn't pay you. And it is the apex zone of the game-thus-far. It just doesn't seem right after classics like PoH or ssra. Even Kael has more charm.

[Thoughtseize]

Probably top 5 in EQ raid zones. Everything about Ssra was amazing.

My favorite was Inktu'Ta

GoD was chock full of great raid content - hard encounters that required everyone do their part. Some of it was clearly tuned a bit too difficult and the flagging was a chore but the scripts were some of my favorites.

Solteris was similar in that the content was so difficult that grinding the same event for 2+ months trying to crack it made for such an adrenaline rush when you finally got over the hump.

[thrump]

Hah, I'd forgotten about shissar bane weapons.

I agree that a key to fight a big boss is realistic. I guess I just shouldn't have been the sucker who agreed to help key the 524th rog who came back to play "for good again, honest, this time I'm staying!". Just made me bitter and irritable, obviously. Guess I'm the angry PMSing housewife, but without the housewife and without the PMS =p

[Pringles]

I liked the thread about integrating some of the PoP Planes into classic, but I dont really like the idea of integrating anything Luclin. Please dont do Luclin anything here, ever.

[HawkMasterson1999]

eff all that. Keep it pure. Custom zones would completely destroy the integrity of the server.

[Lemons]

i quit after we got emp, SSRA was my favorite raid content, by far. pretty much the mmorpg content that spawned WoW like content. It was the first content that required you doing something other than dpsing and healing.

[Snaggles]

I hate the idea of selectively adding content or worse writing new stuff.

Personally Ssra was a pain in the ass. I mean, fun overall but a total nightmare as 90% of my time there was keying people (who promptly seemed to quit the game).

[Ryba]

Post-Ssra was the second best time to quit live. Post-NToV was the first because it would save you having to wade through the shitshow known as Luclin.

[Atmas]

Ssra was awesome as Mardur and other posters have said it was way more engaging than previous end game encounters. The only thing nice about VT was the loot, other then that it was a battle against brain damage from stagnation.

I think the best time to quit was after Time, mainly cause PoP was a blast with good gear, good content, and good lore. Things after that seemed to be kind of like a "well what else can we throw in here?"

[azeth]

Not only was Emp Ssra an absolute badass, and a sweet looking model, but the other snake bosses (high priest, cursed etc) had fun loot tables.

hello bloodbath..

these weren't even best in slot items, but my live rogue (Azeth obv) was so fucking sweet in the lunar fungi and mainhand bloodbath.

[Falisaty]

Emperor Ssraeshza was a complete badass; perhaps the badassiest of all EQ mobs. Ssra Temple is very unforgiving until you get to Emp who is just a murdering machine who will fuck you up with just one glance. Defeating Emp Ssra is the highest accomplishment until Quarm. Not convinced of his badassness? His text when he kills a player: 'Your god has found you lacking.' Without going into his lore, Emperor Ssraeshza is my favorite character in EverQuest.

The only thing that cheapens him is that he's the last step to gaining access to Vex Thal - the worst shit ever implemented into EverQuest. Going from the most epic fight EQ has ever seen to the shitfest that is Vex Thal was quite the rollercoaster of terrible. I'm not sure how they had a zone like Vex Thal follow such a perfect zone like Ssra Temple, but they did.

i have to agree with every bit of this... i enjoyed SSRA and my most fondest memories of EQ live are from that place... would love to see it implemented

[Nuggie]

Keep it classic. Take Ssra to another box. I liked Ssra.