Instances where this would not be true:

1. white knights
2. bored big names
3. grouping with a twink

wtf are you talking about. There was no level limit, you could kill a level one out of newbie zones, you could talk to anyone, there were global chat channels, and you could trade. You could even buff the other team if you /duel.

Sullon was always the least populated of the 4 servers. It does sound like it was quite an experience, but I am very glad to have played on Vallon instead.

I don't think the op really captured the essence of SZ. It was very different from that description. Also it lasted much much longer then a few months.

imo three things killed sz.

--More than one character per account (introduced during Luclin)
--Luclin --- with its instances (risk free exp and loot!) and safe zones (how many wizards would afk in the nexus until mana burn was up. Go for a kill, and then afk again....)
--cheaters

I didn't mind the massive team imbalance. On the good team we had some superb players and were still able to get things done. Getting things like a cleric epic was quite an accomplishment, something people on team easy (err evil) would never get. The players who stuck with team good in the later levels were of excellent quality. (though man, many personality clashes, trying to keep a guild together or even a raid....)

For me what made SZ exciting was mass pvp as well as the sense of danger at every corner.

Luclin had instancing? That's news to me.

SZ was fun the first few months, even with the rampant cheating they couldn't keep up with. Masses running around with bardspeed even though the offset was flagged, infinite breath, warping, instacamps, showEQ tracking, etc.

Once the "newness" of the server wore off, it was a disgusting cesspool. It wasn't pvp after a while. It was exploiting, griefing, and training.

I went over the moment it opened like most did. I remember LoS from my server made a guild that was nearly untouchable for most of that time. I think they were called Ruin?(It's hard to remember minor details like names that far back) Another example of us "bluebies" shitting down your throats.

--alts still had to be on same team so w/e
--luclin had no instances, that wasnt until ldon and they redid potime as instance
--every1 cheated just like emu so w/e
--ruin was a nobody fodder guild that couldnt pvp for shit even with gear/number advantages just like hate

if you look at the monthly population numbers, what actually killed SZ was WoW's release

Tino = Pino?

After reading that post I do understand you SZ guys better, but I still don't get your whole segregationist attitudes. The whole mentality of "if you're not SZ your shit" is horribly destroying what friends you have outside of the "SZ" clique.

POP and LDON began instances dogs.

Not all of us. I played RZ too... I just preferred the SZ rules. The team aspect mainly...because it was probably the #1 incentive to group. You couldn't attack or kill peeps on your team, so you could PvE without worrying about your "friends" popping ya when you won the roll on that uber item.

Zone control was fun too.