Just not the same...
 

I'm not feeling it... Yesterday I came back after about six months absence. I made two levels on my magician (got from 20 almost to 23). I was stoked and had a blast with a fun group. I logged on today and tried to go to the same camp in Mistmore, hoping to make 24th. I even bought my spells, LOL. I'll be honest this game is one of the few things I've wanted to get back to in a long time, so I can't tell you how frustrated and depressed I was when one guy, someone who had grouped with me yesterday, wouldn't let me in the group, because he didn't want to group with casters. I tried to find other places to level and the few I found were either camped by a group being PLed by a guildmate and didn't want to share the experience, or I just had horrible bad luck. (Had mobs pop on top of me after I cleared a camp.) I was really looking forward to today and one person, because he wanted to be an elitist ass, set in motion a chain of events that ruined my day. I'm sure he doesn't care, "don't cry bro", you know, but I really hope karma bites him in the ass.

So my message is this, just because you've made it to 60th and twinked your rogue out with all the nicest gear, doesn't mean you have to be a douche and not allow others into your group unless they're sufficiently twinked. You don't have to ostracize a random stranger from a camp you're being PLed at because you're afraid it might take 15 more minutes for you to level. There's this thing called common decency and at one point EQ was known for that. You didn't steal someone's kill, you didn't camp a lowbie spot when lowbies needed to level there, you didn't behave like an elitist tool. I'm not sure where those days went, but I sure would like to see them come back. As a returning player, one who played EQ from the start, I can tell you this isn't the EQ I knew. Maybe while we're reminiscing about the old days and returning to those glory days, we can remember how people behaved back then. Lend other people a hand. Let someone in the group that needs the experience. Don't worry about how fast you're making it to 60th if it means you have to treat someone else like a douche.

Perhaps you're not 12 anymore and you don't think killing orcs satisfies the nerd urge.

See above to see what I'm talking about.

Hey Zenren,

I have experienced situations like this and then I have experienced people helping more than ever on live. You just have to remember that no matter where you go, you'll get people who suck and people who are awesome. This server has an amazing and helpful community, but you are still going to find some lame elitists at times as you would in anything you do.

Just the other day, an ogre handed me some large banded when he was running by because he noticed I needed it. That's awesome! Hopefully one bad night doesn't get you feeling sour about the whole community.

I've had a day when someone just gave me 400p for no reason and I've had a day when I spent hours just trying to get a bind in GFay. If you like the game itself, then stick around through the bad days because you'll have good days, too.

You don't have to invite someone into your group. There are a million other places to level.

jarshale- you don't have to save a baby from drowning in an inch of water, but there are certain things that are considered decent (and normal acts according to society). The restaurant is full, you're sitting alone at a table for six. A couple asks if you mind if they sit at the table, do you say no? See, that's what I'm talking about. There are certain rules that define whether someone is decent or not. It seems like people get on the internet an they just don't care. I don't know if these people were in EQ back in 1999, but if they were they obviously forgot some of the rules we followed.

I was really wanting to quit, but I do like EQ and the last time I left it was because of something similar (a guy kept training me in Unrest because I was taking an odd mob from the courtyard that his group (a guild group that wouldn't let me join) was at. In the old days there never was a single camp in the Courtyard, how was I supposed to know these guys weren't being douches... anyways, after the third corpse run and a bunch of irritating messages, I left. I came back because I got nostalgic and my first night back was great. I had a blast. But today, not so much. Before I nerd raged, I logged off. Well after I nerd raged. I'll get over it, but is it too much to ask people to treat others with respect? When did compassion become a bad thing?

I'd agree some people get hung up on leveling efficiently and tend to build groups and claim more mobs to maximize that but I think in doing that it takes away from the group (player) experience and reduces the game play to a more mechanical grind. It's nice when your goal in leveling is getting there more quickly then you expect but aside from the really painful ones (lvl 51+) the journey in getting there matters a lot more when you're done with it.

If you choose to focus on a more mechanical grind, you'll miss out on connecting with people in a shared social experience, generally make less friends and generally be less worldly. Also, by doing this you're not contributing to the living and active social community that makes up the server impacting it in other ways. Simply by existing on the server and playing in any manner you're impacting and influencing the community in some manner. More if you're communicating with, helping or blocking people from experiencing content. Take a measure of responsibility and realize the impact you're having on the community, and see if that matches with what you intend for how you personally want to shape the community.

tl;dr Be responsible. Realize the influence you have on the community based on your actions and social contribution. Be sure that's what you really intended in evolving the community.

I've ran into this already. Its sad, but best I've found what I can do is, do my part, best I can and be fair. Hmmm, best thing about eq and nostaligia here is making friends, and having an adventure, if some are'nt here to make friends, and want to be recluse, I guess let them. But it sucks when it infringes upon you.

So far, I've ran into some friends and foe's already. Don't let those who are foe's bring you down. Keep adventuring.