Sullon Zek: Lessons from a true PvP server
 

VERY LONG.

Has some very interesting points about FFA, and some of the follow-up posts hash out the dynamics. Good read imo, and validates my support for an SZ style box.

While SZ sounded fun as hell, I still don't see how anyone can justify having no level range for pvp. Especially on eqemu pvp servers where reputation just doesn't matter and no one will punish players who farm low level players for yellow text.

Good read

Reputation really didn't matter on SZ, either. There were the dedicated griefers, but you learned who they were. There were no punishments for griefing, corpse-camping, or anything else. The team aspect and the brutal PvP were the incentives for grouping, and it worked.

Griefers were looked down upon by everybody...because popping level 1's in GFay was easy. Peer pressure kept most of the big boys in line...and the dedicated griefers, well...they only fed on tears and moved on when you didn't give them any. (Besides...they were the ones that really couldn't hack real PvP). I remember one killing me more than 10 times in DC on my way to Unrest, and he finally asked me if I was mad. I told him no...that I was enjoying the scenery and picking daffodils on my way back every time. Don't remember him ever bothering me again.

QQ sealed your fate on SZ...period. There were some that even respected you for taking it...had quite a bit of gear given to me after getting ganked over and over, and not saying a word except "good fight"...even if it wasn't, lol.

Everything about your post tells me you never played on Sullon. You couldn't trade with or talk to anybody from the opposing team, there was a +/-20 level limit on PvP, and nobody could kill a level 1.

edit: and there was no such thing as a "griefer" on Sullon. That was the entire point of the server, and if you think anybody looked down on anybody, you're wrong.

I played on TZ, I can testify that griefing and training was MUCH more satisfying there because it WAS illegal. Some of my fondest memories of eq was leading a parade of mobs in to people I did not care for. Or snaring someone on a corpse run, breaking their invis. Ah yes and corpse camping /tear. It's like when getting drunk was still cool, before you were allowed to do drink.

Iirc, at server up, you could attack level 1's. They patched in a change later. I should have said level 6, though...since you wanna get technical. Also, items could be dropped and people had alts on different accounts, or don't you remember? And the 20 level limit was on beneficial spells, not pvp.

AND...you could emote to communicate. Remember? Maybe YOU didn't play.

But if you did...you must have been team bluebie, cuz the only griefers that played were ebils and a couple ToWs. Probably played an SK and showed up once an hour or so in OT till you banged somebody, hiding until bards could charmburn ya with the guards. Or maybe you were a deleveler with a fungi, or something. ;)

EDIT: All in good fun, so w/e. SZ was the best ruleset, imo.

The only thing about Sullon Zek i remember was being in Malignant those first few days....

I have vivid flashbacks of ...batwing crunchies

noooooooooooooooo!

SZ was the first and only Live server I played on.

Good read. Wish I played on SZ way back.