Project Quarm - 1 Box Planes of Power

[Toxigen]

Secrets thinks ShowEQ won't be an issue.

lol

I was gung-ho for this server but I'm pulling back a bit now.

[aussenseiter]

Originally Posted by Jimjam [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

My first move is to move to PoK and bind at the top of the elevator and med in the lift pesking staff for help when i glitch thru and 20k.

I'm gonna buff charm pets with ferocity! And give them glowing black swords!

[Secrets]

Originally Posted by Trexller [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

i bet you will

PoP was a breath of fresh air, with fresh and innovative new content after the disappointment of Luclin.

then, it all got polluted by the following expansions

There's an argument to be made about PoP ruining what even Luclin had put into motion, because Luclin, aside from The Serpent's Spine (which I have gripes with about re-itemization of classic content) was the last expansion in which we had a starting city, and 1-60 content in the same release.

I would say that PoP set the modern design of EQ on an irreversible tract. But, also, the design of Planes of Power did allow for there to be proper power growth versus future expansions.

Folks looked forward to entering Tranquility and such at 46; though, planes irrevocably changed the 46+ grinding experience.

In every situation, Disease, Nightmare, Justice and Innovation would outperform the experience in a full group of every other zone at 46+, with the exception of some outliers like The Deep, Ssra's basement (undead!), Akheva, Umbral and similar zones with comparable mob levels and less mob stats, or niche mob types.

However, it's unquestionably better to grind in Valor than any zone once you get access to it. Same goes with Tactics, BoThunder, and Fire when you get access to those. Even if your gear is shit, you've still got aggro kiting in HoH, frogs in Storms, fiends in Valor, etc... which can simply be aggro kited without risk.

The experience in those zones are so good to the point that it turns everything prior into a playground for item farming and challenge modes - like soloing Trakanon, Kunark Dragons, or doing Velious content with less folks.

If you're planar geared and hit 65 w/ planar AAs, you're going to be demonstrably better than those with without, too. Not to the point where you aren't able to progress, but you have a slower time progressing in that era.

Every expansion since then has gotten worse.

So, PoP really did set that in motion.

[Secrets]

Originally Posted by Toxigen [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Secrets thinks ShowEQ won't be an issue.

lol

I was gung-ho for this server but I'm pulling back a bit now.

I don't think it'll be an issue because I'm not committing to telling anyone exactly when and how they'll be caught, and if they want to fuck around and find out, they are welcome to waste multiple weeks, or months of their lives.

I feel strongly to the point where we'll be able to systematically remove these people every so often so that their time is wasted accordingly to the time it takes me to implement extra detection.

It does take longer to hit 50/60/65 with AAs than it does to implement extra measures, after all. And it only takes one detection to irrevocably remove a character.

[aussenseiter]

"Come eat at my restaurant, I won't punch you in the head"

*punches you in the head*

[Trexller]

Originally Posted by aussenseiter [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

"Come eat at my restaurant, I won't punch you in the head"

*punches you in the head*

but the meal is free, and was prepared better than most other restaurants will serve it.

[Secrets]

Originally Posted by aussenseiter [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

"Come eat at my restaurant, I won't punch you in the head"

*punches you in the head*

To be very clear, our rules do state that ShowEQ, MySEQ and MQ are against the rules. I've never stated that they aren't, or that our stance is set in stone.

If we catch you deserving a punch in the head, we'll give you a punch in the head. That has always been my stance.

I think the important part here is that people, on their own volition, took "We're not going to be actively looking for map programs because we don't currently see a situation in which they'd be actively able to benefit" as "We're not doing this, ever. It's pointless." and that's simply not the case.

The posts here have kind of struck me as some sort of clamoring on the latter assumption, not the former fact or the rules themselves.

I would rather spend my time on fixing bugs and other development tasks post-launch, as spending a ton of time on cheat detection takes away from the quality of the server.

If cheating becomes a problem, I will make sure there isn't one.

Based on this thread alone, and the excitement of folks 'looking forward to' cheating, it's likely that there will be more work to do than what I have already done before launch.

[aussenseiter]

Originally Posted by Secrets [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

To be very clear, our rules do state that ShowEQ, MySEQ and MQ are against the rules. I've never stated that they aren't, or that our stance is set in stone.

If we catch you deserving a punch in the head, we'll give you a punch in the head. That has always been my stance.

I think the important part here is that people, on their own volition, took "We're not going to be actively looking for map programs because we don't currently see a situation in which they'd be actively able to benefit" as "We're not doing this, ever. It's pointless." and that's simply not the case.

The posts here have kind of struck me as some sort of clamoring on the latter assumption, not the former fact or the rules themselves.

I would rather spend my time on fixing bugs and other development tasks post-launch, as spending a ton of time on cheat detection takes away from the quality of the server.

If cheating becomes a problem, I will make sure there isn't one.

Based on this thread alone, and the excitement of folks 'looking forward to' cheating, it's likely that there will be more work to do than what I have already done before launch.

Withdrawn, cheers!

[Seducio]

P99's success was not immediate. It came over time from committed devs and CSR team. When Blue was released there would have been no way to predict p99's current success. The trust here grew slowly from dev/staff participation and is actually still growing as best as I can tell.

Quarm will have a few 'popularity' tests along the way and if it passes those it has hooks within its via progression through four expansions to become quite popular. Each dropped expansion is a mini hype moment and can draw players back or get new players on board.

As long as CSR is handled and it appears it will be via code for blatant exploits and then dev enforcement rather than a whole team of CSRs like p99 has then confidence will grow in server over time. Whether this will be adequate will be observed by the player base who will respond by playing there or not.

Anti Cheats and handling of CSR concerns separate the fake servers from the potential real ones. That's how Blue grew confidence in the community to get so many of us deeply on board with Green. Other devs took note and it appears Secrets has taken note.

I'm not going to be a Debbie Downer on this one like some of the old farts on this board. I remain in the hopeful category.

[loramin]

Originally Posted by Secrets [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

because we don't currently see a situation in which they'd be actively able to benefit

While I liked the spirit of your post, I found this part a bit ... hard to swallow. You really can't see how someone can benefit from being to tell exactly what nameds are up, and what they are wielding, from across the zone? Really? [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

And if you do (I really don't see how you can't), how exactly would you solve that problem without an anti-cheat mechanism, when a ShowEQ user (ie. cheater) is otherwise indistinguishable from a non-cheater? In other words, how can this be true:

Originally Posted by Secrets [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

If cheating becomes a problem, I will make sure there isn't one.

P.S. I say this as someone who wants to play on (a cheat-free) Quarm.