EC Tunnel, Bring it back yes or no?

[nilbog]

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

The thing is, there was server forums and auction forums in live... but most of the server didnt use them regularly back in 99.

With ~30k accounts, and only 4,628 forum members, I'd say this is still true. The majority of people you play with do not read these forums.

I think it is underestimated how many players actually want to see global ooc/auction removed. You just never hear from them, because they don't post here and have ooc turned off in game :P

It's an assumption, but I think given the option, the majority of players would choose to congregate in a zone.

[Heebee]

Originally Posted by Dumesh Uhl'Belk [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

You've got one here.

I think the worst consequence from a gameplay perspective of the current system (which would get much much worse if a bazaar was in game) is that the easier it is to camp and sell gear you don't need, the more likely it is that important items will be permacamped by individuals with no need for the item other than profit. I know I would rather fight and earn my FBSS at the camp than farm guards for 40-50 hours to pay an enchanter or necro who has the camp on lockdown. If that necro has to leave the camp and sit in EC or GFay for even a couple of hours to sell the item, that at least gives others the opportunity to move in on the the camp. Of course there will always be some of this activity, and that's fine. I would rather see it reduced by imposing some time cost on selling the item, than by crazy camp rules. Players should be free to camp items to sell for coin, but they should have to travel to where the buyers are to look for a trading partner.

Mate this is absolutely bang on the money.

[Heebee]

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

Do I have enough supporters to use as living shields?

Yes! *raises hand*

[stormlord]

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

With ~30k accounts, and only 4,628 forum members, I'd say this is still true. The majority of people you play with do not read these forums.

I think it is underestimated how many players actually want to see global ooc/auction removed. You just never hear from them, because they don't post here and have ooc turned off in game :P

It's an assumption, but I think given the option, the majority of players would choose to congregate in a zone.

But this is 4628/30000 when the global auction channel is present. When it's removed, the number of forum members will probably rise so people can use it instead of running to EC... And the point about not being able to tab out of everquest early on is true (you had to actually log out and quit to get to the forum back then).

[Cheech]

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

Well that's one way to look at it, but I'd say turning off ooc/auction would be a better approach. There will be a raging river of tears about it going away, but I think it should be experimented with. Do I have enough supporters to use as living shields?



I would never support this. Part of the game itself was trading and having a community. I try and keep the "bot" feel out of the game for you guys.. and that's what the bazaar was.. player bots.

If you really want EC back, you guys could ask for in addition to the removal of global ooc/auction, for item links to be removed. I remember when I went to EC, it was all about buying/selling and trading. I could show up with a rubicite bracer, and by the time I left, I'd have a rubicite bracer.. *and* 5k. Part of the mystery of the game, at least to me, was learning things. Now its just click click with no learning.

That would bring back the 'EC feel', bag checks at torch 2, and various other things. It's just hard for people to ask for what is classic, if it does not benefit them.

I'm of the opinion that "ease of playing" usually only isolates players from each other. Pok books, bazaar, item links... all remove player interaction. IMO, we have enough community for EC (or whatever zone is chosen to be a hub), but not enough players, bots, boxes, and gold farmers to ever have a 'bazaar/auction house'.

Hate on me.

This is why i made this thread nilbog. There will be haters, but i completely agree bringing back that "bag checks at torch 2" feeling has classic written all over it. ill back this idea. I do like link's but i wont miss them either.

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

With ~30k accounts, and only 4,628 forum members, I'd say this is still true. The majority of people you play with do not read these forums.

I think it is underestimated how many players actually want to see global ooc/auction removed. You just never hear from them, because they don't post here and have ooc turned off in game :P

It's an assumption, but I think given the option, the majority of players would choose to congregate in a zone.

Maybe put up a poll and see how it goes? Bring back EC Tunnel or not. Give it a shot if it flops all well.

[Gwence]

Why is EC the hub zone? It was still NFP on my old server back in the day. Evil races used the sewers then invis'd to the bank when they had to.

You're gonna run to neriak and back everytime you have to bank?

I dont think I'd have a vote either way to be honest in regards to removing global chat or keeping it (doesnt bother me either way), but if it does get removed I would definitely vote for NFP to remain as the hub zone.

[Dumesh Uhl'Belk]

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

Why is EC the hub zone? It was still NFP on my old server back in the day. Evil races used the sewers then invis'd to the bank when they had to.

You're gonna run to neriak and back everytime you have to bank?

I dont think I'd have a vote either way to be honest in regards to removing global chat or keeping it (doesnt bother me either way), but if it does get removed I would definitely vote for NFP to remain as the hub zone.

It was GFay on my server... there's no guarantee what zone it might end up being on this server, but it is likely to happen somewhere. To all those people that suppose that all the commerce will move to the forums, I'll counter by saying that I agree that more high priced items will be posted on the boards, but the transaction costs have still gone up. Just as only a minority of people who play on P1999 regularly visit the forums, only a minority of them check the forums regularly, and an even smaller minority of those people keep the forums up in a browser and check them while in game. I'm certain that number would go up, but it's a pain in the butt, so I doubt people looking for bone chips, teleports, PGTs, and any of the hundreds of other low cost items and services that people trade are going to bother with the forums. So, people will start meeting somewhere to look for trading partners. That somewhere will likely be near a bank and near a portal.

The other benefit of having the trades done this way that hasn't been talked about much on the forums, is the opportunity it opens for player merchants. There are plenty of people who don't want to spend a lot of time in the merchant zone looking for trading partners, but even on a server the size of ours, there will be motivated low to mid level players that enjoy the trading game and the chance to make money by providing a service during part of their game time. They will be the players that buy quickly, and at a discount, off the players that don't want to sit around very long in the trading zone. They can then earn a profit by sitting in the zone and taking the time to find the buyer who needs the item.

There will likely be some players who become known for dealing in certain items. After a while, newbies might come to know that Bob is almost always around in EC and will buy bone chips for 4.5 plat per stack all the time, in any quantity. Similarly, higher level necros and SKs will know that whenever they need a re-up, they can send a tell to Bob and probably find him in EC selling them at 6p per stack. Knowing Bob reduces the transaction costs (time sitting on their ass in EC) on parties at both ends of the transaction. Bob earns coin too.

I don't want to be the Bob in this scenario, but one of the laziest mental mistakes that people can make is thinking that everyone else thinks the same way they do. I don't enjoy playing the role of Bob when I am in EQ, but some people do, and I'm glad for it. I think it's cool that in the sandbox of classic EQ, there was a place for Bob's to have fun and provide a service that benefited the rest of us.

[Myrkskog]

Well said Dumesh. I have a friend who spent the majority of his time on classic wheeling and dealing in EC, it was what he found most fun about the game.

[stormlord]

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

Why is EC the hub zone? It was still NFP on my old server back in the day. Evil races used the sewers then invis'd to the bank when they had to.

You're gonna run to neriak and back everytime you have to bank?

I dont think I'd have a vote either way to be honest in regards to removing global chat or keeping it (doesnt bother me either way), but if it does get removed I would definitely vote for NFP to remain as the hub zone.

Hypothetically, Bi-Monthly forum polls of the location would be nice. NFP or EC? GF or?

[nilbog]

I think one or two solid days of gameplay would "determine" it for the populace. Can't stop the herd.