Your first 20 levels

[Feathers]

I started December 11, 2014, and I think I got to 20 on Christmas [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

It's been great to play totally untwinked. The best part was getting xp off the spiders that I turn into my raw silk armor!

[Sadre Spinegnawer]

I was thinking about this post some more. Since this server stops at Velious, the devs have a lot of opportunity to have some fun with the finished game world.

One really cool idea, would be a lvl 20 Best of the Best competition. No twinks. The exact level for each class might have to be adjusted, so certain classes can have a defining spell.

Or dev run raids, where they take over emperor crush and such.

There is a lot of stuff in this game that got forgotten as SOE moved into new expansions. Lots of underutilized ideas and zones.

[Hexpane]

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

One of the best things about original eq is how well the devs constructed how characters go through their first 20 levels or so. Level 1-10 and 10-20 are almost like separate games in themselves. Each class slowly gains their skills, spells, and power. If you play UNTWINKED, you appreciate how well the original devs worked this out.

As far as I can tell, this entire idea of how to design a game is gone. You can level up your character in an afternoon.

Not so in classic eq.

I wanted to post a thought: this is part of why this game kicks ass. Slowly discovering the abilities and weaknesses of your class, getting your first major class-defining spells, and the original low level dungeons? UNMATCHED.

SO my advice is, realize that unlike today's games, original EQ was designed so the first 20 levels are actually a rich, exciting, hard, and interesting part of the game. No where else will you find this.

Levels 1-20 are almost a separate game unto itself. The rituals of all newbs from the past -- making your runs to get pet spells, trying to travel without dying, learning those first amazing dungeons like Najena and Befallen with other (untwinked) characters -- are, I would argue, a large part of the fond memories so many of us have.

So do not rush. Be a proud starting character, and experience the still-beating heart of classic eq: levels 1-20, untwinked.

Good post, but for those of us that went through those early days already, the re-grind loses some of its luster.

Like I remember the days of wearing Chainmail store bought on my High Elf paladin and being the worst tank (min-max) in the game, AND having an XP penalty. LOL talk about slow. The "learning" part was discovering how unbalanced early paladins were, and watching friends take their necro from 1-50 in the time it took my paladin to get to 30

I remember longing for the Bone Bladed Claymore and how excited when I first got one.. later in the game you realize the NEGATIVE agility was so not worth it for a tank .

The game was just straight punishment for the first year or so.

Smedley used to post how surprised everyone was that people could hit level 50 so quick, and by "quick" it was MONTHS of grinding for addicts running 12/hrs a day

[Hexpane]

I got to level 60ish untwinked on OG EQ so kinda been there done that, and yeah it was a blast.

But I have no problems with twinking in games now, although most games have either nerfed twinking or made it Pay to Play so it doesn't even matter.