Lost the spark?

[ScottBerta]

EQ is a time sink and we all know that. I could be doing better things with my time but I also could be doing worse things. I know I’m not saying much but whenever I really think about all the time I have spent on EQ it is kind of sad but that’s life I suppose. At some point I will walk away from EQ again but I’m not ready quite yet.

[Jimjam]

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

I think Tecmos made a point in another thread also about this. Either there were a lot of really bad players back in the day or we have a lot of really new people playing on the server. It's amazing some of the shit you see

I was in a group at n ro in young puma. There was a dwarf cleric too, gobbling up all the skins; ruined, lq, mq, hq: the lot!

I asked him if i could have some of the ruined skins on nbg so i could complete my tattered armour set. He was confused by what nbg meant, but after it was explained he said he nbg them for his tailoring. I was like fine, how about you do the combine and i'll provide the pattern. He seemed cool with this deal.

On the offhand i wanted to check how his skill compared to mine; i was at about 19 tailoring at this point. He had 4! So i suggested when he hit 5 he visit the fp cleric guild he could train to 15 so he wouldn't destroy so many pelts and get more gold out of his combines. I got a big 'naaah' from that.

Anyway, i told him we had to share, he agreed and looted the next 4 pelts. I asked him what was going on and he explained we were only sharing the ruined pelts. I just lolled as the wizard in group had passed me a couple of ruined pelts and i had completed my last couple of combines and just told that dwarf to take as many of the pelts he needed.

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

Honestly I think people jumping on blue late may be part of the problem. People always kinda handed you stuff and you were usually overpowered for what you were trying to do. This patchwork tarnished weapons stuff actually makes you need to use your brain a little.

What amazes me is people still using rusty (not even tarnished!) after level 3 when you can 100% afford at least the mighty Axe if not Bastard Sword!

[Deathrydar]

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

Honestly I think people jumping on blue late may be part of the problem. People always kinda handed you stuff and you were usually overpowered for what you were trying to do. This patchwork tarnished weapons stuff actually makes you need to use your brain a little.

[eqgmrdbz]

Sucks that Everquest doesn't do it for you anymore, I have taken months off from the game and comeback to playing, it never goes away at least for me. This 1st week of Green has been a blast, it was everything I dreamed and more, over 2600 players running around, when are you ever going to witness that chaos ever again.

[Aetherial]

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

Blue launched with 106 players online....
Green launched with over 2000 online...

Totally different monsters. I hear what you're saying but all of the stuff you are talking about will come back to ya, it's just the insane population that is making you stray off course presently, and it is a fear of mine that we are losing many a good player due to the over population problem.

It is a valid concern.

I think more people should simply be doing something else. I have tried green for a couple 45 min or so sessions. It was unplayable. There is no point burning myself out with frustration. I will keep checking back periodically, until the game is playable and enjoyable again.

Until then, I'll just continue to level up my druid on Blue and accrue wife aggro.

[Aetherial]

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

I think Tecmos made a point in another thread also about this. Either there were a lot of really bad players back in the day or we have a lot of really new people playing on the server. It's amazing some of the shit you see

About a month ago, I started leveling a druid on Blue. I noticed the exact same thing. Some people I was grouped with were ridiculously bad. Rangers who would not snare or spot heal or anything with their mana; monks who refused to plan and wait for a good harmony pull, and instead pulled entire rooms, people ninja-AFK and all sorts of other stupid stuff.

My theory is that we have a lot of players who have become lazy because they are used to playing twinked out characters on Blue. The consequences of bad play are not as evident and even if we wipe, we all know where the best easy EXP is to make it up.

They probably aren't new, they probably aren't bad players. They are lazy players.

[Deathrydar]

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

My theory is that we have a lot of players who have become lazy because they are used to playing twinked out characters on Blue.

They probably aren't new, they probably aren't bad players. They are lazy players.

[lowner411]

I don't think anything in EQ or another game can replace the wonder a MUD player like me had when he discovered a world with graphics. I remember the rush I had when my dwarf pally first logged in, figured out what to do, got out of the city, and looked up at that broad green hill, wondering what was on the other side. (My death, of course.) Numerous checks on Allakazam to figure out what everything was. Even newer games don't offer that same rush, because for me, EQ was the first. So … nothing can be original EQ, and that's fine with me.

[pharmakos]

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

I can shave some time off your depressing bucket list of spending two whole weeks playing FF games though. FF13-2, FF13-3 and FF15 are a total waste of time and money. They are so awful it shouldn't have been legal to sell them, especially 13-3 and 15. So I wouldn't worry about completing them. Ironically, FFXI is a superior MMORPG compared to EQ in pretty much every way, even it's slightly better but still ridiculously bad UI. EQ has it's own charm with it's style and design of course, but if your life goal is to beat all FF games then you should check out the FFXI emu which is basically the same thing as P99.

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

I'll save u some more time. FF 1,2,3,8,10,12,13 etc are crap.
4, 6 and 7 are gold, 9 is ok

FF13-2,-3 probably won't get played, I'm mainly talking about the main line.

FF15... Ugh. I hate that the game is basically incomplete without the movie / the anime / the DLC / the expansion. FF games should be works of art that stand alone, not assembled from disparate pieces arranged in a way so as to maximize corporate profit.... and what happens someday when the servers that sell the DLC go down? No one will be able to get the complete game.

Nevertheless, I ended up buying the entire package once sale prices got low enough that I didn't feel guilty contributing to that style of consumerism.... That was a few weeks ago. I'm on chapter two now, it hasn't hooked me yet.... But it seems like an okay game as long as you're okay with completely un-FF combat.

FFXI... Never played it back in the day, played the emu and literally could not figure out how to play. The UI is incredibly clunky, and there are no good guides for it on the internet anymore.

As for Muggens' assertion that most of the main FF games suck...

FF 1 -- depending on which version you play, it's a very solid classic style RPG. The NES version can end up dragging due to the slow and difficult combat, but in the later versions combat can end up too quick and easy. The sweet spot in the PSX version. It retains the NES spell system and difficulty, but with updated graphics and added FMVs, as well as much needed polish and bug fixes.

FF2 -- the character progression system is ehhhhh.mm but the story is actually pretty incredible and ambitious for the time. Again, the NES is too difficult and the later versions too easy, with the sweet spot being either the PSX or GBA versions depending on how pure you want various game systems to be.

FF3 -- the NES version is better than most NES RPGs, due to it coming late in the console's lifecycle. This FF has no 16 bit remake like FF1 and 2 do, which is unfortunate because it would have probably been the best version. The 3D remakes are great tho, and there are merits to both it and the NES version depending on how retro your mood is

FF4 -- we agree it's good. The original Super Famicom ROM patched with the updated English translation is the best 2D version, followed by the PSP if you don't mind decreased difficulty. The 3D version is great too.

FF5 you didn't comment on, but man, it's the BEST

FF6 and 7 are great of course

FF8 has horrible character progression and combat, especially so if you are the min/max type. But the story and setting are pretty cool, if confusing. Worth a play through with cheats so you can experience the story.

FF9 is great, the best 3D one

FF10 and 12 are also great tho and you should be ashamed of yourself for disliking them. FF12's ending leaves a lot to be desired tho.

FF13 I have not yet played at all, so idk.

[greatdane]

Right now it's pretty fun, but I do think shit's gonna truly hit the fan when the regular players hit the upper levels and hundreds upon hundreds of people have to make do with two endgame dungeons and a dozen or so worthwhile solo camps.