EQNext" will be the world's largest sandbox-style MMO ever made"

You sound like Jaytee the high elf mage from FOH. If you are, what up dude. Uael the necro from Cestus Dei here.

That would be me =) I logged in about a year ago and it just isn't the same anymore. Like 80% of people are all running 5-6 boxes or basically their own group. And barely anyone even remembers the tag.

I remember you Uael - we did some grouping a few times I think for AA's and whatever. I grouped with a lot of folks whereas a lot of the FoH people were stick to their tight group of friends. It was a well run guild though, leadership was top notch. While I was a loot whore at the time I did follow directions well =)
 
I was on Cazic Thule, split to Ayonae, spent most of my time on eternal wrath, had some great rivaly with a hilarious european guild named landslide, VV and cb (dont remember the names)
 
Hah, small freaking internet sometimes. Hope you're well man. I knew that name was someone I used to sing for. Beast of a zerk if I remember correctly. Miss the old days often.

Haha, hey Wyst. It is a small world. Luddain, rogue from the AA days on Karana. I was shortly with Halcyon and I remember the name Gwerlum as well.
 
Haha, hey Wyst. It is a small world. Luddain, rogue from the AA days on Karana. I was shortly with Halcyon and I remember the name Gwerlum as well.

Whoa, damn dude; good to hear from you. Bizarre to run into one of us let alone two. The power of the [H]. Hope you're doing well and still stabbing something (made of pixels!) now and then.
 
That would be me =) I logged in about a year ago and it just isn't the same anymore. Like 80% of people are all running 5-6 boxes or basically their own group. And barely anyone even remembers the tag.

I remember you Uael - we did some grouping a few times I think for AA's and whatever. I grouped with a lot of folks whereas a lot of the FoH people were stick to their tight group of friends. It was a well run guild though, leadership was top notch. While I was a loot whore at the time I did follow directions well =)


Same, I logged in as well to see how things are going. Those mercs pretty much messed up normal grouping for the core classes. What's the point on getting a pub warrior when a merc / journeyman (whatever it's called) can tank better
 
I was on Cazic Thule, split to Ayonae, spent most of my time on eternal wrath, had some great rivaly with a hilarious european guild named landslide, VV and cb (dont remember the names)

i always wondered, i recognized the name. i was in VV / IVM on ayonae ro.
 
Same, I logged in as well to see how things are going. Those mercs pretty much messed up normal grouping for the core classes. What's the point on getting a pub warrior when a merc / journeyman (whatever it's called) can tank better

This actually isnt true at higher levels the mercs really take a dive in effectiveness at about level 70.

And since you clearly where not around the couple years leading up to mercs, grouping was dead, the game was on the verge of death, it simply was not fun. After mercs the population increased notably. Mercs saved EQ yet it never fails people complain about them.
 
I like mercs. It made it so you didn't need a full 6 players to go do conent suited for your level. Grab 2-3 buddies and pop a couple mercs = fun. Plus, people who missed earlier content could go enjoy it without having to convince people who had already done it to do it again.
 
i always wondered, i recognized the name. i was in VV / IVM on ayonae ro.

I also really liked our boards, I thought the competition was what kept the game alive for all of us. Plus we were able to carry it on over to WoW.

This is Gokuu btw, one of three? gnome clerics on the server.
 
This actually isnt true at higher levels the mercs really take a dive in effectiveness at about level 70.

And since you clearly where not around the couple years leading up to mercs, grouping was dead, the game was on the verge of death, it simply was not fun. After mercs the population increased notably. Mercs saved EQ yet it never fails people complain about them.

Oh yeah, only level 70. I'm sorry what was your point again? EQ is fine the way it is because mercs lose effectiveness 30 levels before cap? Right, gotcha.

You obviously enjoy EQ like this ,but anyone that was affiliated with a half decent guild would not. Playing with AI bots in a mmorpg is not my idea of fun .
 
Can't wait till next weak Friday Sat Sun when the show the thing finally my main complaint with EQ 2 is it looks like crap on my LCD monitor but it looked great on my CRT.
 
So, EQ Next worldwide debut doesn't mean the game will actually be available, right?
It just means that it will finally be shown to the press/people, but it will not actually be available to play till some unspecified later date?
 
I think the game will have a fully featured user creation set which will allow players to make levels and items.

Sustaining CH and maybe a few splash heals while sitting on a horse as a cleric wasn't too difficult. People could med when everyone needed to pee or get a fresh beer :p
Sitting on a horse wasn't sitting. It was standing while still having the same mana regeneration as sitting.
 
Oh yeah, only level 70. I'm sorry what was your point again? EQ is fine the way it is because mercs lose effectiveness 30 levels before cap? Right, gotcha.

You obviously enjoy EQ like this ,but anyone that was affiliated with a half decent guild would not. Playing with AI bots in a mmorpg is not my idea of fun .

So explain, if you had such a thriving guild how exactly did the mercs effect you?
 
So, EQ Next worldwide debut doesn't mean the game will actually be available, right?
It just means that it will finally be shown to the press/people, but it will not actually be available to play till some unspecified later date?

Yes.
 
What part of grouping with AI bots in a mmorpg do you not understand? it killed the social aspect of grouping.

Zero sum. People who couldn't fill a whole group were able to add in a merc or two and go to town. It killed the need for anti-social people to find a real group, but allowed others to get a group in content they wanted to do. Most people aren't anti-social. I too was there when mercs were introduced, if anything zones that used to be near empty filled up. At least on my server, it made things better.
 
Zero sum. People who couldn't fill a whole group were able to add in a merc or two and go to town. It killed the need for anti-social people to find a real group, but allowed others to get a group in content they wanted to do. Most people aren't anti-social. I too was there when mercs were introduced, if anything zones that used to be near empty filled up. At least on my server, it made things better.

This is most likely true, and it really hurts reading it. I was looking at the timestamps of different toons on Eci for my guild and they left around 08/09. Pretty much any guild that was worth a shit on Eci is gone. Oh well
 
What part of grouping with AI bots in a mmorpg do you not understand? it killed the social aspect of grouping.

The social aspect? Instead of sitting in pok looking for a specific class for your group you could grab just about anyone and fill the rest with mercs. Mercs didn't kill the social aspect they revived it.
 
The social aspect? Instead of sitting in pok looking for a specific class for your group you could grab just about anyone and fill the rest with mercs. Mercs didn't kill the social aspect they revived it.

Have fun then
 
I still play EQ today.

Mercs have helped reduce the social aspect along with AA's which trivialize content.

Take for example: Ranger Headshot skill. Once you have a J5 merc. All rangers just solo light blue content all day long. The only social aspect has been "This is my headshot camp, go get your own." All bersekers decapitate content all day long. I see clerics running around with cleric mercs so they can tank/swarm items with damage shields. Same with SK's swarming with Epic 2.0, and so on.

Mercs helped soloers and friends go into and experience content they couldn't have seen before, but no way helped the social aspect. It may have caused more people to log into the game and has increased server population. But none of that contributes to the social aspect. I have grouped a lot less in the last 5 years than I did the first 5 years of EQ1's existence.

I'd say the most grouping I've ever done in EQ1 was during the first year, and during the LDON days. But since then the boxes and mercs have taken over. The state is pitiful compared to what it was back in the day.
 
I guess it depends on the server or how/what content you do. The grouping situation was very healthy when I quit in late 2009. I've popped on several times since and had no issue finding groups. 20% of my friends list was still active. I think mercs were more of an issue for the social gamer that didn't have a solid guild.
 
I guess it depends on the server or how/what content you do. The grouping situation was very healthy when I quit in late 2009. I've popped on several times since and had no issue finding groups. 20% of my friends list was still active. I think mercs were more of an issue for the social gamer that didn't have a solid guild.

To put it in perspective i play on FV and back before mercs the server was almost as dead as the test server. Groups where hard to get even when being proactive and starting one yourself it sometimes just would not happen unless you where at level cap. Mercs made it possible to grab anyone looking for group and hit the road without waiting.

So yeah it vastly helped the social aspect. Before mercs the only option we had was spend an hour or 2 looking for a group or solo.

Mercs made it possible for just about anyone to hit level cap.

Now around level cap is a different story getting groups is far easier.

What i dont get is how people can complain about mercs as though they actually know shit about everquest. EQ has always and will always be designed around level cap and thats where mercs are really shitty and never worth bringing over a person. The mercs where designed very well. Very potent to level with up to the point where finding groups gets significantly easier.
 
What i dont get is how people can complain about mercs as though they actually know shit about everquest. EQ has always and will always be designed around level cap and thats where mercs are really shitty and never worth bringing over a person. The mercs where designed very well. Very potent to level with up to the point where finding groups gets significantly easier.

Yup. Sign on a bard, see your only friend online is a druid, used to be you'd either go kiting or give up. Now pop a tank merc and a cleric merc = group.
 
Yup. Sign on a bard, see your only friend online is a druid, used to be you'd either go kiting or give up. Now pop a tank merc and a cleric merc = group.

Things must have really changed, it went something like this for me:

1. Sign on a bard. /gu Evening gang!
2. /guy1 tells you Sup? /guy2 tells you Grouped? /guy3 tells you Duel,noF'ingAncientsthistimewhore. /guy4 tells you rEaDy4sumAArain!? /guy5 tells you GityurasstowhateveverAOEzoneishotrightnow. /guy6 tells you Sexorz? /guy7 tells you Anysparesongs? /guy8 tells you Wannapullirritatingfuckingcampbreakinabout45mins? /guy9 tells LFG? /guy10 tells you you We'rekeyingnewguysoandsocomehelp. /guy6 tells you NIPPLES! /guy11 tells you Fuckyouforthatpostonthatboard! /guy12 tells you IhatesmithinghowtheFdidyoudoallthesetradeskills?!Fthistrophy /guy13 tells you Gotanarmorblankfinallygettoskillingskilbitch! /guy10 tells you OMGguildramz /guy6 tells you You'renothereyetandthemobsarestilldying,youfilthyslut! /guy14 tells you Kiki!

and on and on and on. People always thought I never talked much because the whole bard song thing...
 
Well, bards are pretty amazing. You should have seen some of my dps burn comparisons later on when I was in BotS with and without bardsong. Ridiculous gobs of dps we would never have believed back in the day.

My examples were randomly chosen. Not implying a bard couldn't get a group.
 
Well, bards are pretty amazing. You should have seen some of my dps burn comparisons later on when I was in BotS with and without bardsong. Ridiculous gobs of dps we would never have believed back in the day.

My examples were randomly chosen. Not implying a bard couldn't get a group.

Mostly just a joke at all the nutty shit my friends would say to me within seconds of logging on. I get what you were saying. I was spoiled rotten for groups due to class and good friends.
 
I remember it used to be clerics/enchanters were spoiled. Been a while since i played, i was apart of the mass exodus durring OOW.
 
It took quite a few expansions before class balance evened out a bit. It probably wasn't until DoN that some classes finally started being optimal.
 
I used to quad kite on my druid. Man the XP was excellent but one screw up and splat. Was not a bad way to grind.

Blech, AE group FTW. I just couldn't handle the boredom of kiting. When I was going to solo, or more to the point; when I was just going to be online BS'ing or waiting for a boss to spawn or something because we were close to a timer I'd go somewhere with low blues and melee the bastards down before I'd kite em. Kiting just made me want to spoon out my eyes. Also could do summoners without the hassle that way later on.

I got a lot of those fungi vest version 2.0 from the fungus beast event that way. I'd cycle those guys until the named popped and split out the named and beat it down and grab the vest. There was some cave with those dragonkin that dropped something that sold really well too that I can't recall. I'd park in there solo and just clear that room and hallway melee one at time and get that named to pop all the time too.

That's how I funded capping all the freaking trade skills.
 
Screw that, kiting blows.

So i have the same sentiment you do, but HoH was a bit different. While it was prime AA grinding spot it also had a mega awesome area for a bard kite. Essentially it was just a giant square area where you could grab (probably) over 100 mobs for kite and surprisingly the pathing there didnt bug out. I would box my guildies bard and park my cleric in the middle and then start, it took a while to do the kite but averaging an AA every 20 minutes at the time was unheard of.

I think sony actually planted a few names who summon in the area to prevent this after a while.
 
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