Way back in December, SOE mentioned offhandedly that they would be adding a NEW server to EverQuest — the first since the two progression servers from a couple of years ago.
A couple of days ago, while writing about the “Classic EQ Petition” that was going around, Egat mentioned in the comments that there was now a poll when you logged into EverQuest, putting it to the players what kind of server they wanted to see.
New Progression Server — Combine rules — The EQ devs acknowledged there were some issues with making only the appropriate content available at the correct times on the progression servers last time, and if they had a chance to do it again, they’d do it better, for a more classic experience. The Progression servers start with just the zones from the original game available. Then, as the players conquer the content — killing Nagafen, Vox and Phinegal — they open new expansions, in the order in which they are released, until they reach the current state of the game, after which they are treated like any normal “blue” server.
New PvP Server — Zek rules — Free for all PvP with 1 item + coin looting.
New standard server — regular blue server — The last no-transfer, standard rules server was Stromm, launched in 2003. I restarted on that server and loved it, but that was before a lot of the modern changes, like hirelings and the whole Serpent’s Spine new leveling path, which would make it a far faster game. This would be the “race to the top” server.
New roleplay server — Firiona Vie rules — You start out speaking only your racial language, one character only, most no trade items are tradeable here, trivial loot rules apply (I believe) meaning no magic loot from mobs you don’t gain xp from. You used to be able to transfer on to the FV server, but you will never leave it.
51/50 server — start at level 51 with 50 AAs — This is pretty intriguing. You start with a strong, mid-game character, with enough AAs for your basic class abilities, and if you want, you can create a new character and then go kill Vox and Nagafen. I really think this should be an option for the LIVE servers — maybe a chit you can buy from the Station Marketplace that boosts you up. I see a lot of problems with this ruleset — everyone — EVERYONE — would have a second account running with whatever high level alt they needed that day. Plus mercs.
Any of the of the above — Yeah, that’s how they wrote it. This is a non-vote.
So, which to choose? Which would bring you back to EverQuest — or have you start over if you still play? Log in and cast your vote. I have two accounts, so I voted for both Combine and FV rules — but I secretly hope FV wins.
Cast my vote too, looking forward to seeing what it ends up as!
Which did you vote for?
The 51/50 server
Howdy. Long time reader, first time caller…er…poster.
While I don’t currently play EQ myself (I only had a brief stint around the Scars expansion), either a new progression server or, ideally, a new roleplaying server would likely drag me in there. I’ve recently been brought back to EQII by my father, and I’ve been itching to give first game another, more informed, go. I think I was a bit too much of a newb to really make headway with my Troll Warrior the first go around.
So, for anyone voting for the FV ruleset, vote twice as hard for me, and if it’s successful, you’ll see me there, wondering what the heck to do.
I went for FV rules. I had a char on Combine, but before that char hit level 10, the race-to-the-toppers had already unlocked Kunark. There was a min time to unlock combined with some raids required to unlock, yet the minimum time to unlock always ended up being the limiting factor. I’m not too thrilled with that sort of race – there are a number of quests that I like to do – which always slows me down – as if I’m in a race with anyone.
The problem with The Combine was that once the racers zoomed through the content, they quit to go back to what they did on other servers. I’d say they ruined it for the other players who wanted the experience. If SoE wants to create yet another progression server, it will be a ghost town (again) after the last expansion is unlocked.
Bring back teh z3kz0r! I want an entirely new generation of gamers to be as damaged as I am!
Ya know, I wonder how the Zek server is doing these days. Anyway, I wouldn’t want a FFA PvP server. If they went back to the team-based Vallon and Tallon rules — or the original, Fansy the Bard, Sullon Zek rules, that might be fun 🙂
This is kind of stupid. They basically chose the server for the community. It will be the 51/50 server. They didn’t listen to the THOUSANDS of posts asking for a time restricted progression server, they didn’t listen to the PvP community which wants team based/coin loot, they didn’t offer a server option that everyone was asking for it’s just a bunch of bullshit with the exception of 51/50 because that’s what they decided would be best for their bottom line.
Now in a few years when EQ is dying the 51/50 server will still have a population since retired players can come back and be level 51.
@Something — Can you give me a link? I didn’t see that they’d made a choice in a few minutes trolling. If they have, in fact, decided upon a 51/50 server, or any new server, I think it would be worth trying to get some details about how the vote went, see how close the votes were.
What would bring me back to Everquest? Apart from a lower subscription rate (it costs more to play the 10 year old EQ than the 4 year old WoW here in the UK) it would need to be classic or very slow progression. OR inclusive progression (so when xx number of players have achieved something, it unlocks). I was part of the Combine Progression a few years back and left when just three guilds started unlocking expansions at insane rates. I’m sure those 200 players had a blast, but the other few thousand just got fed up and left. I wouldn’t return to play on a Combine Rules Progression server, the same thing will happen all over again.
51/50 server wouldn’t interest me either. For a lot of people that no longer play the game it’s because we don’t like where the game headed around the GoD expansion. We liked the older stuff, why would we want to start closer to the content we didn’t like and jump the content that we did like. Sad to say but none of the available options would get me to resubscribe. Only the slower paced progression or classic server would do that.
Ok but like the 51/50 server is good for classic players if you think about it you can kill the high end stuff in the classic times while others will kill stuff in these times
But the stuff you get from the old bosses isn’t worth it. They removed all the valuable loot from Vox, especially, years ago — like the Mistwalker and the rez rod. So there’s no real point to kill the old bosses except nostalgia.
I’d like a server where the old stuff mattered.
Yep, some of the best times I’ve had in the game were pre-level 50. Grouping in the old Castle Mistmoore, getting killed by the latest train in Unrest or Blackburrow, spending a night trying to recover corpses from a Plane of Fear raid that went wrong. It’s a mistake to think that players only want to kill the toughest raid targets, often we just want a fun night of grouping in interesting and varied zones. That’s something that only the older game provides. From Gates of Discord onwards the game changed. The colour faded from the world (literally, the colourful zones of the original game were replaced by dull browns).
Did they ever announce the result of this poll?
I haven’t seen the results yet, I don’t think they have announced them.
I LOVED EverQuest for its social groups. Sometimes in EQ I didn’t even look for a group, I’d just sit in the tunnel to Rivervale and chat with my guild or help people do quests in Misty Thicket. Never since have I ever felt such little pressure to level. Dream of Mirror Online gives me a little of that same feeling, but there’s still very little chance just to sit and chat when you are in a group.
Bah what a bummer. I was having a blast on first progressive server till the minority flew through everything and killed it for me. I dont understand why they would not give the Classic server a chance. O’well I guess my acct and countless friends accts will not be reactivating.
If they were not going to open a classic server why did they force the guys making one to shut down?
I just dont understand , the person or ppl at SoE that is so against this should be fired. The 1-3K (I think this is a low figure) new or resubs this would draw will be more than the choices here will bring. Because really unless it is something different than what they have now it will just be ppl already playing the game checking out new server. Many including me will not resub to watch 200 or so power gamers fly through it again that was a joke. I’m not falling for that again.
I don’t think the new server type has been announced yet, and I went looking.