EverQuest Classic Servers

[Seeria]

So we have confirmation finally that SOE is discussing how to set up a few servers under special ruleset. What they haven't said is whether it will be a timed-slow progression type (expansions released every 4 to 6 months) OR a trinity classic (Original, Kunark, Velious only). They have asked for opinions on three types so it might mean we get a slow progression, trinity, and some other type.

Question is, would you play these classic servers?



Threads:

http://forums.station.sony.com/eq/posts/list.m?topic_id=30225

http://forums.station.sony.com/eq/posts/list.m?topic_id=116855

 

[Silverblade]

I never played the original EQ so I really can't say I would play but...

I do have experience returning to old games I used to love. Basically what I find is, I am more fond of the nostalgia than the actual game. I remember the good times and wonder if I can recreate those great moments. Well, you can't or at least that's been my experience. And we may think that games these days have gotten worse (say WoW in certain circles) but overall, gaming has really improved.

My guess is, there are plenty of former EQ players who have great memories of the original stuff but once they play it again, they'll be hit with reality. MMOs have really evolved a great deal.

And I have to wonder, is Sony planning to add new expansions to the classic servers? If not, it can get stale real fast...faster than usual.

 

[HJ-Pinnelipe]

And I have to wonder, is Sony planning to add new expansions to the classic servers? If not, it can get stale real fast...faster than usual.

It's about the money. They don't need to make new expansions, just opening up these old servers with slightly different ways of doing things will bring in cash. It's a win-win situation for them to keep the original alive just a bit longer.

 

[Seeria]

Aye, it's about money.
There is no way to recapture what was, but I will be returning for two main reasons.

I spent my first five years roleplaying which means there is a lot to game I never got to do in Kunark, Velious. I want to see some of the zones I never had time to visit. I want my cleric epic I never got around to getting. 57 cleric without an epic... shameful lol I want to see the Sleeper (Dragon tag anyone?)

My hubby has never seen anything in EQ past lvl 18. I so for him a classic will be a new experience. I'm curious if he will get the same rush from experiences that I did back then.


The memories are golden and I seriously doubt they will ever fade. Now it's time to make a few additional ones while trying to be ate by Woushi.


*** edit***

lol friend sent me these links

Going Back to EverQuest (Can't Drive 55 parody)
http://kithicor.org/media/songs/drive_eq.mp3

More found here
http://www.kithicor.org/media/index.php

 

[Chrisidon]

While this doesn't tempt me, with the sheer scalability of their servers nowadays, they could likely do a three-way split in order to appeal to certain segments:

Original, Kunark, Velious for the true old schoolers.

Add Luclin, LoY, LDoN for mid-range players.

Add PoP, GoD, OoW for hardcore raiders.

Cut there. DoN and beyond I'd lump into the 'modern game'. Hit a regular server for those. Since they'd be using fewer zones on these setups, they could likely lump them onto a machine cluster the size of a current server - think of it as a 3 for 1 special.

Oh, and one more thought: revamped zones (like Freeport): NO. If the revamp wasn't in by the expansion, it shouldn't exist on these legacy servers. I miss my old Freeport. Of course, I wouldn't trade EQ2's Freeport for it ever.

 

[Seeria]

I like the new FP and find it more close to the atmosphere of EQ2's FP. But for a classic servery, yeah, I'd want it back to original FP.

 

[Lethe5683]

I would play the original just to see what it was like. So many good things I hear about it makes me curious to see if it's really that good or not.

 

[Seeria]

It's my opinion that if you weren't there for the first three years then chances are you can't or won't see what made it so incredible.

Biggest point: There is no way to recreate the community that EQ managed to create those first three years. It's something only a ground breaking game in the very early period of mmo history could have created.

Now days too many players are whiners, greedy, and/or rude jerks.

 

[Seeria]

What classic timing HEH

"Sony Online Entertainment has won an Emmy at this year's 59th Annual Technology and Engineering Emmy Awards! The award was in regards to "Development of Massively Multiplayer Online Graphical Role Playing Games", for "EverQuest"! The tech Emmys are awarded to individuals, companies or organizations for outstanding achievement in technical or engineering development."

more here http://kotaku.com/342028/2008-tech-emmy-winners

 

[Lethe5683]

I don't mean environment wise but I heard a lot about game play mechanics, class changes and whatnot that sounded (assuming these people are too be believed) like the game has actually been made worse than it used to be.

 

[Seeria]

*nods*

Not worse than it used to be but has made the game worse, imo. It's trying to compete with games designed for those with no time to game (wow, eq2, dang near all games) so they dumb it down, make it easier, faster, more simple. Classes aren't what they used to be.

I'll stop before I rampage. Gimme CLASSIC

 

[HJ-Navarre]

I never played the original EQ so I really can't say I would play but...

I do have experience returning to old games I used to love. Basically what I find is, I am more fond of the nostalgia than the actual game. I remember the good times and wonder if I can recreate those great moments. Well, you can't or at least that's been my experience. And we may think that games these days have gotten worse (say WoW in certain circles) but overall, gaming has really improved.

My guess is, there are plenty of former EQ players who have great memories of the original stuff but once they play it again, they'll be hit with reality. MMOs have really evolved a great deal.

And I have to wonder, is Sony planning to add new expansions to the classic servers? If not, it can get stale real fast...faster than usual.

Silverblade is right on track here. I was there for day 1 of EQ, frantically racing others to kill rats and orc pawns with every other trailblazer. I have many fond memories of my time in EQ. I went back about a year ago, on a free trial acct, and was very disappointed. It's amazing how dated the world looks now. I spend all of an hour or so in Norrath before deleting the game once more.

 

[Chrisidon]

That's what it was Navarre. It was the race. It was the crowding. That was the defining characteristic of EQ1, trying to get ahead without stepping on too many toes. Modern games use instancing and weak death mechanics, not to mention creating huge worlds to prove they can. These things break the community apart. I remember the naked caster runs deep into Sebilis because of a death to Trakanon (incidentally, it's entirely possible, you just need serious firepower and one cleric whose job it is to sit back out of the action and rez). Heck, looking further back, I remember the first 'mule' I ever ran into - asked for help finding my corpse and this guy logged on a low level bard he had for only that reason. I don't expect HJ or anybody to ever recreate this, but at least I realize exactly why the game was so fun in a way nothing else ever recaptured.