EZ Server

Before anything else, I do want to give a high kudos to the people behind the programming and setup of the zone. It obviously took a lot of hard work and finesse. There is really much to this zone. Thanks!

Secondly I wanted to get a discussion going around this zone. From my perspective there are a few things that bugs me out a bit. First off is the fact that you need to kill 100 bosses, some of which only spawns after 3-6 hours or so, which makes it not only time consuming, but also very boring to wait. You have to remember I play on EU time and I don't have the luxury of coop'ing with five other guilds all helping out to clear the zone. Another factor is the server reboot during EU play time. This further makes it harder to plan ahead and to fetch all those rare spawns. I am not speaking for many, I know most of you are Americans and might end up having a sweeter deal in regards to grouping and server being up. T5 should never be easy, but are there other tweaks possible to make it fit for everyone I think.

Another reason I bring up this thread is because I don't want T7 zone to be a culprit of The Abyss, spesifically in regards to all the triggers, rare spawns and so forth. There are so much left to chance and the ability to coop and camp for so many hours, I really feel I got a bit shafted myself.

1: I will not be the guy that only critizise and don't point out any options, so here goes. How about implementing some sort of token system to the zone. This means you can kill random mobs and get a lucky token drop that in return can be given to the questgiver at zone in. Each token could represent a certain boss in the zone, so in handing the token you would get flagged for that spesific boss.

2: When it comes to armor drops, the amount it will take me to get full armor for my crew will most likely be over half a year, compared to a week gearing them up for T3/4. Maybe handing the tokens also result in being given a random armor piece?

Thanks for reading, hopefully we can have a discussion about maybe revamping certain elements of this zone.

I appreciate your concerns with T5 and T7.  I had the same negative outlook on T5 when I had been in there for several weeks... seeing the same bosses time after time with the occasional new wrist boss.  However, there is a trick or two to T5.  Once you figure out the tricks you will be flying through and wondering why it took so long to "get it".

While banding together with another guild is a great way to get a quick leg up... I assure you it can be done with one boxed group.  To be fair.. I also drag a Shammy around for Kraken, but a good (UC'd) 6 man box can do it all.

Haha did you really want to say make it easier. Even most end Guilds on server have spent months in T5 and some are still backflag and back farming it... Wait till you ge molested by 160k plus quads from first trash mob in T6 then I guess you will want that on a platter too.

If you are having problems find like minded players period they are out there it just takes effort to befriend and work with them. Dumbing down content just cause its hard and boring for you is a lame request..

I don't really agree with this Fugitive, and if that's what you interpreted from my post, you got it all wrong. I don't want to sail through T5 in a couple of days. I'm happy to spend a few months getting the gear I need. I also understand it's easy to step on some toes, (most likely to people that has spend some months doing the zone already) that was not my intention either. I'm just looking for other options that makes the T5 more compatible with EU time and the fact that there aren't that many players around to team up with during that time.

I'm lucky to get 3h a night (nearly 30-45min spent getting situated, loaded in, etc). On top of that, another nearly 30min each night is spent fixing spells/bugs/issues and submitting to Hunter. So in all honesty, I'm lucky to even see 2 hours of play time.

I dislike the fact that some of the mobs are scattered so heavily, but that works well as a cap. It prevents people from half-assing it or being rushed through. I've been working on it for a few weeks and have less than 30 bosses to go. Just get in there and start farming. This isn't RIFT, WoW, or any other lowered MMO. This is a custom server based on a CRAZY slow grindfest. You have to expect some parts of the server to take time, otherwise you would be finished in a month (and off to another game/server).

tl;dr - T5 is fine

-Hate

I agree with most about T5...it is truly a zone to Hate.
At same time most the content up to T5 is relatively easy to say.
I spent about a month just on last 5 bosses. During this time in T5 though you are
able to get other progress done when don't want to play in abyss. Go farm essences or UC or do some ROA just anything besides T5 then come back grind some more bosses.
Yes if you thing t5 100 bosses is bad wait till have to do T6 and get the quest for UCv2.
Most that have completed T5 already with a group are actually making more alt to do t5 again.  Im sure with people like Fugi and few others when the timed bosses was actually longer then is now or the recent change to DK and Oma has made it easier to get all 100.

I just started the T5 grind. PLEASE do not dumb this down!! If people dont want to play in this pool because it takes too much effort, Blizzard and a few other companies produce plenty of games designed specifically with those players in mind. Let them play there. PLEASE do not trivialize accomplishments here. Thats what makes players go, "Meh....more entertaining to watch old Quantum Leap reruns...."

I've already tweaked T5 before when I changed the 'timed' triggers and fixed the 2 bosses from 1% chance to 10% chance each that were bottle necks.

Honestly, T5 is our favorite custom tier zone that we're the most proud of making. We put more time into making that zone too than any other zone.

A lot of players had a wtf initial reaction to the zone, until they started learning the 'triggers'. Each custom tier from Qvic and up for the most part is a completely different style for bosses, quest, armor, etc.

Expect future custom tiers to have similar boss trigger styles, but obviously not 100 bosses. That zone was just perfect setup for 100 bosses, and I had a lot of time to work on it at the time it was made.

If you want max gear/stats within 1-3 months, then your playing the wrong game. Blizzard games would be more suitable.

Ya don't dumb this zone down. It's by far the best zone i've played on this server. It's complicated sure, the bosses are hard to get sometimes sure, the essences are rare sure, but isnt that the point of a good zone? To not be trivial. I like many others had to spend hours rezzing, dying and whining about it so buck it bart! buck it up! :P

Not arguing or complaining about anything here just making an observation.

I've seen many people get their groups through T4 and decide T5 is just not worth it and since there is literally nothing else to do, they quit. When EQ live puts out an expansion there is of course tougher content with better rewards, but also easier and equal difficulty content to what is there so that players who may not be able to take on the tough stuff don't get bored and quit.

I know it would be impossible to have that environment here with a dev team of 1 + assists from hateborne, and the only possible solution I could think of would piss off to many players, but here it is anyway. I was thinking keeping the last 2 tiers of whatever current content level we are at on the same difficulty scale as they start at. Then adding various mechanisms to previous tiers to allow weaker players to advance a little bit each time new content is added. The top players would still be 1-2 tiers ahead of the crowd so they can keep their ego in tact, yet the common players with less time per play session would have something to do besides rolling more toons and repeating content.

To summarize, let the elite stay that way but give the others something to do as well. If it cant be new non-top tier content due to dev time, then making lower tiers a bit easier as you add more just makes sense. If not then each time you add content you are doing it for basically 2 or 3 guilds, and everyone else on the server gets nothing.

Just an idea and I'm sure it will get a lot of lashing. I don't really care because I don't fall under the lack of playtime crowd. I just know myself and others are tired of helping other players gear out a group and get ready for T5 only to find them quitting.

Well I can see this kind of turned into something other than my intention, fair enough, lesson learned.
I guess I didn't manage to voice my thoughts in a way to interpret it in any other way.
In any case, by all means, keep the zone the way it is now. I never wanted this to be a thread about making anything in the game easier :)

For the record I played original EQ from 1999 - 2006 so I both know and appreatiate that things take time ;)

I would say the those quitting T5 are quitting because a time investment is now required. Up to probably late T4, the game is on rails. You just ride along and take in the sights/sounds. T5 pulls you off of that ride and makes you start hiking.

I get no playtime (except on some weekends) and I am progressing through T5. I run SK, BRD, CLR, WIZ, WIZ, WIZ. No warriors, no paladins, no second healer. When my sk drops, that's the evac warning.

Just grin and bear it. Minus the corals, it actually is enjoyable.

-Hate

Bear with the post, I do agree somewhat but just pointing some stuff out first.




So let me "read this"

Kill a boss, get a token to give you credit for another boss you have yet kill. 1 Boss kill = 2 kill credits, nope not easier there.

Kill a boss, get a token to hand in to vendor to get more armor. 1 Boss kill = 2 Armor drops, nope not easier there.

So as I see it, you want 1 boss kill to equal 2 boss kills + multiple armor pieces.

Maybe you did convey your thoughts differently then how I read them...

Doesn't take "5+" banding guilds to clear T5 though it doesn't hurt having that many at it! 2-3 average players can clear the zone if they have placed any "time" in building their team up to have Decent DPS and Decent Survivability.

Honestly I'm all for ramping up the spawn rate of the mobs by 2-4% above what the %s are now honestly after putting 18+ toons through T5 and running with Guildmates and Friends through multi clears daily.

Yeah, I could probably do that some time in the near future, esp since T6 is already out, and T7 is being worked on.

Its always the final zone that players complain about, until a newer higher tier comes out, then lower tiers get easier. I'm sure it was just as much drama when T1/T2 PoD came out, after all there is a Rot Bot in that zone from all the butt-hurt.

Fugitive, I agree those quick suggestions might not be optimal or well thought out. Just what was in the top of my head at that moment. I was basically just looking for other forms of getting flagged than camping for 20? rare spawns that might not spawn due to server reboots and whatnot. And also the fact that team work is more challenging for EU players. I did not mean that those tokens should have 100% drop rate. They could be as rare as hell for all that matters.

From reading your quotes I can fully understand that those suggestions might come off as easier. However that was not my intention. I never said anything about killing a boss and get the boss kill + a token for another boss kill though. Same with armor, didn't say that you should be able to kill a boss, get the armor + token for more armor.

My idea I guess was that all the non-boss npc's in the zone has a chance (obviously small) to drop tokens to get flagged for some of the bosses.

Sarthin holler at me in game when you see me on we can work some stuff out

The only thing I think is potentially problem are the RNG timed mobs that only spawn every 2-3 hours. Everything else is triggerable and there are already guides on how to spawn them. A well geared player that can stomp through the zone but is looking to gear up a new alt or change his comp will find this to be the biggest hurdle.

That's where the whole "unpredictable" element comes into play. Too much of the game is too 'certain' as it is. Even T3/T4 was put on the static spawn train. Don't get me wrong, I REALLY like the static spawn over the random spawn. Just making note that a ton has already been made very easy.

The random spawns shouldn't keep you down indefinitely. You will eventually get them.

Also, I am nearly full t5 on my SK and still occasionally die. If by 'well geared' you mean t6, yes...I hope some one is steamrolling. On par or slightly above won't save you in T5.

Sorry, I like most of it.  :-)

-Hate

I hate to sound like a jerk....but if people are leaving the game when they get to T5....then bubye. You got how many hours of free entertainment here? If you discover the game requires a little more investment in effort than you want to make, nothing wrong with that. But there are PLENTY of players out there who still WANT a challenge, and enjoy the sense of accomplishment one gets from completing a tier. Please dont ruin that for the rest of us. There are plenty of games out there that cater to the casual player.....in fact these days damned near all of them. Play there if this doesnt appeal to you, or simply get your entertainment before T5.

One of the things that has pretty much ruined EQ live is the instant gratification crowed pissing and moaning that it takes too much effort to get end game gear. ???? Really?? Ya know.....not everyone has to get end game gear. If you dont want to put in the work, no one is forcing you to. I mean, I piss and moan about the drop rates in LDON and Qvic at times, but I sincerely hope Hunter never changes them. Having a pulse and being able to correctly type your username and password shouldnt entitle you to the best gear in the game....or even the best gear in the game 2 years ago.

Another thing.....its taken me a long time to get to T5...and some help. I've seen people start playing here and do in 2 months what took me 2 years. And I am OK with that. I sometimes have issues that dont allow me to log in as much as I'd like. And ya know what? I'm enjoying the ride! I'm OK with seeing newbies buy their way to T6 within a month or 2 of game play. I'm also OK with people who are still in T3 after 2 or 3 years here. This aint a race. Play at your own pace. If you discover that you cant get to where you want to go, there are players who will help you for a price, or guilds that will help you along. Or....just enjoy the ride. Trying to make the game fit your play speed is rather silly.