Player thoughts of starting a server
 

This is just a discussion about players who are "thinking" about starting a server,
or have already done so. Just the topic. (Not intended to be a support thread).

Like many, I was someone who loved playing EQ (Live), years before I ever run into
this project site. I started loving the game so much, I have never touched anything
else since then.
Then one day, I just happen to be passing by and walked in the front door of EQEmu.
By this time I had long quit playing so much on Live servers for some of the common
reasons that others did. (content,etc.)

So there I was sifting through the public server list here on EQEmu admiring the list
and poking in, trying them out and kind of liking the diversity in them all, but found
it a little difficult to absorb the feeling, only because EQ was EQ to me, so seeing
all these customized ones was just one of those things where I was "set in my ways",
so it was hard to grasp, since the whole time I played on Live, it wasn't just the
samantics of the game, it was a feeling it gave me when playing it that fertilized my
passion for the game.
Then after reading through the project and realizing that, since I considered myself
"technically inclined" with computers, it shouldn't be too hard setting up my own
private server to play on. One where I could continue being "set in my ways". There
is nothing wrong with those who like change, or think change is good, but I've always
been someone, when I found something I enjoy, that same enjoyment never goes away.
It's just like a food you may of loved growing up and you STILL love that same type of
food. So we never get comfortable with someone else's recipe. Your mom's recipe will
always be the best ? I know I am still cooking with those same recipe's. I never get
tired of them, (otherwise, I would be eating the crap that my sister serves). ;)
Just like I never get tired of the same EQ I loved playing. It's one of those recipe's.
You don't change it, you just add your own little spices to it.

So fast forward, taking an interest in reading, learning and getting somewhat hooked
on developing a server came quickly. I actually started loving it. The only problem is,
unless you want to settle with someone else's "recipe", you spend more time cooking
than you do eating great food. One can end up actually losing interest in playing EQ,
as you focus so much on trying to create the type of server you set your sites on.
Metaphorically speaking -
You are no longer playing the game. The game is playing you.

A friend of mine who helped me on my server project few times said: "Building an EQ game is actually a lot more fun that playing it"

I don't know if you ever tried DnD style games, but some people LOVE to be DM, even though they don't get develop a personal character and hunt for the cool loot.

I can honestly say, I have never played a DnD style game. I just never ran into one before I met EQ.
Developing a server, yes, I enjoy it a lot, it's the "new grind" now, haha

It is very motivating to see this mindset here, I am a old timer and enjoy all the things you describe so well here. I was born to this feeling in a D&D system, I found EQ pretty late, around 2004, everyone seemed so powerful and far away, I was the slacker LoL now I have set myself up the perfect server, Classic only, 2 boxing Warrior/Shaman Ogres in the old graphics.... I gave myself some few extra starting points, then off to see the world �� can't play much with 12h workdays, so only level 3 but my goal is to find back this feeling your talking about. Goal is to get to 60 the slow way, learn the game(cause this is EQ EMU ofc).

After that mod the server to something else.

As a dyslexic fuck my plan is to read next to nothing haha so is there a safe way to remove quest related content from DB, only need table names and possible issues if you remember any, otherwise I will find out myself np

I loved DMing for my friends. Unfortunately we are geographically separated now. I have many stories I could see being put into play in EQ. Maybe one of these days when I have some free time I'll spin a server up and get to work.

I'm in same position, geo.loc away from my old team...they still playing after 30 years, GM even made Eve Online from the world they had made from D&D....so small ideas can become monsters in the right hands, keep the idea alive.

EDIT :: Like the Donkey I am, I wrote lots of smiles from phone lol

"you spend more time cooking than you do eating great food. "
Fact.. i shutdown Karana a while ago. cause i wanted to freakin' play lol... but i still check in and have too many fkn ideas that i want implemented that i think i'd be locked into development forever... let alone take time away from family.. ANYWAY.. developing/adding to the game is almost as fun as playing.... yet another source of addiction ;)

I started Playing D&D back when Bell-bottoms were in style. For you youngsters... that was in the 1970s. Played it, GM'd it a lot. Still think a lot about those old adventures.

In those days I was in the military stationed on a tiny base in Southern Italy. There were only 7 dormitories. And only one of them was for women. Not a lot to do on your off time so a few of us started a weekly gaming session on Saturday nights in our dorm rec-room.

Started off with 2 GMs and 6 players. Word spread, people joined in. Within a couple months it was standing room only with 17 players. It was a bit of a challenge coming up with that kind of content.

But it was grand.