Custom Servers

[chasem]

I have been a part of EMU community for a few years and very much appreciate all the hard work from each and every dev out there. I happen to enjoy the custom type servers (classes, etc). I really enjoyed Varlyndria and thought it was done well (most the time) aside from the drama outside the game I witnessed. There are others that are great as well, though seems to be few lately.

Can anyone recommend a custom server in the vein or know of one in the works?

Thanks in advance,

C

[Drajor]

Have you tried Dungeon Crawl? Great server with top devs though sadly a low population.

[sklead]

One in the works is The Last Dawn, which as far as I know is going to be as custom as possible (items, zones, mobs, quests, etc). But last I heard there were like 2 devs and they only dedicate maybe 2-3 hours a day, if that much to working on the server, so it won't be ready any time soon.

[Kingly_Krab]

A server just released today, Puny Earthlings. I haven't checked it out myself, but it may be worth looking in to.

[sunbeam]

I've kind of given up on the whole thing for the most part. Every few months I get the itch and play a bit, but it runs it's course pretty quickly.

The problem for me is:

1) I don't want to use mercs (or bots; how guys parse the difference I do not know).

2) I do not want to box. Period. Even with Macroquest (and if you don't use something like the the /follow command is too much of a pain to play with). I don't want to spend a lot of time setting up macros and the like.

3) The content (or characters) needs to be adjusted so a solo character (though I'd gladly group with others) can do the game solo. You just cannot count on having anyone else around and interested in doing things with you on an EMU.

4) XP and AA rates. Flat out these things do not need to be like live. No one is going to spend years running around an EMU to max out their character. Well most people.

Anyway my two cents. I've actually come to think boxing is the devil, at least as regards solo players. Either things are meant to be doable by box crews and it is too hard for soloers, or it is aimed at soloers and too easy for box crews.

Soloing and boxing cannot coexist. You might have a solo server where it is necessary to team up to do certain mobs like Quarm, but if you allow boxing it is a blue moon when you find someone who has the need to team up with you.

A lot of people like to box, so I guess things are ok.

Now there are some servers that advertise themselves as "solo" servers. Irreverent, Dungeon Crawl, Vengful Soloist. I've tried them all, some are decent at it. To my mind there is usually something unsatisfying about them. Irreverent seems to have a large box population and is populated by ghosts. I leveled up to 70 pretty easily and grouped one time when a ranger also needed to try the server challenge. Seems like you can go an hour or so there without seeing chat comments, even if /who says 30 or so people or on. Fiddling with macros I guess.

[sklead]

Originally Posted by sunbeam

I've kind of given up on the whole thing for the most part. Every few months I get the itch and play a bit, but it runs it's course pretty quickly.

The problem for me is:

1) I don't want to use mercs (or bots; how guys parse the difference I do not know).

2) I do not want to box. Period. Even with Macroquest (and if you don't use something like the the /follow command is too much of a pain to play with). I don't want to spend a lot of time setting up macros and the like.

3) The content (or characters) needs to be adjusted so a solo character (though I'd gladly group with others) can do the game solo. You just cannot count on having anyone else around and interested in doing things with you on an EMU.

4) XP and AA rates. Flat out these things do not need to be like live. No one is going to spend years running around an EMU to max out their character. Well most people.

So you're saying an optimal server would be one without mercs or bots, doesn't allow boxing, is geared for soloers, and has increased XP and AA rates? From what I've seen most servers allow bots at least because of the low populations and they don't want to make things easy to solo. Also in regards to custom servers, most people just throw a few custom mobs in a hub zone and label their server as "custom". Maybe it's just me, but when I see that a server is custom I expect more than a hub zone with custom mobs.

[zeldik]

Sunbeam has a valid point I would like to see a server lets say Classic/Kunark/Velious/Luclin-up to PoP eventually with a diablo style loot perhaps if not random loot so you dont have to be picky on which zones you use to level up in. Could make it completely soloable and only final zone mobs non soloable except you have to farm upgrades to be able to kill the mobs in the next expansion/tier of content /shrug no one is used to this or wants this and they want the group feel but you would still need to group to kill end expansion targets and with no mercs,bots,boxing would require others/a guild etc.

[sunbeam]

Originally Posted by sklead

So you're saying an optimal server would be one without mercs or bots, doesn't allow boxing, is geared for soloers, and has increased XP and AA rates? From what I've seen most servers allow bots at least because of the low populations and they don't want to make things easy to solo. Also in regards to custom servers, most people just throw a few custom mobs in a hub zone and label their server as "custom". Maybe it's just me, but when I see that a server is custom I expect more than a hub zone with custom mobs.

That might be the best server for me.

I think that the problem is that Everquest has an unwieldy backbone for being a solo game.

From the ground up it had the "Vision" and was designed for group interaction.

The problem is that virtually all the EMU servers are low population. In the end it has to turn into a solo game, whether the server is advertised as solo or not. The question is how the server does it. My opinion is that even servers with a high population like EZ Server and THF are solo servers. It's simply that the box armies inflate the population numbers.

It is a rare EMU server that ever hits 50 (yeah way too high for unique people) max. And that is not enough to really do content if the server is at all trying to be like EQ through GoD.

Then there is the fact that Everquest is a profoundly dissatisfying solo experience.

From rare drops, to the that mobs get so much more powerful than your character as you level. To stupid abilities like Summon, that was put in to place to keep some classes from being able to solo content like they did before. Then there are the f#&()ing stupid cock blocks and time sinks like keys. And Hell Levels, if someone feels the need to be that legit.



This game only makes sense if you have a lot of people running around at the same time doing things. If you don't have that, it is really an awful solo game.

I've tried P1999. But the magic isn't there for me. I really just don't want to jump on the hamster wheel again. Particularly with a dev crew like that one has. The whole thing of "halfings are going to get the xp bonus that humans were supposed to get, because it's like live darn it." Or the stupid drops that get nerfed that they try to follow because live did it that way. I mean if I had been playing when Kunark went live I know I would be going straight to the Circlet of Shadows camp. Or the Moss Covered Twig, you'll get to enjoy that for a little while.

Just seems a little moronical on the P1999 devs part. Plus they have screwed up lots with certain guilds on that server.

[ChaosSlayerZ]

I share the feeling for this type of server.
I have been making extensive planning (5 years now) for a full custom server (entire world made from scratch), that will allow both solo and group play with no boxing/boting or mercs allowed. New and customized classes, 99% new spells etc.
Now if only I could get some free time to actually make it happen
If things improve for me in RL, perhaps in a year or so, I may have something to show

[zeldik]

Maybe someday someone will host two version of a server boxing,and soloable ,until then Dungeon Crawl is pretty soloable by most classes,and then Secrets is creating a whole new type of emu which im definitely interested in...

[Drakiyth]

Originally Posted by chasem

I have been a part of EMU community for a few years and very much appreciate all the hard work from each and every dev out there. I happen to enjoy the custom type servers (classes, etc). I really enjoyed Varlyndria and thought it was done well (most the time) aside from the drama outside the game I witnessed. There are others that are great as well, though seems to be few lately.

Can anyone recommend a custom server in the vein or know of one in the works?

Thanks in advance,

C

You just might get your wish.