What are YOU looking for?

[Kingly_Krab]

Hello EQEmulator! As we all know, there are several types of servers available, from completely legit to completely custom. But in all of this, we often have flavors of the month. In case you're new and haven't heard that terminology, it means a server that flourishes for a brief period of time and then becomes nothing but a husk of a server. My reason for making this thread is to just discuss what you guys/girls look for in servers, what you would like to see done or even what you'd not like to see. I hope we can have a creative conversation about the topic. Please refrain from server bashing, flaming, or any sort of trolling about specific servers. This is meant to be a constructive thread so the community as a whole can determine the most effective way to create a vastly appealing server. Thanks!

[tdanger84]

I like scribe as you level spells and servers I can solo by myself or with a few bots. Bots are good because they give utility but if no bots then we need access to clicky cures, bind, and gate potions for the non casters.
I like getting old school armor and stuff from dungeons rather than purchasing from vendors. Its cool when gear is enhanced a bit and content is tuned down. Spawn times on anything should never be more than 1 hour.
Basically it's a small community and most of us are "casual" players that need to be able to play around our normal lives.

Addendum: I really enjoyed ZippZipp's server until it got to the point where I couldn't solo and was expected to group to continue. bots were unlocked via quests at intervals and such. it was fun

[Sublin]

I find myself drawn more to servers that have customized content, there's only so many times I can do the exact same things I did from 99-2008. It doesn't have to be whole new classes, all new spells, but give me different mobs in familiar zone settings, tweak some abilities/spells.

In terms of solo/group I am more of a solo player, be it either via bots, allowing multi boxing, or just having the content only need 1 character to do.

I like being able to log in, get stuff done within at most an hour or so, no long painful camps or clears that take half a day to get to a boss.

[bufferofnewbies]

My quick list during a late lunch break:

• Slow experience (slower than live).
• Indepth quest lines that provide immersive background flavor.
• Combat that is less twitch flavored and more strategy. (and not the "move here for 10 seconds, then move here for 15 seconds" types of "strategy")
• Interconnection of zones in an unfamiliar fashion. (such as SoD)
• Less gear dependency.
• Ability to customize classes to playstyles. (this could be as simple as only giving certain spell/combat skills after completing the quests -- which might preclude you from gaining another type)
• Real storylines. Ones that provide context and are dynamic to development ideals.

[Huppy]

This thread was a good idea KK.
The diversity of server styles that are available to the players are a great advantage in this whole project.
Even though the entire list is not going to please everyones preferences, the players have so much to
choose from and the more types of servers, the better.
That was the disadvantage on EQ Live, the choices were limited to many servers being the same game
play and a few custom ones. At least here, many players can find what they are looking for, but many
players are still looking for happiness. This thread is a good place to start.

[Toony]

I'm looking for a server where Vanilla through Velious are as close to classic as possible but everything Luclin on is also available. I also want a server where grouping is encouraged but boxing is fine too.

[bakajikara]

my vote is i like see Akk Funhouse come back it was at time me best server ever with rof2 support

[trentn]

- Small group progression raid server (3-4 groups can take down raid targets which equates to 6-8 real people)
- Some customization but not a lot - keep it classic (buff bot, gate clicky, etc. quality of life kinda things)
- An actual server that goes through OOW expansion would be nice
- 3-4 box server - that way you can still have a group to xp in down time
- raid re-spawns are tied per content (classic 8hr kunark 12hr velious 24hr luclin 36 etc) to allow competition
- Cannot progress till all mobs have been killed in current expansion or require certain quests to be completed prior to releasing / opening next expansion
- Slower leveling - but not P99 kind of experience
- HoTT window - extended target window

THAT would be a perfect server.

[Kavanah]

I had a server up for a little while that was my favorite (not in a biased way, just that I did exactly what I thought a fun server would be.) I simply couldn't host it anymore and maxed out my personal ability and skills with scripting/my sql:

-Locked for PoP era w/ max level 70
-All spells could be purchased or turned in for from drops
-Plat was allocated properly and merchants had loot that could not be found only purchased. (This allowed players who couldn't solo to get the main bosses in a zone's drops but could spend time farming plat to purchase a few upgrades during solo time.)
-Spells had a minor overhaul, tweaking them to be a bit more flashy and useful but nothing complicated or crazy. (Clr, Shm, and Dru, all healed the same but Clr's buffed hp/ac much better, Shm slow/haste slightly reduced to makeup for heal increase, Dru dot/dd increased.)
-People could box a second character if they wanted.
-All content custom adjusted to allow for most people and class combinations to work through each zone level w/ 1.5exp.
-Every single item existing in PEQ through PoP was adjusted stat and graphic by hand (spent several months on this alone) as well as over 1000 custom items added in.
-NPCs gave "quests" that were really hints depending on your class of where to farm for good gear at your level ie. an SK may want to hit kurns for a shield and then crushbone for a 1hs
-Each class had minor adjustments to make them more distinctive, especially melee classes. Wars taunt and aggro increased, Rangers bow damage/accuracy increased and only needed 1 arrow for unlimited archery (special arrows could be found around the world)
-Minor tweaks to some zones

I had the server live for about a week and never promoted it. Just tested it out with a friend of mine and we had the most fun reliving a somewhat live feel while feeling like we had an updated game that was rewarding every time we logged in for a few hours. Unfortunately I lost all the db on my hardrive and have been looking for similar server for a long time now with nothing coming quite close =(

[Mortykins]

Vote for Pedro

Edit : Kingly , thanks for all you have done for us , we love ya bud!

www.raidaddicts.org

[sunbeam]

I don't know if I am a good indicator of the EMU playerbase.

But here's what I want.

I do not want to box. I do not want to use bots. But I still want to solo. With any class.

EQ was set up from the beginning to encourage grouping and social aspects. But there is no way you can make the original EQ setup work with the limited populations that all the EMU servers (save P1999 sorta) have.

(Although for a number of reasons, more game knowledge available, the fact it is implemented improperly, in a lot of ways P1999 is very different or at least plays differently from classic. Neckbeards... neckbeards gonna cockblock.)

There have been a number of approaches with enabling soloing on EMU servers. Buff bots, a vendor that hands out epics available at level one, etc.

My favorite approach so far has been the one taken on the Vengful Soloist and Envy of the Irish, namely stats (well some of them actually do something). I.E. strength enhances melee damage, wis/int spell dot damage, dex maybe ranged damage, you get the drift. And on those servers gear has a multiplier on it, so that an item with +5 str and +25 hp's, would actually yield +20 str and +100 hp's and so on.

This approach really works well for soloing, up until Velious where the boss mobs started with the inflated hp's. But you can have a fine time running around and getting your own gear and doing zones and Traks with stuff you solo yourself up until then.

And actually I don't mind boss mob types requiring "a group." I wouldn't mind it being more than one, but it can be hard to find more than 6 people who will do something like that on even "successful" servers from a population standpoint.

That said, you also have to include some way for melee to heal themselves. The ones I mentioned have rapid out of combat regen.

Anyway. Now I am going to put in some of my pet peeves.

1) Okay that classic server you worked so hard to code? The one you want to provide the classic EQ experience?

The one you adjusted so trade skills... are like classic? You know, no recipes, no autocombines.

Why in the name of god did you do that? Just why? It wasn't hard enough to farm pelts and component for some of these trade skills as it was?

You really felt the need to have someone go look up old recipes from EQ traders (if you can even find them at this point, and you haven't helpfully included them on your website)?

And above all you felt that the "classic" experience requires people to .... have even more carpal tunnel than the autocombine system that comes out of the box?

Dude it's not coming back. The trade skill system was always stupid. From the beginning. There was no need for it to be implemented the way it was. Doing it that way doesn't enhance the magic one iota.

Obviously you don't HAVE to do trade skills. But a lot of quests require trade skill items, and I have yet to see a non P1999 server with an actual economy.

Now here's my other peeve. I want you dev. Yes you. I want you to play on your own server. I want you to play a warrior who worships.... Mithaniel Marr (so you are human I guess).

Now the boats? Not being able to port? Have to run everywhere? Have to do corpse recoveries?

I want you to fully relive the classic experience. You know the one where a level 50 warrior without his gear has to run for his life. The one where you probably had to bind in Freeport to xp in lower guk.

The one where you are on a server with maybe 15 or 20 other people tops.

I know coding and bug fixing needs to be done. But I think it would be useful for you to actually experience what some things are like in classic for some classes, if you think the PoK books ruined the game.

Just saying no matter what you do, it isn't going to be like a live server of the era with at least 1500 people running around original/kunark/velious.

And yet you insist on implementing a forced things that were designed to force grouping on servers where groups are awful hard to come by.

This is a catch 22. I do not want to bust the chops of someone who works hard to provide a fun experience for people. But I also don't think some of you have really thought through what you are asking people to actually do.

[chrsschb]

What I wanted in a server (and created for myself):

• Balanced Content (Tailored for 1-3 groups of players + boxes)
  • I prefer no bots/boxes, but welcome them on low-pop servers
• Classic feel (quests, zones, items, etc)
• Quality of life improvements:
  • Translocators (City to City, Nexus Spires, Boats, and specific Raids)
  • Spellscriber (Creates powerful spells at cost, doesn't give them for free)
  • Quests for early warriors to give access to better aggro weapons
  • Edited Spells (Certain heals, pets, etc)
  • No No-Drop (except specific quest items/rewards)
  • No Recommended/Required Levels to use items
  • No Minimum Levels for Powerful Buffs
  • Spell / Research / Tradeskill / Tome Merchants
  • Nexus Hub
  • Corpse Summoner (for a cost) & Soulbinders
  • Gate Potions / Rez Potions
  • Removed lockpick / key requirements for certain zones/doors
• Reverted classic zones (VP, Nurga, Droga, ToCT, etc)
• Custom content:
  • Separate Progression Path (Custom Bosses, Items, Quests, and Lore)
  • New Spells
  • Upgradeable Items (Charms, Weapons, and Armor)
  • Progression Trackers
  • Challenge Encounters / Ring Events
  • Balanced to be in line with regular content
• Involved Admin Team (Admins play with normal characters on the server)
• No Fabled spawns
• Limited to Trilogy (may potentially grow to SoL/PoP)

[phorest]

I like 2 players/ 1main+1box per ip.
I like slower but not stupid slow exp.
I like auto scribe spells on level .
I like rare random loot. like 1 in 100 on regular mobs, and 1 in 5 on boss mobs.
I like customized, but not barren. Not "all the same" but real, customized zones.
I also like grouping. building friendships, and walks on the beach.

[Splose]

Originally Posted by bakajikara

my vote is i like see Akk Funhouse come back it was at time me best server ever with rof2 support

I told that old bastard he should bring it back up too.

The main thing I've always looked for is a server that I can just log on and kill some shit and get decent rewards. A lot of us young Emu'ers have grown up. I personally don't have the time to play on a server like P99.. and I've played way too many custom servers over the years that very few actually keep my attention.

The main thing that I've always tried to STRESS on my server is that hint of professionalism.. No typos in npc names or quest text.. actually using spawngroups.. npc pathing... more than just changing the model and size of an NPC an calling it a day.

A server where Kinglykrab isn't a GM so I don't get banned or #killed constantly is also always a plus.

[Maze_EQ]

I 2nd the no kingly krab thing.