Removing Levels from EQ

[Nomax5]

Please let me know what you think to this idea for a “friends and family” type server typically low populated with no bazaar trade to speak of.

Players start at level 50
All xp goes into AA’s
All mobs in all zones are tuned to be level 50 content - Mob Level HP, AC, Damage, using an SQL algorithm and Loot is random (using Georges Random loot tool)
Make all loot no-drop (so you have to go get your own gear)
Remove all resurrection spells – No resurrections = corpse runs


The death penalty is loosing all of your AA’s and your skills 1hs 1hb evocation etc.

Example:
in Blackburrow there would be level 30 – 40 Scrawny Gnolls at the beginning and 50 – 60 Elite Gnolls further in, and boss/named mobs would be beefed up
and loot drops would be appropriate for level 50 toons.

Advantages: I see
All zones would be appropriate for every player. 200+ zones to play in
All players would be able to group and play together.
It would Rejuvenates all the “old” zones

Disadvantages I see
No “leveling hook”
No ambitions to gain level X to be able to do Y or go to Z or use B

Note
Obviously removing the major hooks will have an impact on player goals,
my hope is that players will enjoy getting gear for their characters,
have a genuine fear of dying because of corpse run (through level 50 zones remember) and loosing their AA’s

But what do you think?

[paaco]

It's an interesting idea. But by removing all of the stuff mentioned you are taking a lot away I think. To pull off what you are talking about and keep players for a long period of time without getting bored. You are gonna have to have some amazing content and encounters I think. Also I think that losing all of your skills on death is pretty extreme. It's gonna make doing anytihing very painful once you die one time.

Good luck with it. It's an interesting idea at least. You will have to have some amazing custom content to pull it off long term though I think.

[GeorgeS]

I would agree with Paaco. Having so many zones with random loot is a big job to maintain and keep balanced. I would try one zone and get it perfectly balanced, then apply the info to other zones. Start simple.

Regarding my random loot program, I would HAND sort an item list to feed to the program, then distribute the list thru the zone.

Query for all level 40-50 items, sort by hand, then modify stats if needed (I have a bulk stat mod tool for this as well), then feed it to the random loot program.

I would try it out, then see what the interest is.

Following on Paaco's idea, make it more interesting with perl scripts. Make npc's wander around with perl and do interesting things. Give out quests etc..


Have fun


GeorgeS