What are you looking for in a server?

[NostalgiaEQ]

Originally Posted by ChaosSlayerZ

To add to this discussion, here is a very interesting article "The Kunark Problem" written years back, by member of Afterlife - one of the top EQ guilds of all time.
It underlines some of the core problem in initial EQ design:

http://www.afterlifeguild.org/Thott/kunark.php

I love stuff like this and agree with many points. Don't quite agree with this though: "The key is avoiding content burnout, by never forcing, or even allowing, a player to continuously play in the same area."

Not everyone is an explorer and some like things they are familiar with and to be the big dog. I think that is great. Having parallel content for the explorers to play in one dungeon one day and another dungeon the next then come back the 3rd day is awesome as well. I think having parallel content is important but allowing people to play in the same place for a long time is also good. I am actually encouraging this by bumping up light blue xp slightly which will also help soloers.

[ChaosSlayerZ]

Originally Posted by NostalgiaEQ

I love stuff like this and agree with many points. Don't quite agree with this though: "The key is avoiding content burnout, by never forcing, or even allowing, a player to continuously play in the same area."

Not everyone is an explorer and some like things they are familiar with and to be the big dog. I think that is great. Having parallel content for the explorers to play in one dungeon one day and another dungeon the next then come back the 3rd day is awesome as well. I think having parallel content is important but allowing people to play in the same place for a long time is also good. I am actually encouraging this by bumping up light blue xp slightly which will also help soloers.

There are more article there btw, where he speaks about ideas for hate, taunt,heals, new spells etc.

Also, while I myself do like to stick to certain area for awhile, to camp specific spots/mobsfor xp or loot, its one thing to stick around for a few days, and another to camp the same area for WEEKS.

IMHO, original EQ had problem with content gaps at certain levels. For example there was notorious content gap between level 7 and 13 if you were in Freeport area - the only thing you could do in that range in do Orc Camps for DAYS. Past 15 you could finally move on to Befalen.
If you were in Qeynos side, 5-15 were great in BlackBurrow, but past 15 there literally nothing to do there in entire western antonika. (not counting solo hunting roaming animals)

Another long term camp was in HK basement where people literally lived for weeks for 10 levels or more.
And yes Karnor was notorious for its massive overcrowding, while many other places were half empty.

Overall, I think, world should be balanced. There shouldn't be zone that only good for XP or only good for loot, while lacking the other things. All zones should be good and balanced with progression.
If you have multiple starting zones, then progression path should be developed from each of this points and be at least somewhat unique.
What happened in reality, that no matter where you started, past your teen levels there was mostly a single preferred path that absolute majority of players leaned too, creating overcrowding, and wait lines to get groups, while the rest of world barely had any players in it.

[NostalgiaEQ]

That's true and what I want is for all players to come together and start that path in EC once they make the journey from their starting city then branch out from there. I want to get new players around the "knowlegebase" so they can learn more about the game and hear about the other good places to level from more experenced players. I don't want my new players to be alone in their starting city for very long because I feel I will loose them. I'm talking about real noobs here which I want to attract.

But ya I definitly plan to use hot zone advantage to spread people out when there is overcrowding and make the most desolate zones very relevant.