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Why the LONG downtime in this game?
I could see myself having a good time in this game except for one HUGE problem.
Why the heck do I have to sit on my butt for so long just to med? The med times in this game are horrendously too long.
I really do want to keep playing and check out the immense content I hear about, but I don't know if I can stand it any longer. 
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...because the game is from the late Jurassic Period in the history of games, and the Developers expected that the players would use that time to socialize and interact with other players.
Might give that a whirl.
It's EQ. They invented grind and timesinks. Everquest, Neverrest, Evercrack.
It didn't get those names by coincidence.
The new system isn't even long compared to the old. You used to med like 10 times longer before OOC regen.
You know when you go into swirl mode with the orange swirl icon after sitting and regen faster? They only implemented that like a year and a half ago. You would be medding like 20 mana / tick before and be sitting for 3 or more minutes with spell book open.
You used to chat while people medded, it wasn't that bad to just sit and chat and talk about stuff while medding.
But now there's no community left so I understand if it's not that fun anymore, it kinda backfires now.
It was originally made for grouping. And in a group you have much less down time; and also you get to chat with your groupmates as you are resting. It's a slower paced game where you can smell the flowers and bond with other gamers.
As a soloer, yes, you will spend a lot of time sitting on your butt.
The fast pace of current games like Vanguard and POBS are nice at first, but after playing them you realize almost NO bonds of friendship are formed because you haven't had even a moment of calm to chat with them.
Luckily, i don't need you to like me to enjoy video games. -nariusseldon.
In F2P I think it's more a case of the game's trying to play the player's. -laserit
It was a different type of game back then, not one focused on flying through quests to get exp. It was based on having fun WITHIN a group, not just in the world killing mobs.
Having the downtime did in fact give people a chance to get to know each other, and thats why the community in EQ is much more memorable than most other mmorpgs out there now.
Unfortunatly, this formula wasn't solo friendly. With mmorpgs having a large portion of their subscribers being in the pool of poeple who want to solo, games "had" to adjust to the fast pace they are now...
...In effect killing off emmersive grouping and communities in mmorpgs, IMHO.
If you enjoy something, the time requirement are irrelevant.
- "If I understand you well, you are telling me until next time. " - Ren
Aye, the down time in EQ allowed players to get to know each other while grouping. The slower pace gave the time to try different things, areas, etc. Back in the height of EQs popularity almost everyone on a server knew each other, or at least heard about other players. Players had something to strive for as well. You were a level for a long period of time, and there were gear and items you could go for that would last you quite a while.
There are 3 types of people in the world.
1.) Those who make things happen
2.) Those who watch things happen
3.) And those who wonder "What the %#*& just happened?!"
The first two responses basically covered it. It isn't an adventure game like WoW, it WAS a wonderful living breathing world. It was great before Sony ruined it.
Boo .. your post is going to make me cry.
I miss real MMORPGS!
I do want to see the game now though. It looks like a ton of content is included that could be fun to explore. But what I've found is that because there is so much content and the world is so huge, there are not many people in the low zones. So, that whole deal about resting and talking is hard to accomplish. I can't find anyone to powwow around the campfire with.
I think maybe they should reconsider the down time now that the game has matured. I read that someone said it actually used to be slower. If it were any slower I wouldn't have gotten to level 37, where I'm at now. I couldn't have standed it.
I dunno, maybe I should just move on. I added it to my Station Pass thinking it might be fun to check out the old EQ lore and such. I don't mind playing an older game as far as graphics and stuff go, but the sitting is driving me batty.
I'll just check occasionally (every six months or so) and see if they ever change it later on. The game was cheap, so not too big a monetary loss. And I had the Station Pass to play EQ2 and Vanguard.
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I doubt a level 37 today would even be level 20 pre-kunark.
Most players back then has strong issues to even get to the name level (20), and many quit a little after...especially if they lost this level a few times.
As to telling these devs what to do and what not to do...I am way past that point. :P Hehehe.
- "If I understand you well, you are telling me until next time. " - Ren
They actually improved the downtime for medding. If you are out of combat for 30 secs, it regens faster than it used to.
That said, medding is still a major factor in the games downtime.
For me, the most frustrating downtime has actually gotten worse rather than better.
In the old days, you'd get a balanced group together, and you would utilize the buffs your group had. Today, before you can do anything at the upper levels, you have to sit in the guild lobby of pok sometimes for over an hour to get the highest level buff that you can from every single class to make grouping viable. Well, I don't know if you have to, but it seems like every group does this. In fact, sometimes the downtime is further extended because someone dies in group and so they run back to PoK to get the buffs refreshed.
I cannot stand it. Its taken me up to 2 and a half hours to put a group together, get all the buffs, travel to your zone and then, cross your fingers that someone doesn't die and lose a key buff which you can't replace in your group.
Ridiculous.
WarEagle, the sad truth is that the only grouping to be had is at the very high level. You are bored, for sure, at level 37. And until you get to the 60s, it will remain boring *unless* you can find a kindred spirit or two that plays when you play; and become a duo, or even a group. Just one person to group with makes a huge difference. If you can get three or more, then it'll be fun.
Luckily, i don't need you to like me to enjoy video games. -nariusseldon.
In F2P I think it's more a case of the game's trying to play the player's. -laserit
I miss my enchanter.
Definitely met some of my favorite people and had some of my best online experiences while playing EQ back before planes of power. Still had fun after, but kunark and velious days were great.
There's a certain charm to the pace of combat in Everquest. I wish a new MMO could capture that feel again.
I remember like 8 years ago or so when I played my wizard in EQ1 (between lvl 50 and 60) I had to med for 10 minutes for a full mana bar if I wasn't in a group and solo quad kited stuff....
I would come to the PC, quad kite 4 raptors, go back out of the house into the sun and do stuff, 10 mins later I would come back, kite another 4 raptors, go back out and so on.
In groups it wasn't much of an issue though especially if there was a chanter or a bard.
Fun times, and I even had the time back then
Edit:
btw, the new "Luclin" Player character models suck. Try turning them off in the Game options to see the original ones. Less detail but much better looking and the animations are much better as well.
I didn't quad kite too much, but I just enjoyed grouping (I'm picturing the 50s, in Karnor's Castle) where I could stand up, cast an ice comet, then sit back down for the rest of the fight and have contributed more than my share to the encounter. Lol.
Old trolls, ogres and iksar ftw.
Hehe, I recall doing this.
Group A request C3 + speed buffs.
/who all enchanter LFG
If there was ANY enchanter with the buffs they want that was LFG, I wouldn't buff them no matter what but redirect them to that enchanter (unless there was a personnal feud, ahhh old EQ drama). If there was none, I would buff them freely but accept donations.
- "If I understand you well, you are telling me until next time. " - Ren
"Most players back then has strong issues to even get to the name level (20), and many quit a little after...especially if they lost this level a few times."
LOL .. level 20 was a big deal !!! You had to petition a GM to come down and give you your surname .. great stuff .. none of this automated BS that wont include *non-standard* figures. My wizard Anubius La'Morte and Druid Demarc Tar'Valon .... good times.
Used to Duo with my wife alot ... both played Druids at one point and set up kite chains on raptors etc .. made some decent XP that way. Eq will always hold a fond place in my heart ... (heck 8 years ago I *met* my now wife while i was camping IG's on my wizard and she was on her lowbie Shaman doing FS runs for me!!)
EQ was great ... we stopped playing just after SoL hit ... the game kinda died there for us ... its was the SOE hayday where there was an Expac every 20 mins (Or seemed to be
) and DAoC was new and shiney ... still .. i remember EQ as *good people and good times* The only times ive ever come close to the gaming experiance of EQ is running static groups ... be it in DAoC (we had a killer RvR gank squad!) WoW or Everquest 2.
I dont think there will ever be a gaming experiance like EQ again .. the friends i made there ... i still remember alot of thier names ... i'm hard pressed to remember the name of anyone in my EQ2 guild that was outside my *static group* ... and i only quit that 2 mos ago ...
Everquest is a game of strategy and careful planning, it is not designed to appeal to those who like action based shooters. Being able to keep up with spawn times while clearing dungeons, is all designed around the management of your mana bar. Any change will dumb down the challenge and bring the game out of balance.
Yeah no game since EQ has captured the social aspect of the group. I also remember the old lv 20 surname program. Totally awesome back then. Lv 20 was high at that time! Ibex Arch'Angel lol I still have that name grandfathered in somewhere. And it was probably the first time you saw a GM, all powerful glowing glitter crap and lv 50 to boot!
Also no game has done as well with aggro range and pull mechanics. There were no 'linked' mobs in EQ, just overlapping aggro radii and pathers. That's what really made EQ dungeons the best. Also with the older EQ dungeons if you're group was really skilled you could probably take on an extra mob or two, and even if you couldn't it was still an art form to get out of the zone before you died from the bad pull. lol
Unrest for life! o/
I've thought about coming back again. My last stint was just as that expansion came out after Darkhollow, but it's just not the same game. At least I'm flagged half way through planes of power. That's a real raid progression expac! Still though nothing like the old days of the original planes and the first ever Soulfire!
nethervoid - Est. '97
[UO|EQ|SB|SWG|PS|HZ|EVE|NWN|WoW|VG|DF|SWTOR|SotA|BDO]
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You have to remember that about the time when Everquest was being developed, a pay-per-hour model was seriously being considered as the payment method for the game. This was before the flat monthly fee or item shop models were standardized for the industry. A lot of thought was given to maximizing the time players would spend logged in, making more money for the developer. I think this may be a hold over from those plans, but then again I may just be cynical.
EQ was the best game of all time. Now sadly it is a ghost town through all but the highest levels, plus the game is a shell of what it once was due to the changes that have been made.
It would be very hard to enjoy EQ now going into the game by yourself. I think if you really want to enjoy it it can only be done if you can find a group of friends that you can set up a steady group with. Your group will still probably be alone in zones most of the time but it will be far more enjoyable because you have something to do during the downtime.
Seriously in EQ when it started you really didnt notice how long the down time was.
CAN THEY PLEASE JUST REMAKE EQ WITH A CURRENT GRAPHICS ENGINE (only original mind you) AND RERELEASE IT!!!!!!!!!!
I need something to play so bad.
If there are too many people downloading this game at the same time, certainly it will cost you some time. be patient.