EQ2 PVP and Server Merge Plans

[thecrazyd]

SOE has announced the schedule for introducing five new PVP servers, and is merging some of their existing servers.

Over the next few weeks, we're going to do something that might seem counterintuitive on the surface for a growing game, and combine a few of our existing servers reinvesting in the ones that remain.

Some people who don't play EQ2 will have bad things to say about this move. Yes, this is a controversial decision, but our primary concern has to be making sure that the worlds are all healthy, fun places to play for the people who enjoy playing EQ2.
A full list of the servers to be merged, and more details can be found here. (http://eqiiforums.station.sony.com/eq2/board/message?board.id=testdev&message.id=7376&view=by_date_ascending&page=1)

[jacktion]

teh doom!1

[Draft]

I am anxious to see how EQ2 pvp plays out, because they are implementing many of the same ideas that Blizzard eventually nixxed from WoW pvp. Their system looks like it will be implementing the original concept of honorable kills- ie, punishment for killing a player so below you in level they can't constitute a threat. Blizzard opted to remove that aspect of pvp because it's ripe for exploit in often chaotic encounters. Should be interesting to see if it actually plays out that way.

But what I really can't wait to see is the effect of XP loss for pvp death. This is something the "hardcore" always clamor for, until they realize just how often you die in pvp. Not to mention half of those deaths will be a dozen dudes rolling over you while you're picking flowers or killing kobolds or whatever.

[Citizen Philip]

Ugh. I'm on Skullcruser WoW. THREE server transfers and counting, it's totally gouged our server community.

If you can consider game servers a community.

[JudasGoat]

I'm on Skullcrusher too, but I'll take whatever they give us if it lightens the load. 1000+ ping every night AFTER you wait for a queue of 500+ is for the goddamned birds.

Do you play Horde or Alliance?

[Zurik]

Controversial decision? There's nothing controversial about it, its obviously neccesary for a game that has so few subscribers. Gotta save money somewhere, what with all the other failing MMOs Sony has now.

[KNOTE]

What are the current numbers on EQ2? I was under the impression that they had 300k currently.

[ElectricMonk]

http://www.mmochart.com

what's interesting is almost all of the other games have had no impact on their subscriber base since WoW came out.

edit: hmm the charts are about 6 months old...

[vallor]

http://www.mmochart.com

what's interesting is almost all of the other games have had no impact on their subscriber base since WoW came out.

edit: hmm the charts are about 6 months old...

I don't trust the charts anyway. Its been a long time since any company released subscriber numbers except in very broad "we hit 500,000!" and then being very vague if the 500,000 was accounts active, accounts active and closed or pending cancellation...

These charts were populated mostly from data on the sly; leaked to him and some math that he came up with that supposedly extracted the truth from press releases and sales data.

i.e. the results lack any real credibility and probably had a +/-100,000 subscriber margin.

I suspect that the reason the charts haven't been updated is because the companies clamped down and told folks it was worth more than their jobs to keep filtering data to this site.

[Lekon]

I never could get into EQ2. I tried, really, but the graphics were a huge turnoff to me. The characters all looked way to.. plastic. I could see how the game likely would be fun, and the voices were snazzy too, but ugh, Just having to look at barbie elf #502 wore on me.

Same thing with the armor in EQ2 actually, It all seemed to blend, nothing had any real snazz or sparkle.
And: I can't resist it. As said so often on the COH boards.



DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

Edit (Dangit, someone beat me to doom)

[Klade]

Golly making pvp death = xp loss... I knew SOE was stupid of course but they never cease to amaze me with the boundless depths of that stupidity. You would think by now they would realize that players hate losing xp and that its NOT needed to make an MMO work. Instead they have gone the opposite direction.

[Steele Johnson]

I agree, xp loss never made any sense to me. The longer you're in the world, the more "experience" you get. That should never be taken away. You're a veteran, an "experienced" player. Taking away what you've worked for to get to that point is demoralizing. Having to spend another day of killing mobs just to get back what you have lost is ridiculous. I can see getting "sick" or losing some armor, but taking the xp just has no logic behind it and is more of a way for them to keep you playing longer for that monthly fee.

[rein]

I would be willing to try EQ2 pvp but not with exp loss. Someday SOE will snap out of it and realize most people just want to have fun in a game.

[nophex]

Lots of people don't like penalties for pvp. But I'm pretty sure they have it so that killing a player gives you several times the amount of xp you would get from killing a mob. I read somewhere that they plan to make it possible to level on just PKs.

And the xp debt in EQ2 is so small per death you will probably make up 2 to 3 deaths in 1 kill. Thankfully they got rid of group-shared xp debt and shards. However I don't play anymore so it could have changed since then (the debt that is)

[triptogn]

It's not xp loss its xp debt. Oh noes! You have to kill 3 creatures (or players for that matter, they will give xp too) to get out of debt! Oh noes! punishment for zerging!

Boundless depths of stupidity? How about researching the game, or trying it before making a comment?

Golly making pvp death = xp loss... I knew SOE was stupid of course but they never cease to amaze me with the boundless depths of that stupidity. You would think by now they would realize that players hate losing xp and that its NOT needed to make an MMO work. Instead they have gone the opposite direction.

[Verocity]

My how the mighty have fallen...

[The Continental]

Forced server mergers, that's the MMO death knell, it's all down hill from there. I like many just can't get into EQ2 but I'm really interested to see how their PvP works out as it's implementing a damn big feature that WoW pvp is missing, namely aggro gaining/reducing abilities working in pvp, i.e. a warrior taunts you and it forces you to target him for X seconds. That alone would add a lot of strategic depth to PvP seeing as how clothies won't be singled out so badly.

[Vandenh]

The end... the end my friend....

EQ2 just wasn't up to the task of "fighting" WoW. They were hoping on the EQ1 hardcore players but that never happened (same as AC2). That being said... it still has a fair number of players so I am sure it is fun for those people. Can't see many newbies joining though. WoW still has plenty of new blood flowing in.

Right now I have some hope for Vanguard or maybe DnD.

[Grimgrock]

I am keeping my account open long enough to get the next patch. I'll try it out, see how things are different, and then, likely cancel the account, again. I really don't care that they are merging servers. If that's what it takes to have a server that isn't 90% NPCs, then that's what I want them to do.

As for XP loss, I don't like it. I'd rather have XP debt (like DAoC of olde). Some experience goes to your debt, some goes to your current level, and you can't lose a level from death.

I too have hope for Vanguard. It looks like they have their stuff together but the key will be to entice the 60-70% of the market that plays WoW to give a much more hardcore game a try. Just from what I've read, the comparisons to the original EQ (pre-Luclin - perhaps even pre-Velious) are somewhat accurate.

[Lord Dongkey]

Hm... I recall xp debt being a bit more harsh than just "2 to 3 kills" to get rid of 1 death. Sure, if you have vitality xp and are raking in double xp on kills, it's only maybe 5 or 6 kills, but that's white con single-up arrow or higher and flying solo...

As far as rewarding xp for PK, that sounds a lot like hell in a hand basket to me. If nothing else, the MMO/online market has taught us that:

1 - People are stupid.
2 - The younger people get, the more likely they are to display this inherent stupidity.
3 - The younger people are, the more time they have online to display rule #2, thus exhibiting rule #1.
4 - Stupid people suck.
5 - People who suck tend to exploit shit and cheat, taking happiness and glory in both other people's pain and in a false sense of superiority over other players.
6 - Real life needs an ignore list.

But I'm going to get to work. Or at least appear to.

[Citizen Philip]

I'm on Skullcrusher too, but I'll take whatever they give us if it lightens the load. 1000+ ping every night AFTER you wait for a queue of 500+ is for the goddamned birds.

Do you play Horde or Alliance?

IR Horde. Xyzzy, Troll Shaman.

[JudasGoat]

IR Horde. Xyzzy, Troll Shaman.

Cool. I'm Josev (UD Priest) or Stagger (UD Rogue). Look me up sometime. :)

[Speed_D]

You EQ2 guys can argue all day about the merits of xp loss versus xp debt. But does either one really enhance the game?

If anything, they just encourage people to pick fights with odds heavily slanted in their favor, even more than they do already.