If you want as close to a genuine EQ experience as possible, you'll have to play on a progression server or Project1999 imo. EQ1 live now is not even close to what it used to be. It's still enjoyable for those that have been playing for a while, but I think coming in new would muddy your perception of it. Plus it would take a long time for you to get caught up.
Agamar is a good TLS to start out on, be warned you need a sub to get into it. Its the closest outside of p99, to original EQ. The great thing about Agamar is it will stop at planes of power, which is considered one of the best if not the best xpansions for EQ. It also has a good xp rate, unlike Phinny. I play on Phinny and its super top heavy and getting groups is a headache to level up.
Be prepared for a game that is quite ...primitive ... by modern standards. A lot of slash commands rather than menus and not as much customization as one might want.
I tried it after I had already played EQ2 and couldn't take it for those reasons though as a game it was better than EQ2 in a number of ways.
gofortheko said:Agamar is a good TLS to start out on, be warned you need a sub to get into it. Its the closest outside of p99, to original EQ. The great thing about Agamar is it will stop at planes of power, which is considered one of the best if not the best xpansions for EQ. It also has a good xp rate, unlike Phinny. I play on Phinny and its super top heavy and getting groups is a headache to level up.
Small corrections: Agnar server is the name of the latest TLP server and it's nothing like the original eq. Also many think that pop was the worst expansion and probably the one that ultimately killed eq.
Project1999 is probably the closest you will get to the original eq but even it, has features that the original eq didn't have.
However, it's a pain to install and unless youre nostalgic for eq from yesteryear, which you are not, I suggest just playing on any old server but a progression server since it's free.
Also people are much more likely to help you out unlike on progression servers where most people just play to race to the end to claim "firsts" while waltzing over anyone and everyone not realizing the people who did it 100s of times over the last nearly 20 years are laughing their asses off at those wannabes who got all their strats from 10 different websites. Lol
But ..... if you've never played it, it still can be a lot of fun. However the graphics and clunky game mechanics , although 100 times better than original eq, may put you of once you get over 20. I think you are able to "level" 1 character per account to like level 80 or 90 instantly with appropriate gear so that could be an option too.
All this free stuff has limitations though so be aware of that. Try it. What's the worst that can happen? :). You don't like a 20 year old game..
Durp said:gofortheko said:Agamar is a good TLS to start out on, be warned you need a sub to get into it. Its the closest outside of p99, to original EQ. The great thing about Agamar is it will stop at planes of power, which is considered one of the best if not the best xpansions for EQ. It also has a good xp rate, unlike Phinny. I play on Phinny and its super top heavy and getting groups is a headache to level up.
Small corrections: Agnar server is the name of the latest TLP server and it's nothing like the original eq. Also many think that pop was the worst expansion and probably the one that ultimately killed eq.
Project1999 is probably the closest you will get to the original eq but even it, has features that the original eq didn't have.
However, it's a pain to install and unless youre nostalgic for eq from yesteryear, which you are not, I suggest just playing on any old server but a progression server since it's free.
Also people are much more likely to help you out unlike on progression servers where most people just play to race to the end to claim "firsts" while waltzing over anyone and everyone not realizing the people who did it 100s of times over the last nearly 20 years are laughing their asses off at those wannabes who got all their strats from 10 different websites. Lol
But ..... if you've never played it, it still can be a lot of fun. However the graphics and clunky game mechanics , although 100 times better than original eq, may put you of once you get over 20. I think you are able to "level" 1 character per account to like level 80 or 90 instantly with appropriate gear so that could be an option too.
All this free stuff has limitations though so be aware of that. Try it. What's the worst that can happen? :). You don't like a 20 year old game..
Um, Agamar is currenlty in Velious era, which is the closest to original EQ (only two expansions from vanilla) that daybreak offers, your "correction" was wrong, also vanilla EQ was **** by todays standards. The only reason most people feel nastalgic about it, was because it was the first 3d mmorpg they played. Nothing in modern mmorpgs offers the same sense of wonder running from Qeynos to Freeport, and taking a boat to Butcherblock. At the same time, dying in Butcherblock and respawning back in Qeynos no realizing you didnt bind, and having to do the same three hour run/boatride to get your corpse back.
And way to **** on the populations on the TLPs, most likely not even playing there. Most people are really cool and helpful on TLPs. At least on Phinny it was great until GoD came out, then interest in the server wanned, and it because VERY top heavy. Not to mention going from 1 to 70 on phinny getting AAs is one hell of a grind, so its not advisable to do so. But I keep playing on Phinny because of the amazingly fun people that play there. Dont **** on TLPs because you couldnt get into a decent guild or had one bad experience.
Also, most people I have EVER talked to about EQ, say GoD was the expansion that ruined EQ. PoP was a great expansion, but you could argue it took out the travel bottlenecks that some people found so great. I found the story and progression great. I mean taking on the Gods themselves, was pretty damn epic. How do you really progress past beating gods? EVen though it was technically rewound... but still. God sunk EQ, because it was an AWFUL xpac because scaling was so bad. It is certainly more tame now, but even still many people left phinny during this period because of the nightmares of original EQ about GoD.
In any event, TLPs are a better option because there is less, you log into normal EQ and you have so much **** to learn. I have a level 85 character and he easily has three bars full of abilites, and I am lost at where to start.
If you were to do it, P1999 is the only way to really get an actual classic EQ experience as the TLP servers are a much different beast. The last classic EQ expansion was Velious, Luclin and beyond are considered the downturn for EQ for a large number of old EQ players and the TLP servers have a good number of changes and non-classic systems that change the experience entirely.
Honestly though, it's only nostalgia that fuels anyone playing any of the servers (P1999/TLP) so coming in without having that history isn't something I'd highly recommend.
Bazgrim said:If you want as close to a genuine EQ experience as possible, you'll have to play on a progression server or Project1999 imo. EQ1 live now is not even close to what it used to be. It's still enjoyable for those that have been playing for a while, but I think coming in new would muddy your perception of it. Plus it would take a long time for you to get caught up.
spot on, it would broaden your point of veiw and a give you deeper understanding of the gene and why so many people draw references from it. All the words in the world could'nt tell you what you should know about it, it should be experienced with friends you havnt meet or made yet! p99 or an early progression server would be the best experience imo.