What with all the recent talk of the good old original EQ days, I thought now would be a good time to bring this up.

The Classic EQ Petition at http://www.classiceqpetition.com/ is a private though legitimate petition bound for SOE requesting the opening of an 'EQ Classic' server (non-progression, Original/Kunark/Velious expansions only). All signatures are validated, but only your initials are displayed on the viewable online petition until it is sent to Sony.

I realize that some of you couldn't care less, or wouldn't be satisfied with a classic server of this flavor, or would never even want to go back to any form of EQ again, but I for one made most of my best EQ memories in the pre-Luclin days, and I would love the chance to go back to a legit classic server run by Sony (as opposed to emulated servers or bootleg groups).

If for any reason, just do it to help us out! Granted nothing may come out of it, but it's a good try nonetheless. It's not a perfect game, but it's one that I and many others want to go back to.

Thanks for signing!

Is there even a code base to support that kind of initiative?

If SoE did not properly version their code base over the years it might be impossible to setup a classic server.

Will users have to use the old style user interface in 800x600, are there incompatabilites with equipment vs. code, the questions are many from my side of the house.

Its seems like a black and white proposition, but in software development there is never black and white ESPECIALLY with a code base that is OVER 10 years old.

Cheers,

Lowkase

Where the possibility of increased income and profit is concerned, anything is possible ;).

I for one would take whatever form of static, non-progression classic server they could provide. If that means adjusted graphics/resolution and some other tweaks/adjustments and bug fixes, so be it.

It may also involve the release of a completely separate package of EQ (similar to EQMac) that could be bought and downloaded online much like current expansions. I would easily want to pay for the new, adjusted software if necessary.

Where the possibility of increased income and profit is concerned, anything is possible


Thats the thing, the cost of rehashing the code base and getting it up and running might off set the gains in profits SoE sees from selling the subscriptions to this kind of server.

I bet NONE of the current developers on the SOE team have even seen half of the code in the "classic" code base IF it still even exists.

If they do manage to drag the old source off of a backup tape thats been jammed into a closet for the last decade it would take months for a team to go through the code and come up with a migration plan to get it up and running on a production server, and I haven't even touched on the classic database and its schema that existed back then.

Again, its a very noble cause but I would rather spend my money at the casino, there are better odds there.


Cheers,

Sure, good points, but my goal is to help the petition out so that it gets to them and then they can decide "yea or nay."

It doesn't cost anything to sign the petition and it literally takes 20 seconds or less including clicking the e-mail validation link, so please, just be a friend and help out despite your valid reservations :).

just be a friend and help out despite your valid reservations

I hear yas, petition signed ;)

Cheers,

Signed and confirmed. :D

Downloading EQ mac now. PoP is the limit, and has not even been finished yet.

Didn't they do this a while ago? Opened up an 'up-to-velious-only' server?

Love the idea, personally.

Sounds intresting. I wonder how it would translate into how EQ is as present, with everyone owning 2-3 accounts and boxing. No more mercs would be nice though! People would be forced to group!

Hell levels, grinding a camp for hours a day, and camping Ragefire for a week to get your epic? These are things for a much younger Kelraz, I definitely don't have the time for it anymore. But good luck to ya.

I havent played ever since the release of PoR .. what is all this **merc** thing I've been hearing about?

Rent a group...

The only velious only servers i have heard of are from emu's.

Ok, not sure what I was going on about then!

Timberelf, mercs are mercenaries you "hire" into your group by paying them 92 plat every 15 minutes. There are warrior mercs and cleric mercs and supposedly a wizard merc is coming this fall. The warrior merc is weaker than a mage pet but the cleric merc has all but replaced a real cleric for easier things. A higher end player with a few boxes and a cleric merc has about usurped the traditional group. This was due to most of the player base logging in for raids and than thats it.

Wow, why is it even online? Way to kill the MMO part of the game. Can you buy enough mercs to raid on your own?

No. They aren't allowed on raids. Just groups.

EQ is strictly a raid client now, Kel. Grouping for Exp, gear, flags and AA is more an inconvenience of time to get a character raid worthy than anything. The main social event is the 5-6 hours a night you put in at the raids. People just don't have time for most after that. We are all in our thirties and up now. Not much time to grind and find the classes to make a group. As mentioned before, its the norm to have everyone log on for raids, raid and when raids over they log out. There might be a few that hang on 40 minutes or so before or after raid for a lesson burn.

Its only shitty if you have 2-3 clerics on and no one drops a merc to get them in if they are lfg. As a cleric who still likes to exp, mercs are one of my pet peeves. They are hard to compete with in some cases, such as for the lazy easy AA spots like Beza. I get groups only for much harder content where the actual PC cleric AA, spell line and gearing is the main thing that separates a real cleric from a merc/bot.

WoW isn't all that much different from what I heard in that the "real" game begins after you are maxed on your level and have finished your skill tree. And WoW every class can solo.

It is also 1 merc per person. So if you 3 box, ready made group! The mercs are basically tanks or healers. They are not too bad as healers either.

I think the idea is good, and it was nice for our group when it was late and no one was around to group. I hate to 3 box which is what i did with a friend who also 3 boxed, so id log in a merc or something to cut it down. But...I would always drop for a real player. They are always better and the interaction is much more fun.

In case anyone is interested, the Classic EQ Petition site now has a forum:

http://www.classiceqpetition.com/forum/index.php